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About Us


Our Story

📚Welcome to Best Held Books—a lovingly curated corner of the internet where stories find new homes.

We’re pleased that you found your way here.

Our names are Maureen and Werner, the people behind the scenes, the chief book curators, and the ones who are carefully wrapping your next read.

This isn’t just a website; it’s a labour of love born right out of our home in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

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What Makes Us Different?

The Home-Based Advantage: We are a small, home-based online bookstore offering pre-loved, vintage, out of print, rare books and periodicals from our personal collection of over 2000 books.

These aren’t just books—they have been companions, books that we have acquired over a lifetime. Now, we’re ready to part with them, hoping that they will bring pleasure, learning, and interest to fellow book lovers.

Because we operate out of our home, we offer a level of attention and care that big warehouses can’t match:

Personal Curation: We don’t deal in mass market inventory. We believe that our books deserve a second life.

Detailed Descriptions: We take the time to photograph and describe any minor or major flaws, inscriptions, or unique characteristics of the book so you know precisely what you’re buying.

Direct Service: When you email us, you’re communicating directly to us. We handle all customer service personally to ensure your questions are answered quickly and honestly.

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The Spark – A Passion for Reading

Best Held Books began as a simple solution to our overflowing personal collections; What started with just one shelf in our living room more than 50 years ago has now expanded significantly.

Many of our books remained boxed up for years due to work obligations while living in various parts of the world, many have travelled with us, and many were acquired whilst living in other countries outside of Australia.

Each title featured on this website reflects our enthusiasm for reading, learning, curiosity, and hobbies that we have pursued throughout our lives.

Bibliographic Research

When verifying the provenance and edition state of our rarest items, we cross-reference our findings with global archives, including the WorldCat Global Database and the British Library.

This ensures that every collectible item you purchase from us is exactly as described—preserving the integrity of your personal library for years to come.

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