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Think you might like to collect books?
Book collecting should reflect your own interests. Collect what you love. If you want to hold on to memories of your childhood, collect illustrated children's books. If you're an avid mystery reader, collect first editions by your favorite mystery book authors. If you want to have fine leather bindings, seek them out. You don't have to spend a lot of money. Of course, you can spend a lot of money on a book. If you want to collect first editions of American fiction's high points, be prepared to shell out the bucks. (And most high point first editions do continue to increase in value, sometimes dramatically.) But you'll probably never get rich buying and selling collectible books. Just stick to what you are especially interested in, and get the best copies in the best condition, the nicest binding, and the earliest edition that you can find and afford. If the book was issued in a dust jacket, try to get a copy with a nice jacket—the dust jacket of a collectible modern first edition may account for 80% of its value. Learn how to identify collectibles. If you want to collect first editions, find out how the different publishers identify their first editions. They don't all print "First Edition" on the copyright page; some use number series starting with "1" or letter series starting with "A", while others just don't list any later printings. You also need to make sure the book isn't a reprint, a book club edition, or a facsimile of the first edition. Books that are not first editions may still be collectible: look for signed editions of authors' works; limited, numbered editions; finely-bound or illustrated editions; original paperback editions or look for books containing maps or diagrams. Keep your books dry. Control the temperature and limit the humidity in the spaces where you keep your books. Keep your books out of direct sunlight. Keep a beautiful dust jacket bright and colorful—don't let it become faded or bleached out. Protect books' dust jackets with Mylar protectors. Keep your books pest-free. If you notice evidence of little critters around your books, take measures to eliminate them. Shelve your books so that their spines don't bend or break and their covers don't get scuffed. Don't write your name in a collectible book; If you really want to identify a book as yours, you may use a nice bookplate. It will still devalue the book, but not quite as much. If you have questions about collectibles, you can email the Buy Guy. |
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