Tips on collecting books, including caring for a rare book collection, understanding how books are graded, where to find antique books and factors that increase a book's value.
For anyone who has a love of literature or even books in general, book collecting is a hobby that is useful both recreationally and monetarily. No matter what the purpose, whether for fun or profit, book collecting can serve as a very valuable pastime.
Choosing a Type of Book Collection:
When starting a book collection, it is important for the collector to focus the content of his or her collection on a specialized area. Often, individual books may not acquire much monetary value, but a collection based on a specialized area can be worth much more. A book collection can be organized by author, subject, time period, or year.
Understanding How Books Are Graded:
To become a successful book collector, a person must understand how books are graded. When looking to buy or sell books, the grade does matter. Books are typically graded using the following grade types:
Very Fine (VF) - describes a book that is in perfect condition, showing no signs or wear, and with the dust jacket still intact
Fine (F) - describes a book that shows some signs or having been read, but has no defects, except for a dust jacket that is slightly imperfect
Very Good (VG) - describes a book that shows light wear and contains small tears, but has no major defects; dust jacket is still intact
Good (G) - describes a book that is in average, worn condition, but contains the complete text with title page, etc.; may contain large tears or loose binding
Fair (FR) - describes a book that is worn, but has complete text; may come without dust jacket or title page, and may be soiled or have loose binding
Poor (P) - describes a book with little collectible value that has severe defects, such as missing pages; only valuable if the book is really rare
Where to Find Rare or Antique Books:
A successful book collector is willing to spend time and effort to complete a collection. Rare and antique books are often hard to find. Some places that a collector may search for rare and antique books are yard sales, flea markets, auctions, antique shops, and rare book dealers.
What May Increase a Book's Value?
Many qualities and characteristics can help to increase the value of a book. A book's value may increase if the book is a first edition. Most often, book collectors are interested in first editions, because they are harder to find and exist in smaller numbers. One common way to find out if a book is a first edition is to locate the list of numbers that can be found near the front of the book, usually on the copyright page. The number list is not the ISBN code, but is often referred to as the first edition code. Upon finding the number line, if the list includes the number 1, it is a good indicator that the copy is a first edition.
Furthermore, collectors should look for books that have been autographed. The inclusion of an autograph usually causes a change in the value of a book; however, the change may be small or significant, depending on the author. Also, the presence of an inscription made by the author further increases the value of the book.
Caring For a Book Collection:
To retain the value of a book collection, it is important to properly care for the books. In order to increase the lifespan of a book, it is important to do the following:
- Keep books away from heat. After an extensive exposure to heat, books become more susceptible to cracks and tears.
- Avoid exposing books to sunlight. Sunlight causes fading, especially on the dust jackets.
- Try to avoid moving the books as much as possible. Ideally books should be kept vertical and on bookshelves.
