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Collecting Books – A Guide For The Novice Collector

 by Douglas Arias

 Collecting books can be rewarding emotionally and financially. Your collection will grow and change throughout your life just as you do. For the novice, the best advice I can give you is to collect books for the love of it and not just for financial gain. Your collection should be a display of your interests. My personal interests are Horror and Science Fiction and my collection reflects that. Some collectors only collect books by their favorite authors, some from specific time periods, and others collect by subject. Collect the books you love and your experience will be far more rewarding.

What’s It Worth

 Like most things in life, the monetary value of a book is governed by the laws of supply and demand. One common myth among novice collectors is that all first editions are worth a lot of money. This is not true.

 Before going to press, publishers try to gauge the demand for a book. If the demand exceeds the supply, then the monetary value will increase. If there is more supply than demand, then the book will probably be worth no more than what you paid for it.

Getting Started

 There are many ways to find books other than bookstores. Below are just a few of your options.

 1. Auctions – Auctions are a good way to acquire books at a ridiculously low price. Not only are they fun, but there is a good chance you’ll be the only one who knows what the book is really worth.

2. Garage Sales – Garage sales are great way to find collectable books. In most cases, the person selling the book doesn’t know what it’s actually worth.

3. Thrift Shops – Frequent thrift shops and browse through their books. There’s no telling what you might find.

4. Classified Ads – Classified ads are a low cost way to acquire books. Run a small ad explaining what your looking for and give your phone number. You might be surprised.

Book Care

Books are fragile and require care. Below are a few tips on keeping your collection in the best condition possible.

1. Keep your books out of sunlight! – Sunlight will cause your books to yellow and fade.

2. Mylar Covers -  Mylar covers are very cheap. Use them!

3. Avoid High Humidity – High humidity can cause mold.

4. Water damage -  Of course, water can ruin a book. Keep your books away from any source of water.

5. Bugs and rodents – Insects and rodents love books.

6. Read carefully – Don’t dog-ear the pages! Use a bookmark.

Get Started

These are just a few basic tips for beginning book collectors. There is an endless supply of resources for collectors online. Take advantage of them and get started. Just remember, have fun and collect what you enjoy.

For more information on books and book collecting go to www.bookdisplay.net. Copyright 2006 by Douglas Arias. This article is free to reprint provided it is not altered in any way and this resource box is included at the end.