Book Collecting Part III

The first rule in book collecting is "collect what you like." Building a book collection is all about what interests you, not your friends, your neighbors, your workmates, your spouse or any other collector. Collecting is a singular activity that is based on your favorite subjects, authors or aesthetic preference i.e. fine bindings, fore-edge paintings or illuminated manuscripts. If you collect what you like, fluctuations in value are less likely to affect your passion. And it should be said that book collecting is a passion and, like any other passionate pursuit, it is very difficult to explain to anyone who does not share your attraction to and enthusiasm for a particular subject or author. And you should not have to explain or justify your collecting activities. They are yours and yours alone.

Your desire to build a first-class personal library may be related to your profession (architecture, dentistry, costumer), your love of 20th C. literature (The Grapes of Wrath), children's literature , western Americana or any one of a hundred other possible areas of interest. There are no uncollectible subjects or authors as long as you have an interest in them.

My next post will address the difference between a Collector and an Accumulator. Stay tuned.

Book Collecting Part 2

As I mentioned in my previous posting, you can collect any subject or author that interests you. There are no certified collecting areas and no "authorized" formats. You can decide to collect your favorite books in paperback or hardcover editions. They can be any edition or first editions. They can be signed copies or limited editions. Having said that, let me clarify the difference between a collector and a Collector. The Collector with a capital "C" is discriminating when it comes to format, edition, completeness, and condition. They want the first printing of the first edition; They want the hardcover edition if there was one; they want everything that came with the book when it was originally published i.e. dust jacket, all color plates, all maps; and they want to item in as close to its original condition as possible.

The collector with a small "c" is not generally concerned about the above criteria. They are primarily interested in the text and may or may not want keep a book once they have read it. They are not necessarily interested in building a library of their favorite books or reference materials, so for them the idea of collecting is an anathema.

For an in-depth history of book collecting and stories of some of our major collectors, Nicholas Basbane's "A Gentle Madness" is a must read and collectible.

But for the purpose of my discussions on book collecting, I am concerned with the Collector and the fundamentals that are involved in building a collection. I have a few "rules of the collecting" road that I believe are important for any fledgling book collector. And in my next post I will address the first one: COLLECT WHAT YOU LIKE.

Book Collecting Primer Part 1

Welcome to my Book Collecting Primer. These articles are taken from lectures I have given since 1991, under the business name of Book Seminars International, and focus on the basic approaches to entering the exciting world of book collecting. With any specialized area of collecting, there is often a perceived barrier between the newcomer and the activity that tends to impede interaction. If we agree that knowledge is power, then my goal here is to empower the neophyte book collector by breaking down those impediments.

Let me start by saying that I have been a seller of collectible books since 1985 and in that time I have counseled a great many new and intermediate level collectors in their pursuit of elusive books and other printed material. New collectors have the same basic questions and concerns: Why should I collect books? What books should I collect? What is a fair price for this item? Why is this book so expensive? How do I know if this is a First Edition? Why are First Editions so important? Where can I find the material I'm interested in? These are all valid questions and worthy of detailed discussion, which I intend to address along with other important topics.

But for this first entry, let me begin by saying that the collecting of printed material is thousands of years old, and has always been a passionate pursuit whether instituted by ancient rulers or modern day individuals. The over-reaching criteria being the desire to acquire, accumulate, and preserve those works deemed worthy of owning and saving. Some collections serve as national repositories of art and literature while others are personal libraries reflective of an individual's singular taste and interest. In the case of individual private collectors, any subject or criteria is open to collecting. If you have an interest, it is worthy of collecting everything and anything related to that area of interest. It doesn't matter if anyone else is interested in that subject or not; the important thing is that you are interested in it. Book collecting is not a team or a group sport. It is a personal endeavor that has absolutely nothing to do with your spouse, your friends, your work-mates, or anyone else for that matter. Book collecting is all about you and no one else. So, whatever interests you for whatever reason is worthy of your time, money and shelf space.

In my next post, I will address how the new collector should approach "what to collect".