Say you inherit a box full of grandpa's old books, what now? Or you're going to an auction or estate sale that advertises old books, will you be prepared for the bargain of the decade sitting right under your nose?
If you own this reference guide, you'll be ready for just about any book emergency that might pop up. Okay, most people don't have book emergencies, but you get my point.
With a list of standard abbreviations common to the book world, tips on condition and notes on how rarity affects value, this one's a good buy even before you reach the listing of 25,000 book titles with prices. The Huxfords even include a few tips for budding book hounds.
"Collect an author or a subject you enjoy," states the guide. They also suggest picking a challenging topic, which means you'll add more thrill to the chase in the long run.
What types of books do collectors generally avoid? According to this reference, Book of the Month Club editions, textbooks, Bibles and telephone directories don't rate high on an avid collector's list of must haves.
This doesn't mean you should throw away your collection of textbooks or telephone directories if you happen to have one or the other and really enjoy owning it. Just realize collections of these types of books are probably not going to be valuable if you try to sell them at this point.
Actually determining what to collect in the book world, just like all other niche collections, takes a little forethought to avoid making mistakes. It's easy to just run out and start buying books. Before long, you run out of room to sit and have an accumulation of "stuff" instead of a nice themed collection.
Some people pick an author and collect not only books, but also complementary items such as autographs and photos pertaining to the writer and their family. Others just like to focus on finding first editions by a favorite novelist.
You might be wondering exactly what a first edition is, and just what the term means. Well, it basically means the book came from the first group ever printed with that particular title.
"Nearly all book collectors are only interested in purchasing a first edition, first printing copy of a book. In theory, this is because, the earliest copies are closest to the authors true intent, without changes," reports About's Book Collecting Guide Rebecca Hanneman.
Hanneman also notes that collectors enjoy searching for first editions because they're generally harder to find and more valuable in the long run. Of course, Huxford's guide reminds collectors that only popular books have more than one printing to begin with, so just because a book can be identified as a first edition doesn't mean it's always worth lots of cash.
Determining whether or not a book is a first edition isn't too hard in many cases; the publisher actually prints a first edition or first printing annotation on the copyright page. Otherwise, in modern books, look for a long line of numbers either beginning or ending with the number 1. You won't find it often, but it's good to know what to look for while you're out prowling around in used book stores.
Of course, not all books have a number line. This is especially true for older titles. Hanneman has you covered here as well. Take a look at "No Number Line? No Problem!" to learn how to determine a first edition in this case.
By now you've realized grandpa's stack of old books probably doesn't contain a single first edition, and if it does, that particular title might not be in high demand. That's okay. Huxford's Old Book Value Guide doesn't focus only on rare books, which is actually one of the most appealing features of this reference.
The majority of the books listed in this guide fall into the $10-50 range offering a great place to get started valuing even the most unassuming accumulation of book titles.
Book cover scan by Pamela Wiggins
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