How Rare is it Really?

By Teresa Ambord

What makes a book collectible?  In many ways, the same things that make anything collectible.  Here is a brief rundown of desirable qualities from book dealers:

  • State:  This is when changes are made during a printing.  For example, if an error is discovered and fixed after the first thousand of a ten thousand-volume printing, those first thousand will be considered rare.
  • Scarcity:  Again, obvious.  While first editions are generally coveted, the first edition printing of a book by a popular author (like John Grisham) may be so huge that it is no more valuable than any other copy.
  • Signed by the author:  This adds value, unless the author signs a great many books.  These days book-signing events are an often-used marketing tool.   Once again, that means there may be a lot of author-signed copies of that book around, which minimizes the added value.
  • Prize-winning: A book for which the author won a Pulitzer or National Book Award, or other coveted prize may be collectible.
  • First book: An author may be unknown when his first book is printed (probably in a small first printing).  If he later becomes popular, that first book takes on a new value.
  • Condition: No surprise right?  Books should appear as new as possible, and have the dust jackets.

Book Care

Collectors of rare books will tell you the first thing you need to know is, take care of your books.  Book dealers are often frustrated to come across what would be a terrific find, but it has been stored in a damp cellar or an insect-ridden attic, and its condition is disgraceful.

Here's what they recommend:

  • Storage: provide a clean, dry place, free of pests. Stand them on a shelf or, if you must place in boxes, stack them no more than three books high.
  • Don't forget about them, but check every now and then to make sure they are still looking good.
  • Leather bound books:  ensure the leather doesn't dry out by occasionally oiling them.
  • Maintain the dust jackets.  For many readers, dust jackets get in the way, so they get set aside and lost.  But if the book is one you hope will increase in value, you should know that a book without its dust jacket may be worth only 10 percent of value it would have with the jacket.

Buying Old Books

Before you buy a book you think might be rare, compare and do your homework.   While the Internet is a great source for shopping, it may not be the best place for examining rare books.  You may be better off hunting for old and rare books at antique shops, garage sales, school sales, and book fairs.   If you do shop online, book connoisseurs say one telltale sign of a good dealer is the way they describe books.   Writing a good description takes time and care and should include a lot of details.  Reputable dealers should also have a refund policy.  Just in case you run into problems, be sure to make your purchases using a credit card so that you can dispute them if necessary.

Here's one online bookstore you might enjoy.  It lists book prices in British pounds, so click the next link for a currency converter.

cdickens.com is another fun place to browse online, or to find out about having a book appraised:

You may also want to read our previous collectibles article: