Featured News: Rare Books Are a Hot Collectible. Here’s How to Get Started.

Interesting article from the Wall Street Journal on the current state of the rare books market.

Rare Books Are a Hot Collectible. Here’s How to Get Started. (msn.com)

 

For me it is a pity the article mainly focuses on the monetary value of old books as a reason to collect them. For me personally the historical value is much more important. For some collectors the sentimental value is very important as they collect children’s book from their youth for example.

Book collecting is so much more than just an investment…

 

I agree. "Investor" collectors are missing out on so much of the joys of collecting, in their search of hot items to chase returns in. I've always thought that those that are passionate about collecting, not just for the profits, will end up doing the best since they understand the market the best and are not blinded by "investing".

 

thank you.....

 

' . . . a hot collectible, here's how to get started' ! This title indicates much of what's wrong with the business. The published writings of people and our connection to them should be an organic thing. This holds true for many of the items we seek out from the past.

 

Agreed, but…with everything going digital, I’m happy to see people get into collecting old books. One of the vendors at our local antique mall has a book stall, and I’ve picked up some wonderful books there.

Keep in mind that one of the recent trends has been to purchase books for the color of their bindings, and then people group the blues, reds etc. together on a shelf…or other decorators rotate the books so only the white pages are shown…it’s great to have books appreciated for what they are, and not just as color-matching background scenery.

 

Why not collect books for their color? If you are passionate about it, than it’s perfect! Maybe not your or mine passion, but that is probably also the case otherwise (who is passionate about my old paper anyway?).






Some of my books sorted by color (I am a bit color blind...)

 

Look, as they say, “you do you.” People post stuff here all of the time that aren’t my style, and no doubt others here don’t like my stuff.

I have no problem with sorting books by color, and I have purchased a couple of antique books for their covers. But, when I look online and see “real books for sale,” next to this, I don’t consider this either erudite or sophisticated design. I see a rainbow on a shelf. That’s because it is a rainbow on a shelf. Again, I acknowledge that this look has its proponents. We have so many books that we had a custom bookcase made. I wouldn’t put this in any of my rooms or in my office.

 

Another trend is to look out for vintage books with dusk jackets with unique art and also for vintage books with artistic cover bindings. The books themselves may not be valuable as such on the book market. The goal is to have them framed as wall art to enhance internal decorations with vintage look. For instance art deco era dust jackets and cover bindings framed and hung as wall art etc. Even paperback fiction books like Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh etc ( that may not be first editions) are being collected for their vintage cover art and cover picture . Hopefully such endeavours will not tear apart the covers for the sake of framing them and instead would somehow frame the books intact, showcasing their vintage covers...

One thing the msn article also mentioned is about specialising. To specialise or not specialise that has been the age long question...I think for people with ample financial resources specialising could be reasonable as they could select and pick what they want from anywhere. But for the average Joe that combs the flea markets, thrift stores and second hand book shops, that might be a luxury as he could not afford to leave behind potentially good books (eg. first editions) lying around just because they don't fall in his chosen speciality. The pros and cons of this question are numerous though, and it is a topic of unresolved debate not only in books searches but also in the art and antique area as well.

TTA

 

And if they are going to thrown away anyway? Why not?

 

Hi All
Please note that the poster above (emmyjens)for some reason edits people's post in her response she qoutes. The post she quoted above is supposed to be from my post on Feb 23. However she has added her own writing to it and the last paragraph of her supposed qoute is not mine. Please refer to my original post on Feb 23. This is the second time this happened and I will again inform the moderators.

TTA

 

Buying books for color isn't necessarily bad unless you never intend to read them! Of course, my TBR pile gets larger all the time. It's comforting to know that as soon as I finish a book I have a wide choice of what to read next!