Book collecting is a popular hobby. People collect books for various reasons. Many people collect books because they love them and because they enjoy collecting. Some collectors are interested in a subject or author. Others collect books for their beauty. Some people collect books because they hope their books will increase in value and become good investments.
Private book collections have formed the nucleus of some of the world’s most important libraries. The United States government, for example, purchased former President Thomas Jefferson’s personal library in 1815. Jefferson’s library formed the core of the collection of the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress had lost its books the previous year, when British troops burned many government buildings in Washington, D.C., during the War of 1812. Many people have also donated their collections to universities where the books may be used for study and research.
There are many types of book collections. The most common include (1) author collections, (2) subject collections, (3) title collections, (4) specimen collections, and (5) format collections.
Author collections
concentrate on the works of a single author, such as Mark Twain or Jane Austen. Some collectors seek only the first edition (first printing) of a book. A serious collector might add pamphlets, booklets, or brochures written by the author. Collectors especially value editions with autographs or inscriptions by the author, and volumes protected with the original dust jackets (paper covers). The serious collector might also collect manuscripts or letters from the author.
Subject collections
feature books on a particular subject, such as science-fiction movies or ice hockey. Some subject collections are vast, numbering thousands of volumes, but most are much smaller. Collectors of such nonbook items as coins or stamps may also acquire books that deal with their fields.
Title collections
consist of as many editions as possible of a single title, including editions translated into various languages. For example, a collector might try to acquire all the editions and translations of the Sherlock Holmes detective novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. Some title collections extend to the original manuscript, the edited typescripts, and the printer’s proofs.
Specimen collections
concentrate on books that are unusually beautiful, rare, or in perfect condition. Specimen collections do not strive for completeness. Instead, the collections may consist of only a few, perfect books. Specimen collections might include books with unique illustrations, books with rare printing styles or type faces, or ancient books. Specimen collections are also called cabinet collections because some collectors display them in cabinets.
Format collections
are books that share the same shape, size, binding, or other characteristics. Tiny books, comic books, and manuscripts are in this category.
Collecting books.
Collectors can find books in rare-book stores, also called antiquarian-book stores. Many of these stores will search for books that customers want. Collectors also can buy books from dealers who advertise in magazines. These magazines have lists of books offered for sale and books wanted by collectors. The American Book Trade Directory lists antiquarian dealers in the United States and Canada. The directory also shows the fields in which they specialize. In addition, collectors can find books by going to garage sales, second-hand bookstores, and auctions.
A number of elements determine the value of a book for a collector, including its rarity, condition, and age. Books also increase in value if they are first editions, contain inscriptions by the author, or have original dust jackets.
