How to Identify Collectable Books
Determining which books to buy:
Now that you know of the many places that
you can find used books, its time that you learn which books to
actually look for. Figuring out which books to buy for resale
can be the most confusing part of bookselling, but it can also
be fun.
Before we talk about what books you
should buy, it's important to know the types of books to avoid.
Books to avoid:
Paperback books Newer cookbooks and especially any cookbook with the word "microwave" on it. Dictionaries Encyclopedias Readers digest books Book club editions Books that have mold, bad odors, fading, water damage, etc. Books that are missing dust jackets.
*All collectable books should be in very good condition as this is very important to collectors.
Exceptions of course are books over 100 years old in which condition can be more flexible.
Books to buy:
Now lets talk about the books that you will want to buy.
Hardcover First edition books by most popular authors before 1980. Books about unusual subjects (lock picking, blacksmithing, etc) Books about collecting Non-fiction books about specific subjects. Photography books, coffee table size Books about hobbies Local history books Large art books How to books (such as how to make something, or do something) Signed books Old children's series books Most children's books before 1960 Folio Society books Limited Editions Books relating to WWII Books by The Easton Press College text books (current year or last year only)
A simple process for locating collectable books quickly:
If you're browsing in a place that you
often frequent you'll notice the newly stocked books right
away. Otherwise start by checking books on the top shelf;
typically this is where the newly stocked books are located. Skim book titles and ex out the book club editions Check out any books that catch your eye Check to see if the book fits
collectable criteria Check to see if the book is a first edition Check overall condition of book Check to see if author exists in the author list.
Before you buy a book:
Check the book inside and out for flaws, make sure that all pages exist and are intact. Generally only buy books in good condition (this is important to collectors) Exceptions of
course are books over 100 years old in which condition can be more flexible.
NEVER pay more than a few dollars for a book unless you are
completely certain of its value. And more importantly at first
don't go crazy buying every first edition you find, stick to
Popular Collectible authors. If you have absolutely no idea what
authors are collectible you can find a very comprehensive list
of collectable authors here. Beginning and Advanced
booksellers alike will find this list extremely helpful. This
list was originally created for my personal reference, and the
fact that such a list was not available
First Edition Identification:
Book collectors consider a true "First
Edition" to be a copy from the first printing of the first
edition. Confused? Don't be.
-
A First edition is a copy of the first book printed. Any
editions after are revised editions that are usually not as
collectible.
A first printing is considered to be the very first batch of
books that were copied from the original.
So when a book is first printed as a first
edition, the first set of copies they print up are the first
printings of the first edition. Now the question is how to determine if a book is a true first edition and there are many ways to tell:
For Early Books:
For Modern books:
Modern books often have letters and
number combinations displayed on the copyright page that may
look like: ABCDE or 123456 or 654321. The numbers or letters
are basically in a specific order and these simple codes are
used to show the print number of the book. The presence of
"A" or "1" in the codes represent a first printing, and thus
a true first edition. In later printings the A or 1 will be
removed and you will see something similar to "BCDE" or
"23456". These second and third printings are not true first
editions. Sometimes the copyright page will have
"First Edition" and or "First Printing" stated right on the
page.
The following are examples of first editions:
Using these methods will help you determine
if a book is most likely a first edition out in the field. You
can then use the following methods for further verification.
Guide to first edition identification:
For some books it may be tough to determine
if a book is a first edition. For this reason I suggest
this small guide
its very useful for further verification even when using the usual methods.
Points of Issue:
Sometimes when a first edition is in its
first printing a change is made in some of the books during the
print run itself. This can complicate things when trying to
determine the printing of certain high value books. I suggest to
use
this guide
. It makes it easy to identify the points or identifiers in high value books.
Book Club Edition Identification:
When searching for books you will come across many which are
known as book club editions. These cheaply made copies of books
are not collectable in most cases and should be avoided.
Sometimes you will come across book club editions that have
"first edition" stated on the copyright page. This is why it is
important to know how to identify book club editions. When I
pick up a book I go through a quick process to determine if it's
a book club edition.
Size and Weight:
You will notice
that most book club editions weigh a lot less than a regular
book and share a common size among other book club editions.
After some experience you can usually just pick up a book and
know instantly that it's a book club edition.
Lack of Price on Dust jacket:
Open the front cover and check for a price on the upper right inner corner.
Book club editions usually do not have a price listed on them,
you may also find that some books are price "clipped" whereas a
piece of the dust jacket where the price would be is actually
cut off.
Book Club Edition Phrase:
Next I will look on the same page of the dust jacket that has
the price but down on the bottom right corner. Look for anything
that says "book club edition" or "book of the month" or anything
to signify that it may be a book club edition.
Indented Marking:
Some book club editions have an indented marking of some sort on
the back cover in the corner near the bottom of the spine. You
can easily check this by partially removing the Dust Jacket and
looking or feeling for it.
That's all you really need to know in determining if a book
is a book club edition. Once you get the hang of it you'll be
able to spot them easily.
Storage and Tips:
After you obtain books you will need to store them in a cool
dry place, No damp basements, and no hot attics. Basements are
usually damp places and that can ruin books causing mold, etc.
Basements are also sometimes prone to flooding. Water damage is
one of the worst things that can happen to a book. Attics are
also bad places to store books. Attics are often very hot areas
that can make books dry and brittle. Books are best stored in
bookshelves in the upright position in a room of the house that
has a controlled normal room temperature away from smoke and
pets. If you live in a climate that has very high humidity,
using a dehumidifier would be a good idea. It is also very
important to keep books out of direct sunlight as that will
cause discoloration.
Price Tag Removal:
Often you will come across books with price tag stickers
attached. These can easily be taken off; however, sometimes a
little bit of sticky residue is left behind. You can use a
product called "Goo-gone" I find that it removes price tag
residue very well. If you've never heard of Goo-gone and don't
know where to get it, you can get it
here
Miscellaneous Mark Removal:
Many kinds of marks can be removed safely with Art Gum, a dry
cleaning eraser. It removes pencil marks and some soiling marks.
You can find art gum In art stores or possibly the arts/crafts
section of your favorite local stores. It can also be bought
online from
here
To learn how to judge the condition of a book,
go on to Judging Condition.
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