Adding Value To Your Collection - An Antique Books Guide

As a book collector myself I have learnt a few tips and rules of collecting that can help add value to a collection and so I thought I should write a post about it.

If you are to collect books then you should make an attempt to make your collection as valuable as possible.

1. Create topics within your collection

Key to any book collection is the idea of topic collecting.

For example, you will no doubt have a few books all focused upon one author or one topic that interests you.

Try to get valuable editions of these where possible.

Take the James Bond books for example. The cheaper 'Book Club' editions are reasonably easy to buy but the rare books published by 'Jonathan Cape' are harder to come by.

Try to build your collection slowly but surely and when possible upgrade the cheaper books to earlier or rarer editions.

I would also suggest you start a section of your collection (maybe one shelf of a bookcase) that focuses on classic/ famous books such as Alice in Wonderland, Ulysses or the Wind in the Willows.

By having books that rarely lose value and often gain value you will be adding a core to your collection in terms of value.

If you ever need to sell any of your books then these classic can go first but they will invariably help add strength to your collection. Later in this post I will show how to further add value to your collection by upgrading these books.

Next I would suggest a decorative section purely for aesthetic appeal. You can turn your book case or book collection into a talking point with decorative, pretty books or impressive leather bound ones.

2. Single title collections

Some collectors will go after a certain title and try to collect as many editions of that title as possible.

This is generally cheaper than collecting a range of titles and allows you to focus upon a single work.

If you have a particular favourite book then this is a wise move as you are bound to build a valuable collection if you can get a range of copies of one title.

Look for hard back editions with dustjackets where applicable for higher value than paperback equivalents.

3. Make a set

Having a set of books is something that can be a valuable collective item if you ever need to sell.

Take, for example, Milne's famous four books.

I would suggest rather than buying the set complete from someone else you should instead try to build your own.

This may take time but by the end you will have almost certainly saved money.

Look on eBay and Abebooks.co.uk at regular intervals for the books you require and book by book build your set.

4. Upgrade Your Books

Once you have your desired books you can start with upgrading certain copies.

For example, consider the set above, of Milne's four iconic books.

Now unless you are willing to spend close high hundreds for your set then you will most likely have later impressions rather than first editions.

If you happen to have a fifth edition of When We Were Very Young' then at some later point you could procure a third edition of the same book and sell your old, later edition.

By slowly upgrading your books into better editions you will end up with a more valuable collection without a large initial cost.

Tolkien's 'Smith of Wootton Major' below is shown simply to illustrate the fact that there are different editions for nearly all books printed and by slowly upgrading your books you can also add value to your collection.

                                                            5. Add signed memorabilia

Another sure fire way to add value to your collection is to add signed items to it.

If you can't get a signed book then go for letters, postcards or even envelopes.

These will invariably be cheaper than a signed book but can still add considerable value to a book as a package.

If you have a signature from a well known author already then try to buy a valuable, early (or First if possible) edition of their most famous book.

That way if you ever need to sell, the combination of autograph and valuable book ensures your collection is high in value.

Thanks for reading - I hope this post has helped you in some way.

If you need any advice please feel free to contact me.

As always a comment, share or +1 is always appreciated!

The Marvel of the Folio Society - An Antique Books Guide

The Folio Society is one of the best known modern day publishing houses and quite rightly so.
They offer a nearly unparalleled quality in all of their books, printing classic in facsimile form or with new, bold covers.

Sold with slip cases, these books are often larger than standard editions and always carry a high presentation value.

The value of these books is quite varied from some of Tolkien's books which in the correct edition can fetch several hundred to many more common title which are sadly worth under £5 - a fraction of what they would have cost when published.

Below are a range of books and aspects of books published by the Folio Society.

Gilt Detailing:

Expensive but popular, gilt detailing makes a book that little bit more visually attractive

Photo covers
Some Folio Society books have unique photo-style covers with representations of paintings or pictures that wrap around the front and back boards.

Slipcase

The slipcase is almost always plain and hides what the book will actually look like.

Facsimile

Here is one of the Folio Society's facsimile books, by which I mean a modern replica of an older edition.
Often reproduced to the highest quality by the FS, these replicas are quite valuable and extremely attractive.

Inside the book will appear very similar if not exactly like the original text.

High Presentation Value

This book has strong, deluxe binding and colouring to the top of the text block - both symbols of the high production values associated with the Folio Society

Decorative front/ endpapers

Most Folio books will come with unique front/ endpapers which represent the theme or era of the book - again another sign of high value in the production of these books.

 And here are several covers just to show some more variation in the portfolio of the Folio Society

 

A Folio Society book is going to be one of the nicest copies you can get of said book although perhaps not the most valuable.
Ideal for presents or luxurious reading!

Thanks for viewing and please share, comment etc

The Top 9 Book Topics To Collect - An Antique Books Guide

Here's a simply listing some of the most popular (and sought after) topics for books that you may want to collect and a bit about each topic.
I have tried to put the list in order from most collected to least although all are particularly vibrant markets online from my experience.

1. Fairy Tales




Fairy Tale books are always a popular choice for collectors.
With big names being The Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, fairy tale books often combine the art of illustration and story telling to create truly lovely books.
Look for famous illustrators such as Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac or Heath Robinson for particular value.

The book pictured sold for approx £40

2. Famous Fiction



Popular fiction always hold several gems that are worth a lot. Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone is one of the most famous examples, with first editions selling for thousands.
Look for the latest book by proven big names. First editions, signed copies or Proof copies are often a safe bet.


3. Children's Stories



As with Fairy Tales, these often basic tales are something of a vice for collectors. Having money as adults means we can re-buy books that we treasured as youngsters or perhaps slightly better versions.

Among the most valuable children's books are The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Peter Pan and Winnie The Pooh.

Look for early editions of treasured classics.

The book above sold for approx £30

4. Fishing/ Aviation



The unlikely topics of fishing and aviation are both similarly popular.
Often low circulation fishing books of the 1950's-1980's can reach close to £100 whilst early books on aviation are highly sought after too.
Look out for illustrated books. With aviation pre 1920 is generally sought after whilst with fishing look for pre 1870 for value or famously obscure authors.

The book shown sold for approx £25

5. Occult/ Mysterious



Topics of the occult often capture our imagination and so too for the book collector.
Books on magic, freemasonry and sex are highly collectible.
The stranger and older the book the more likely it is too sell.

The book above sold for approx £20

6. Typography/ Illumination



Typography and illumination is a hot topic for collectors.
Early examples of printing and collections of typography are quite sought after whilst illuminated books are a sure fire hit with collectors.

Gilt embossed writing in books is generally set for a good price and famous or obscure books of fonts are collectible also.

The book above sold for approx £50

7. Travel



Travel is a popular topic among collectors and fortunately among publishers.
With countless series of travel books such as Baedeker's or H.V Morton's books, this topic is one that is wide, popular and potentially investable.

As usual, the older the better.
Pre 1850's travel books are valuable and if they have illustrations or fold out plates then even more so.
Look out for maps also as these are a valuable asset to any travel book.

The book above sold for approx £25

8. Religion



The age-old topic of Religion holds a special place within many of us.
Early religious texts with family histories, brass clasps, colour illustrations, illumination or any other unique feature sell well.
Look out for old decorative Bibles for value.

9. The Classics

Classical titles are always going to be valuable if an early enough edition.
Shakespeare is an obvious name here with early editions of his books selling for tens of thousands.

Look our for nicely illustrated 1900-1930 editions of his works or pre 1800 for real value.

The book above sold for approx £20

I hope this guide helps you in finding a valuable book for yourself!

Thanks for reading.

The Most Collectable Books GUIDE (Repost)

Here is an attempt to list some of the more collectable titles currently circulating.

These are books that are guaranteed to bring big money depending on the edition and seem to hold their value throughout the years.

Abebooks has a reasonably comprehensive list of such titles however I would argue the value of some of the books listed by them.

Ulysses:

This book is a classic, infamously known as the 'hardest novel to read' in popular literature. Early prints from third edition to first can hold high values with the true first editions selling for thousands.

The Origin of Species

Darwin's most renowned text changed human views for ever from when it was published, back in 1859. Even editions published in the 1920's can hold some value with earlier copies rising in value incrementally. The standard green art deco covered Sixth Edition from 1900 onward sells well for a minimum of £50 whilst pre 1880 copies are guaranteed to make hundreds or many thousands if a second or first edition.

The Hobbit

This novel is one of the most acclaimed children's stories. Although the original audience was the child, some adults may now struggle with the tale of adventure and dragons. Hardback editions dating from 1970-1975 can fetch up to £75 whilst every year earlier adds another few pounds to the value.

The 1966 edition with dust jacket can sell for £100 if in nice condition, the 1957 edition with dust jacket can reach £200 quite easily and so forth up to the 1937 first edition which reaches £7,000 in some cases.

Even 1980's hardbacks can sell well and the vintage paperbacks too - look out for the 1961 Puffin paperback which can be worth over £50 if in very good condition

Andersen's Fairy Tales

A real classic - one of the most notorious writers of short children's tales.

Illustrated editions tend to sell well, especially if dated prior to 1900. 1890's editions with colour illustrations can reach over £40 whilst certain editions such as the 1913 Heath Robinson illustrated edition can reach over £3,000.
A variety of illustrators have dabbled with Andersen's tales including Edmund Dulac, Arthur Rackham and Harry Rountree.

Mrs Beeton's Cookery Books

Mrs Beeton is the biggest name in vintage cookery books with a huge range of editions running from 1865.

Nice 1900-1920 copies can hold over £10 whilst the earlier pre 1900 copies often manage £30 to £40.

The larger Household Management books and the First Edition Cookery Books can reach over £100.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

No book of recent times is so collected as the Philosopher's Stone.
Two publishers of fame printed this book - the first being Bloomsbury and the second being Ted Smart. Ted Smart cam a year after Bloomsbury so a first edition/ first impression ted smart can only reach a few hundred pounds whilst a Bloomsbury first edition/ impression rarely sells for less that £800. Hardbacks are rarer too and sell for higher fees. Needless to say signed copies can once more set the price soaring higher.

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Lews Carroll's most famous story and perhaps the most famous child's tale in the world is immensely collectable with in excess of one hundred different editions available to the collector.

Look out for pre 1930's editions as they tend to sell well. With colour plates by famous illustrator's such as Arthur Rackham, copies can quite easily reach £100 whilst the red and gilt backed pre 1900 editions can reach thousands if in true first edition form.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayim

This classic poem, written many hundreds of year ago some believe, is rather collectable and has many diffeent editions available to buy. Some early illustrated editions (Edmund Dulac once more) sell for at least £100 whilst the rarest will easily sell for thousands.

The Highfield Mole

This low circulation children's story written by Roderick Gordon and Bryan Williams is a nice one to look out for although far less colecetable than Abebooks state. A signed first edition paperback can sell for £50 upwards whilst the hardback can easily treble that.

For Whom The Bell Tolls

This Ernest Hemingway classic is alleged to be one of the most collectible of his works. Even fifth impression can sell for a few pounds whilst first editions with dust jacket can reach hundreds but sometimes fall at the £30 mark.

1984/ Animal Farm

These two most celebrated works of \George Orwell sell very well in first edition form. Secker and Warburg early editions rarely drop below £10 whilst a true first for either books often reaches £300 in excellent condition.

Jules Verne's Works

This French author's most famous works sell well, especially with decorative covers or illustrated plaes. Pre 1920's copies usually reach £10 at least whilst 1880's or earlier copies can inevitably rise above £100 if particularly nice or rare.

Narnia

Books set in C.S Lewis's fictional world of Narnia are increasingly collectable, outselling Tolkien's Middle Earth series according to Abebooks.

Early imprints of his most famous books especially The Lion, he Witch and the Wardrobe can sell between £10 and £30 whilst first editions with dust jacket sell for low hundreds. Sets are worth looking out for.

Ian Fleming's James Bond

Look out for Jonathan Cape editions - these are the true first editions of this world famous spy series. Book Club editions published a year after the original firsts are still collectable, generally reach ing between £5 and £25 with dust jackets.
The Jonathan Cape first editions however, with D/J's can attain up to £300 for the particularly valuable Casino Royale.

Peter Pan

J.M Barrie's famous tale has captivated many children the world over and many collectors too. Early editions feature gilt decoration on the covers and lovely colour illustrations by famous illustrators. One first edition sold recently for far more than pocket money - £320 to be precise.