Your shelves are filling up and you wonder where a pile of books becomes a collection. Here is how to start a book collection: pick one focus you love, keep the best-condition copies together, then buy and store carefully.
If you are new to the hobby, our guide to book collecting for beginners gives the wider picture before you start on the steps below.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Stages from accumulator to collector | Four: identification, organization, acquisition, preservation |
| Share of a modern classic’s value the dust jacket can account for | 80 to 90 percent |
| Casino Royale in prime condition with a pristine dust jacket | More than $50,000 |
| Casino Royale with a less than stellar jacket | $3,000 to $4,000 |
These figures come from Book Riot’s collector guide and a rare-book dealer’s blog on condition. Prices and rules of thumb change, so check the sources before you rely on them.
Start with a focus you care about
A Book Riot guest post by Charlie Lovett, a former antiquarian bookseller, describes four stages that turn a house full of books into a collection. You can read it at Book Riot, and the steps run like this:
- Identification: decide on a focus and sort out which books you own belong to it.
- Organization: shelve the collection together so the gaps become visible.
- Acquisition: fill those gaps, weighing budget, space and availability.
- Preservation: store and handle the books so they keep their condition.
The first job is a focus. Lovett says the subject itself is irrelevant, but having one helps, and it should be driven by your own passions. Paul Fraser Collectibles makes the same point from the other direction: a vague plan to collect science books leaves you adrift, while books on early innovations in physics are a more realistic target.
If you are stuck for ideas, the rare-book dealer Shapero suggests collecting around a theme, an author, a historical event or a geographical region. Its guide to rare book collecting adds that narrowing down is the best approach, because you can always branch out later.
Whatever you choose, buy what you love. The Paul Fraser guide says this is the advice repeated by almost every auction house, dealer and expert in the business, and it keeps a collection personal rather than speculative.
How do you tell which books are collectible?
Not every book on your shelves belongs in the collection, even if it fits your subject. Shapero lists the features that rare-book collectors look for, and they are a handy checklist for any copy you pick up:
- Edition: first editions are generally the most sought-after.
- Condition: wear, foxing and the quality of the binding all affect value.
- Completeness: all pages, illustrations and supplementary materials should be present.
- Scarcity: how often a book appears in the marketplace can determine its rarity.
- Provenance: previous ownership or a documented history can add to value.
- Signed copies: signed by the author, illustrator or another notable person linked to the book.
For modern books, the dust jacket matters a great deal. Book Riot notes that most modern books issued with a jacket are not worth much without it. A rare-book dealer’s blog goes further, saying the jacket can account for between 80 and 90 percent of the overall value of many modern editions of classic novels, as Books Tell You Why reports.
Watch out for book club editions, which Book Riot says are produced to inferior standards. They can usually be spotted by a missing price on the dust jacket or a small indentation on the lower right corner of the back cover.
Identifying a first edition is trickier than it sounds. Book Riot points out that the signs differ for every publisher, so there is no single rule, and you should look up the publisher’s own method for each book.
Organise your shelves and find the gaps
Once you have picked out the books that fit your focus, put them together. Your subject will often suggest its own order: by author, by date or by subject matter. You can also give the most valuable, most beautiful or simply favourite books a place of pride.
The real benefit of shelving the collection together is that you see what is missing. Book Riot says it gives you a better sense of where the holes are, and that leads straight to your shopping list.
Not every collection is made of single volumes. If serialised publications appeal to you more, our explainer on what are partwork magazines shows another kind of collectible to consider.
Buy carefully and learn the market
When you start to buy, apply the same tests you used on your own shelves. Book Riot calls condition the single most important factor in the price of most books. Its advice is also to seek out the first edition, since a new bookstore may have recently arrived second printings sitting on a stack that also includes first editions.
The gap between copies can be huge. The Books Tell You Why blog says that Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale in prime condition with a pristine dust jacket can fetch more than $50,000, while copies with a less than stellar jacket can be valued at just $3,000 to $4,000.
Buy from reputable sources. Shapero advises dealers who belong to a trade association, and names the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association (ABA), the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB).
Learn as you go. Book Riot suggests these ways to find out which books matter and what reasonable prices look like:
- Talking with dealers.
- Reading bibliographies.
- Speaking to other collectors.
- Browsing online stock, on individual booksellers’ sites or a large marketplace.
Shapero recommends the ABC for Book Collectors as a reference that also points to further reading, and notes that paid courses exist both online and offline. When a particular book catches your eye, our guide on how to find out how much an old book is worth explains how to check a price before you pay.
Think twice before treating books as a quick investment. The Paul Fraser guide says those looking to make a profit should think long-term, because appreciation is slow and liquidity is notoriously poor at the top end.
Look after what you collect
A good copy stays good only if you store it well. Between them, the sources suggest these habits:
- Keep books out of direct sunlight to avoid faded spines and covers.
- Remove loose items such as bookmarks or newspaper clippings from the pages.
- Use a proper bookmark and never fold a page or lay a book face down.
- Avoid a room that is overly damp or hot.
- Choose a bookcase with a door to limit dust.
- Protect dust jackets with an additional cover, such as acid-free glassine wrap.
Learn the condition vocabulary dealers use, so a description does not mislead you. Paul Fraser’s list includes these terms:
- Foxing: brown spots on older books, caused by a chemical reaction.
- Sunned or faded: a book exposed to bright sunlight, with fading of colours.
- Bowed: a cover that bends inwards or outwards, generally from moisture in the air.
- Price clipped: the original price has been removed from the dust jacket.
Finally, leave the pen alone. Book Riot’s advice is that, unless you are very famous, you should not write in your collectible books. Originality counts too: the Books Tell You Why blog says books with original binding or spine work are of significantly more value than those with repairs or restorations.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to collect first editions?
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No. First editions are generally considered more collectible, but Paul Fraser also lists signed copies, small-press editions, miniature books and limited editions as popular types. Choose the kind that fits your focus and budget.
How do I know a book is a first edition?
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There is no single rule. Book Riot says the method differs for every publisher, so check that publisher’s own conventions for the book in your hands.
Is a book collection a good investment?
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Treat it as a hobby first. Paul Fraser’s guide says appreciation is slow and liquidity is notoriously poor at the top end, and it advises buying only what you are passionate about.
Should I write in or repair a collectible book?
Show answer
Do not write in it, according to Book Riot. Think before restoring too, since the Books Tell You Why blog says books with original binding are of significantly more value than those with repairs or restorations.
