Collecting rare books has become a trend among some people out there in the world. In fact, book trading seems like an antiquated trend in the digital world that we are living in. The popularity of eBooks has increased significantly throughout the past. However, we still see physical books playing a major role out there in the world. When we deep dive and take a look at these books, we will be able to explore the world of rare books.
Here are some useful and essential facts that you need to be aware about the world of rare books.
Not All Old Books Are Rare Books
Some of the people assume that old books are generally classified into the category of rare books. However, it is important to understand that not all old books are rare books. A book becomes rare when it is difficult to find them. On the other hand, a book becomes old when it is highly sought after as well.
In case if the demand side or the supply side of the book is not extreme, it will not be able to become a rare book. Therefore, you shouldn’t consider a book from 1850 as a rare book, in case if nobody is interested in buying it. In other words, time will not automatically convert books into rare books.
Impact Created By Completeness
Completeness of a book has the ability to create a direct impact on the rareness of it. You need to keep this fact in your mind and spend money to purchase a rare book. Completeness can be considered as one of the key standards that you can find in rare book collecting as well. This means that the book should contain all the parts that were linked with it as it was issued.
When you take a look at this from the perspective of modern books, you will figure out that the dust jacket of the book is playing a major role. The price of very first edition of a book can either fall or rise exponentially based on the presence of a dust jacket. For example, a dust jacket of a book can increase its value by around $50,000.
When analyzing completeness of the books, it is also important to make sure that all pages are available. This becomes extremely important for the books that were published before 1800. This era of book publishing is called as hand-press period. Among these books, there is a high possibility for missing pages to exist.
Shapero Rare book specialist says that some of the objectionable passages or pages are torn from the books that were banned in the past. On the other hand, you can also see how the stunning engravings that were found in the book have been taken out to frame and place on walls. You might even see how the blank pages present in the front of the book and back of the book are missing. Back in history, paper was one of the most expensive commodities. As a result, people used these blank papers to get other work done.
If you are a rare book collector, you must carefully go through each and every page of the book that you are about to get. Then you will be able to ensure that all the pages of the book have remained intact along with time. This process will take a considerable amount of time. However, going through it is totally worth when compared to the results that you can receive in return.
Value Of Collecting Old Books
You need to pay special attention towards the amount of money that you will have to spend at the time of collecting old books. Some of the rare books will be sold at a price tag that you can’t even imagine. For example, the price of First Folio of Shakespeare will cost you around $6 million. If you are concerned about collecting rare books, you should be in a position to pay such premium prices. On the other hand, you need to make sure that you are paying the right price to get hold of the books as well. This will provide you with the opportunity to make sure that you don’t overpay to collect the books that you need.
Smell Given Out By The Old Books
When you smell an old book, you will be able to experience a vanilla like aroma. This smell can also contribute a lot towards the rarity of a book. The smell can deliver a peaceful and a cozy experience to you. Back in the day, the smell was given out from cheaply produced paper. However, you will now be able to find a high demand for such books out there.
Keep these facts in your mind and explore the world of rare books to get the most out of it.