There is a bonus to living in American society where there is a rapid turnover in commodities. The confessed bibliophile has many channels in which to acquire books of personal value at greatly reduced costs. Knowing what to look for is as important as knowing where to look.
Hardbacks Versus Paperbacks
While some book collectors may not be concerned about the form of the materials they collect as the content, the selection of hardback books over paperbacks is important in terms of treasured volumes that will be read time and again. Paperback books are marginally less expensive than hardbacks (purchased as used books), are more portable, and take up less shelf space.
Hardback books, when purchased new can be considerably more expensive than their paperback counterparts. Hardbacks are bound with rigid protective covers, cloth covered cardboard and sometimes leather. Many have flexible sewn spines but modern hardbacks have glued spines.
The paper is generally of a heavier weight than paperbacks and often acid free to reduce yellowing and brittleness of the pages. They are larger and do take up more room (sometimes considerably more) than paperback copies. Hardbacks are fitted with artistic dustcovers that also prolong the life of the book.
Typeset as Asset
Most hardbacks have yet another important asset. A bestseller book may go through three stages; the hardback edition (first release), then a trade paper edition (roughly with a year after the hardback) and finally the mass market paperback.
The mass market paperback is significantly reduced in size and typeset from the hardback version. This can create a real problem for the reader, who over the years may acquire glasses, bifocals or even trifocals. The type can be small and the paragraphs close together resulting in great discomfort for the reader.
Hardbacks are fitted for the comfort of most readers and in some cases are released in large print for the visually impaired. The secret is then to purchase hardbacks from the very beginning. They will age with the reader and provide joy through repeated readings.
Basic Book Collecting Tactics
Patience is a virtue. Big publishing houses hope that you’re not virtuous and their advertising ploys count on your desire to read a book (right now) and make it a bestseller. Unfortunately for them, the run of a bestseller may be dismally short. Oregon born author, Tara K. Harper states “Almost all published books go out of print in 3 months. On average, best-sellers go out of print in 2 years.” With these turnover rates, excess unsold books end up a lot of places at greatly discounted prices.
Bargain shelves in major bookstore chains, bargain outlets and online booksellers st prices at a fraction of the original cost. 20% to 50% off is standard. Popular books often end up in used bookstores but various dealers use different formulas for sales price. Books found in these locations are going to be new to good condition.
Thrift shops, library book nooks and annual sales, flea markets, and yard sales are where the real deals are found. Books in good condition should run between $2.50 to a high of $5 for hardbacks. Book covers should be clean and undamaged with or without dust cover. Pages should be clean with no writing or highlighting. Occasionally a book will have a note written on the inside cover and this is a sign that it was given as a gift or past ownership. Older books may bear a library stamp. These marks while not considered damage can lower the book’s worth.
Shopping for books ought to be fun. Splurge and buy that new book if you desire. But keep in mind that making an adventure out of book hunting can be great fun too. Uncovering that special book in an unlikely place and for almost nothing can be a sweet victory. Building a wonderful but inexpensive personal hardback library can bring great pleasure throughout the years.
