Friday, June 3, 2011

Make $10,000 for Collecting Books?



I rather randomly stumbled across the wide world of book collecting the other day and was astounded by how much hardcore book collectors will pay for rare and valuable books. First editions in hardbacks top the list for classic authors and bestsellers from the past century and beyond. So why was I looking into collectors items in the first place? It is soon told.

My father-in-law lent me his books from the Dune series to read a while back and I noticed that the cover of his hardbacks matched the image versions on wikipedia and wouldn't you know it...they're first edition hardbacks. In the world of book collecting, an original Dune hardback, first edition, sells at auction for over ten grand. Not too shabby for a novel that cost $5.95 back in the sixties.

So what possible gems might you have sitting on your dusty shelves at home? I'm not saying you'll have the most sought after sci-fi or literary book of the last century, but if you indulge in hardbacks you might surprise yourself with what you find. Of course, we all love books intrinsically for their own enjoyment, but just out of curiosity, what possibly valuable old hardbacks are on your bookshelves?


6 comments:

  1. I have an early edition of Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. I haven't even read the book - just picked it up at a book sale because I'd heard a lot about it.

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  2. Oh, that is too cool :D I checked out my shelves once in the hope of finding a dusty old gem. No such luck. But I always keep my eye out for that stuff at garage and library sales :)

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  3. Hektor - interesting book, I looked it up online. I must be ignorant, but I never heard of it. I'll have to check it out now, thanks:)

    Michelle - Who knows, maybe you'll find something on your friends' or relatives' shelves...finders fees never hurt ;)

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  4. The only thing I've got is a 1900's version of Grimm's Fairy Tales. It's not worth much, but it's kind of cool!

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  5. Mark, are you going to sell it?! And use the proceeds for your next international vacation?

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  6. Stephanie - Grimm's is still cool and has lots of intrinsic value as far as I'm concerned:)

    Stacy - Well, it's my father-in-laws', so it isn't mine to sell. Besides, even if it was mine I still love a good book too much to sell it :)

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