Book Collecting

 

Book collecting, especially special limited edition fantasy books seems to be having its day these days, at least, on BookTube, and I believe on other social media as well. Buying or receiving gift books and then displaying them on your YouTube channel is a thing, a thing called "book hauls". Most of these books are regular books they find, but I gather they also feature these special limited editions as well, often receiving them for free, i.e. free publicity for the publishers.

In addition, indie authors with large social media followings on one platform or another have taken to offering their books as special editions on Kickstarter. Of course this only works if you have a large following, since most authors/media influencers can only turn as less than 5% of their followers or subscribers into customers. 

These limited edition books often feature all the bells and whistles of books; slip cases, color and B & W interior illustrations, fancy end papers, and have the outside edges of the pages "sprayed" with ink, often in patterns and even images. These books are very pricey, of course, I assume above $50USD, though I've not priced them myself. I guess true book lovers love pretty books. Or at least gaudy ones.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so when I say that I find these books are often over the top in their decorations, with gilded lettering, sometimes leather binding, and those sprayed edges they look, well let's say too dolled up, that's just my opinion. And that goes for the interior art that I've seen as well. In short, I find them just too much, if not ugly. But that's just me. 

The real issue is for me; they're books printed not to be read, but to be displayed on the shelf and admired. In a way, they are sort of like those libraries of books rich people buy to fill their bookshelves, but never intend to read. They're decor. And this is especially true because most of the buyers of these books already have at least one copy of the book. But then, what can you say? They're collectors... And well, collectors are collectors...

Now, of course, rare and desirable books can get very pricey indeed. And who knows what book will become rare and desirable decades from now. By producing only a limited number of books, often 1,000 or less, these books by definition are going to be rare. The question is that ,in the coming decades, will they be desirable? There seems to be a stigma attached to things that are deliberately made to be "collectable", and I wonder if these books will escape that stigma in time. Plus, who knows how popular the authors will be in the future? That certainly has a bearing on how desirable these books will be.

But here I am again, being negative. But hey, I'm an old man. Cut me some slack. However, as with audiobooks, I'm just speaking for myself. You do you, and if you love special editions of the books you love, I think that's great. I'm quite sure most of these book collectors are buying the books out of love, not as an investment. At least I hope not.

And I can't toss more stones than that. Because, yes, I used to collect books as well, until some 25 years ago, when I realized that I would have to someday move all of them. Now, if you have ever had to move books, you'll know just how heavy they get and just how fast they do. It doesn't take a big box of books to get heavy. I know, I moved them. Thus I stopped collecting books and started reading library books. Mostly. Since the turn of the century I may have acquired, maybe 50 books? A few more in recent years than before. For example, the seven Brother Cadfael omnibus books that I have now, I didn't own when I took the photo of my bookshelves above. But for the most part I have been, and still am, content to read library books.

Now if you study my book shelves you will see that I collected a variety of books, in a variety of subjects, types and conditions. I have some first printings, a lot of trade paperbacks for the  60's, and a lot of second hand books from the first half of the last century. What you won't find is special editions.

I'm too cheap. 

And when I buy books, I buy them, to read them (and treasure them). 

There are all sorts of book collectors who collect all sorts of books for all sorts of reasons. And that's great. So even if I shake my head at all these fancy special editions, well, if it funds authors who need funding, and brings joy to readers, it's all good. 

Read on. And buy on! If you're rich.