Throughout my blog posts I have mentioned several times
about items my mother collects, however my love for collecting and history also
comes from my father. His love and collection is much different from mine and
my mothers. My father has always loved to read and as you can guess his
collection consists of hundreds of books which are displayed in the library of
my parent’s home. Growing up I never thought much about the books in our library,
I figured every 10 year old read Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea.”
But as I’ve gotten older I’ve taken more interest in helping them find ideal
books for the shelves.
When purchasing books we look for a variety of signs to
identify if it’s worthy of shelf space. First we identify its condition,
including the binding, signs of missing or torn pages, coloring (if applicable),
and if the book has a dust cover. Books with their original dust cover are worth
far more, however its best if the dust cover is in good condition free of rips
and tears.
Next we look at “rarity,” taking into consideration the
copyright date, how many copies were published, and lastly but just as
important if the book is marked “first edition” or “first printing.” Lastly we
take note of who the author is and if there are any signatures within the book.
Sometimes books will be signed by famous authors or well known previous owners.
My favorites are when a well known famous figure writes a letter to another
person on the inside cover of a book. However before you purchase a book at a
high price with a signature inside, you should have it thoroughly examined by
an expert for its authenticity.
Not that I am at all famous or well-known, but for father’s
day and my father’s birthday I will usually purchase him a “new” book and
instead of a greeting card, I will write him a birthday message on the inside
of the cover. I like to think that maybe in a hundred years someone will read
it and have just a small glimpse into that particular books history of who
purchased and owned it.
That is such a great idea as a gift! It makes the books truly personal, and unlike cards, you keep books forever!
ReplyDeleteThat is really neat. I wish I had the time to read more books. What is the difference between "first edition" and "first printing"?
ReplyDeleteI never knew so many different things went into determining the value of a book! This was a very interesting post, and that is such a fun idea for a gift! I'm sure he will love it. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks ladies!!! I too think it's a great sentimental gift. Kara that's a good question. If I understand correctly both mean the same/very similar thing. I believe it just depends on how the publishers chose to word it. I will double check with me dad though.
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