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Some inexpensive collectible books
Some inexpensive collectible books

Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given individual collector. The Hobby of collecting includes seeking locating acquiring organizing cataloging displaying storing and maintaining whatever items are of interest to the individual collector A Book is a set or collection of written printed illustrated or blank sheets made of Paper, Parchment, or other material usually fastened together The love of books is bibliophilia, and someone who loves to read, admire, and collect books is a bibliophile. Bibliophilia is the love of Books Accordingly a bibliophile loves books but especially "for Qualities of Format. Bibliophilia is sometimes called bibliomania but should not be confused with the obsessive-compulsive disorder by that name, which involves the excessive accumulation and hoarding of books. Bibliomania is an Obsessive-compulsive disorder involving the collecting or hoarding of Books to the point where social relations or health are The term bookman, which once meant a studious or scholarly man, now means one who writes, edits, publishes, or sells books. A book dealer is one whose profession is the buying and reselling of rare or used books. A used book is a Book which has been owned before by an owner other than the Publisher or Retailer, usually by an individual or Library.

True book collecting is distinct from casual book ownership and the accumulation of books for reading. It can probably be said to have begun with the collections of illuminated manuscripts, both commissioned and second-hand, by the elites of Burgundy and France in particular, which became common in the 15th century. An illuminated manuscript is a Manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration such as decorated Initials borders and Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy appears to have had the largest private collection of his day, with about six hundred volumes. Philip the Good (Philippe le Bon also Philip III Duke of Burgundy ( July 31, 1396 &ndash June 15, 1467) was Duke of Burgundy With the advent of printing with movable type books became considerably cheaper, and book collecting received a particular impetus in England and elsewhere during the Reformation when many monastic libraries were broken up, and their contents often destroyed. Movable type is the system of Printing and Typography that uses movable components to reproduce the elements of a document (usually individual letters or punctuation The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Monasticism (from Greek μοναχός, monachos, derived from Greek monos, alone is the religious practice in which one There was an English antiquarian reaction to Henry VIII's dissolution of the Monasteries. An antiquarian or antiquary is one concerned with Antiquities or things of the past Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the formal process between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded The commissioners of Edward VI plundered and stripped university, college, and monastic libraries, so to save books from being destroyed, those who could began to collect them. Edward VI (12 October 1537 &ndash 6 July 1553 became King of England and Ireland on 28 January 1547 and was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects College ( Latin collegium) is a term most often used today to denote an Educational Institution. Monasticism (from Greek μοναχός, monachos, derived from Greek monos, alone is the religious practice in which one

Book collecting can be easy and inexpensive: there are millions of new and used books, and thousands of bookstores, including online booksellers like Abebooks, Alibris, and Amazon. AbeBooks (formerly the Advanced Book Exchange is an online marketplace for Books Most books listed are Used books many are rare or out-of-print Alibris is an online store that sells new books Used books Out-of-print books rare books and other media through an online network of independent booksellers Amazoncom Inc ( is an American electronic commerce ( E-commerce) company in Seattle Washington. Only the wealthiest book collectors pursue the great rarities: the Gutenberg Bible, and Shakespeare's First Folio, for example, are both famous and extremely valuable. Gutenberg Bible (also known as the 42-line Bible or the Mazarin Bible) is a printed version of the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible that Mr William Shakespeares Comedies Histories & Tragedies is the first published collection of William Shakespeare 's plays Collectors of average means may collect works by a favorite author, first editions of modern authors, or books on a given subject. Book prices generally depend on the demand for a given book, the number of copies available, and their condition.

Contents

Genres, themes, and interests

There are millions of books, so collectors necessarily specialize in one or more genres or sub-genres of literature. A genre (ˈʒɑːnrə also /ˈdʒɑːnrə/ from French "kind" or "sort" from Latin: genus (stem gener-) is a loose set Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter A reader of fiction, who enjoys Westerns, might decide to collect first editions of Zane Grey's novels. Fiction is the telling of stories which are not real More specifically fiction is an imaginative form of Narrative, one of the four basic Rhetorical modes. The Western is a fiction Genre seen in Film, Television, Radio, Literature, Painting and other Visual arts. Zane Grey ( January 31, 1872 – October 23, 1939) was an American author best known for his popular adventure Novels and A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story A lover of modern English poetry might collect the works of Dylan Thomas. The history of English poetry stretches from the middle of the 7th century to the present day Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953 was a Welsh poet who wrote exclusively in English A Californian who prefers non-fiction might look for books about the history of the San Francisco Bay Area. Non-fiction is an account or representation of a subject which is presented as Fact. History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a geographically and ethnically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the

Individual interests may include:

Related collecting interests include collecting autographs, and ephemera. An author is defined both as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created A genre (ˈʒɑːnrə also /ˈdʒɑːnrə/ from French "kind" or "sort" from Latin: genus (stem gener-) is a loose set For the vector -based drawing program by Adobe Systems, see Adobe Illustrator. This is a list of literary awards from around the world Worldwide in scope Nobel Prize in Literature Neustadt International Prize Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a Book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of Paper or other material Book design is the art of incorporating the content style, format, Design, and sequence of the various components of a Book into a coherent A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a comic paper or comic magazine) is a Magazine or Book of narrative A A fore-edge painting is a scene painted on the edges of the pages of a Book such that the painting is not visible when the book is closed An illustration is a visualization such as a Drawing, Painting, Photograph or other work of Art that stresses subject more than The article is about the geographic sense of the term For other uses including Regions and Regional, see Region (disambiguation. Marginalia ( plurale tantum) is the general term for Notes scribbles and editorial comments made in the margin of a book A miniature book is a very small book sized from.5 Inches square to roughly 2 by 3 inches &mdash no larger than 3 inches in height width or thickness Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view A printer is a company that provides commercial Printing services often also offering Typesetting and Book-binding services Fine press Printing and Publishing comprises historical and contemporary printers and publishers publishing Books and other printed matter of exceptional Private press is a term used in the field of Book collecting to describe a Printing press operated as an artistic or craft-based endeavor rather than as a purely See also Alternative media Small press is a term often used to describe Publishers with annual sales below a certain level Paper is thin material mainly used for writing upon printing upon or packaging Parchment is a thin material made from Calfskin, Sheepskin or goatskin. Vellum (from the Old French Vélin for "calfskin" is mammal skin prepared for writing or printing on single pages scrolls codices or books A book series is a sequence of Books with certain characteristics in common that are formally identified together as a group Photoplay edition refers to movie tie-in Books of the Silent film and early sound era at a time when Motion pictures were known as "photoplays" Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view An advance copy, also known as an advance reading copy or ARC, is a copy of a Book released by its publisher before the book has gone to press Galleys redirects here For other uses see Galley (disambiguation. An autograph is a Document written entirely in the handwriting of its Author, as opposed to a typeset document or Ephemera is transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved

Title page of Colman's Terence, 1765
Title page of Colman's Terence, 1765

Virtual Book Collecting

Virtual book collecting can be described as collecting books in a digital format (virtually) on a computer or other electronic device. In Mathematics, especially in the area of Abstract algebra which studies Infinite groups the adverb virtually is used to modify a property so that it need A bibliophile may acquire ebooks by downloading them, or copying from borrowed media (CDs and DVDs, for example). An e-book (for electronic book: also ebook) is the Digital media equivalent of a conventional printed Book. However, this may violate copyright law, depending on the license which the ebook is released under. Copyright is a legal concept enacted by Governments, giving the creator of an original work of authorship Exclusive rights to control its distribution usually for Ebooks acquired from Project Gutenberg and many similar free collections are legal as they post books which have either outrun their copyright, are released under the appropriate Creative Commons license, or are in some other form public domain. Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works

Prices

Book prices generally depend on the demand for a given book, the number of copies available for purchase, and the condition of a given copy. As with other collectibles, prices rise and fall with the popularity of a given author, title, or subject.

eBay, and online booksellers like Abebooks, Alibris, and Amazon, have profoundly affected the prices of new and used books, generally reducing them. eBay Inc is an American Internet company that manages eBaycom an Online auction and shopping Website in which people and businesses buy and AbeBooks (formerly the Advanced Book Exchange is an online marketplace for Books Most books listed are Used books many are rare or out-of-print Alibris is an online store that sells new books Used books Out-of-print books rare books and other media through an online network of independent booksellers Amazoncom Inc ( is an American electronic commerce ( E-commerce) company in Seattle Washington. Commercial and private sellers list unused copies of many books that are still in print at their list prices for as little as one cent.

Because of the huge number of books for sale, there is no single comprehensive price guide for collectible books. The prices of the copies listed for sale at the online bookseller sites provide some indication of their current market values.

Condition

As with other collectibles, the value of a book ultimately depends on its physical condition. Years of handling, moving, and storage take their toll on the dust jacket, cover, pages, and binding. Books are subject to damage from sunlight, moisture, and insects. Acid from the papermaking process can cause the pages to develop brown spots, called foxing; gradually turn brown, called tanning; and ultimately crumble.

Common defects include general wear; jacket/cover edge wear, scratches, and tears; the previous owner's written name, bookplate, or label; soil and stains; dogeared pages; underlining, highlighting, and marginalia; water damage; torn hinges, endpapers and pages; and pages, illustrations, or whole signatures free of the binding, or missing entirely.

A book in good condition should be a rectangular solid when at rest, whether upright or on its back, with the covers at right angles to the spine. If a book is out of square, usually from resting crooked on a shelf, or leans to the right or left when on its back, it is cocked, or shelf-cocked. If the covers bend in or flare out, usually from rapid humidity changes, a book is bowed (bent like a drawn bow). Thick hardbound books also tend to have their pages sag downward in the middle even if they are sitting level on a shelf.

Sources

New books are readily available from bookstores and online. Many bookstores specialize in out-of-print, used, antiquarian, rare and collectible books. Online booksellers, including Abebooks, Alibris, and Amazon, encourage other stores and individuals to sell books through their websites, and charge a commission. AbeBooks (formerly the Advanced Book Exchange is an online marketplace for Books Most books listed are Used books many are rare or out-of-print Alibris is an online store that sells new books Used books Out-of-print books rare books and other media through an online network of independent booksellers Amazoncom Inc ( is an American electronic commerce ( E-commerce) company in Seattle Washington.

Antique and collectible stores may have a few books for sale. Major auction houses sell quality collectible books, and local auction houses may sell books by the carton. Thrift shops and second-hand stores commonly have book sections. Other sources include estate, yard, garage, or rummage sales; and charity fund-raisers.

History of Anglo-European book collecting

Book-collecting is essentially a modern pastime. A glance through what must be regarded as the medieval textbook on the love of books, the Philobiblon, shows that it deals almost exclusively with the delights of literature. A textbook is a manual of instruction or a standard book in any branch of study Sebastian Brant's attack on the book-fool, written a century and a half later, demonstrates nothing more than that the possession of books is a poor substitute for learning. Sebastian Brant (also Brandt) (1457 &ndash May 10, 1521) Alsatian humanist and Satirist, was born in Strasbourg Even when the invention of printing had reduced the cost of books by some 80 percent, book-collectors did not immediately appear.

Early book-owners were not necessarily collectors. Jean Grolier (1479 - 1565), who caused many books to be bound for himself and his friends, seems to have done so partly to encourage the best printers of his day, and partly to provide his friends with the most recent fruits of Renaissance scholarship. Jean Grolier de Servières viscount d'Aguisy (1479 in Lyon &ndash October 22, 1565, in Paris) was Treasurer-General of France and The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere In England Archbishop Cranmer, the Lords Arundel and Lumley, and Henry, Prince of Wales1 (1594 - 1612), and in France the famous historian Jacques Auguste de Thou (1553 - 1617), brought together the best books of their day, and put them into handsome leather jackets, for use and study, not as collectibles. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The title Earl of Arundel is the oldest extant Earldom and perhaps the oldest extant title in the Peerage of England. For other people known as Henry Prince of Wales see Henry Prince of Wales. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Jacques Auguste de Thou ( Thuanus) ( October 8, 1553 &ndash May 7, 1617) was a French Historian. Others have been dubbed collectors because they owned a shelf-full of volumes stamped with their arms.

Lord Crawford had vast collections of English, Scottish, and Irish proclamations and papal bulls, whose collecting may be interpreted as an attempt to promote historical research. James Ludovic Lindsay 26th Earl of Crawford and 9th Earl of Balcarres (1847&ndash1913 was a Victorian astronomer politician Bibliophile and Philatelist. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world A Papal bull is a particular type of Letters patent or charter issued by a Pope. Louis Lucien Bonaparte's collection, consisting of books in or about various languages,[1] may also be considered an attempt to compile and promote research. Louis Lucien Bonaparte ( January 4, 1813 &ndash November 3, 1891) was a French Anglophile linguist, and A language is a dynamic set of visual auditory or tactile Symbols of Communication and the elements used to manipulate them Today, collecting of this kind is carried out by libraries, universities, and institutions.

As Henry died at the age of 18, he can scarcely be described as a collector of significance. However, his father, King James VI and I, bought the library of Lord Lumley for him. See the description of an item from that library that is held by the Library of St John's College, Cambridge.

Prominent book collectors

Book collecting in China

The history of book collecting in China dates back over two millennia. John Roland Abbey ( November 23, 1894 &ndash December 24, 1969) was the greatest English book collector of his time born in Anthony Collins ( June 21, 1676, Old Style - December 13, 1729, Old Style) was an English philosopher and a Sir Robert Bruce Cotton 1st Baronet ( 22 January 1570/1 &ndash 6 May 1631) was an English Politician, founder of John Evelyn ( 31 October 1620 – 27 February 1706) was an English writer gardener and diarist George III (George William Frederick 4 June 1738 George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdom much of the rest of Europe and places Rush Christopher Hawkins ( September 14, 1831 &ndash October 25, 1920) was a lawyer Union general in the American Civil War Henry II (Henri II (31 March 1519 &ndash 10 July 1559 of the House of Valois and the son and successor of Francis I, was King of France from 31 Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4 1826 was the third President of the United States (1801–1809 the principal author of the Declaration of Independence Sir Geoffrey Langdon Keynes ( March 25, 1887 in Cambridge – July 5, 1982, in Cambridge) was an English Biographer Aleksey Ivanovich Khludov ( 23 August, 1818 &ndash 22 March, 1882) was a Russian Old Believer merchant who amassed the richest Antonio Magliabechi (or Magliabecchi) was a famous Librarian, Scholar and Bibliophile born at Florence in 1633 the son of a Samuel Pepys, FRS (23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703 was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, who is now most famous for Charles William Dyson Perrins ( 25 May 1864 – 29 January 1958) was an English businessman Bibliophile and philanthropist Abraham Simon Wolf Rosenbach ( July 22, 1876 &ndash July 1, 1952, in Philadelphia) was an avid collector scholar and seller of rare Adam Smith ( baptised 16 June 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish moral philosopher and a pioneer of Political economy. Andrew Dickson White (November 7 1832 &ndash November 4 1918 was a U China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The first important effort to collect books in China was made during the early Han Dynasty by the government, as many important books were burned during the Qin Dynasty. The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. Burning of the books and burial of the scholars ( is a phrase that refers to a policy and a sequence of events in the Qin Dynasty of China, between the period of Not to be confused with the Qing Dynasty, the last dynasty of China From then on, book collecting began to flourish in China, particularly after the invention of block printing during the early Tang Dynasty, with both imperial and private collections blooming throughout the country. For the use of the technique in art see Woodcut on the technique and Old master print for the history in Europe and Woodblock printing in Japan. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by However, the systematic study of book collecting began only during the Qing Dynasty. Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China

Terminology

See also

References

  1. ^ Louis Lucien Bonaparte#Life in London

Further reading

For more modern accounts, see the series of books on book-collectors, book-collecting and "bibliomania" by Nicholas A. Basbanes:

Follow husband and wife team Lawrence & Nancy Goldstone as they search for rare and collectible volumes, and explore real mysteries in the rare-book world, in:

For book collecting in China, see:

External links

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