Book collecting is thecollecting ofbooks, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given collector. The love of books isbibliophilia, and someone who loves to read, admire, and a person who collects books is often called abibliophile.
Book prices generally depend on thedemand for a given edition which is based on factors such as the number of copies available, the book's condition, and if they were signed by the author (and/or editor or illustrator, if applicable) or by a famous previous owner.[1] For example, a first editionAnd to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street can reach the price of $12,000 in the best condition.
In the ancient world,papyri and scrolls (the precursors of the book incodex form) were collected by both institutions and private individuals. In surviving accounts there are references to bibliophile book collectors in that era.Xenophon wrote disparagingly of a man who tried to collect more books than his friends.[2]Seneca the Younger was skeptical of those who collect books they do not read,[2] asking: "What is the use of possessing numberless books and libraries, whose titles their owner can hardly read through in a lifetime?"[3] Book collectors in western antiquity prized accurate transcription and high-quality materials.[2]
In 1344 the English bishopRichard de Bury wroteThe Philobiblon, in which he praised the love and appreciation of books.[4]Philip the Good brought together a collection of "about six hundred manuscripts in his possession at the height of his reign",[5] which was the largest private collection of his day.
With the advent of theprinting press invented byJohannes Gutenberg in the 15th century, which resulted in cheaper and more abundant books, and with the contemporaneous economic, social and political changes of theRenaissance, book collecting received a great impetus.Jean Grolier, the Treasurer-General of France, was an important bibliophile and book collector of this period.[6]
With the advent of theRomantic era in the 18th century and its focus on the past, book collectors began to show an interest in old books, antiquarian editions and manuscripts. This new emphasis was nourished by the flood of old books onto the market following the dissolution of monastic and aristocratic libraries during theFrench Revolution and theNapoleonic Wars.[7]
The British Whig politicianGeorge John, 2nd Earl Spencer (1758-1834) collected tens of thousands of volumes. Strengths of his collection included first editions of the classics; works produced by important early presses, and notably an almost complete collection ofAldine editions; and many Bibles.[8]
Sir Thomas Phillipps (1792-1872) collected 40,000 printed books and 60,000 manuscripts.[9] He was "the greatest collector of manuscript material the world has ever known".[10]
The increasingly wealthy United States during the 19th century saw the appearance of "titan" book collectors such as the railroad magnateHenry Huntington and the financier and bankerJ. Pierpont Morgan.[11]
TheRothschild Prayerbook sold for $13.6 million while theSt Cuthbert Gospel sold for $14.7 million. Both of these religious texts were sold in 2012. The Northumberland Bestiary sold for $20 million in 2007. The New Book of Tang sold for $17.1 million in 2018.William Shakespeare’sFirst Folio, printed in 1623, sold for $9.978 million in 2020. AnAction Comics #1 issue sold for a record $3.2 million in 2014 with a cover price of 10 cents.[12]
Despite appearing in many films and other popular culture, wearing cotton gloves while handling old or rare books does not protect the book, and can increase the risk of inadvertent damage.[13] However, the theatrical effect of showing a rare book being handled with gloved hands may increase its selling price.[13]
Antiquarian book collecting may be roughly defined as an interest in books printed prior to 1900 and can encompass interest in 19th, 18th, 17th, 16th, and 15th-century books. Antiquarian book collectors are not exclusively interested infirst editions and first printings, although they can be. European books created before 1455 are all hand-written and are therefore one-of-a-kind historical artifacts in which the idea of "edition" and "printing" is irrelevant. Any book printed up to the year 1501 is known as anincunable or incunabulum. Such books command a premium and are particularly sought after by collectors interested in the history of printing.[14]
The beginning ofParadise Lost from a 1720 illustrated edition. Not a first edition but desirable among antiquarians.
The first English movable-type printer wasCaxton in the late 15th century. Editions of his books from the 15th century are very rare. Occasionally, 16th-century editions similar to Caxton's books appear among antiquarian book dealers and auctions, often fetching very high prices. The lastShakespeare First Folio of 1623 (first edition of the collected works ofWilliam Shakespeare) garnered a record-breaking $9,978,000 atChristie's in October 2020.[15]
Books owned by well-known individuals that also have a connection with the author (often as a gift from the author with a written dedication to the recipient) are known asassociation copies.[16]
The history of book collecting inChina dates back over two millennia. An important effort to collect books in China was made during the earlyHan dynasty by the government, as many important books wereburned during theQin dynasty.[25] From then on, book collecting began to flourish in China, particularly after the invention ofblock printing during the earlyTang dynasty, with both imperial and private collections blooming throughout the country. However, the systematic study of book collecting began only during theQing dynasty.[26]
Virtual book collecting can be described as collecting books in a digital format (virtually) on a computer or other electronic device. A bibliophile may acquireebooks by downloading them or copying from borrowed media, such as CDs and DVDs. However, this may violatecopyright law, depending on the license under which the ebook was released. Ebooks acquired fromProject Gutenberg and many similar free collections cause no violation as they have gone out of copyright, have been released under aCreative Commons license, or else are in the public domain.
^Seneca, Aubrey Stewart, tr.,Of Peace of MindArchived 2017-11-14 at theWayback Machine, London: George Bell and Sons, 1900 (Bohn's Classical Library Edition), Book X; republished on en.wikisource.org. Retrieved 14 November 2017.Of Peace of Mind is a translation of Seneca'sDe Tranquillitate Animi.
^Martin, S. S. (1986).Richard D'Aungerville de Bury, 1287-1345 (England, Bishop of Durham). Emory University. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, p. 24.
Ahearn, Allen and Patricia.Book Collecting: A Comprehensive Guide. New York: Putnam, 1995.ISBN0-399-14049-2.
Ahearn, Allen and Patricia.Collected Books: The Guide to Values. New York: Putnam, 2001.ISBN0-399-14781-0.
American Book Prices Current (annual, 1894/1895 onwards)
Bernard, Philippa, Leo Bernard and Angus O'Neill, eds.Antiquarian Books: A Companion for Booksellers, Librarians and Collectors. Aldershot, Hants., Scolar Press, 1994.
Brown, James Duff.The Small Library: A Guide to the Collection and Care of Books. London & New York: Routledge, 1907.
Carter, John.New Paths in Book-Collecting: Essays by Various Hands. London: Constable & Co.; New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1934; reprinted Freeport, N.Y.: Books for Libraries, 1967.
Carter, John.Taste and Technique in Book-collecting, with an Epilogue. Pinner, Middlesex:Private Libraries Association, 1970 (The Sandars Lectures in Bibliography, 1947).ISBN0-900002-30-1.
Cella, Bernhard.Collecting Books: A selection of recent Art and Artists' Books produced in Austria
Chidley, John.Discovering Book Collecting. Shire Publications, 1982; 2nd ed., 2004.
Greenfield, Jane.The Care of Fine Books. New York: Lyons & Burford, 1988.ISBN1-55821-003-2.
W. C. Hazlitt:The Book Collector: A general survey of the pursuit and of those who have engaged in it at home and abroad from the earliest period to the present .... London: J. Grant, 1904 (published over a century ago, but still worth dipping into).
Hofer, Philip, Ray Nash, Harold Hugo, and Roderick Stinehour. 1968.Philip Hofer as author and publisher. [Cambridge, Mass.]: Harvard College Library, Department of Printing & Graphic Arts.
Jensen, Kristian.Revolution and the Antiquarian Book: Reshaping the Past, 1780-1815. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.ISBN1107000513.
McBride, Bill.Book Collecting for Fun and Profit. Hartford, CT: McBride/Publisher, 1997.ISBN0-930313-05-4.
McBride, Bill.A Pocket Guide to the Identification of First Editions. Sixth ed. Hartford, CT: McBride/Publisher, 2000.ISBN0-930313-06-2.
McBride, Bill.Points of Issue. Third ed. [Hartford, CT]: McBride/Publisher, 1996.ISBN0-930313-04-6.
McKitterick, David.The Invention of Rare Books: Private Interest and Public Memory, 1600-1840. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. 2018.
Miller, Stephen.Book Collecting: A Guide to Antiquarian and Secondhand Books. Royston, Hertfordshire, Provincial Book Fairs Association, 1994.
Peters, Jean (Editor).Book Collecting: A Modern Guide. New York and London: R.R. Bowker and Company, 1977.ISBN0-8352-0985-7.
Peters, Jean, ed.Collectible Books: Some New Paths. New York and London: R. R. Bowker, 1979.ISBN0835211541.
Quayle, Eric.A Collector's Book of Books. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1971; London: Studio Vista, 1971.
Rees-Mogg, William .How to Buy Rare Books: A Practical Guide to the Antiquarian Book Market. Oxford: Phaidon, 1985 (Christie's collectors guides)ISBN0-7148-8019-1.
Wilson, Robert A.Modern Book Collecting. New York: Lyons & Burford, 1992.ISBN1-55821-179-9.
Zempel, Edward N. and Verkler, Linda (Editors).First Editions: A Guide to Identification. Fourth ed. Peoria, IL: The Spoon River Press, 2001.ISBN0-930358-18-X.
Patience & Fortitude: A Roving Chronicle of Book People, Book Places, and Book Culture. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.ISBN0-06-019695-5.
Among the Gently Mad: Perspectives and Strategies for the Book Hunter in the 21st Century. New York: Holt, 2002.ISBN0-8050-5159-7.
A Splendor of Letters: The Permanence of Books in an Impermanent World. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.ISBN0-06-008287-9.
Every Book Its Reader: The Power of the Printed Word to Stir the World. New York: HarperCollins, 2005.ISBN0-06-059323-7.
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:
Used And Rare: Travels In The Book World. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997.ISBN0-312-15682-0.
Slightly Chipped: Footnotes in Booklore. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999.ISBN0-312-20587-2.
Warmly Inscribed: The New England Forger and Other Book Tales. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2001.ISBN0-312-26268-X.
Out of the Flames: The Remarkable Story of a Fearless Scholar, a Fatal Heresy, and One of the Rarest Books in the World. New York: Broadway, 2002.ISBN0-7679-0836-8.
The Friar and the Cipher: Roger Bacon and the Unsolved Mystery of the Most Unusual Manuscript in the World. New York: Broadway, 2005.ISBN0-7679-1473-2.
For book collecting in China, see:
(in Chinese) 傅璇琮、谢灼华主编，《中國藏書通史》，宁波：宁波出版社，2001.
(in Chinese) 焦树安，《中囯藏书史话》，北京：商务印书館，1997.
(in Chinese) 任繼愈主編，《中國藏書樓》，沈阳：辽宁人民出版社，2001.
(in Chinese) 黄燕生，《天祿琳琅：古代藏書和藏書樓 》，台北：萬卷樓圖書有限公司，2000.
Digital Librarian A librarian's choice of the best Web resources for book collectors
Collegiate Book Collecting Championship Annual collegiate book collecting contest, promoting book collecting to the next generation (archived 21 November 2008)
UBC Asian Library Rare Book Collection – A rich collection of Chinese documents and literature, as well as some rare reproductions of Japanese and Chinese paintings, from the UBC Library Digital Collections
(a classic, first published in 1952).
