Old Books, New Books
January 25th, 2007 by Alan Chudnow
Scott Brown of Fine Books has an interesting article on the value of old books. It’s a bit of a wake up call for collectors and worth reading for anyone concerned with what their old books might be worth.
There’s always a lot of talk among collectors and booksellers about what a particular book is worth and I’ve spend a fair amount of time both writing and reading about judging a book’s condition and how that effects value. Scott concludes that, practically, buying books is really not a very sound investment strategy and that their value is primarily personal rather than monetary. It’s a point worthy of attention.
Also mentioned is the Rare Books and Manuscripts section (RBMS) of the American Library Association who publish a pamphlet titled “Your Old Books“. The latest version is available online and is certainly worth a read.
