Rare and Antique Books

Rare Books-How To Recognise a Modern First Edition

The following beginners guide on how to identify modern first editions, whilst not exhaustive, is and should be helpfull to those with an interest in collecting books:

It should be borne in mind that the modern day book collector is mainly interested in the First Edition and First Printing/impression (referred to as the first/first) of a title because it is the very first printing and state that the book becomes available in. It is more difficult to obtain as time goes by (many popular first editions were published in small quantities because the author was unknown and only became popular post publishing of their respective book). This is especially true when there are many more reprints/editions of the book in publication/circulation during the following years.

It should be noted that Hardback books are more sought after and are considerably more valuable than paperback books.

There are several methods you can use to determine the edition of a book, but we will concentrate on the modern first edition, the usual methods of identification are:

Firstly, and most common - publishers usually use a numeric system for identifying the Edition of the book. On the Copyright and title pages, you will usually find a string of numbers (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10) which indicate the edition number. For instance, if the numbers from 1 to 10 are shown, you have a First Edition First Impression (1 represents the First, 2 represents the second, 3 represents the third and so on). A first edition second impression would show 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 (the number 1 has gone). Some publishers show the numbers in a different form (such as 10987654321 or even 13579108642) or use letters (such as abcdefghi).

Some publishers simply state that it is a 'First Edition', or 'First Impression', or 'First Printing', and do not include the edition numbers as above Normally referred to a 'Stated First Edition'.

Some publishers simply state 'First Published' followed by the year (e.g. 'First Published 1990'), and if there are no further printings indicated with subsequent dates, then you may well have the first edition.

A case example of why it is worth collecting the modern day first edition.  Do you think the unsuspecting member of the public who bought 'Harry Potter and The philosphers Stone' by JK Rowling for a mere £15.00 when it was first published would realise that within five years it would have a commercial value to any collector of around £15,000.00 (Yes, fifteen thousand pounds).  I think not!  To those who did and have just read this article, lucky you!

For further reading on collecting rare and antique books visit: http://www.bid4abook.co.uk/

How To Store Rare and Antique Books

The first consideration to be given when collecting rare or antique books is the safe keeping and storage.  Whilst this may seem obvious, it is essential to consider these few points in order to ensure the longevity and safe keeping of any collection.  The starting point is how the books are to be kept.  The considerations to be looked at are as follows:

Shelving The appointment of the shelving within a room is important, in an ideal world it should be a minimum of 3cm away from any given wall to allow the circulation of air.  The wall should not be an outside wall as this can encourage damp.  The shelving should be robust and not sag in the middle when fully laden.  The shelving would ideally be adjustable so books can be stored upright and central to the shelve, again to promote air circulation.  Solid book ends should be used to keep the books upright and tightly stacked, not too tight as this can cause damage when gaining access.  Large and heavy books can be stored flat but not stacked on top of each other as this can damage the spines.

Humidity and Temperature Dampness within books encourages mould, however, too dry and the paper can become brittle.  The ideal temperature would be between 60-70°F.

Light Direct sunlight is the biggest single contributor to book damage (second only to water).  Paper will decay and fade if not protected. Books should not be stored or subjected to direct sunlight.  Your storing room should have the curtains or blinds drawn when not in use.

Infestation   There are several critters that are attracted to the component parts of books (starches, glues and paper) such as silverfish, book lice, cockroaches, bookworms, rats and mice.  The tell tale signs are small piles of brown dust or bite marks.  If you observe any of these symptoms then you should consult a pest control expert immediately.

These simple considerations will ensure the successful storage and promote longevity of any book.  Further articles on the topic of book collecting, Common book terminology and how to identify first editions are available at .  http://www.bid4abook.co.uk

• Previous Posts:

• Rare Books-How To Recognise a Modern First Edition
• How To Store Rare and Antique Books

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