Collector of Books

Can you call yourself a book collector?

They say that those who collect books retain a sense of mystery and an aura of snobbery around them. In fact, that could not be farther from the truth. There are many out there who appreciate book collecting and who have a genuine interest for this hobby. They are not necessarily arrogant, desiring sincerely to pursue their passion, considering book collecting to be both challenging and fun. The truth is that this spare-time activity can offer much more variety than any other similar collecting hobbies, rewarding the collector with an immense volume of knowledge and helping him/her to almost reach perfection.

Have you ever wanted to possess all the books written by a specific author? How about the writings of an author you have definitely heard of but never had the occasion to read? Are you interested in particular subjects of fields of studying? Then you should know that there is never too late to start book collecting, given the fact that some of the most impressive book collections throughout time have been gathered by men in their adult years. Still, book collecting is not reserved for adults only as there are plenty of young men realizing the beauty of this hobby and being particularly interested in collecting old books written in other centuries then the one they were they born in and not only. It seems that book collecting is indeed a hobby that is perfect for almost all age groups out there. It only requires an extreme amount of dedication and a definite fervor for well-written books. Some even prefer to collect books on the subject of book collecting, how funny is that?

If you like music, then you can certainly base your entire book collection on this subject. You can arrange it in the library depending on the genre, singers or songs played. Also, there are plenty of interesting books that you can collect presenting the songs that were written during the golden years. They include true legends of the music industry, such as Abba, Pink Floyd, Queen or Beatles. Just picture a library full of music books. That’s pretty great if you ask me. As a passionate of foreign languages and cultures, you can start filling your library with some of the coolest books about France, Austria or Japan. You can bring new additions to your library every day, provided you have enough space to accommodate so many books. Learn about culinary habits, wines and oriental customs. Enrich your life with books about ancient cultures and civilizations; discover another world besides your own and let your passion explode to the highest levels possible.
 

How about the field you work in? Are you a doctor? Well, then you can build your very own medical library, filled with some of latest medical journals, encyclopedias and atlases released on the market. Make sure that you have lots of books from the specific field you work in (medical rehabilitation, surgery or clinical medicine) but also books that explore the subject of general medicine. Be prepared to use your library as an important reference subject and try to enlarge your collection as much as you possibly can. Doctors are known to have a passion for knowledge, especially when it comes to reading something from the field of medicine. They build some of the most impressive libraries, including not only medical books but also books from various other fields such as: classic literature, science fiction or even books on cooking. And it is actually really great to have such a book collection in your home, built around just about any subject one could think of.

Collector of Books

Bad mouths say that book collecting is not a genuine passion but a mere obsession for books. Still, they could not be more wrong. One of the greatest aspects related to book collecting is the fact that two collections will never be the same. Every collector reflects himself, his interests and powers in the personal library built, demonstrating the uniqueness of this hobby. When you hear someone saying that they look down on book collecting because it is expensive be sure to warn them of the contrary. Book collecting is not as expensive as everyone thinks, a lot of people spending modest sums and having incredible collections under their name. No matter if you do decide to purchase only new books or you prefer to visit used-book stores, you can still benefit a lot from one of the most incredible hobbies in the whole wide world.

Today, books can also be purchased from the Internet, both new and used. Collectors have varied sources to obtain the books they are interested in, including discounted library book fairs, yard sales and of course the World Wide Web. They place a high importance on the condition of the book bought and also on the edition. Many collectors are truly interested in discovering first-editions at the best possible price, not to mention those that may contain notes written by the author himself which may sometimes be more valuable than the actual book. At the same time, there a great deal of collectors that are not so much interested in the edition of the book as in the content. They will have no problem purchasing a later edition or later printing. For them, the content of the book is the most important aspect, especially when it comes to those editions that have been revised or updated. These contain valuable elements for the book collector, including reviews from some of the most famous critics and also other essential information.

Book collectors might feel bored and even slightly embarrassed by all these people trying to explain the essentials of book collecting. They know all these ideas long before us and they consider book collecting to be much more than an interesting hobby. For them, saying that the condition of the book is extremely important is an ironic statement. They might not all go for the first editions, but they will all certain consider the condition of the book essential. They will always choose the best condition of the book, without actually taking into consideration the price. Yes, the condition of the book depends very much on the year the books date from. One cannot expect a book from the 1800s to be found in the same condition as one published around the end of the 1900s. Good copies of rare titles are sold for incredible amounts of money, being especially prized for being what they truly are: great books kept in perfect condition!

The next time you pride yourself on being a book collector, read some more about book collecting. Discover for yourself if you are worth of this title and try to improve your condition as a book collector. Do not be discouraged and pursue your dreams no matter the amount of time and money invested. Books are certainly worth it!