Book collecting guide

So you want to start a book collection - but not sure where to start? We have created a basic guide to starting a collection and understanding the terminology of booksellers. Our guide to book collecting covers many of the basic elements of book collecting from where to find rare and collectible books to caring for your collection. Happy book collecting.

Booksellers have their own language and jargon that they use to describe every possible detail on a book. At first it can be a little intimidating but once you learn the terminology it will help explain every detail of a book including its condition.

Our booksellers are experts in their fields. You will find a vast array of collectible and valuable books on any subject. Look through the directory to find a bookseller specializing in an area that interests you.
AbeBooks is proud to work closely with a number of bookseller associations around the world who are dedicated to upholding high professional bookselling standards.
AbeBooks regularly publishes fascinating features about a huge variety of bookish subjects, including rare books, book collecting, authors, publishers, and interesting characters in literature and notable anniversaries.
In celebration of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America's (ABAA) 75th anniversary, we interview dealers who are breaking the mold and re-defining the art of book collecting.

More collecting guides

Explore a vast library of collecting guides covering topics from valuable cookbooks and rare bibles, to vintage magazines and ephemera.
June 03, 2021
Do you have an old book and would like to know its value? You might think it's valuable. Search on AbeBooks for your book and see the prices for similar copies in order to find an approximate value.
2 Min Read
July 10, 2021
There are two main points to consider when looking at an illustration. Who created the illustration, and what artistic method did they use to create it?
4 Min Read
October 05, 2021
Postcards were collected right from the start, and are still sought after today by collectors of pop culture, photography, advertising, wartime memorabilia, local history, and many other categories.
1 Min Read
By Edward Halpern
June 03, 2021
The Limited Editions Club of New York was started in 1929 by George Macy. At 29-years-old, he was an avid reader who wanted to make his living from books. His business revolved around publishing beautifully illustrated classic titles in relatively small quantities with club members paying a subscription.
3 Min Read
By Alexander Akin
September 20, 2024
Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) President, Alexander Akin, shares a beginner's guide to the art of book collecting.
3 Min Read
June 03, 2021
There are a variety of places where you can purchase books for your collection, and a number of things that you should always be cognisant when buying a rare book.
5 Min Read