My name is Obadiah Baird, one of the owners of The Book Bin, and I specialize in rare and collectible science fiction, fantasy, and horror. For almost fifteen years I have spoken to new collectors at book fairs and in our rare book room, and they often ask me for my thoughts on how to get started collecting genre fiction.
My first piece of advice is to collect what you read and what you love. Many new collectors are intimidated, especially at book fairs, and feel overwhelmed. Choosing what to collect doesn’t have to be intimidating and can be very similar to choosing what to read. If you collect based on your personal taste, you will end up with a book collection that you love. If you collect what you read and love, you will naturally be more knowledgeable about your collection and more interested in learning about and growing with your collection. It is a small leap from loving the books that you read to collecting rare and special editions of the books that you love.
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Another concern that new collectors often have is with the authenticity of the books that they buy. For new collectors, the choice of who you buy from is as important as what to buy. I recommend meeting local booksellers and attending antiquarian book fairs to build personal relationships with booksellers who specialize in what you collect. It can be harder online to tell who you are buying from, and how knowledgeable they are about what they are selling. Fortunately, if you look for members of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA), or The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) dealers overseas, you can buy with confidence knowing that we are held to the highest standards by our trade organizations. If you have any concerns over the authenticity of an item, you should always feel comfortable asking questions and any reputable dealer should be willing to answer those questions.
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I’m also often asked “What makes a book collectible?” In a broad sense, the answer is the conjunction of rarity and desirability. These are the main factors that influence value and, if you view your book collection as an investment, these are the two most important factors. For most collectors, however, those factors are also balanced by personal attachment and emotional investment. Just as every book tells a story, every book in your collection has a story to tell about your relationship with it. I have always found that if I collect books that I value personally, I find them more fulfilling to have in my collection and in the long run these books are often the ones that gain the most as investments.
I am very lucky to be able to specialize in selling the genres that I read, collect, and love, and there is nothing I enjoy more than interacting with fellow readers and collectors of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. In my experience, ABAA booksellers are passionate about their work and can be counted on to help you on your book collecting journey. Whether at a book fair or online, we love to interact with passionate collectors.
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