Christina Geiger
Christina Geiger is the head of the Books and Manuscripts department at Christie’s auction house, New York City. Christies.com
Thanks to the Internet, collecting rare and valuable books is more accessible than ever, says Christina Geiger of Christie’s auction house. Here’s how to get started…
Determine what kind of collector you are. Book collectors fall into three categories. The first type has a passion for a certain author or topic. Example: He might be obsessed with a 1950s science fiction author and want to own every edition of her works, letters she wrote and posters advertising her books. The second type seeks out the finest specimens of books that changed their lives—perhaps a pristine first edition of The Great Gatsby. The third type collects for the craftsmanship of the bindings, calligraphy or illustrations.
Be discerning. Here are the things that make a book collectible…
Condition: Even if a book was once beautiful, if it’s now tattered and not intact, it probably lacks value.
Rare publisher: Steer clear of big-name publishing houses. Books from obscure publishers hold more promise.
Size and shape: Look for large or small ones or those with beautiful or unusual features.
Provenance: A book inscribed or annotated by a well-known author or once owned by a famous person will have value.
What’s hot: The collecting world undergoes trends. Collectors favor literature and science books now.
What doesn’t make a book collectible—age. There might be fewer surviving copies, but the book still needs to have a collectible interest. Exception: Old children’s books in mint condition.
Use available resources. For learning about the hobby: Fine Books & Collections (FineBooksMagazine.com), Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA.org) and Rare Book Monthly articles on
RareBookHub.com. To shop for rare books or research a book’s value:
AbeBooks.com or ViaLibri (ViaLibri.net). For an appraisal: Go to an auction house or a local antiquarian book dealer (the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America has a national directory at ABAA.org). Get at least two opinions. To sell a book: Find a local antiquarian book dealer at ABAA.org. Or, of course, there are auction houses—both big ones such as Christie’s and smaller speciality houses including PBA Galleries and Addison & Sarova.
