If you like this guide, please click the yes button below. I like to start by doing some research on the internet in the subject area that interests me. The logic of developing a collection of rare books over time, versus buying an occassional book, is that if you ever wish to sell the collection later, the collection could be more valuable, than the individual prices of the books that you acquired.

I decided to create a book collection on the earliest african american authors. I went on the web to find out just who are the most important writers. I found a great website that had a must have reading list of the most important writers of the 18th, 19th and 20th century. I than decided which ones i would try to pursue. Then, I check prices on various sites like Tomfolio and Alibris, just to see what prices they are showing, before going on to Ebay. Those sites tend to have higher prices. and when you are looking for rare books, sometimes these may be books that someone found in an attic, and the seller may not realize what the "true" price of the book really is. The seller may also not realize that the books are valuable. Or you could be lucky that only a few people were bidding on that particular day. 

I then find the books on  ebay, and every so often knock the books off of my list. When looking at books online, it is very important to see the pictures, and to disqualify ones where there is obvious damage, or illegible lettering on the cover. The covers of the books will vary, depending on exposure to light and year of publication, publisher etc., so you may see the same book, with different covers.

One of the most important factors is to buy first editions. They are more valuable in general. So you must know the date when the first book was published and who the publisher was, as early publishers published the same book non exclusively. You will pay more for first than subsequent editions.

Pick a subject that interests you, like travel, cooking, children's books, and focus on one area, and begin your search for your collection. You never know what you might discover. If you liked this guide, please click the yes button below. Thanks!