Collecting Antique Books

Antique books have held the fascination of collectors for centuries. Not only are antique books an important part of history, literature, the arts and culture in general. but they important for their content as they can contain ancient knowledge and heavenly prose. And antique books also they hold value for other qualities. For instance, Who has owned the book in the past? who has autographed the book? Is it a first edition? and In what condition is the antique book?

Antique books are found in the homes of many people who aren't necessarily collectors of antiques or books. Some of the possible antique books that anyone might have in their possession are bibles that have been passed down through the generations to the present owner. Another fairly common antique book is the "Birthday Book". These precious antiques are books that are also passed down through the generations.

They were the first version of the currently popular date or calendar book of today, but were often bound in leather and usually had gilt edged pages and beautiful quotes or art on each page. In these birthday books, whether antiques or not are, as you might imagine, entered the births and deaths of every member of the immediate and extended family. Birthday books become the family history book and are often the source of many family trees. Although new birthday books can be started or filled at any time, it is the antique ones that were started over a hundred years ago and contain the birthdays of generations of relatives.

I happen to be in possession of antique Shakespeare Birthday Book bound in leather with pages trimmed in gold that was published in 1908 and has been in my family since that date and has entries off great, great anscesters who were born in the early 1800's. It is sad to think that a hundred years from now, a prized antique family birthday book might be a Bart Simpson birthday book, but that may be the most collectable antique book of its day, you never know.

There are examples of extremely rare and valuable antique books. Some of these antique books have recently changed hands. Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean by, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. A second edition from 1815 sold for $12,500 and The Little Prince by, Antoine de Saint Exupery. A signed and numbered limited first edition of the children's classic from 1943 sold for $10,450 or The Book of Antelopes by, Philip Lutley Sclater, a first edition of four volumes from 1894 to 1900 featuring many illustrations by Joseph Wolf - one of the greatest animal portraitists of the 19th century sold for $17,500. All three in 2006. So whether you own one antique book for the sake of your heirs or you have a store full of antique books that you sell, antique books are great to have around you in any number, as long as they aren't filled with mold, mildew and mites.

Antique Collecting News:

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5 age-old tips for investing in antiques - Money Matters - MSNBC.com
Five age-old tips for investing in antiques Jean Chatzky on how to hunt, sell and invest in the business of collecting
Submerged in stuff, hoarders keep collecting - Mental health- msnbc ...
For actress Delta Burke, it was antique furniture and porcelain dolls ? enough to fill ... What connects a doll-collecting beauty queen, a magazine-reading recluse and 3 million to 6 ...
Submerged in stuff, hoarders keep collecting - Health - TODAYshow.com
For actress Delta Burke, it was antique furniture and porcelain dolls ? enough to fill ... What connects a doll-collecting beauty queen, a magazine-reading recluse and 3 million to 6 ...
Who's cashing in on political memorabilia? - Personal finance- msnbc ...
... child, Peter Economou was always interested in politics, but his passion for collecting ... button in your attic and didn?t know how to sell it, you?d likely go to an antique ...
Rarest of the rare - BOOKS- msnbc.com
Every passion has its Holy Grail, and rare-book collecting is no exception. ... Gloss, a well-known appraiser who has appeared on PBS? ? Antiques Roadshow,? bases ...

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