Basics

If you're new to the world of book collecting, we have all of the resources and information you need to start collecting books right here in one convenient place!

• What is a professional bookseller, and how do I become one?
• The Importance of Dust Jackets
• A Brief Introduction to Book Collecting
• Book Collecting as an Investment
• Book Value
• What Makes a Book Rare?
• What is a First Edition?
• How to Identify First Editions
• How to get a book appraisal
• How to Read Bookseller Descriptions and Conditions
• What to do when you can't remember the title of a long lost childrens' book
• How to tell if a signature is real
• How to read rare book condition descriptions
• Collecting One Book
  • Collecting Ulysses by James Joyce
• A Brief History of the Dust Jacket
• Cosway Binding: Beautifully Bound Books
• Where can I get my book appraised?
• Signed vs Inscribed: What’s the difference?
• What is a Number line?
• Is My Family Bible Valuable?

Latest articles

• What is a professional bookseller, and how do I become one?
• Little Golden Books - Collection and First Edition Identification
• Children’s Literature by Writers and Educators of the Harlem Renaissance
• A Brief Introduction to the History of Children’s Books

Related resources for book collectors

• Rare book room
• First edition identification
• First editions
• Signed books
• Glossary of book collecting terms