Finding Collectible Books: How to Get Started as a Book Hound Posted By : Shane Dayton
The good news is that if you love antique books, it is not hard at all to get started as a book hound. You don't have to get a four year degree and joining the legions of book hounds out there doesn't take classes or schooling.
This is a great hobby that is a passion for thousands of book hounds already, and you can teach yourself all you need to know with the right books (if you have a mentor, by all means take advantage of that situation). There are several first steps you will want to take to get started as a book hound. First of all:
1) Get some resource books. There is a lot of great information available for free online, and take advantage, but you will want to start building a library of resources to have on hand and detailed antique book catalogues will always go into more detail than free online resources.
2)Start attending local events. Get into the habit of searching for good deals. Visit used book stores, small town auctions, real estate auctions, garage sales, or library book sales. At any of these events make a beeline for the books and get used to searching through them for a good deal.
3) Find some "starter authors." By this I mean find some collectible books that are valuable first editions, but cheaper than the big boys. Sinclair Lewis was a good one for me, because there were a lot of good antique Sinclair Lewis books in the $40-$100 range that I could get for cheap and learn my craft.
4)Have a Sales Plan. When you're just starting as a book hound, your major goal might be just to collect books for a couple years, or you may want to get some returns early on. You can earn income by opening an online bookstore at Abebooks or by selling the books to ABAA dealers.
Have at least a basic idea of your plan, even if it is general like, "Collect books for two years then open online store." Having even a basic idea of where you're going will help you to more effectively collect the books you want.
These are some of the first and most basic steps in learning how to become a book hound. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the ABAA, as they are as close to a "governing body" as there is in the world of antique books. If your final goal is opening a large antique book store, you will want to be affiliated with this group.
Being a book hound can be an extremely rewarding experience, and it really opens your eyes to the many valuable items out there that many people aren't even aware of. If you love books, history, antiques, or any combination of these three then this hobby should be a natural fit for you.
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