Thursday, February 26, 2009

Booking Through Thursday...Collectibles


Hardcover? Or paperback?
Illustrations? Or just text?
First editions? Or you don’t care?
Signed by the author? Or not?

First off, I have to admit I'm trying really hard not to be a collector of books any more. I have come to the conclusion that there are very few books that I will actually go back and re-read when there are so many books still waiting to be read for the first time.
That being said, when I do keep a book, like the Outlander series, I prefer hardback. For everyday reading my favorite version is trade paperback.

I don't have any illustrated versions, but I would shy away from them. It would be surprising for the pictures in the book to match the pictures in my head. I'm not terribly particular about first editions. Yes, they would be nice, but they usually are worth the extra expense to buy after the fact.

Signed would be wonderful, but also not a must have. I don't have very many signed books, which is good as I find these harder to give away, even if I never pick them up again.

What does your keeper collection look like?

5 comments:

Steph Su said...

I know off the top of my head that autographed copies don't really matter for me. Unless it's a book I definitely want to keep, signed by a favorite author. My only other requirement is that series by in the same format: all hardcover or all paperback. But I hate when they change the cover style in the middle of series; it throws off my sense of equilibrium, one might say. :)

claire said...

I posted photos to go with my answers this week. I also like to keep just favourites, not everything I read.

Karen Harrington said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I am starting to make my collection smaller or else my house will be overrun with books. There could be worse things to be overrun by though.

Melissa O. said...

I'm impressed you've gotten your book collecting under control. That's something I haven't learned yet. We have a bookshelf (or two) in just about every room in the house! Thanks for sharing your BTT!

Love your blog, BTW, and thanks for stopping by mine!

Lenore Appelhans said...

I love illustrations, but you really don't see many novels with them. I get my fix in children's picture books!