How to Find Rare Books at Book Trade Shows

The rare books trade is a rapidly growing subsection of book collecting. As the years pass, there are less books out there to buy and sell, which makes the prices rise. Recent trends in the market have shown that certain books continue to appreciate in value. When a person decides to collect these types of books though, they need to find ways to locate and purchase the books. One excellent place to find rare books is at book trade shows.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Make a list of the rare books you want or need for your collection, and carry it with you to the shows. This will prevent you from buying multiple copies of the same book.

2. Keep track of the condition of specific books in your collection, especially those books that are damaged or in poor condition and add it to your list. You never know when you might stumble across a better copy at a trade show.

3. Do a full sweep of the different sellers at the trade show before making a purchase. It might sound like a pain, but it will help you avoid paying too much for specific books that may be cheaper from a different vendor.

4. Arrive at the trade show as early as possible. There are hundreds or thousands of other buyers who are looking for the same things as you and they may just get the better buys before you get there.

5. Talk to the trade show dealers and let them know about your interests. Not only will you make friends and contacts, but they may have more items at home that you need for your collection.

Tips & Warnings

• Use your trip as a learning experience. Even if you don’t buy a single rare book, you can still learn more about the field.
• Don’t be tempted to buy things you don’t want or need just because they’re cheap. Stick with things that fit your collection or interests.

[rennyj]

on 4/3/2009 Well done -- but a word of advice. A rare book has typically meant a book that a specialist in that specific field of interest would come across once in a 30 or 40 year career. Rare doesn't mean only three copies on Ebay or three copies sold in the past ten years, it means rarely seen on the market and few copies held by libraries and in collections. Regards, Renny.