Over the years without really realising it I have become a book collector, a hobby that I can really recommend to anyone who has any affinity at all with books and reading. I have often heard the opinion expressed that the continuing success of the CD format is down to the product itself being so tactile, well surely this is the very essence of peoples fascination with books, they look and feel  so good. A well stacked bookshelf in a house is an attractive feature that draws many guests and visitors  to it, and can speak volumes about the person living there.  Another benefit to book collecting is the way it will open your eyes to your local town centre; you will find yourself in shops and stores that you have walked past no end of times without noticing them ,such is the diversity of businesses that sell books.

The book collecting market is vast and very diverse so initially I would advise to sticking with what you know and avoid specialised areas unless you have a particular interest in the subject. Some popular authors are very collectable and a good way to start is to look at such authors as Dick Francis, Terry Pratchett and Alistair MacClean. The reasons that they are so  collectable is that initial print runs of their earlier books  were quite small before they found their way into book clubs  and paperback formats which at that time were becoming more and more fashionable. Avoid the mega sellers like John Grisham and Dan Brown unless the book is in mint condition at a stupid price or you decide to collect those authors. Having said that if you can spot the next Dan Brown then you could be looking at a very nice earner, this is why early Harry Potter tomes are selling for thousands, again a small initial print run that became a major sensation. Star spotting is hit and miss though, for every J K Rowling there are thousands of failures that end up in the bargain bins but if you think you’ve stumbled on a cult in the making then it’s worth a punt. If you had picked up a Stig Laarsen book before they rocketed into mass popularity you would also be pretty happy and your household insurance policy would have to take account of it as a single item.

Another lucrative market is relatively unknown books that become major movies and here I would cite The English Patient, Atonement, Birdsong and more recently The Lovely Bones, which I picked up for two pounds before it even got popular as a paperback; the going rate now is over fifty so keep an eye out for movies in production with a big name cast and director based on a relatively unknown book.

The best way to get hold of books without spending too much is charity shops, village fairs and jumble sales although some charity shops have got wise to the market and are pricing accordingly, Oxfam now has specialist book shops with quite high prices. It’s always worth looking at the specialist shops to see what prices they are charging and nothing is more satisfying than seeing something you’ve picked up for next to nothing priced at thirty or forty pounds. There is also a book collector magazine that you can get from larger newsagents and that can be very useful for price comparison.

It is still possible to stumble across a gem but don’t think it’s going to be easy as people like myself may get there first! I have over the years found some great bargains but now it’s increasingly rare. Condition is vitally important unless you find something very rare, and, in particular the dust jacket needs to be perfect. Whatever avenue you choose to take you will find it a fascinating and rewarding pursuit and the best thing of all is that you get to read and enjoy what you’re collecting.