Are You a Book Collector As Well As a Bookbinder?

[Ann]

I ask, because I know I'm not the only person who's got into bookbinding through being first and foremost a booklover.

Over the years, I've developed an interest in social history, with a particular leaning towards the early 1800s. I like anything that gives me an insight into how life was at the time the book was written. I'm also a sucker for illustrations, especially if they're hand coloured. Not surprisingly, my tastes are shared by a lot of other people and the most appealing books are generally very collectable and consequently very expensive. What makes them much more affordable is coming across copies that are falling apart and thus worth a lot less. As my confidence as a bookbinder has grown, these are the copies I look for. (It's a standing joke amongst some of the local booksellers, that I'm the only person they know whose eyes light up when they say "Mind you, the book's not in very good condition, the boards have fallen off and the text block isn't too sound"!)

[gill]

I've got a couple of folks in the charity shops in Alnwick who know about my obsession with cats and they tend to keep any cat (& dog!) books aside for me to have first dibs on I've picked up some nice titles this way ;D

My only problem is living in a tiny flat and not having the space to have unlimited bookcases in every room So, over the past couple of months, I've started to be very strict with myself and have sold a few unwanted titles on ebay....not cat & dog ones mind, just horses and natural history as these are things I was interested in years ago but just don't have the time or money to do nowadays. A couple of the books have went for a good price and I recently sold a couple of Breyer model horses for twice what I originally paid for them as they are discontinued models It all goes to fund any cat/dog books I might find on ebay I suppose it's not really making space in a small flat if I replace books with more books.....but hey, we all have our hobbies ;D And I don't smoke or drink....my vice is books

[Ann]

Browsing Ebay is lethal isn't it, not least because one thing always leads to another?!

[gill]

Tell me about it! What I tend to do now is check on Amazon and Abe Books to see if a book I have my eye on really IS a bargain I saved myself a few pennies and pounds that way a few times ;D

[Ann]

I do that all the time too. It helps me decide what my maximum bid is to be. Trouble is, you can't do the same thing when you browse around a conventional secondhand book shop!

[gill]

Yes, that's the only problem But I have a rough idea just how much certain books go for now on the internet so *touch wood* I've never paid over the odds so far

I'm hoping I'm off next Sunday as it's Tynemouth Book Fair and I'm often lucky with cat & dog book bargains there ;D Last year I didn't get to any of them as I was stuck working weekends but fingers crossed I'll be ok for next weekend ;D

[Ann]

I'm planning to go in the afternoon. I don't always buy much, but I've got to know several of the sellers over the years, so I enjoy having a catch up with them.

In the past few minutes on Ebay, I've just picked up book called "The Compleat Parish Officer", published in 1731. To my astonishment, I was the only bidder. It sounds absolutely fascinating and if the copies on Abe are anything to go by I've got a real bargain too. Ebay never ceases to amaze me!