Author: Mike

Best Back Cover Blurbs brought to you by Most Valuable Books

“…a nightmare of time without a present or a future…”

Cover for Last Week’s Back Blurb:

Wild Town, Signet #1461 (1957)

Value $175.00

The Best Back Cover Blurbs from Vintage Books. This week’s enticing entry————-

Cover for last week’s “Blurb of the Week.”

Kiss Her Goodbye, Lion Library #96 (1956). Value $75

Another Most Valuable Book Vintage Paperback Blurb

Cover for last week’s Back Blurb of the Week #4

Rear Guard, Popular Library #380 (1951). Value $30.00

One question I get a lot from non-collectors (and even a few family members) is “have you read all your books?” This is an interesting question because the answer is for the most part “no, I haven’t.” They often don’t know what to think about someone who spends most of his free time collecting Vintage Books yet doesn’t read them. Let me explain. This doesn’t mean I’m not interested in reading most of the books I collect – just not the copies I have in my collection. While people collect for many reasons, and I am certain there are many who read the books they collect (and also collect books just to read), the purpose of collecting in my case and many others is not to read every one of them but to appreciate the cultural and historical place the books hold and try to preserve them in a collection. Also, collectors want their collections to have value. Even if they never plan to sell their books, they know preserving condition is very important to retaining their value as historical artifacts. Thus, most collectors defer to preserving the books in their collections in the best condition possible, which means they don’t ever read them.

Flash Comics #6 from the famous Edgar Church Collection. It is graded 9.6 which is Near Mint Plus, incredible condition for an 80-year-old comic book.

Flash Comics #6, D.C. (1940) Value $10,000 (courtesy Heritage Auctions)

Now, does this mean I never read the stories that are in the books in my collection? Sure, I do, but I try to find a later reprint, or a copy of the same book in lesser, non-collectible condition (affectionately known in the hobby as a “reader copy”). I don’t mind reading these because they have little value to a collector (remember – condition).

That said, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve purchased a “reader copy” and then decided not to read it because I don’t want to damage it more (I told you collectors are somewhat neurotic about condition). Of course, some Vintage Books in my collection have never been reprinted, so I will likely never be able to read the stories, but I can live with that. Please feel free to share your thoughts on this topic and let us know if you have a certain book in your collection that you have never read but would like to.

A very desired Pulp with a great cover. Rare to find in this condition so you don’t want to read this copy, even though the cover and “Vampire Master” story are rather enticing.

Weird Tales, Vol. 22 #4 (Oct. 1933). Value $1200+

Collecting is a passion. If you are a collector, you know this. It doesn’t matter if its coins, comic books, vintage cars or designer shoes, it is something in our DNA that gets us excited about acquiring the subject of our interest. If you collect, you love your collection and enjoy talking about it to those interested (and even uninterested). Furthermore, collectors enjoy being able to interact with other collectors and make new friends with a shared interest (another reason for this blog).

Collecting has somewhat the thrill of being caught up in some alluring, inescapable love affair. The object of our enthusiasm more often chooses us than we do the choosing.“

-Lilla S. Perry, Famous collector of Chinese Snuff Bottles

Finally, collectors often display a sort of neurotic need to protect and preserve items they collect. I’d like to believe this is a noble thing, to preserve these cultural and literary artifacts for future generations. While this is generally true, I also believe collectors like to “show off” a bit by having the most well-preserved copy of a particular book, or other collectible, and love to compete for items in the best condition.

So, yes, there is a bit of competition in book collecting, who knew!

A Vintage Book collector’s dream, a lot of Vintage Paperback Books at auction