Collecting 101

So, I've been invited to give a workshop on book collecting 101. It's been a while since I was a new collector, so I'm looking for a little help. What are things I can share with people who are new to collecting, or even just avid reader/hoarders who could become collectors?

How long the workshop will be will determine the extent of the material you can present. If it's an hour, the presentation can be more anecdotal: How you became a collector. Things about book collecting you know now that you wish you knew when you first started. Entertain the group while you instruct by mentioning brags and also the mistakes you've made. Provide a handout with addresses of local bookshops and urls of book search engines etc.

I just GOOGLED "Collecting Books" There's enough information there to fill a Semester long seminar on book collecting! Check it out and agonize over where to begin and end.

any one who fancies himself a collector should have a subscription to FIRSTS -- the book collector's magazine. Google it and sujbscirbe. The husband and wife who started it in 1991 still run it and their acumen is almost encyclopedic in scope. I drool over every copy (which is probably why they stay so wet). They haVE back issues of almost all their mags except for a few months in 1991.

Agreed. There's almost always something of interest to me in every issue.

Is anyone here still subscribes to the Firsts Magazine? I have just heard about it and am considering subscribing. Is it worth it?

>6 booksforreading: Don't know a thing about it, but it's still there: https://firstsmagazine.com

Although, I note they give the current issue as November/December 2024......

Fine Books & Collections is still active: https://www.finebooksmagazine.com

>1 benjclark: The topics that seem to have gotten the new collectors animated (in the two talks I've done) are:
1.) where to find books (online & off; never trust a photo online; verify)
2.) conditions/points/grades; ISBN vs. pre-ISBN; editions vs. printings.
3.) dust jackets (value, history of, etc.)

as a bonus, folks have always seemed fascinated about copyright expirations, works in the public domain, etc. not really directly linked to collecting, but they seem to be interested.

Hope your talk goes well and you are able to inspire a whole new crowd of collectors!