Old and Antique Books: Where to Buy?

Old books 

In the digital world of extremely fast processes, it is difficult to imagine something very analog and slow from the past. For example, as slow as the printing of the first books. Only the creation of manuscript editions such as ancient church books was slower – perhaps that is why their authors  usually they were monks or clergymen who had withdrawn from worldly affairs and had a lot of free time.

But from the 15th century, thanks to Johann Gutenberg, not only monks but also enterprising citizens received technology for much faster, and most importantly, mass book publishing. And our ancestors received incomparable pleasure from reading a wide variety of texts. Surprisingly, the fragility of paper as a material did not prevent many ancient publications from surviving to this day in museums, second-hand shops, and private collections.

The question arises, why do we need to remember dusty folios today, when you can download thousands of books to your gadget with one click, and read about the revolution in book printing on Wikipedia. If you prefer paper books over e-books, you know the answer. But let's discuss in more detail who buys old books as a gift and why. 

A treasure in the home library 

Homes of avid readers are easily recognizable by the number of books on every possible surface. The ideal of a seasoned bibliophile is a separate room in the house for a personal library with bookshelves from floor to ceiling, good lighting, and comfortable furniture so that nothing distracts from reading. 

Regardless of whether you have implemented such an ideal in life or have given up the refrigerator to accommodate your favorite publications, you can significantly raise the level of your book collection by adding an old book to it. Interestingly, the choice is limited only by your imagination, because you can find both a status tome with 400 years of experience for an appropriate price, and a first edition of a favorite classic from the last century at a completely realistic cost. 

Whatever choice you make, the pride of owning a rare book, permeated with time, will become a new feeling that you will want to repeat regularly. 

Hobby-collecting 

Philatelists, numismatists, connoisseurs of works of art and rare matchboxes. They are united by a love of collecting objects that might seem to the untrained eye, at best, just a cute trinket, and at worst - a pile of garbage. The innocent hobby of some and the fanatical passion of others in any case become a matter of life and its decoration.  

Book collecting is a truly intellectual activity, not only because of the content of the publications, but also because of the very process of creating your own collection. Depending on your goals, finding the exact volumes that interest you, such as vintage cookbooks, may require extensive research, hunting for copies, correspondence with fellow collectors who may know where to buy the rare book you need, and even travel to other countries. The more rare editions you have, the more valuable your collection will be. And what could be less massive than a book printed several centuries ago in a print run of several dozen copies.  

Benefits of investing in antique books 

Adding a pragmatic touch to this paradise for romantics will allow the price of the issue. It is not difficult to guess that valuable old books will only become more expensive over time. That is, by investing in an old edition, you get an asset that will only grow in value.

The feasibility of such an investment is definitely an individual matter. And financial prospects can be a bonus when expanding a collection or replenishing a home library, or the main factor in the case of very rare and valuable folios.  

You can also add a more sentimental argument - by buying antique and old books you are simultaneously creating an intellectual and property heritage for your descendants. The future will obviously become increasingly digital and, perhaps, all paper books will be a rarity, and even more so truly old books. 

Not all antique books are equally valuable, so it is important to understand the nuances of this area. The value of an old book will be influenced by the condition of the edition, the place and year of printing, the design and material of the binding of the old book, the presence and authorship of engravings, drawings, bookplates, and even notes in the margins (if they were left by a very prominent reader). The online store of elite gifts Fama presents both rare and extremely valuable old and antique books from the early 17th century, as well as more affordable, but equally interesting editions from the 19th and 20th centuries. Of course, books are primarily created for reading, and only then - as an object of collection or investment. But it's always nice to find additional benefits from your purchase. Especially if you truly love reading and books and are willing to spend your time and money on them, even without the prospect of entering the ranking of the best home libraries in the world or ever selling a tome at a Sotheby's auction.