Now even a mainstream financial information website like The Street is spreading the word that printed books do not have to be ultra rare or antique to be collectible.
This trend has undoubtedly helped make printed books number two on Main Street’s Top Ten Budget Collectibles That Can Turn a Profit.
“The internet and e-readers may be making many print books go the way of the dodo, but classics in print are likely to become more collectible, and even lesser-known works often have legitimate economic value,” says Main Street.
You can still find books of moderate value for relatively cheap prices at thrift stores, garage sales, and charity and library book sale fundraiser, and then re-sell them for a profit (that is, if you don’t fall in love with your books and cosset them in your shelves instead!).
Of course, literary knowledge and a gift for readers’ tastes will help you gauge which purchases are most likely to make a profit.
Some of the best bets according to used-book seller expert Adam Bertram are first printings of first edition novels which are in fine condition and low-supply, by well-known authors.
For those of you who have been tempted to part with your books or buy and re-sell, Adam Bertram’s Sell Your Books Online website is a wealth of information.
By the way, the Main Street’s number one collectible on its budget list? Hot Wheels toy cars. (Much nostalgia here from the 1968 circa generation.) Maps came in third.
