BOOKS!

Hi, again!  Sorry to take so long.

My topic this time is one of my favorites - books!  Books make a wondeful collection.  You don't need anything special except some appropriate shelves to keep them on.  You don't even HAVE to read them all, as long as they fit into your topic of collecting.  Of course, mine deal with CATS.  So let's start there.

Just recently, I discovered "Bunnicula", the vampire bunny!  What has a bunny got to do with cats, you ask?  Well, one of the characters in the book series is a cat, so this qualifies.  The bunny lives in a home with a Dad and Mom and 2 young sons, a dog and Chester, the cat.   This children's series was introduced in 1979.  Considering our culture's renewed interest in vampires, I'm guessing Bunnicula is popular, too.  (Bunnicula is a combination of bunny and Dracula.)

I belong to a great book swap group at http://www.paperbackswap.com/.  This is where I am in the process of collecting all the Bunnicula books which have Chester in them.  The author, James Howe, also has other children's books he has published, but I am not interested in those.  As far as I know, he is still writing.  Another good place to get books you might want would be Ebay and, of course, Amazon. 

Paperbackswap.com also deals in hardbacks which is all I would put in my collection.  The paperbacks I buy are books that I 'use,' like books on 'collectibles.'  I don't intend to ever resell these books for profit.  And I always try to get a hardback book in a First Edition.  These are the ones which resell the best.  Not that I ever intend to sell my cat book collection, but one never knows....

Speaking of places to find books....don't forget garage sales, rummage sales, etc.  Rummage sales are particularly cheap.  I also look for books which are very collectible which can be resold.  I once found a book at a thrift shop for about $1.50 and sold it on Ebay for $330!  So even if you don't collect books, per se, you can search for books to resell.  The book I am using right now to check prices of various collectible books is "Book Collector's Price Guide" by Richard Russell.  Amazon.com has it.  Very nice book.  You wouldn't BELIEVE some of the prices that books from the 1960s (or later) sell for! 

Here is an example - remember the movie, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?"  Well, a 'first edition' of the book (by Ken Kesey) which it was made from, sells for $10,000 in Near Fine/Fine condition!!!  This book was published in 1962.  Here are some more examples - "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley, First Edition, 1932, $7,500 - "Catch 22" by Joseph Heller, F/E, 1961, $6,000 - "Tropic of Cancer" by Henry Miller, F/E, 1934, $4,500.  And a modern day writer, like Stephen King?  A First Edition of "Carrie," 1974, goes for $2,000!  Mr. King is very collectible.  When I mention these books, they all are HARDBACK editions, of course.

If you have any questions about books, please leave me a message in my 'comments' box at the end of this article.  I need some feedback to encourage me to post more often.  Thanx Randy for egging me on!

And, again, you don't have to ponder too long on what subject to collect in books.  Just find a subject that interests you - dogs, horses, birds, nature, art, artists, autobiographies, biographies, politics, mysterys (by a particular author), childrens books, antique books, cars, etc., etc., etc.  Maybe you could even collect just First Editions whenever you found one (remember, condition is everything).  And also Cookbooks!  The subjects are endless.  So whether you collect to keep or collect to resell, it is always interesting and fun.

Just recently, I obtained a SIGNED (by the author), First Edition, of one of the Bunnicula books.  This was thru the book swap club.  I am elated!  How many times would THAT happen!  Yay!

Oh, I must calm down.  So there you have it.  I could go on and on about books, but please just ask me for further info if you want.  Would also appreciate stories of any of your 'finds' that you would like to share here.  Thanx.

Will try to be back sooner next time.  Happy Collecting!