A universe of books could just be a fraction of a bookworm’s collection. Book lovers often have a wide range of good reads, ranging from easy-to-read paperbacks to rare hardcovers.
These books typically include their favorite author’s titles or bestsellers in the past years, such as J.K Rowling, George R.R. Martin, and even E.L. James’.
Seasoned bookworms collect whatever could add value to their possession. These include Japanese literary titles like Haruki Murakami’s bestsellers and Junji Ito’s manga titles. And classic books such as Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace and Jorge Luis Borges’ Ficciones may complete any collection until new titles are up for grabs again.
Yet, to best enjoy any collection, many bookworms start to buy new items that would make their collection extra special. If you’re a book lover looking for interesting stuff, here are some exciting items to add to your collection:
- Signed Photos And Letters
Vintage photo dealers typically sell literary memorabilia with a famous author’s signature. Apart from their literary significance, many bookworms collect these items because they could be sold at higher prices in later years if proven authentic.
Some of the authors whose signatures are found in photos in many shops are Alexandre Dumas, Sigmund Freud, and the contemporary writer John Grisham. In determining the value of these pieces, you may consider the rule of thumb that older photos and documents are generally expensive. Yet, the degree of popularity may also be a factor.
- Literary Postcards
These postcards vary in price, like the signed photos and letters. Contemporary literary postcards may cost less than older ones because they’re generally mass-produced. On the other hand, vintage postcards are pretty expensive in most cases. These postcards may contain the author’s pictures, famous lines, signature book covers, and layouts.
- Out-Of-Print Books
Rarity adds value to books. For this reason, many out-of-print books are always excellent collectibles. Apart from their price, many of these books are sought because they’re widely read. Some are even banned in different countries for various reasons. For example, Stephen King (as Richard Bachman) allowed his novel to fall out of print because it’s believed to trigger real-life crimes.
However, other out-of-print books weren’t reprinted because the author was already dead, and no one could sign a reprinting approval on their behalf. Until their works become a part of the public domain, they’ll continue out of print. So, if you’re a book lover who desires a rare book, you may want to seek a banned book or anything that has run out of print.
- Literary Scratch-Off Poster
These items function like any other scratch posters. Using a coin, you could peel off the covers and discover the literary image behind them. The pictures could be anything about books and literature, such as book covers, logos, characters, and quotes from bestsellers. These posters may be challenging to find, but you could still see them on various selling platforms. You may just need to have a good nose for these rare items.
- Minimalist Bookshelves
The idea of having bookshelves is to keep your books in place. However, some readers may also keep travel journals or notebooks on their shelves for when they want to take notes after reading a book. Because of this, their space may start to crowd. To prevent this from happening, you may need to buy minimalist bookshelves.
Generally, these bookshelves are assembled laterally. Some could even be mounted on walls, while others could function differently, such as doors and beds. Furthermore, some may also serve as wall decors.
- Premium Bookends
Many bookworms set a schedule of what to read week after week. Because of this, they purchase or make DIY bookends to hold the paperbacks they would read next. These items may lack the size that full-blown shelves have, but they’re perfect for organizing books you may want to be in close reach.
In choosing a bookend, consider one that’s durable and heavy enough to clasp books between them. Additionally, bookends that could be rusty over time may stain your paperbacks so you may opt for plastic and non-rusting metals. You may even choose bookends that could be foldable or require minimal space for keeping.
- Laminated Bookmarks
A bookmark is a thin piece of material made to fit inside the pages of a book. It is also called a tear-off or pull-off, or separator. Many people like to use bookmarks for reminding marks where they leave their reading in the book, while some like to mark their favorite books with customized bookmarks that bring back memories of good times when they read those books. These are not only used for books but also for journals and diaries.
- Line Markers
These refer to metal or plastic markers that clip pages to mark specific lines you last read. This works similarly to bookmarks but focuses on the lines instead of pages. Typically, book line markers have different designs and lengths you may choose from. If you want to highlight pages but don’t want to use permanent markers to emphasize a line, these are ideal for you.
- Personal Embosser
If you want to add a more personal touch to your books, you may consider buying a personal embosser. You could customize your seal and use it to mark all of your books. That way, your collection may have a formal sense of ownership like what known libraries have.
Final Thoughts
To make the most of your book collecting journey, you may need to join bookworm communities and online groups. That way, you will receive updates about the books you’re interested in, be it a bestseller or a literary item. In addition, they may even notify you about the collectible items found in this article to be part of your growing collection.
In buying an expensive literary item, such as autographed photos and signed books, you need to ensure that your sellers are legitimate, so you’d get your money’s worth. In addition, consider the quality of the material, such as books, if the texts are still readable or if the pages are already dog-eared even if it’s new.
