It was once the case that should you be an antiquarian book collector you would need to spend hours on hours trawling thru dusty shops to find the rare out of print books that you were searching for. These days, just about any item you are looking for can be discovered without effort on-line. Perhaps a bit of the magic has been lost, but for collectors who do not have the resources or the resources to find the antique rare books they desire in person, then net browsing is the right choice.
With the growing popularity of antiquarian books and antique rare books on the web, there are several of choices for purchasing them. One can try to find antiquarian books on the usual auction sites online such as eBay, purchasing them. you could use an internet site with expertize in rare out of print books.
An good thing about purchasing antiquarian books from auction sites is that you may find it better to obtain a fair deal. However, there will also be a smaller choice of antique rare books to purchase, and you'll have to wait for the sale to finish before you can buy them. If you decide to buy online, then study the seller's reputation to ensure they are credible. Or you may discover you don't obtain exactly what you're seeking.
When you purchase rare out of print books from an antiquarian books website then you want to be ready to check the lists to make certain you are getting exactly what you're paying for. Initially make sure that you are obtaining the edition you want. Usually the 1st editions are the most sought after, however there might be other editions that could possibly have something special about them such as illustrations, or a special cover. There are other indicators to let you know the condition of the antique rare book. Here is a list of useful terms to help you:
aeg - All Edges Gilt. Often the edges of pages would be gilded to prevent browning.
Casebound - A book which has a hardcover.
Clothbound - A book which has a cloth cover.
Dust Jacket/Cover/Wrapper - The paper which covers the boards of a hardback book.
Embossing - These books have embossed illustrations or decorations.
Ex Library (ex-lib) - A book that has been in a library and has stickers or markings. Less valuable.
Facsimile - A book which exactly copies an original or earlier edition.
Foxed - Some discoloration of the pages of the book, very often in the form of brownish spots.
Frontispiece - illustration opposing the title page.
Gutter - The white space between 2 pages opposite each other.
IP - In print.
OOP - Out of print.
Shaken - The binding is loose.
Softcover - Paperback.
teg - Top Edge Gilt.
When hunting for antique rare books, you need to also keep an eye open for the condition indicators:
F/VG - Fine book, very good jacket.
F - Fine, Like New
VG - Very Good
G -Good
FR - Fair
P - Poor
Now with all this information concerning rare out of print books, you should be able to start collecting antiquarian books with confidence that you can obtain a good bargain.
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