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Differences between rare books and old books

Author: Linda Seers
by Linda Seers
Posted: May 21, 2021
rare books

When you are about to purchase rare books for the collection, you will notice that there are some great options available for considering as of now. This is where you will come across the need to figure out the difference that exists in between old books and rare books. If you are aware about this difference, you can make the correct decisions as you buy old and rare books available for sale. Hence, you will be able to end up with securing positive results at the end of the day.

What is the difference between rare books and old books?

Even though most of the books that you can find out there are old books. However, you shouldn’t assume that all the old books that are available out there are rare books. There are some significant differences in between old books and rare books.

Old books are the books that were published many decades or even centuries ago. However, those books would not be classified as rare books, unless they are holding more value along with time. You can continue to read, and we will share the factors that are responsible for transforming the old books available out there into rare books.

How old should an old book to be in order to become a rare book?

There is no straightforward answer to this question. At certain instances, not all the old books would end up with becoming rare books. This is where you should learn more about the factors that would transform old books into rare books.

Rare Book bookshop – Shapero told us that most people that if a book is older than what they actually are, people tend to call them as an old book. However, the factors such as availability of the book contribute a lot towards transforming it into a rare book. For example, assume that there are numerous copies of an old book circulating in the market. In such a situation, there is a high supply for the old book. The demand for that book would be relatively low. Therefore, you will not be able to call that as a rare book. But if the old book is not available in large quantities, and all the book collectors are craving to buy that book, you can call that as a rare book. That’s because the book is rare to find. Based on this concept, you can get a better understanding about the difference that exist in between old books and rare books.

On the other hand, the availability of the book in good condition can contribute a lot towards the rarity associated with the books as well. It all depends on the supply and demand that is available for the books. Hence, you shouldn’t assume that all the old books that are available for finding out there are rare books. You should keep the factors that transform old books into rare books and then look around for the options that are available for you to consider out there as of now.

Are first edition old books rare books?

In most instances, first edition old books can be considered as rare books. That’s because these books are not usually available in large quantities. At the time of printing a book, the book publishers and the authors are taking a risk. This is the main reason on why they only publish a small number of books in the very first attempt. If the book doesn’t get popular, they will be able to absorb the loss. On the other hand, if the book becomes successful, it is possible for the publishers to publish more copies of the book.

Due to the lack of circulation among first edition books, you will not be able to find them in large quantities. On the other hand, people usually prefer to purchase first edition books because of the sentimental value associated with them. Due to the same reason, the demand that is available for the old first edition books are high when compared to others. Therefore, such books will be transformed into rare books.

What other factors can transform old books into rare books?

Apart from the above-mentioned factors, there are some factors that can transform old books into rare books as well. For example, if an old book is having the signature of the author, it would become a rare book. That’s because the authors would not usually put their signature on all the books. They will only place their signature on a limited number of books. That books are in a position to become rare books because of the signature. If you are about to purchase such a book, you should carefully check and confirm that the signature is an authentic one. Then you will be able to buy the book and add that to your collection of valuable rare books.

Another important factor that would contribute towards the value of rare books would be the dust jacket. In fact, this is representing the completeness of the books. You will be able to consider that as a great method available for enhancing the value of a book. In case if the book had a dust jacket, but it is no longer available, you will not be getting a complete book. Hence, the value associated with the book that you are purchasing is less. Likewise, you should also check and see whether all pages are present in the book as well.

Final words

Now you have a strong understanding on the difference that exist in between old books and rare books. While keeping this in mind, you can continue to learn more about the old books and rare books that are available for purchasing out there. Hence, you need to make sure that you get hold of the best rare books that are truly in a position to add more value into the collection of books that you have.

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Author: Linda Seers

Linda Seers

Member since: Jan 28, 2021
Published articles: 3

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