Investment experts engaged in discussions on the topic of making money in collectibles are quick to point out that investing in collectibles may not be a good idea. Their argument mainly focuses on the lack of liquidity and efficiency of the marketplace causing such investments to be highly speculative in nature.
Rare Books Digest has been reporting on collectible books that have demonstrated significant price increases over previous periods on a quarterly basis. Such pricing which is affected by a number of factors, tends to fluctuate considerably from one copy of a particular title to the next, or from one event sale to another sale conducted at a different event. Over the longer period, the general trend for the majority of collectible books is respectfully higher.
Whether collectible books should be considered a good or a bad investment should depend on individual investor objectives. Some investment advisors will go as far as to suggest that while there is significant potential for legitimate profits from trading books, it is a practice reserved for the few that are very knowledgeable about a particular category of books that they specialize in, or in other words, dealers. In our experience, we have found that there are a lot of collectors pursuing their passion that are more knowledgeable than most of the equivalent dealer specialists.
Our Rare Book Sale Monitor (RBSM) has been offering our readers, collectors, and investors a bird’s eye view of the general trending in a number of genre and authors. For the final quarter of 2014, prices continued to climb for works of some old, celebrated favorite science fiction, fantasy and adventure writers, such as Ian Fleming and J.K Rowling. Such series builders of adventures, much like Homer’s Odysseus before them, have managed to attract a faithful group of followers. When an author creates an “Odyssey” these days (think Rick Riordan); it comprises a recipe for success. James Joyce can loosely fit that description with his masterpiece Ulysses, but most importantly for his collectors, our RBSM recorded a steady trend upward from sales in multiple events and on-line storefronts. The first edition which was limited to 1,000 copies, 100 of which were numbered and signed on Dutch handmade paper, and another 150 numbered and printed on vergé d’Arches, as well as the remaining numbered copies, are breaking records. James Joyce is considered today to be the most influential writer of the early 20th Century and the master of the stream of consciousness technique. [1]
In addition to the categories of sci-fi, fantasy and adventure, the genre of science has also shown a steady climb during this past quarter. As humanity appeared to be on the verge of a most improbable goal, the elimination of the threat of a deadly infectious disease, scientific medical journals appeared more attractive to investors as well. At a time when Ebola dominated the news, collectors seemed to have turned their attention towards medical books. The highlight being Vesalius’s revolutionary work of science and anatomy “De Humani Corporis Fabrica Librorum Sepem,” sold this past December at a Christie’s auction for $365,000 including buyer’s premium.
[1] Wikipedia Definition: using narration of multitudinous thoughts and feelings passing through the mind, or an interior monologue.
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