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Book Collecting
A hobby, practiced in a fairly unorganized manner, and previously confined to the upper classes, book collecting has recently seen a resurgence of interest. One may collect books in any manner one deems enjoyable; some methods are as follows:
By Given Time Period
One may, if blessed with unlimited resources, focus exclusively on incunabula, which is the designation given to books printed in the 15th century. Otherwise, the collector may specialize in a particular time period of interest to him or her, such as Victorian, the 1940's, the 1960's, or any other period of interest.
By Subject Matter
One may collect books on a given subject, of which there seem to be no end. For example, one could collect Americana, or western Americana, or Americana specifically tied to the state of Vermont. One could collect books on agriculture, or agriculture in the south, or on agriculture specifically dealing with tobacco, which would come under the heading of tobacciana. One could collect books about beer and brewing, and establish a fine collection of breweriana.
By Author
Some collectors focus on one specific author, collecting all of his works in various editions, first editions being most prized. Such a collection could include translations in foreign languages.
By Book Design or Illustration
Another avenue for book collecting lies in the area of concentrating on illustrated books, or even on the books of one particular book illustrator. Similarly, one might choose to focus on fine bindings, or special types of book print or design.
External Sites
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