Finding 'the right book'

<html> <body> "It's said, cynically, that you know you're a collector the day you buy a book you will never read," says collector Nicholas Basbanes, author of A Gentle Madness.

Monday, April 10th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

"It's said, cynically, that you know you're a collector the day you buy a book you will never read," says collector Nicholas Basbanes, author of A Gentle Madness.

Collectors do read books, but the real pleasure, most say, comes from finding the right book in the right condition, acquiring it, knowing it's up there on the shelf.

The right book is almost always a first edition, first printing, though some collectors acquire every edition of a favorite author. The right condition means in the original dust jacket, binding solid, no dog-eared pages, no birthday inscriptions.

To find this kind of book, here's some advice gathered from dealers and collectors:

Decide on an author or subject that interests you and that is within your budget. (Original Shakespeare folios? Probably not a good choice.)

Cultivate a knowledgeable dealer - look in the Yellow Pages under "Book Dealers - Used & Rare" - and ask lots of questions. Talk to other collectors. Attend book fairs; subscribe to catalogs.

Read biographies of your favorite author. Scrutinize footnotes and the bibliographies in the back of books for clues to other books. Make lists. Hang out at flea markets and on the Internet.

A book collection is not a retirement fund. "If you're interested in investment," says DeGolyer Library's David Farmer, "go talk to your stockbroker or read [Dallas Morning News financial writer] Scott Burns."

Some helpful Web sites:

www.lucasbooks.com, includes a 12-part essay on collecting, with links

www.djmcadam.com/bookcollecting.htm, information on how-to, what-to, and where-to

www.trussel.com/f-books.htm, for information and extensive links

www.massmedia.com/~mikeb/rcb/, FAQs