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Articles - October - 2024 Issue

Four Book Collectors and Sellers Share Their Passion for Collecting

- by Michael Stillman

Everyone is a Collector.

Everyone is a Collector.

The world is filled with readers who love books and who are sort-of collectors in that they place the books they have read on their shelves and keep them there, perhaps forever. Still, they may not think of themselves as book collectors despite the love that makes it hard to part with those treasures. Maybe it's time to become a true collector rather than a de facto one. This is a field where there are knowledgeable people willing to help you share their passion.

 

In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the American Antiquarian Booksellers Association (ABAA), AbeBooks, the world's largest online book selling website, has put together a group of four short interviews with book people. They will give you a feel for the excitement of intentionally collecting books rather than just accidentally so. One of the great things about book collecting is that everyone can pick their own particular niche in the field. There is no one size fits all. In fact, it isn't limited to official “books,” as many people collect other forms of paper as well, documents, manuscripts, letters, posters, maps, etc.

 

The four booksellers and collectors who share their stories are Lisbet Tellefsen, Rebecca Romney, Obediah Baird, and Walter Reuben. Lisbet Tellefsen is an Oakland-based collector and community archivist. She has been collecting virtually her whole life, with the focus shifting from pop culture to posters, Afro-Cuban culture, and black LGBTQ culture. Rebecca Romney has been involved in the book trade most of her adult life, now as a co-founder of Type Punch Matrix. You may have seen her as the book expert on TV's Pawn Stars. Obadiah Baird is one of the co-owners of The Book Bin. His specialty is science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Walter Reuben, logically, is the proprietor of Walter Reuben, Inc. His specialty is films and old Hollywood ephemera.

 

You can hear their messages and better experience the excitement of book and paper collecting for yourself by visiting AbeBooks.com. Click here.

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Posted On: 2024-10-01 04:39
User Name: keeline

I would say "Everyone CAN BE a Collector."

Not all are. Probably in terms of percentages, fewer members of the post-Baby Boom generations are collectors now.

When I managed The Prince and the Pauper Collectible Children's Books from 1988 to 2000, we had many who came in and claimed emphatically that they were "not a collector." There is one view of a collector that is a person who spends large sums on their books or other items.

But when these non-collectors are looking for something and it has to be a particular format or artist for illustrations, and it is not readily available, they have quietly swerved into the collector classification, even if they are not willing to admit it.

And when a non-collector is trying to find something that admitted-collectors are also looking for, they have to compete with them or accept that they probably won't get what they are looking for unless they have the kind of luck that wins the lottery once every year or two.

The same applies to condition. When the non-collector wants nice copies of books from decades before that are no longer in print, this is also part of the realm of the collector.

We often joke that if you have more than five of some class of something or have spent more than double the price of a new copy available now, you are a collector.

But many are just readers and use libraries and library apps to read what they want. They don't try to keep that which they read because of expense and space considerations. I see others who claim they buy books, read them, and sell or give them away. It seems too expensive to be believed but I have to take them at their word on a claim like this.

Thee are some groupings of books that are accumulations and others that are collections which are curated to achieve a level of completeness from some aspect and upgrade over time.

When universities have book collection contests among students, there is usually both a descriptive bibliography requirement as well as an essay on what ties the components of the collection together.

One of the interesting things about acknowledging that one is a collector is the realization that one is not alone. Suddenly you discover communities and realize that you are not the only one who likes a certain kind of book. These can be the people from whom you can learn but will also compete with when it comes to obtaining the more scarce items.

Sometimes we think about collecting things. But I am also interested in collecting both information and the acquaintances and friendships along the way. These can be from fellow collectors and booksellers. This weekend I'll be in Sleepy Hollow for the Nancy Drew Sleuths convention where about 150 fans of that and similar series will gather for presentations, activities, and books.

As much as I like book fairs and have some conversations with booksellers I know or ones that seem to be handling my field, it is hard to converse with the fellow shoppers. Part of this is that they are busy shopping for the rare find. But another part is that it is considered bad form to converse in someone's retail space lest you take business from the person who paid for that space. There are not as many receptions for collectors to meet. That is where bibliophile societies and book clubs can offer opportunities.

James D. Keeline

Rare Book Monthly

  • <b><center>SD Scandinavian Art & Rare Book Auctions<br>The Odfjell Collection<br>Polar – History – Ornithology – Colour Plate Books<br>Ending December 4th</center></b> <b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> ROALD AMUNDSEN: «Sydpolen» [ The South Pole] 1912. First edition in jackets and publisher's slip case. <b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> AMUNDSEN & NANSEN: «Fram over Polhavet» [Farthest North] 1897. AMUNDSEN's COPY! <b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> ERNEST SHACKLETON [ed.]: «Aurora Australis» 1908. First edition. The NORWAY COPY. <b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> ERNEST SHACKLETON: «The heart of the Antarctic» + SUPPLEMENT «The Antarctic Book», 1909. <b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> SHACKLETON, BERNACCHI, CHERRY-GARRARD [ed.]: «The South Polar Times» I-III, 1902-1911. <b><center>SD Scandinavian Art & Rare Book Auctions<br>The Odfjell Collection<br>Polar – History – Ornithology – Colour Plate Books<br>Ending December 4th</center></b> <b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> [WILLEM BARENTSZ & HENRY HUDSON] - SAEGHMAN: «Verhael van de vier eerste schip-vaerden […]», 1663. <b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> TERRA NOVA EXPEDITION | LIEUTENANT HENRY ROBERTSON BOWERS: «At the South Pole.», Gelatin Silver Print. [10¾ x 15in. (27.2 x 38.1cm.) ]. <b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> ELEAZAR ALBIN: «A natural History of Birds.» + «A Supplement», 1738-40. Wonderful coloured plates. <b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> PAUL GAIMARD: «Voyage de la Commision scientific du Nord, en Scandinavie, […]», c. 1842-46. ONLY HAND COLOURED COPY KNOWN WITH TWO ORIGINAL PAINTINGS BY BIARD. <b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> JAMES JOYCE: «Ulysses», 1922. FIRST EDITION IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS.
    SD Scandinavian Art & Rare Book Auctions
    The Odfjell Collection
    Polar – History – Ornithology – Colour Plate Books
    Ending December 4th
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ROALD AMUNDSEN: «Sydpolen» [ The South Pole] 1912. First edition in jackets and publisher's slip case.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: AMUNDSEN & NANSEN: «Fram over Polhavet» [Farthest North] 1897. AMUNDSEN's COPY!
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ERNEST SHACKLETON [ed.]: «Aurora Australis» 1908. First edition. The NORWAY COPY.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ERNEST SHACKLETON: «The heart of the Antarctic» + SUPPLEMENT «The Antarctic Book», 1909.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: SHACKLETON, BERNACCHI, CHERRY-GARRARD [ed.]: «The South Polar Times» I-III, 1902-1911.
    SD Scandinavian Art & Rare Book Auctions
    The Odfjell Collection
    Polar – History – Ornithology – Colour Plate Books
    Ending December 4th
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: [WILLEM BARENTSZ & HENRY HUDSON] - SAEGHMAN: «Verhael van de vier eerste schip-vaerden […]», 1663.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: TERRA NOVA EXPEDITION | LIEUTENANT HENRY ROBERTSON BOWERS: «At the South Pole.», Gelatin Silver Print. [10¾ x 15in. (27.2 x 38.1cm.) ].
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ELEAZAR ALBIN: «A natural History of Birds.» + «A Supplement», 1738-40. Wonderful coloured plates.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: PAUL GAIMARD: «Voyage de la Commision scientific du Nord, en Scandinavie, […]», c. 1842-46. ONLY HAND COLOURED COPY KNOWN WITH TWO ORIGINAL PAINTINGS BY BIARD.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: JAMES JOYCE: «Ulysses», 1922. FIRST EDITION IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS.
  • <center><b>Sotheby’s<br>Book Week<br>December 9-17, 2025</b></center> <b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000. <b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> J.K. Rowling. <i>Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone,</i> 1997, first edition, hardback issue, inscribed by the author pre-publication. £100,000 to £150,000. <b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the E flat Piano Quartet, K.493, 1786. £150,000 to £200,000. <b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 12:</b> Hooke, Robert. <i>Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses.</i> London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000. <b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 12:</b> Chappuzeau, Samuel. <i>The history of jewels,</i> first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000. <b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 12:</b> Sowerby, James. <i>Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions,</i> London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.
    Sotheby’s
    Book Week
    December 9-17, 2025
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue, inscribed by the author pre-publication. £100,000 to £150,000.
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the E flat Piano Quartet, K.493, 1786. £150,000 to £200,000.
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.
  • <b><center>Rare Book Hub is now mobile-friendly!</center></b>
    Rare Book Hub is now mobile-friendly!
  • <center><b>Swann<br>Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books<br>December 9, 2025</b></center> <b>Swann, Dec. 9:</b> Lot 156: Cornelis de Jode, <i>Americae pars Borealis,</i> double-page engraved map of North America, Antwerp, 1593. <b>Swann, Dec. 9:</b> Lot 206: John and Alexander Walker, <i>Map of the United States,</i> London and Liverpool, 1827. <b>Swann, Dec. 9:</b> Lot 223: Abraham Ortelius, <i>Typus Orbis Terrarum,</i> hand-colored double-page engraved world map, Antwerp, 1575. <center><b>Swann<br>Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books<br>December 9, 2025</b></center> <b>Swann, Dec. 9:</b> Lot 233: Aaron Arrowsmith, <i>Chart of the World,</i> oversize engraved map on 8 sheets, London, 1790 (circa 1800). <b>Swann, Dec. 9:</b> Lot 239: Fielding Lucas, <i>A General Atlas,</i> 81 engraved maps and diagrams, Baltimore, 1823. <b>Swann, Dec. 9:</b> Lot 240: Anthony Finley, <i>A New American Atlas,</i> 15 maps engraved by james hamilton young on 14 double-page sheets, Philadelphia, 1826. <center><b>Swann<br>Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books<br>December 9, 2025</b></center> <b>Swann, Dec. 9:</b> Lot 263: John Bachmann, <i>Panorama of the Seat of War,</i> portfolio of 4 double-page chromolithographed panoramic maps, New York, 1861. <b>Swann, Dec. 9:</b> Lot 265: Sebastian Münster, <i>Cosmographei,</i> Basel: Sebastian Henricpetri, 1558. <b>Swann, Dec. 9:</b> Lot 271: Abraham Ortelius, <i>Epitome Theatri Orteliani,</i> Antwerp: Johann Baptist Vrients, 1601. <center><b>Swann<br>Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books<br>December 9, 2025</b></center> <b>Swann, Dec. 9:</b> Lot 283: Joris van Spilbergen, <i>Speculum Orientalis Occidentalisque Indiae,</i> Leiden: Nicolaus van Geelkercken for Jodocus Hondius, 1619. <b>Swann, Dec. 9:</b> Lot 285: Levinus Hulsius, <i>Achtzehender Theil der Newen Welt,</i> 14 engraved folding maps, Frankfurt: Johann Frederick Weiss, 1623. <b>Swann, Dec. 9:</b> Lot 341: John James Audubon, <i>Carolina Parrot, Plate 26,</i> London, 1827.
    Swann
    Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
    December 9, 2025
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 156: Cornelis de Jode, Americae pars Borealis, double-page engraved map of North America, Antwerp, 1593.
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 206: John and Alexander Walker, Map of the United States, London and Liverpool, 1827.
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 223: Abraham Ortelius, Typus Orbis Terrarum, hand-colored double-page engraved world map, Antwerp, 1575.
    Swann
    Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
    December 9, 2025
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 233: Aaron Arrowsmith, Chart of the World, oversize engraved map on 8 sheets, London, 1790 (circa 1800).
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 239: Fielding Lucas, A General Atlas, 81 engraved maps and diagrams, Baltimore, 1823.
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 240: Anthony Finley, A New American Atlas, 15 maps engraved by james hamilton young on 14 double-page sheets, Philadelphia, 1826.
    Swann
    Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
    December 9, 2025
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 263: John Bachmann, Panorama of the Seat of War, portfolio of 4 double-page chromolithographed panoramic maps, New York, 1861.
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 265: Sebastian Münster, Cosmographei, Basel: Sebastian Henricpetri, 1558.
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 271: Abraham Ortelius, Epitome Theatri Orteliani, Antwerp: Johann Baptist Vrients, 1601.
    Swann
    Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
    December 9, 2025
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 283: Joris van Spilbergen, Speculum Orientalis Occidentalisque Indiae, Leiden: Nicolaus van Geelkercken for Jodocus Hondius, 1619.
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 285: Levinus Hulsius, Achtzehender Theil der Newen Welt, 14 engraved folding maps, Frankfurt: Johann Frederick Weiss, 1623.
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 341: John James Audubon, Carolina Parrot, Plate 26, London, 1827.

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