When it comes to buying antiques, knowing what you are looking at is crucial. One could think that all the knowledge that anyone needs is published on the internet, but as in many areas of specialization there are huge areas where there is very little to refer to.
If you want to find out about a specialist area, then you need to buy the book. The problem is that these specialist books were often only printed in short runs and are often out of print. This knocks onto to prohibitively high prices. There are several examples that come to mind where the scarcity of the book has pushed prices sky high.
The truth is that within these books lies a mountain of knowledge that will ultimately save you time and sharpen your focus on the pursuit of that great object. My recommendation is – buy the book. Its a win win situation where your book gives you much of the information you need and it is even appreciating in value while you hold onto it.
Knowledge is king, and having the book makes it a lot easier. For the purpose of buying books, that has all become an awful lot easier over the Internet. Every book dealers on the Internet and you can find books within seconds. I buy books from everywhere, the last I bought came from Texas. The best site I believe is www.abe.com, eBay is also a great source and Amazon throws up some stunning books for literally pennies under the new and used section.
If you were considering buying books speculatively then I would advise concentrating on highly focused documents that cover specialised niche markets. Auction catalogues are also worth collecting, particularly when it is a single designers oeuvre. These will become documents for the future that are bibles for the enthusiast. Indeed, for these single designer sales I would advise buying at least 10 copies, and just sitting on them until the market has forgotten all about the sale, that is when you can offer them. Recent sales catalogues could include the Damien Hurst Sale Sotheby’s 2008 (controversial!), specialist collections such as William Morris or Christopher Dresser, a specialist walking stick sale, or scientific instruments from a particular maker.
Ironically with all the information in this age, the desirability of these specialist books has never been greater. They are working documents that will enhance your collection and your appreciation of it. I would advise you if you have not already, to buy that expensive book, I truly believe that you will not regret it.
