Comments on: eBooks vs. pBooks: A Lesson in Value

By: carmen webster buxton

carmen webster buxton — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:14:18 +0000

I think if anything, the rise of ebooks will make print books more rare and thus even more valuable. But frankly, the “value” in a first edition is only because people with money want it. The book itself, as an object, has no real intrinsic value. Collecting for love is fine, but collecting as an investment runs the risk of losing money rather than gaining it. Who knows when the market will shift?

People might buy print books to collect, but they don’t buy ebooks for any reason other than to read them.

By: Ruth E. Thaler-Carter

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:48:30 +0000

I’m thrilled to see that the print-book world still generates value, and that book collectors are increasing their ranks despite the world of ebooks (I’d love to know how many of the high-ticket books actually were purchased). Maybe one reason is that print runs are lower in the face of ebook competition? That’s just a guess, though.

I’ve never considered collecting rare books partly because I’ve never had that kind of money to spend, but mainly because I can’t have a book in the house if I’m not going to read it, which – for me – means dogearing corners, folding back the spine and marking typos; things you can’t do to a collectible or rare book and wouldn’t do to an expensive one.

By: marie

marie — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 09:59:05 +0000

Again, it is a niche to own a 1st edition or a rare book, like owning an original painting. Isn’t the purpose of a book to be read? If owned and hidden away then….

By: documania2

documania2 — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 09:45:56 +0000

I agree, but confess to being staggered by the prices! Some are higher than the most valuable fine art, which has greater reproducibility issues than print books. I wonder if the six-figure amounts are a knee-jerk reaction to what’s going on in publishing today, and over time those prices will come back down. How many people browsing through the Fair actually plunked down money for those books?