People collect children's antique books for a variety of reasons.
Some do it because they remember these books from their childhood days
and are reminded of the happy, simple times years back.
Some do it for investment purposes, especially in these economically
unstable times, with a goal of hedging against the volatile stock market.
Some do it for the benefit of their children and grandchildren.
Finally, some do it just for fun. Regardless
of what your reason may be, should you decide to begin a collection of
childrens books, you should consider collecting Oz antique books.
The Oz books have it all, from depicting the characters we all love and
cherish to being incredible educational tools for younger generations to
presenting valuable investment opportunities.
This website will focus on a more practical aspect of collecting Oz
antique books, i.e. its potential investment value. Additional information can be found
at the www.RareOzBooks.com
Why Investing in Oz Books?
As a general rule, most Oz antique books will go up in value with time. How much? That can vary greatly and depends on many factors such as rarity, condition, and popularity of each individual book.
Everyone is looking for the earliest possible edition of the book in the best possible condition. While this is certainly a commendable goal, it is not easy to achieve. Think about it: just like with any other popular childrens books series, Oz books were read, re-read, used, colored and probably torn by children many years ago. Very few Oz books were stored properly and remained to be in good collectible condition today.
Using Oz antique books as an investment will require much from the collector. You will need initial funds to both buy the books and securely store them under proper conditions. There is also an investment of time. Just like with any other investment, you will need to follow the market and track books collections and values. Finally, what I personally found to be one of the most difficult aspects of collecting is realization that you may have to part with some of your collection when the timing is right or if financial circumstances so require. For every collector there is a story behind each and every book he or she acquired. Many times I found myself, being both a collector and dealer of Oz books, to get almost emotional when I part with a rare Oz book that I have had for a while. Unlike with stock certificates, one becomes attached to the books even when you get a benefit of financial appreciation!
What Oz books should you collect? It depends how serious you are about collecting and how much time, effort and funds you are willing to invest. The first thing that I suggest you do is to arm yourself with some good reference works since for many books, especially Oz books, the determination of edition is tricky and is not always clear-cut. Some of the reference materials that I recommend are:
Oz Books Collectors Price Guide
L. Frank Baum and Related Oziana -The Schiller Collection
Once you are equipped with some basic knowledge of editions
and prices, try to buy books that do not contain crayon coloring, pencil
drawings/scribbling, etc. on the pages or cover. I know very well that it is easier said than done.
But try to be patient you may get lucky.
Also, remember, that for long-term investment, the first editions,
barring damage, will probably hold their value better than reprints.
As your collection grows, you'll
become what is known as an advanced collector. Then the fun really begins! Early
on, some titles will be very common, and your collection will grow rapidly.
Eventually, however, some other titles will seem elusive. At that time, you
might want to lean toward obtaining the book in any edition and in nearly any
condition. You can always keep searching for the better condition copy and
upgrade later.
These are an examples of some of the financial expenditures that investor in Oz books needs to be prepared to make:
This is obviously not a
scientifically proven list. However,
it not only gives you an idea of your financial investment, but also points out
numerous options that you have as a collector of Oz books.
Is collecting Oz antique books worth the
money and time? Absolutely! These
books passed a test of time, and there is still demand for them, even though the
original book was written in 1899! Because
the Oz books were never printed in volumes like todays childrens fantasy
books, such as, for example, Harry Potter series, their scarcity will always
positively affect their value.
The Oz books popularity is
strong. In this country alone,
there is an active Oz club with over 1000 members, and lately I have had
inquiries about my books from both Canada and Europe.
Facebook Oz group has over 5000 members, Yahoo Oz group has over 500
members and there are various blogs and forums for Oz enthusiasts too numerous
to mention.
Many people shy away from book collecting because they don't quite understand how to determine a antique books value. I'm going to give you all the information and tools you will need to successfully collect, sell, and buy these Wizard of Oz series books on www.RareOzBooks.com. Below you will find a few links that can help you quickly navigate to appropriate page
Check my inventory of collectible Wizard of Oz series books
Value of Oz books including a link to Price Guide
Many reason why collect Wizard of Oz
antique books
Additional resources that can help you with publishing, titles, color plates and other books by Frank Baum
FAQs- where to buy and sell Wizard of Oz series
antique books
MGM movie fans page
Check color plates images of 1st edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz book
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