Collection: Serenity Press Curated Library

Collectable as defined by Serenity Press - Collectable as an adjective describes an object that has an intrinsic value, be it beauty and or everlasting.

Collectable as defined by English Dictionaries - Collectable as an adjective describes an object deemed worthy of collecting by enthusiasts, often due to their rarity or beauty. (Also applies to objects that not only have a value from a collector's standpoint but also have the potential to increase in worth over time.)

The Era’s Defined by Serenity Press- Contemporary Era: Books published in the year 2000 or over. Modern Era: Books published between 1911-1999. Classical Era: Books published between 1800-1910. (Original literary works from this era, e.g, Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations, are amongst the most admired and have continued to be published throughout the modern and contemporary eras.)

Vintage & Antique -  It is generally accepted amongst collectors that any item at least 100 years old is antique, while anything less than a century but older than 20 years is vintage.

Monetary or Market Value - Is a 2007 Aston Martin DBS the same as another 2007 Aston Martin DBS? No. And just like that no two copies of a book are the same book. The monetary value of a book relies on a combination of external factors; primarily its condition, edition, variant, provenance, significance, availability and demand. The monetary value is known as an extrinsic value and is not absolute, it can change over time.

Subjective Value - How you perceive the worth of the book to be as it is relative to your desire. You might be willing to pay a lot more than the object is actually worth simply because you really want it. A collector once described it as “how many days are you willing to go without food to get the book you want?”. And vice versa, if you have no desire whatsoever for a particular book, then it has zero value to you.

Rare Books?- Rare (of a thing) means it's uncommon and not found frequently, but it can also be used to describe something as exceptional. In book collecting terminology the term ‘Rare Book’, although designated quite liberally these days, is used to define a book that is both uncommon and exceptional, because otherwise any uncommon book would be described as a rare book. But if the internet has proven anything, it is that books once thought to be rare are actually more common than first thought to be. This term ideally would be used for books prior to the 20th century because the production counts were significantly less than the centuries that followed, and the survival rates are lower.

Scarcity - If something is insufficient relative to the demand, then the item is scarce. To know whether or not an item is sufficient for demand, you must know its supply, and with books this is not so easy. Unless you know the total production count, the variants if any within the production, how many have survived (books get lost and destroyed all the time), how many are in private collections, how many are for sale in off the grid markets, and how many are available in the open markets, then you cannot know the true supply of a book. To put it in perspective, some publishing houses are not even aware of how many copies of their books were made in total since they don’t always keep track. The best you can do is use sound logic and deductive reasoning with whatever information you can gather.

Demand - The demand for any book is subject to the individual and or generation. The demand for the works of Charles Dickens has always been high and has remained steady for over a hundred years. The Great Gatsby had very poor sales and was not popular until after the death of the author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Famous foreign literature would have never been famous had it not been for their translations. Literary works of women from the 19th Century, which were suppressed or neglected, have had a renaissance in the 20th and 21st century. The variables that can affect demand are near infinite, but one thing is for certain; books with intrinsic value withstand the test of time.

Condition - Probably the most important external factor in terms of the monetary value of a book, because it does not matter how old, rare or in demand a book is, if it's falling apart or in poor condition its value is reduced. On the flip side, some collectors don’t mind the battle scars of a book as it portrays a story in itself, which goes back to the subjective value. An exception to the condition affecting the monetary value of a collectable book would be if only a handful of copies of a very important book were left in the world, then the condition would not matter. But this does not apply to the majority of books.

Editions - An edition is a particular version of a publication or the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published.

• First Edition - A term that is both simple and complicated for collectors and bibliographers, and since there is no concise definition, First Edition here at Serenity Press means The Original Publication of a Book. To publish means to make it available to the public, thus private releases are not Firsts, though highly sought after by collectors, and “Reproductions” are not originals. First Editions can have different formats or variants too, for example; originally published in both hardcover and paperback simultaneously, or have a limited edition and standard edition released together. If the different formats were published separately, the format that came first is the First Edition. If material was originally published in serialized form (newspapers, magazines, articles) before turning into a book, then the published book form is the First Edition. The term First Edition doesn't necessarily mean there's a second or more edition in existence either.

• First Country Edition - Often books are published in different territories, sometimes by different publishers, and if that is the case, you will see designations like First US Edition or First UK Edition. If it was a simultaneous release, then the designation is necessary. If it was separate, then only the country that came after would be designated, and the original country would simply be called the First Edition.

• Re-Bound First Edition - Although not that common anymore, if a First Edition of a book was privately re-bound (change in binding), then it must be designated as a Re-Bound First Edition.

• Private Editions - Books that were not made for the general public, or were scrapped productions. The scrapped copies of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland from 1865 (about 23 of 50 are known to have survived) is an example. Also worth noting that Self Published works are First Editions and not Private Editions, like The Tale of Peter Rabbit self published by Beatrix Potter.

• Reprinted or Reissued Editions - These are reproductions by the same or different publishers, with the same content but different style. More specifically, a substantial change in the format of the original publication without changing the core written contents. Reissued editions are by the same publisher for their in demand works, and reprints are by different publishers either with permission from the publisher who owns the copyrights, or from works within the public domain. This encompasses a wide variety of publications, such as Deluxe and Collector’s editions, Paperback versions of original hardcovers, unauthorized reproductions known as Pirated Editions, and all Translated Works. Many of the classics in literature such as A Tale of Two Cities fall in this category due to both their popularity and laissez faire copyright laws, or lack thereof. Notable reprint publishers include Oxford World Classics, Everyman’s Library, Modern Library and Folio Society.

• Second or Revised Editions- When substantial changes have been made to a book's original content, it becomes a new edition. The value can be found in the contents, be it revised or newly added material and is often called the “Preferred Edition” by authors.

• Abridged or Bridged Editions - May not be explicitly stated by the publisher, but it refers to the reduction of content, usually by editors & translators for books within the public domain. An example is the first English translation of Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea by Lewis Page Mercier that omitted a good portion of the original.

• Book Club Editions -  Similar to a reproduction but they are nearly identical to the first editions, as they are copies printed for book clubs and their members, often with more affordable materials and smaller formats than the original publication.

Additional Printings, Impressions, Publications or Releases. - These terms are often used interchangeably, but the term “printings” can be misleading as it is used in other circumstances (see Reprint above). Depending on the popularity of a book, it can have several releases of the original publication, so you may see publishers state Second Printing or more. A prime example of additional releases is the Harry Potter Series that continues to print additional copies of the original publication.

Provenance, Signage, and Inscriptions - Provenance is the history of a book's ownership as it could have belonged to the author or a notorious public figure. Signage and inscriptions are simple; was it signed by the author with an inscribed note for example? Inscriptions can be general too, like gifted books to family or friends with wishes inscribed. These can be special and sentimental, as strangers often put into words what we sometimes struggle to express ourselves.

Library Copies - More used books are entering the marketplace thanks to library resell programs. Sometimes they are specific library bindings, or copies that have the classic library stamps and labels, and at times unmarked trade editions. But if a particular book is out of print, a library copy will save the day and worth every stamp.

Ephemera - Minor transient documents of everyday life, or any printed material not in book form. They are found within books quite frequently and are neat little surprises.

Marginalia - Often overlooked, but these are specific to the previous owner who has made notes on the side (margins), or underlined certain parts. This gives you a unique insight into the mind of another reader.