I would like to start a small collection of first editions...?

Question

Which books by what authors will increase in value?

Answer 1

Speculating on books is a gamble. There is no way to tell which books will increase in value. Certain celebrity authors, like Tom Clancy and Stephen King, may see a limited increase, but because these writers are stars, the publishers will print a large number of copies of the first edition, and any book that is not scarce is probably not terribly valuable.

First edition books are not a good investment property. Because critical opinion can shift very quickly, a book that was valuable yesterday could become worthless tomorrow. And anybody who's ever been to an estate auction knows that whole boxes of books often go for fifteen or twenty bucks. A collection of first editions could be valuable if you really, really love books, but if you're looking for an investment, I'd recommend commodity futures or T-bills.

Answer 2

It's difficult to pin down specific authors I think ... you have to take something of a gamble.
I'd recommend always buying books that are signed, lined and dated. There are several good sites that offer these at a fair price. Look for ones that have built up a good long-term rapport with both publishers and authors, to ensure they stock the best new titles available.

I've also noticed a trend to collecting books with original doodles by the author, (something that interests me as a collector), and my favourite site at the moment is http://www.doodledbooks.co.uk/

Be cautious with ebay. Not all ebay sellers are scamming their customers, (many are thoroughly honest) but with some very highly collectable authors like JK Rowling, there are a few traders selling an alarming number of forgeries.

Hope that helps