Scot Kamins wrote:
In article .com,
wrote:

just wondering if anyone could give me a couple hints on how to start
up a collection?

Is this a serious question? If so, you're going to have to provide a lot
more information.


Assuming it *is* a serious question, and answering in very general
terms, I think one way to do it would be to follow eBay book auctions,
watching auctions that you think are interesting (for whatever reason)
for weeks, or even months, *without* bidding on anything.

And without bidding means without bidding! Really. Even if you think
you've found the bargain of the century and no one else is bidding. Just
watch the auctions. Use ABE (http://www.abebooks.com) and Addall and
Amazon marketplace, etc., as a cross-reference, and try to pick up a
sense of what makes one copy worth more than another (apparently
similar) copy.

The other thing is, *specialise*. No one can be an expert in every
field. Find a niche that you feel comfortable with (sci fi, Victorian
novels, whatever), and within that niche find a smaller niche (sci fi
featuring clones, Victorian novels that touch on the topic of
illegitimacy, whatever), and start to make yourself an expert in that.

And, finally, collect stuff that matters to *you*, stuff you want
because you want it, not because you think it's a clever way to get rich
quick.


John