An Online Rare Book Buying Guide for Antiquarian Collectors

With the emergence of the internet, antiquarian bookshops have closed at a staggering rate. Many shops which once relied on in-person visitation now sell exclusively online. For this reason, we have entered a sad yet exciting time in the circulation and acquisition of rare books.

As Christian booksellers, we take a great deal of integrity in selling to educated buyers who can appreciate the scarcity of the materials that we sell. Vivifica specializes in curating only the rarest manuscripts and artifacts from across the world. By using these resources, you will be able to see how many museums, government, and educational institutes possess, search for, and acquire rare books that you can purchase and validate as well.

Auctioneers and Bidding

With the influx of online materials, you can opt for the Wild West of Hampton's subscription to rare book buying. Sites such as eBay are a dangerous ecosystem with many misleading and uneducated vendors. Scams in our industry are frequent and buyers without experience are impacted daily. I recommend buying from professional vendors like ourselves by searching the ABBA list and then searching for those vendors specifically within eBay. Bidding is an art in itself so be prepared with a bid calendar where you can snipe the best products at low prices.

Mid-range range products are available through many online auctioneers that focus on antiques. These auction houses often have no buy-in commitment or barriers to enter other than submitting a copy of your personal ID and credit card for verification purposes. Our specialists have at times acquired books or artifacts through common auction houses like www.liveauctioneers.com or www.swanngalleries.com. Reserves and commissions vary according to each vendor and should be considered when bidding. We recommend pre-registering and joining newsletters for the latest catalogues and lot debuts in advance so you can conduct research prior to bidding.

For the highest quality, scarce materials that are insured and verified authentic, we recommend Sotheby's, Christies or Bonhams. Some of these auctions will have barriers to general consumers. Fortunately, Vivifica offers concierge auction representation services that can easily solve this. You can reach one of our specialists here for more information.

Whether buying or participating on online auctions, be sure to keep a mental inventory of what value items and conditions of books are selling for to later compare.

Sourcing

The process of sourcing rare books should always begin with professional associations. We recommend starting with the Antiquarian Booksellers Association where you can view hundreds of members that meet the criteria to ethically sell rare books. You can view dealers, catalogues and more at www.abaa.org.

For searching titles of rare books you can use www.alibris.com or www.vialibri.net to search old, rare and second hand books on over 170 websites worldwide with a single search. Newly listed materials are often snatched up quickly so we recommend keeping an eye on new listings at www.abebooks.com for your best chance at acquiring scarce material.

Private shops through Etsy are increasingly gaining traction. Many hobby sellers have a niche focus on your collection's area of interest. Reach out to them in advance and request to be added to a pre-sale list whenever possible.

What Type of Material Should You Purchase?

Purchasing rare books may seem like common sense. However, the reality couldn't be further from the truth. You need to either buy from expert sources or be an expert yourself. This means ensuring the book signatures are verifiable, the printing process has not been tampered with (i.e damaged or replaced frontispiece), accurately collated pages and more. Becoming an expert can be done through institutions like Rare Book School where continuing education courses are offered. You can view their courses at www.rarebookschool.org or visit one of several other programs.

To begin, ensure that a title is scarce. I recommend starting with verifying it through a simple search at www.search.worldcat.org where you can see how many institutional copies exist along with what is currently on the market.

Understanding a work in its original historical context can make the difference alone on what is considered worthy of purchase. You will be collecting and later selling the story of the book, not just the title itself. Due to the rise of social media and other visual aids, books with interesting illuminations or bindings often add a distinct or unique value.

When purchasing rare materials, there are a variety of works you can purchase outside of fine binding. Simple tracts, sample books, ephemera, and chap books are all uncommon and valuable materials due to their scarcity. Vivifica's process of purchasing and selling involves all these along with rare maps, manuscripts and artifacts in our online inventory that can be viewed at www.vivificabooks.com/collections/all-products

Physical Book Fairs and Acquisitions

Of course, we do not want to discourage you from visiting any of the many incredible antiquarian bookshops still standing. Should you wish to be more hands-on with your acquisitions, I would recommend beginning again by searching the ABAA website for a list of bookshops in your area. Vivifica's storefront in Oshawa, ON offers over 5,000sqft of browsable shelves that you can visit, by appointment only. Contact one of our specialists today to schedule an appointment.

Attending an antiquarian book fair is a great way to shake hands with one of many booksellers. You can see an active list of past, upcoming and current book fairs on Vivifica's website here. Our specialists attend most major books fairs internationally, we hope to see you there.

I hope this starter guide on buying rare books online provides you with the tools to expand your collection. If you have any questions in the process, we are here and happy to help.