Why Would Anyone Want Those Old Antique Books?

By: Rob Gormly

If you're not familiar with the antique industry, you might wonder why anyone would be interested in antique books. Often the information contained in them is so outdated, it's completely inaccurate. Science books are almost comical, they are so inaccurate. Just read an ancient book about the universe or an ancient medical text, and you'll be flabbergasted at how little our ancestors actually knew. They had no idea how the human body really work, how the universe was formed, or how disease spread. Ancient history books almost seem like fairytales. But for the knowing few, ancient books are treasured. Some of them are invaluable to collectors. Ancient Bibles and other holy books, the writing of very famous people in history, ancient public documents; these are all highly valued and bring great prices at auctions.

Some of the reasons that antique books are so coveted by collectors include the fact that they are so inaccurate when held up against today's modern textbooks. When we understand how inaccurate medical books were from decades ago, we realize how much work doctors and scientists have done to get to where we are today - and how much more work there is to be done. Some appreciate that antique books are seen as almost elementary because this really paints a picture of the progress that people have made when it comes to science or medicine.

For others, it is the timelessness of antique writings that appeals to them. Reading the writing of ancient poets and philosophers, we can see that the human spirit really hasn't changed much. Our knowledge base has changed dramatically, but our feelings are still about the same. We still love, we still hate, we are still jealous, we are still ambitious. We still have all the emotions are ancestors had. You can see that in antique books.

Turning to history, most of it comes from antique books, of course. Most civilizations left us their history in the form of stories and tales that made their way into books over the years. Without them, we wouldn't have any idea what our history was. Look at the pirate treasure, and the lost scrolls and the mummies and everything else about history that is being found today. It all comes from antique books. Just think of the laws that govern people and how they have evolved. The only reason we know any of this, is because of antique books.

Having a book that some philosopher actually wrote is the best connection you'll ever have with that person. We can still get close to Plato and Socrates, just by reading their books and writings. Of course, we can only read reproductions of their works today. We won't be able to get anywhere near their actual writings. They are so viable today that they're only in museums and perhaps wealthy collectors libraries. How about Martin Luther King and George Washington. Their speeches and books are now priceless collectors items. Thank goodness we have antique books.

So who might be interested in antique books? It takes someone who enjoys history and connecting with the past. People who like to transport themselves back in time, so that they feel that they are in the shoes of the writer. These people can be fanatical about books. Many auctions have separate showings for books. Antique books and antique toys and antique furniture, probably don't all appeal to the same buyers. So there is a separate crowd of buyers looking for antique books. Many libraries specialize in historical books, and they're always buyers. University libraries and large legal libraries are always looking for antique books. Religious organizations are always looking for old Bibles and religious texts. There are also many private collectors looking for something unique that no one else has. While there are some in the antique business, who shy away from books because they feel it's not as exciting as a piece of 18th century Victorian furniture or a 200 year old piece of jewelry, there is still a huge market for antique books that are prized by collectors.

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Antiques can make an interesting hobby and a great business. Hordes of excited people are discovering the joys of the antique business ever year. Get started with Rob Gormly's exciting report " Ka~CHING How to Buy and Sell Antiques ... Just Like They Do On TV!" or learn more about the antique business on our blog.

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