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With Ian Scott
Resources Collecting Books?                     Fri 25 Jul,2008
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   Subject Library

Talking 'Bout Books

Collecting Fly Fishing Titles
By Patrick Ayres




My book collecting started innocently enough. I needed a couple of reference books to teach myself the art of fly tying and to learn some patterns I might use on the Klamath River for steelhead fishing. The problem at hand was that after buying all the necessary tools and materials, I had little money left to purchase the expensive books on fly tying!

A coworker suggested I try a used bookstore rather than the flyfishing stores I had been shopping. I found the books needed at a very fair price, and began the process of learning the basic patterns and tying my first flies. It was an accident that would later lead me to shop the bookshelves even harder.

As a subscriber to several fly fishing magazines, I ended up on a mailing list and received a catalog from a West Coast Angling Books Dealer. I noticed that several of the books I’d bought were listed at many times their purchase price. Baffled at first, I discovered that indeed the books were collectible, and I had inadvertently made quite an investment. Ten years have passed. My face is now quite well known amongst the used book dealers in town. I have a library of over 800 books on Fly fishing, including a number of signed copies, and limited editions. I have learned a lot along the way, and the purpose of this article is to pass along some tips that may be useful to you as a book buyer.

First, consider the reasons you are buying the books. It could be:

For reference material
As an form of entertainment
As an investment

If you only need the books for reference or for reading (Entertainment), you may choose paperback copies, books that are in lesser condition, Book club editions, or later printings. These books should be available at very affordable prices.

If you seek books as an investment, you should pay attention to the following guidelines: First editions are virtually always more valuable than the later printings. First editions can be very hard to identify. Buy from a reputable and knowledgeable dealer to insure that your are getting a true first edition. Even the words “First Edition” on the copyright page do not insure that the book is a true first.

Signed copies are Worth more.
Cute dedications can harm the value of the book unless they were written to a notable personality whose name might add to the value of the book. Choose a copy with a simple author’s autograph, and perhaps a date. Limited editions are great investments.

Signed and numbered limited editions always cost more, but appreciate at a greater rate than “Trade editions”. Recently, there have been a number of “Commemorative” style limited editions issued. These are generally worth far less than a limited edition issued at the same time as the first edition. CONDITION IS CRITICAL!!

The condition of the book and it’s dust jacket is absolutely crucial in the valuation of a book. This is true for virtually all books that are even remotely collectible. Bumped corners, sunned spines, damaged hinges, owner’s names written in the book, silverfish damage, underlining, or missing dust jackets can all detract from the market value. True collectors are very picky about their books. Minor flaws can sometimes provide an opportunity to pick up a book for a little less money than a primo copy.

Continued - Where, How and What to Look For

About Patrick Ayres:
(Patrick Ayres lives in Southern California with his wife and two daughters. A Project Manager for a Foodservice Design firm by day, he searches the book stores and internet by night and on weekends to find books for his collection and to offer for sale through PATRICK AYRES ANGLING & HUNTING BOOKS over the internet. He still ties flies on a regular basis and fishes for steelhead at his ranch on the Klamath River)

From The Bench:
muncher fly tying The Muncher is a favorite of Ian James for carp, smallies, more.
   Tie This!		 The Doc's Rx:
Thoughts of a Chicken Rancher. Doc tells it like it is.
   The Doc's Rx




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