Book Un-Collecting: When do you stop?
Wednesday, October 02, 2013
Last weekend I spent Saturday morning hauling books to the local charity bin. It took some time, as we had about 70-80 to get rid of - mostly proofs and first editions, including a dozen or so that had been signed.
That sounds... ridiculous, even as I type it. But I suspect that many folks reading this blog can sympathise: if you're a book lover, shelf space is at a premium. And sooner or later, something's got to go.
Which all leads to this: when do you give up on a book?
As I think about what just left our home, the books fall into a few different categories:
- Books to read that I'm never going to read. Most of these are review copies. I'll sit on them for months - sometimes longer, and then realise that if I had any desire to read them, I would've done so when I first got them. This also, sadly, encompasses a lot of impulse buys (and, er, recommendation) - books that sound or look good at the moment, but in hindsight, bah.
- Books to read that I'm never going to read again. This isn't all bad - in many cases, I'm only thinking about that format. If I really liked it, I'll get rid of the book thinking that, someday, I'll get a collectible copy or better edition. If I was more so-so, I'll get rid of it as a sort of calculated risk - if I ever want it again, I'll ebook it (but since the odds of me wanting it are pretty slim, I'm not really out any money). This is essentially lying to myself, and being both aware and complicit in the deceit. "I'll buy it again... sure" - and then if I fall for that line, if I can be parted with the book that easily, well... clearly there's not much need to keep it.
- Collections that failed. I think back to my blog post on "starting a collection", and realise I ignore my own advice a lot, and our shelves are reeling for it. In last weekend's purge, I must've gotten rid of over two dozen first editions that I'd collected for no other reason than wanting a lot of "modern SF/F" around. Many of them were signed, almost all of them were unread. In a few cases, I'd picked up the first two or (god forbid) three books in a series - and never read a single one of them. I suppose the lesson is that, ultimately, there's no point in collecting something you're not passionate about. And the broader your collection, the more difficult it is to 'connect' with it.
- Collectibles that failed. I hoard a lot of books under the pretense that they're valuable (or they will be). Occasionally I get it right. Mostly I don't. The simple fact is this: most books go down in value. In fact, if you can find a hardcover that resells for its face value six months after release, you're already onto a rarity - for the simple fact that, once the paperback is out, the vast majority of readers won't care about the hardcover. Unless it has somehow become collectible, the hardcover is now worthless. Creepy, isn't it? As a reviewer, it is really easy to fall into the trap of stashing everything. Even if I have no intention of reading a book, I'll squirrel away the proof in case it becomes the next breakout sensation.
[This is all especially ridiculous because, as a reviewer, I can't resell my books - see 'trip to the charity bin' and not 'eBay'. It isn't a criminal offense to sell review copies, but it is a pretty grotesque breach of etiquette. I won't even resell books that weren't review copies, just in case someone mistakes what I'm doing. Neurotic? Yes. But I'd rather err on the side of Emily Post.]
- Nonfiction. As a category - nonfiction treats our home like a revolving door. For one, I don't really have the same sentimental attachment to it. Nonfiction is "reference" - something I've read for a reason; generally to get some sort of grounding or basic knowledge about a topic. If I need a refresher, I'll use the internet. This is a pretty sweeping statement, but it is largely true - especially because a lot of our non-fiction is project based (recent batch included books about the Wild West, including art, photography, etc. Thanks for the inspiration... now get out of the house).
...and I suppose that's what it takes for me to uncollect something.
What about you? What does it take for you to get rid of a book? What collections have you given up on?