Stephen Gertz over at SeattlePi blogs wrote an interesting article about collecting vintage paperbacks and how the market is starting to grow. What was once shocking or sinful, is now fairly common in our society. The steamiest of titles are now highly sought after by collectors.
While the trade in rare and antiquarian hardcover books is a mature business, the world of paperbacks is young and lively. I expect prices will continue to rise for the most desirable titles as new collectors, frozen out of the market for classic literature (or whatever) in hardcover, continue to migrate to an area of book collecting with prices still within reach of the average citizen.
I have a fair share of old paperbacks in my library, but they tend to be Westerns and Sci-fi Ace Doubles. I think I might need to keep an eye out for a copy of “Sex Life of a Cop” or “Nude Croquet.”
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