We think the next best thing to fishing is reading about it. Graham Nicol likes to collect fishing books and gives some advice to the would-be collector.
The fascination of fishing is that it can be taken to different degrees. The light approach is the occasional angler who will happily fish but is not bothered when and how frequently. Whereas at the other end of the scale we have the truly compulsive angler who cannot fish enough and suffers extreme withdrawal symptoms if not by the bankside. What is even worse, this angler has anxiety attacks in the close season. It may be extended by opting for other species but there are many days when conditions prevent any sane angler going out. So what can be done to pass the time during these unbelievably tedious periods? Well why not start collecting some angling memorabilia? This can approached many ways but whatever is chosen it can be a very good substitute for the real thing, ie actually fishing.
My weakness is collecting angling books and what started out as a slight interest has now become close to an obsession. As with all aspects of collecting there are advantages and disadvantages. With regard to books it can enhance one's knowledge, help pass the dark cold nights as they are read in one's home comforts and they can look quite impressive in a bookcase. Downsides are, as with all collections, one wants more, better and rarer and this can become costly as well as taking up rather a lot of space quickly.
How do you go about building up a book collection? Well the first consideration has to be budget and focus. As with all aspects of collecting generally it is best to specialise as this keeps the focus narrower and tighter. If one looks at the reel world most collectors aim at one maker or period and then try to build that up over time. The same should be done with books, be it authors, periods in angling, types of angling or species.
Research is necessary to become more aware of what is in the category or categories you have decided to specialise in. The internet is a tremendous source of information along with the usual sources such as catalogues, auction houses and trade shows.
There are some very useful bibliographies which can help guide and I recommend you acquire one. The most recent (and cheapest) is Hampton's Angling Bibligraphy covering all angling books between 1881-1949. The most famous is Westwood Satchell’s Bibliotheca Piscatoria which commented on all early angling books. A very useful publication that came recently from the US is Charles Thacher’s Angling Books. He recorded the price of every book that was sold at auctions, fairs and recognised dealers through the period 2001-2005. This was a monumental task for the book is in excess of 600 pages but nevertheless is a very good guide for what prices were being paid throughout that period.
What is a collectable book? Quite simply that is in the eye of the beholder but as with most collectables there are a few rules that should be adhered to. The first is condition and obviously the better the more collectable and thus valuable. Many dealers have descriptions which are generally a very good guide and these range from new, mint, as new and very fine to fair and poor. Try to get as high up this scale as possible. What I did, and still do, is often acquire a poorish copy just to supplement my collection and then over time upgrade it as and when I can. This approach convinces me I have at least one foot on the lower rung of the ladder! If a publication has a dust wrapper try to obtain one with it in as good a condition as possible. Within the book world this one item is truly worth its weight in gold. A book without it can be worth virtually nothing, whereas with one we can be talking hundreds of pounds. Do not be put off with bookplates in the inside cover for frequently if this emanates from a famous collector or collection it will enhance the value. Likewise authors’ original signatures generally are viewed as positive. Avoid library copies which often have ex-lib stamped inside for their condition tends to be poor and collectors tend to shy away from them. Limited editions cause no end of confusion and again treat this area with caution. Generally old de-luxe limited editions are viewed highly as they were very small print runs of perhaps 100-300 books, numbered and signed and have been well documented. More recent so called limited editions are questionable especially if the run is 1000 books or more .There is nothing limited about that. First editions are generally perceived as the most coveted but not with all older publications for frequently additional material was added to subsequent editions. Many older books have had updated bindings and again this can affect the value considerably and it is often better to avoid these. A common condition of older books is for there to be foxing on the pages. These are brown spots which arise due to the acid or iron in the paper and is quite common with old books. Do not be put off by this unless it is particularly bad but with some editions they all have this condition.
So where does one begin to build their collection? Simply the usual places such as second hand book stores, car boot sales, forums, fairs and auctions. Please note that with the last add at least 17% commission to your bid plus VAT! You may note I have not mentioned ebay and that is because there are too many vendors with questionable descriptions of books that I cannot recommend using this source.
Finally if you intend to build a collection you need to store them. Do not stack them so that they are in direct sunlight for the spines will quickly fade devaluing them rapidly and if possible store them in a case with doors so that dust will not gather.
Happy collecting and reading.
