Book addiction

This is intended as a lighthearted post.

Inspired by some of the comments on the just received thread. I think I’ve gone too deep into my FAD lately! I’ve been buying many books, both from new releases and the back catalogue. It’s been my gift to myself during a hard year or so. I actually like having a big library where I have many books to choose from when I get to start a new book. And I intend my library to be for the family (when my husband retires and my kids are old enough). I consoled myself with the thought that I will have a lot more time to read when I retire (more than 1 hour per day), but some posters on here have challenges that assumption!

Is anyone in the same boat? Sometimes I’m content with my growing collection, other times I worry I’m becoming a book hoarder!

>1 RRCBS:
A collector knows what they own, a hoarder does not.
I am at the one in, one out stage in my collecting due to space.

I am fairly new to collecting so definitely in acquisition mode - I think I purchased 10 Arion Press books in the past 10 months as well as a Barbarian Press and a few Allen Press/Thornwillow/Grabhorn titles. After the relatively quick outlay I find myself looking at space and selling books that did not resonate (typically at a loss) - my goal is to keep books that I will read/re-read, not just own them for the sake of owning them. I have no illusions about what will happen with my books when I pass on, maybe my daughter will keep one for sentiment but they will be sold and my goal is not to end up requiring an auctioneer to make that happen. :)

>2 wcarter: that’s a good description.

The few times I’ve moved home I’ve used the following rule when packing:

If I find something which I forgot I owned, it clearly wasn’t important to me so I got rid of it.

Yes, it's something I think about from time to time. In this age of digital storage, a book collection is becoming increasingly quaint, I suppose. I've given away all my CDs and DVDs (barring a few non-mainstream hard-to-find ones), as many people have.

I've capped my book collection at around 600 titles, and will probably reduce a bit further in the next year or two. In the last year I donated about 100 books to charity - mostly dictionaries and reference tomes, with some paperback novels thrown in there.

But I will always have 500 or so books in the library, favouring better editions like Folio, nice hardbacks (e.g. I really love the Hemingway reprints that reproduced the original dustjackets), and books that have personal connections. I also have a decent collection of Australian novels.

Could I get rid of all but 50 or so books? Sure, I could. But they bring joy, so I'm just going to enjoy them. Unlike CDs and DVDs (and vinyls, which I never got into, I always thought they looked a bit shabby on the shelf), fine editions are aesthetically very pleasing, and the illustrations are beautiful things.

Life is short. Take pleasure in the small details. Avoid guilty feelings wherever possible. Keep trying to find the balance that works for you.

I was, even verging on the hoarding, but since I retired I've managed, indeed enjoyed, cutting back. My collection has shrunk, but I think the quality (in terms of my enjoyment) has risen. I have not cut back as much as >5 Jeremy53: though! Might get there one day, but there again, might not.

To be honest, I think a lot of my Folio buying was part of my therapy at dealing with work-related stress. It may sound a bit off the wall to some, but my whole approach to buying (especially books) has changed drastically since I retired. Whilst some of that was due to reduced income, I'm finding my enjoyment of what I buy nowadays far greater. I took out a membership of The Leeds Library too, and am loving making good use of that!

I only started buying books ~5 years ago. I was 33 and had read very little as an adult. At the time I was wildly experimenting with all kinds of genres. I discovered FS around the same time; it goes without saying I found anything they released desirable. I got ahead of myself.

My reading tastes, though not yet refined, are slowly becoming more focused and these days I'm more selective. I believe a universal advise would be to evaluate each purchase rather personally and not succumb to hype - "great literature" is a much more subjective endeavor than I once believed.

Book addiction?

1. Size of library: indeterminate.
2. House: full.
3a. Shed built (2014): Bliss.
3b. Shed full (2020): Angst.
4. Spare shelves: non-existent.
5. Visible floors: diminishing.
6. Policy: 1 in, 1 out. Actuality: 20 in, 0 out. Result: despair, day in, day out.
6a. Temporary solution: 4 piles moved out, one guest admitted, refreshment administered, pleasantries exchanged;
6b. Guest ejected, 4 piles replaced (subject to no interim delivery).
7. Bank balance: under stress.
8. Wife: under stress (presently diverted by newly-planned kitchen - fine balance: requires constant monitoring).
9. Personal self-delusion: total.
10. Permanent Solution: Book of Life -

I only started buying Folio Society books three years ago, when I got myself a better paying job. Prior to that, I've already been buying paper backs, the occasional hard backs, here and there. Every year, I try to assess my library so I could sell/donate books I don't feel any emotional attachment anymore. It works for me as I currently own only around ~500 books (though I still dread the day I'll have to move out since I'm only renting). I do get a bit sad thinking I wouldn't be able to read all the books I want to read in this finite life of mine, and that I have limited time to read books daily because of work. Anyway, I've already digressed. But I'm really looking forward to completing my Folio Society wish list soon. Cheers!

>8 boldface:

Winner.

>8 boldface: "6. Policy: 1 in, 1 out. Actuality: 20 in, 0 out. Result: despair, day in, day out."

So true!

Just don’t go into debt for books. All else is forgiven!

>8 boldface: Haha! I’ve often wondered how you house all of your books, you must have a huge collection!

>8 boldface: Truth.

Has anyone flirted with the idea of doing some book dealing on the side? I often find myself reflecting now that I know enough about the market that I could probably make a reasonable profit from doing so and would be able to enjoy the books in the window between buying the stock and selling it on. But I am scared that I get too attached to them to want to sell them, and that being a "dealer" just becomes another excuse to justify the purchase of more books than I need.

>15 ubiquitousuk: There's always Ebay!

>16 coynedj:

Except that eBay now demands direct access to your checking account, ever since it fully separated from PayPal. Not that PayPal was the epitome of trustworthy financial business or anything, but that extra layer of insulation was important.

eBay also demands the biggest cut when you sell books, compared to other items. I think it may be the most demanding tier, like 15% or something.

>18 vestigialtrumpet: I haven't used abe or biblio but am starting to sell and find ebay the easiest thus far. They take a huge cut which is a pain but I find it's easier than the Facebook group since I don't like checking constantly and feel like half the sales don't fully go through. For my more expensive books that I like but don't love if someone is willing to pay for it great and if not I'm okay with it.

eBay also fairly frequently hosts weekends where you can list items safe in the knowledge that you will pay lower fees. I just completed a £600 sale for which I paid only £2 in fees.

>15 ubiquitousuk: I would recommend just dipping your toe in the water, perhaps to sell a few books you already own but are not particularly attached to. I would not go into it with the expectation of making a profit to begin with, and would not buy books with the explicit plan to sell them. See if dealing with the description, shipping, and so forth is a drag.

There are a few platforms that serve as alternatives to eBay, such as the various buy/sell/trade groups on Facebook. But unless you are selling something specific, branded, and in demand, you will not get many bites. People complain about the 13% standard eBay fees, but in reality you get a lot for that 13% (and pay nothing in most cases unless people do actually buy), making the initial outlay cost of selling basically nothing but your time putting together the listings. Just make sure to factor the fees into your pricing, and don't be impatient about making a sale. Sooner or later someone will search for whatever it is you are selling. I have been surprised by some sales. Like a pair of softcover academic continental philosophy books that went to a buyer in Australia who was apparently happy to pay more for shipping than for the books themselves. I guess they had a gap to fill in some collection, or some other specific desire.

I have had good luck with this approach. It helps free up shelf space, and for me has covered most/all of the cost of incoming books recently (mostly secondhand purchases now, but also the occasional new purchase from Folio, Centipede, or the like).

A few other tips: as a seller, my packing costs are close to zero because I have a small space where I store used boxes, bubble wrap, and so forth reclaimed from packages I receive. My only occasional cost in this regard is packing tape. I also always charge exact shipping (I try to overestimate slightly and then refund any difference), which seems to increase buyer satisfaction and makes the actual shipping cost a non-factor on my end. Buyers can just do the utility calculation on their end.

>21 abysswalker: My main problem so far with eBay has been the number of sellers who have never heard of packing - just this week i have received smashed up books that were shipped in plastic bags & in boxes that were exactly the same size as the book inside with no packing so when the box gets knocked around the books get damaged too. Not good for sellers as they end up having to refund the item & get back a damaged book that they can’t sell again (or have to sell for substantially less - as a damaged item). I’m not sure if they just don't value the items they are selling so don't bother to pack them properly, don’t think that things will get knocked around in transit, or just don't really care what condition the buyer gets the item in. By contrast if i sell anything I tend to overpack to make sure an items arrives safely & i usually list when eBay has an offer on (maximum £1/£2 fees etc where as mentioned above you can sell a £600 item & only pay £1 or £2 in fees)

>22 antinous_in_london: this practice also mystifies me, though it hasn't happened in a while.

Needless to say, I always pack items carefully and tightly.

The other important consideration apart from padding for packing effectively (which I am sure most folks here know from worrying about Folio delivery damage) is to include enough filler so that the item has no space to shift during transit. Torn up and crumpled brown paper bags are an excellent, generally free, light (as in weight) source of filler material.

One can also cut boxes down to size given a couple minutes with a box cutter so that the box fits the item + padding more closely (which will also often save on shipping fees).

The strangest package I have ever received from a book purchase was someone who not only didn't use any padding, but didn't even seal the box. It was the kind of box where a tab meant the flaps weren't waving about, but it wasn't actually held closed by anything other than the small friction of the cardboard on cardboard. This was within Canada, but it did go across provincial lines. Amazingly, it arrived, and without damage.

Last year when I was thinking that my last breath was imminent, I contacted an auction house to sell part of my collection, to provide my wife and kids with some cash, just in case.
False alert, I survived.
Part of my books were auctioned when I was in hospital, and a second batch was auctioned last week.
Since it was to late to have them removed from the catalogue, already printed and distributed, I could buy back 10 of my beloved books!
Not an addiction, but something quite similar....

The biggest issue with ebay is that it will always side with the buyer. If a buyer changes their mind, they can open an 'item not as described' case and will automatically win 99.9% of the time. You are then forced to refund them and pay their return postage. If you've sent an item abroad it's often not worth paying the return postage - so they get to keep the item for free.

I think buying books in an actual addiction that I acquired. It's not the worst addiction in the world, but it is definitely an addiction that I now pay attention to and manage. I often find that the idea of reading something when I don't own it has a stronger sensation than the urge to read it when I do own it. That's not to say I have no intention of reading the books I buy, or am dissatisfied with them in any way, but there's an almost primal pull that chasing after new books can have over me if I'm not careful. I remember someone once talking about how money is kind of our god, and how spending money is how we go to church, and I often think about that. I try to be careful these days not to allow book buying to serve as a distraction away from other things that are more deserving of my attention. That being said, a little distraction is welcome every now and then, and I absolutely love my collection. I've just found it important to understand my limits and identify when my hobby gets unhealthy.

>26 jswift81: I think it's a common experience to desperately, achingly want something you don't have, and to completely loose interest the moment it comes into your possession. This is a weird psychological bias made more troublesome, in my experience, by the fact that the intensity of these sentiments seems to be positively correlated with price.

>27 ubiquitousuk: 100%. I think the scarcity (or perceived scarcity) of an item can intensify or create these feelings as well. I guess anything that makes something more difficult to acquire has the potential to make it more desirable as well, unfortunately.

>24 Maretzo: Glad you're still with us. The idea of you bidding on your own books is certainly comical though! Care to share what any of them were? They must be special ones!

>27 ubiquitousuk: Couldn't agree more. Personally as someone who has collected more expensive books and fine press books in the recent years, I'm finding myself less satisfied than I previously have. Buying nice and pretty books have consumed far too much of my time these past few years and has resulted in drastically decreasing my reading. There are still some books that I don't mind spending far too much money on but have started to go back to NYRB, LOA, Everymans Library, and literary paperbacks which made me happier in the past. And for every LE or fine press book which is around or over 1000usd I could spend that on years of cheaper quality reading material. But maybe it's also that my library is overflowing with books and I am much more content with my collection and the need for more is diminishing. Looking on Facebook and here I can empathize with the people who are new to the obsession but gladly mine isn't what it once was.

>29 ChampagneSVP: Thanks! The books are mostly from end of XIXth or beginning of XXth century, Illustrated, French, and all went through the hands of master binders (Marius Michel, Levitzky, Legrain, Allô, Mercier, Simier, etc). All limited editions, several printed on Japan Paper. They were the core of my collection. A third sale was planned but I say "stop"!

>23 abysswalker: Agree on the filler to avoid shifting during transit. A few recent deliveries included large quantities of cornstarch ‘beans’ (like the old polystyrene ones) - theyre good for re-use & dissolve in water if you need to get rid of them (i’m assuming that washing cornstarch down the sink wouldn’t cause the same kind of ecological catastrophe as the production/disposal of the much maligned polystyrene does !?!)

>26 jswift81: Thank you for your insights and wisdom. I understand all too well.

The good news is that too much book-buying is better than tobacco, booze or worse!

And of course it is today relatively easy for everyone to sell excess books via eBay or some such some means.

>33 English-bookseller: I've often told myself the very same thing! If I have to have an addiction, this really is not a bad one.

I've controlled my book buying excesses by sticking to a solemn agreement with myself to buy only books that i'll read, and read soon after purchase, and that are nicely bound and presentable on the shelf.

>26 jswift81: I relate.

Our household motto for the last few years has been: "We're looking after the things we've got". Which includes repairing and maintaining things, but also looking at old things anew, like books. Taking one down from the shelf and seeing it as if we've only just bought it / rediscovered it.

While it hasn't stopped our spending on nice things, naturally, it has certainly reduced it and helped with our general attitude to new vs. old things!

>36 Jeremy53: That's a pretty great philosophy. I think I'll steal it.

>36 Jeremy53: Thank you. I need to adopt this.

>30 Joshbooks1:
I think that's pretty much exactly the process I've been going through. I've now sold off all the LEs (bar one - Pepys diaries) and a fair chunk of others, and have much enjoyed exploring those very libraries etc that you quote.

I just started into Letters From A Stoic, a selection of Seneca’s letters.

In the very first letter he says that a “multitude of books only gets in one’s way. So if you are unable to read all the books in your possession, you have enough when you have all the books you are able to read”.

OK, so we’re starting off on the wrong foot already…