A book becomes rare due to age, scarcity, subject matter, importance, association, or physical and aesthetic properties. A book can also become rare if it possesses unique features like fine bindings, illustrations, handwritten messages, signatures, and so on. Moreover, a book that is important but only has limited copies, or a book’s first edition often becomes a rare collection. We take a look at seven rare books in this article that are popular among vintage collectors. 

1. The Explorer by William Somerset Maugham

A British author reaching the peak of his career in the first decade of the 20th century, William Somerset Maugham is best known for his sharp understanding of human nature, and his “The Explorer” is no exception. Published in 1909 by Musson Book Company Limited, the first Canadian edition of the book presents the gripping tale in a handy 5 1/2 x 7 inches hardcover frame, with olive green cloth cover and decoration. The front board of the edition comes with a gilt title. Besides “The Explorer”, you can find many similar Rare Books For Sale Here.  

2. First Folio by William Shakespeare

The “First Folio” is the first published set of William Shakespeare’s plays produced posthumously in 1623, seven years post the author’s death. The title of the publication is “Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories & Tragedies.” The publication divides Shakespeare’s 36 plays into three categories- histories, comedies, and tragedies. The popularity of the publication lies in its historical importance and the famous plays it includes. Besides popular plays such as “Romeo and Juliet” and “Much Ado About Nothing”, “First Folio” contains 18 plays that had not been published before, like “The Tempest”, “Macbeth”, “The Comedy of Errors”, and “Julius Caesar”. The attractiveness of the collection is also enhanced by an original portrait of Shakespeare on the title page. 

3. In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway

Its French publishers published only 300 copies of “In Our Time”, Ernest Hemingway’s collection of short stories, in 1924. However, only 170 copies were sold due to a printing mistake. The initially published version is unique for several reasons. The front page of the collection has a woodcut portrait of Hemingway. Each copy of this release is numbered, and they bear the statement expressing the limitation: “of 170 copies printed rives hand-made paper this is number __.” The publication’s value also comes from the fact that the first American publication released in the next year had substantial differences, including story additions and changes in title cases. 

4. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer 

England’s first Book printer William Caxton chose “The Canterbury Tales” as his first major printing project after establishing his workshop at Westminster Abbey in 1476. “The Canterbury Tales” has the distinction of being the first significant book to be printed in Great Britain. Caxton published the initial edition of the book in 1477. Only 12 copies of the first edition exist today, which makes the book a rare collectible to vintage collectors. Besides the unchanged Middle English language, this edition also features the ancient font.    

5. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

The first edition of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” published in June 1997 by Bloomsbury is a high-value treasure for vintage book collectors. A bare 500 copies of the book were printed and 200 copies from these were distributed for promotion. Libraries received the remaining 300 copies. The first edition of this famous book is the only edition in the series to credit Joanne Rowling (J.K. Rowling’s birth name) as its author. This edition also possesses another unique element: a print line digit that reads “10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.” The later American edition of 1998 took away the author's credit and modified the title. 

6. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming 

Jonathan Cape published the first edition of Ian Fleming’s “Casino Royale” in 1953 in London. When it comes to collectible books of the twentieth century, the book is one of the most wanted due to the 007 factor. The edition also comes fitted with a dust jacket. Less than 5000 copies were released of the first edition, which sold out in a month. The existing few copies of the edition received even more demand when the novel was adapted into a film in 2006 starring Daniel Craig. 

7. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The opening edition of “The Great Gatsby” written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a top choice for all antique book collectors. The book wasn’t a best-seller at the time of its release in 1925 till the writer’s death in 1940. However, with time, the book’s popularity increased, as the book came to be perceived as one of the most significant literary records of America in the 1920s, the period termed by Fitzgerald as the “Jazz Age.” The book's first edition, marked by a typo on the back cover of the dust jacket that reads “jay Gatsby” can fetch a value above $190,000.  

Final Words 

A book becomes rare if it meets some criteria. Generally, first editions of significant works become highly valuable with time. Vintage collectors love rare books not only because of their essential content, but also because they offer the means to experience the society, culture, politics, and thought processes of bygone years. The seven books mentioned above can, therefore, be significant accumulations for book collectors.