As rare book dealers, the books in our collection, or for sale, are not necessarily old or expensive, but they are all, to one degree or another, considered rare. Taken literally, the term rare is misleading. To be considered rare a book must be more than just scarce; it must be scarce relative to the demand for it. Often, new collectors assume that because a book is very old it must be worth a great deal of money. But there are many, many books printed in the early 1900s that have no real value; they are scarce, but not rare in the book dealer's sense of the word. Though just what does make a book desirable to dealers is much more difficult to answer, there are some common variables that often factor into the equation.

Sometimes only a particular edition of a book is rare, such as the first printing of a work, known as a first edition, a true first, a first issue or, sometimes, just a first. In some cases it is the signature of the author, the artwork contained in the book, or the typesetting, layout, or binding of an edition that makes it desirable to the collector. The signature of the author might be the key to a book's value, or, in the case of an association copy, the previous owner might be someone interesting or famous. Or, the information contained in the book may simply not be available anywhere else. Condition is paramount to dealers.

Book collecting is a fascinating hobby, and interest in rare, antiquarian and secondhand books is growing all the time.

Along with this new found interest, West Hull Rare Books have decided to ensure that they carry numerous books in stock, that are suitable for all budgets. So whether it is a book for a new collection with a value of £20.00, or a title with a price excess of £10,000 for the serious collector, we are confident that we have something to suit everyone.

We are always happy to offer free advice to any new collector looking to make the first few tentative inroads into the rare book marketplace, as well as work alongside the major investors on targetted rare book book acquisition projects.