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Are Books with Binding or Printing Errors Collectible?

Denise Enck

Have you ever brought a new book home, only to discover that the cover was on backwards, or there were printing errors (for instance, pages repeated, omitted, out of sequence, or upside down)? If so, perhaps you’ve wondered how it affects the book’s collectible value.

Such errors are considered defects and will almost always have a negative impact on the book’s desirability.

Unlike with postage stamps (where printing errors will greatly increase the stamp’s desirability & value), printing or binding errors are not usually desired by book collectors. Collectors will prefer a copy of the book which is as close to perfect as possible. (Read more about condition, and book grading terms & methods.)

Book printing and binding errors are fairly common. Some get caught by quality control before the books leave the publisher, but many do slip by & get to bookstores. You might find a book with pages missing or out of sequence, or even backwards. There may be issues with the way the covers are applied as well.

If you buy a misbound or misprinted book, you can take it back to the store where you purchased it; they’ll be glad to exchange it for a correctly-bound one. (They’ll return the defective copy to the publisher.)

If you’re interested in valuing your books, please see our article, Determining the Value of Books.

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Denise Enck

Denise is Empty Mirror's founder and editor. She's edited several other literary magazines and small-press publications since the 1990s. When not at Empty Mirror, you can probably find her reading or writing -- or out exploring the back roads and beaches of Washington State.

Author: Denise Enck Tags: book condition, book values, first editions, iu Category: Book Collecting February 25, 2012

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Empty Mirror

Established in 2000 and edited by Denise Enck, Empty Mirror is an online literary magazine that publishes new work each Friday.

Each week EM features several poems each by one or two poets; reviews; critical essays; visual art; and personal essays.

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