The world of collecting first edition books need not be a complicated one. All the tools you are going to need can be found right here and will be explained in simple, practical terms. We'll discuss how to identify and how to value them. We'll explore the myriad of genres and create some classic lists.

Keep in mind that when a price is quoted they are meant only to put you in the ballpark. They are derived from throwing away the highest and the lowest prices and coming up with a number that seems a fair market value. It reflects the book in Fine/Fine condition and containing all of it's first printing attributes. It's a jumping off point. A place to begin your search. This is a world of supply and demand and in the end your book is worth only what someone else is willing to pay for it. And how much can that be? Well, the book pictured above, a 15th century, first edition of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales was sold for a record of approximately $7 million American dollars at Christie's of London in 1998.

And every once in awhile we will gently remind ourselves that we started collecting because it's so much fun. After all, we're really just kids on a treasure hunt, each with our own little book antique roadshow.