Is a books condition important?

[Ant]

Is a books condition important? Can you buy and enjoy a well worn and beat up book?

[Harry64]

Is a books condition important? Can you buy and enjoy a well worn and beat up book?

For me the answer is yes. Much prefer a book that is in good condition.

[Fran]

Definitely ... I buy a lot of my books in charity and second hand shops and many show the marks of much handling and reading enjoyment. Of course it's lovely to get a new book in pristine condition with the printers smell still fresh but it's also lovely to leaf through a book and find little notes or comments from previous readers and know that you have in your hands possibly the love of someones life.

I love too when in secondhand or library books you come across some of the unusual things people use as bookmarks, till receipts, dried out flower petals, newspaper clippings and even letters and cards. All I consider as the marks of the life the book has lived.

[Ant]

Spot on Fran, I once found the peel-off top of a pot noodle inside a s/h book being used as a bookmark.

[Fran]

Spot on Fran, I once found the peel-off top of a pot noodle inside a s/h book being used as a bookmark.

What a story you could make from that

[StephenKingman]

I have no real problem with reading a worn second hand book, its the story within thats more important, the only downside to reading a second hand book is you cant get that lovely "brand new" smell off the pages and ink...mmmm lovely. Im not the only one who does that right?

[Ant]

Oh no, it's like a drug to me.

[Bookworm2011]

I absolutely love the smell of a new book too, but to me I don't mind buying a book secondhand. I kind of like when a book is worn. I knew someone who had to have all his books in pristine condition and was so careful when reading so that he didn't leave a line on the spine and I thought he was crazy.. I like showing my books have been read.

[Bighuey]

I agree with Fran, Ive found strange things in old books. Old love letters, newspaper clippings, I once found a receipt from a drugstore dated 1893. I like old used books, probably even better than some new ones. They say no matter how old and beat-up a book is, if youve never read it, it is a new book. I worked at the city dump when I lived in Utah, and you wouldnt believe the the really cool books people threw away. Tons of those mush books, Harliquins and stuff like that you cant even give those away. But I found some good ones, too. A complete set of books by Winston Churchill, some Catholic books from the 1800's,a bunch of first edition Perry Mason books, about 30 ww2 books from some mystery book club, printed on really crappy wartime paper shortage paper. I eventually had close to a thousand of them at one time that just came from the dump. I didnt have room for them, and I came upon hard times and had to sell most of them, some I got good money for from an antique dealer. Anyway, I think old used books are facinating. I like the way they smell, too.

[Gannon]

I am a collector as much as I am a reader. So if the book is going into my collection then it has to be in new or near new, preferably mint condition. I collect signed first editions, so of course these books have to be in near mint condition. I am however as I said a reader as well as a collector, so if I am reading a book that I am not going to collect I don't really care what condition it is in and can just immerse myself in the story without worrying about damaging it.

[Lita]

If the pages aren't falling apart, it's all right with me

[Va_treehugger]

I like to read a book in as crisp of a condition as possible. (I hate to break the spine when I read.)

If I REALLY have to read a book and can't find it in great condition, then I will do what I have to do.

[Jacob]

I like my books to look old and wrinkly, especially my horror books. And the book I cherish the most.. Bram Stokers - Dracula.. That MUST be in fantastic condition... Always...

[Fran]

I like my books to look old and wrinkly, especially my horror books. And the book I cherish the most.. Bram Stokers - Dracula.. That MUST be in fantastic condition... Always...

Yea ... mess with that book and you might hear wings beating at 3am

[Jacob]

I like my books to look old and wrinkly, especially my horror books. And the book I cherish the most.. Bram Stokers - Dracula.. That MUST be in fantastic condition... Always...

Yea ... mess with that book and you might hear wings beating at 3am

When me and my brother fight, he threatens to ruin it. He knows how much I love it... I think I die inside every time he says that... I have even had dreams of him lighting it on fire.