BTT - Collectibles

This week's Booking Through Thursday asks:

~ Hardcover? Or paperback?
~ Illustrations? Or just text?
~ First editions? Or you don’t care?
~ Signed by the author? Or not?

If I could afford to buy every book in hardcover, I would. At this point, I've limited myself to a few select series to try to collect in hardback. For example, Harry Potter, B&N Classics, The Twilight Saga, and Mary Higgins Clark mysteries are among those I try to collect in hardcover. In some instances, it's because I first started buying the books in hardcover and I'm just anal enough to want the entire collection to remain that way, in others it's because I can easily find used or bargain copies in hardcover. In a few cases, I've bought hardcover omnibus editions to replace (or instead of) paperbacks. I'd say the majority of my books are paperbacks, but I've been fortunate to collect quite a few hardcovers along the way.

I don't really care one way or another about illustrations. Put it this way--I don't go out of my way to buy books that DO have illustrations. And since I don't read too many (any) children's books, I don't have too many books that do have much in the way of illustrations.

As for the edition of the book, I haven't gotten too caught up in that. I buy the books more for the story than for the collectability anyway.

And lastly, I think I only have one book that is signed by an author--A National Party No More by Zell Miller. When I used to work for B&N College Bookstores at Georgia Tech, he did a signing at our store so I picked up a copy for myself and one for my grandparents. I used to have another book that was signed, but it was one I never read and knew I never would (and therefore will remain unnamed), so I ended up giving it away to someone who would value it more than I would.