Going Once, Going Twice!

I was contacted by the lovely people at Invaluable, an online auction marketplace who have items like jewellery, fine art, and collectibles for sale. Invaluable wanted to know if I felt like blogging about some collectible and antique books I'd love to own. Naturally, I said yes; I'm a book blogger, so I'm never going to miss an opportunity to talk about books

Just as a disclaimer, I'm not getting paid to do this post - it's just a bit of blogging fun!

I've never been to an auction, book or otherwise, but one day I'd like to go to one - though there are some first editions I'm sure I'll never be able to afford.

After perusing the selection of Invaluable's first editions - because let's be honest, I'm not buying a book from an auction unless I can have a first edition - I managed to find three that I certainly wouldn't mind adding to my shelves given the opportunity. I decided to stay away from the obvious choices: I think it's fairly clear from the title of my blog that I'd trade my firstborn for a first edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and I'd probably sell a kidney for a first edition of Frankenstein.

1. Lot #98 | No Name by Wilkie Collins

I hadn't even heard of No Name until I stumbled across this lot, a 3 volume first edition from 1862. I love The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - in fact if I could grab a first edition of that I'd jump at the chance! - and I've been meaning to read more of his work ever since I read and loved that, said to be the very first detective novel. No Name tells the story of Magdalen and Norah Vanstone who are disinherited by the law and evicted from their home after their parents die and it is revealed they weren't married at the time of their birth. While one sister struggles through the trials that come with being a governess, the other decides to exact her revenge on those who have wronged them. It sounds fantastic, and I love the colour of these first editions which just so happen to still be bound in the original cloth.


2. Lot #729 | Fables of Aesop

I've always loved Aesop's Fables, they were as much a part of my childhood as the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen and Roald Dahl, and this first American edition from 1848 is gorgeous. I love how royal it looks with that deep blue and embossed gold all over the cover, and I think it would look very pretty on any bookshelf. (But especially on mine!)

3. Lot #260 | Het Achterhuis by Anne Frank


You might be thinking 'Jess, what the hell do you want with a book you literally can't read?', but I love the idea of owning books in their original language. Anne Frank didn't write her diary in English, she wrote it in Dutch, so I think this Dutch first edition from 1947 is very special indeed.

Many thanks to Invaluable for contacting me, and for letting me spend a few pleasant hours browsing their first editions!