quote:

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Books are one of the best investments you can make at any price.

-dan

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How true Dan!!

After reading the post about scrolls, and the price of a book by J.N. Halstead, I looked up
on Quicken how much I've spent on books in the last 6 years. Now maybe I'm sorry I did that!
I've spent a little over $1,000 a year on all kinds of books but mainly old sign books and art related books. I think that of all my wordly posessions, my books are the one thing that I would really miss if something happened to them.
I've told my kids not to just get rid of them if something happens to me , some of them are nearly impossible to get now. Try to find a copy of Alf Becker's 100 Alphabets, Basic Lettering by Heberling, Modern Brush Lettering by Harold Holland Day, Modern Alphabets by Al Imelli, or The Coast Manual of Lettering and Design at any price. I'm hoping I live a long time to enjoy them all!
 

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Posted by Chris Elliott (Member # 1262) on :
 
I've never spent too much on a GOOD book or tool but I've found out the hard way that if you walk into a Border's that you can easily carry about $300 worth of stuff in your arms to the cash register (& I was so proud of myself for not grabing one of those shopping bags that they loan you).
 

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Posted by William Bass (Member # 4929) on :
 
BTW, Mike...Raymond, Frank, Ray and Dan got to me and I bought that $95 Halsted book (which was originally produced for $21.95).

It had better be good!

Yeah...I try to stay away from bookstores...lol.
 

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Posted by Gene Golden (Member # 3934) on :
 
I spend whatever the local library charges me for the "lost" books I had "borrowed".
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Just kidding
 

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Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
 
I get dozens of $1 and $2 books at garage sales each year. Not junk either, but quality copies of contemporary books that I want to read. Then I also usually get about 3 or 4 sign books off ebay each year around $20 ea. with shipping. I also end up getting 1 or 2 new books at Borders at $30 ea.
 

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Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
 
The column in Janis' ledger is titled 'research'. Anything which is for learning and/or inspiration falls into this category.

Books of course are at the top of the list, but there's lots of other things which serve this same purpose.

Cool toys, models, sculptures, even flat art comes under this category and my eclectic collection proves it. The new studio and all the stuff in it including my books are a constant source of inspiration.

I also take tons of photos and have over 30,000 sorted, filed and catalogued.

My book collecting comes in spurts these days as many of my trips into book stores proves uselss... I already have the good ones. But I still check regularly and whenever I find some good volumes I pick them up. Sometimes I come up empty and sometimes I hit the jackpot coming away with more books than I can carry in one trip.

I've posted this pic before but it shows about half my books.



I need constant inspiration of keep my ideas fresh and new. It's hard to output without input. Janis' dad is currently cataloguing all my books for me... author, title, ISBN number. We are putting it all on disk and away in a safe place for insurance purposes. I figure it will take him a few weeks to pull off.

My investment in these things would match Mikes and perhaps a little more.


-dan
 

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Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
 
Our library has an annual book sale of old items. I usually cart off around $50 worth at $1 or $2 each, but most are non sign related, but still in that "research" category of Dan's.

Then there is the Half-Price book store that has a magnet installed at the door to pull me in. There's always something I need on architecture, woodworking, crafts, or other art related subjects.

Then there's a bunch of on-line book stores that have a never ending supply of resource materials.

When Jeanne and I "escape" for an afternoon together we always end up at a bookstore. Of course, she is looking at the bargain table for paperbacks and I'm thumbing through the $100 art books.

Then there are other sources like the Christian book store, the publications from art magazines (especially western art books from Art of the West)and the list goes on and on.

The family knows that when birthday and Christmas comes around there are always books on the list. Several people give me stuff just because they know I like certain subjects. Gary Anderson presented me with a very nice book about Frank Lloyd Wright when I was in Bloomington back in the spring.

Now, Gary Anderson's collection probably puts everybody's to shame. There is not a book about the art deco era that he doesn't have.

To answer the original question - some years about $300, others over $1,000 - just depends on what is available.
 

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Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
 
It can be up to $1000 a year, just like Raymond, Dan and others said, on research, manuals, ebay, Amazon, LifeLine charity booksales, etc. A great find gives you a great kick!
 

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Posted by William Bass (Member # 4929) on :
 
$1000/yr

Apparently I need to start peddling graphic design books. lol.
 

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Posted by Rick Chavez (Member # 2146) on :
 
I am an avid book and magazine collector and inherited a few books here and there. I usually buy 4-6 books a month, I think I average 2500.00 a year on books and mags....hey, you can write them off as education if they are work specific.
 

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Posted by Tasmus (Member # 445) on :
 
I spend $4-500 bucks per year on COMIC BOOKS alone...not to mention the magazines, fiction and technical and how-to stuff I collect, as well as religion studies, and various philosophy texts. My recently added on Master bedroom is getting a library wall only SLIGHTLY smaller than Dan's....

[ October 06, 2004, 08:07 AM: Message edited by: Tasmus ]
 

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Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
 
My book purchases come in spurts and I only keep track of the business-related ones.

I found a big bookstore when I was in VA. Let's just say it's probably a good thing they didn't have shopping carts. I could not have carried 1 more book in my arms.

My favorites are the old signwriting or related books I stumble across, usually on ebay. I've made some great finds including the 1st book for the 1st semester for the signwriter's school in eastern PA. It was printed in 1899. I also have 1 on glass work printed in 1884. I'm actually afraid to open it. These will be under glass once I get the counters done.
 

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