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Permalink Reply by JMS1223 on September 2, 2024 at 2:51pm

Those look great. If you are making those for yourself to keep then I would say definitely worth your time. They look awesome! 

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Permalink Reply by Jason H on September 2, 2024 at 3:50pm

Thanks so much.. Yes they are just for me to keep but also for my daughters collection. I don't want to leave her with a hassle if she decided to sell any 20 years from now, so I'm wondering if there are better options. I don't mind spending a bit more for supplies on high priced items if it will potentially increase the overall value for her.

I noticed a while ago someone turning a Paul Mccartney cut signature into a custom auto card and I asked him what materials were used and he wasn't sure since he paid for it to be done. Seems insane he wouldn't question the process especially since it was also enclosed, id be so paranoid about the acidity and offgassing of any materials over time. This is why I'm choosing 100% cotton rag museum board going forward. 2 ply is way cheaper than 4 ply and it is still thin enough to live in page protectors within a binder. It is contradicting to use cardstock backing but I do add an extra step with cut up page protectors so the actual autographed item isn't touching the cardstock. Im still pondering that part but would rather not add any more bulk. It might all be overkill for now but maybe a few decade's from now when I'm retired, it will be worth it.

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Permalink Reply by crazyrabbits23 on September 2, 2024 at 8:57pm

For a time, I had several cheap binders with acid-free sleeves with various collections: one with a bunch of signed letters by Prime Ministers that I bought off Kijiji  one with random signed ephemera that I'd randomly find in books from authors (which would then get "matched" to a signed book if and when I found out one by the same writer), one with a bunch of random signed political stuff, and one for a collection of signed Margaret Atwood material I purchased earlier this year. The first binder was eventually sold through private consignment (and paid for a beautiful dishwasher, actually).

I keep most of my signed books in large Rubbermaid tubs. I lucked into finding a full storage solution when a homeowner down the stret from me threw out nine large-sized tubs and a jumbo tub (all with lids) from a home renovation project. A good wash and dry later, and they're perfect tubs to keep my books in.

Most of my collection is sorted out by subject (memoir, political, specific publisher  etc.)

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Permalink Reply by Jason H on September 2, 2024 at 10:00pm

I had to look up kajiji. Very interesting. I wonder what platforms are out there now other than ebay and Facebook marketplace. I know etsy and mercari have some potential. No clue if its the same up in Canada.

I always wondered how consignment actually works. There are a bunch selling on eBay but I dont really trust them. Like probstein123 for example, I've seen so many items go through them authenticated by PSA that I believe are forged and I swore off ever buying from them even if legit. Thats Hilarious you essentially traded a binder for a dishwasher. It reminds me of 22 years ago, I traded a nice full jennifer lopez autograph obtained TTM for a leather jacket. Still no regrets

Im sure binders with acid free protectors have to be the most popular option but I hate how anything less than 8.5x11 just flops around while going through them. I want the experience of going through my collection to be more satisfying and cardstock backing seemed to do the trick for a long time. Now I want to be visually stunned as much as possible while limiting my budget. All part of trying to organize my collection.

I have a goodwill outlet near us that sells used bins for 50 cents but they are all random. Never thought to use them for autographed books but I might take your advice so we can get rid of some bookshelves taking up space. Theres no way I'd find that many matching bins though. Thats a huge score. 

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Permalink Reply by crazyrabbits23 on September 3, 2024 at 6:22am

I used Probstein once to buy a BGS 10 basketball card (non-signed) of a certain player who was from my hometown. It was an impulse buy during the pandemic, and it's the only item I ever brought from that shop. I'm aware that they tend to "shill bid" up items, which is why I tend to stay away from a lot of EBay items unless they fly under the radar in certain ways (mislabeled item/ certain items that have "big ticket" potential that aren't labeled as such, as I learned from members here.

I met the consigner I've been working with about three years back -- I ended up reaching out to him directly, provided pictures/estimated prices for what I wanted to sell, and I've worked with him several times/met him in-person to bring items and chat with him about what he's looking for (he's a retiring consignor that dealt primarily in Canadianan/political/historical books). I made about... $7-8k through the handful of items I sold, which were all very specific Canadian political items I had for several years. I know that at least one of the items I sold (a signed copy of Lawrence Hill's best-seller "The Book of Negroes", with a handwritten letter to a teacher right at the book's publication) was sold for a very handsome sum to McMaster University's (Hamilton, ON) special collections department, as they showcased it in a social media post several months after it sold.

I used to display several pieces in my collection, but now I'm at a point where I'm more about storage first and foremost. The "storage solutiion" I picked up last year has been an effective organization tool, though I've pared down my collection several times over the past year to donate books that either don't interest me, are too esoteric/not really important to me, or aren't "valuable" in any sort of personal/monetary way. That said, with the exception of those few items I sold though the consignor (and the Farley book I sold through Goldin), I haven't sold anything else from my collection.

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