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Over the years, books can be damaged by any number of things: water and mold, mice, insects, etc. They also must stand up to the every day wear-and-tear of being read and replaced on a shelf.

To protect your books, possibly to use them as a future investment, keep them stored in a cool and dry place. Keeping them stored on a bookshelf is safe, but you must be careful of 'shelf-wear'; the small rips and frays on the edges of books as a result of being taken off and replaced on shelves. It is best not to slide books in together tightly, as this can scuff the face of the book, damaging the dust jacket, and the original face art of the book.

The integrity of the book's spine is very important. Creasing can be caused from opening the book wide, and laying it flat. If you're going to be selling your books later on, be careful not to damage the spine with too many rough openings. Although minor spine creasing is normal, too many creases and pulls can cause the inside pages to begin to separate from their bindings, lowering it's resale value.

Page edges can become easily ripped as a result of 'dog-ears,' or marking the page you left off at by folding over a corner of the page. This can also lower the resale value of a book.

Just be careful when you put your books on a shelf, as the majority of pre-read books will have a normal amount of wear-and-tear. They don't have to be pristine, but books kept in good condition will get you more money!

Learn more about this author, Helen Garda.
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