Unwrap the art of gifting and collecting
Coffee-table books make exceptional gifts and collectibles. More than just books, they are gateways to other worlds, encapsulating the essence of art, culture, photography, literature page after page on a wide range of topics and interests. Beyond their gifting charm, they are also prized collectibles. Start or expand your collection with these rare and captivating editions.
Within the pages of this extraordinary book lie hundreds of previously unpublished treasures from Bob Dylan's personal archive. Among these treasures are manuscripts, lyrics, notebooks, paintings, photographs, letters, albums and artifacts that provide a rare glimpse into the life and artistry of the legend himself.
4 of our favorite books to gift or collect
Emily Dickinson's poetry meets American painting. The book is in French and English.
Rare books from unique publishers
Gift guide tailored by topics
Unique publishers selling on AbeBooks
For 40 years, Callaway has excelled in publishing captivating illustrated books, spanning art, design, fashion, biography and children’s books.
Suntup crafts limited edition books with artful typography, letterpress, commissioned art and premium materials for an artisanal experience.
Founded in 1922 in the Netherlands, Lecturis specializes in books about art, design, photography and cultural history with an outstanding quality.
Diane de Selliers annually publishes literary texts on art history, merging literature and painting into unique creations since 1992.
Discover second-hand coffee table books
More collecting guides
Explore a vast library of collecting guides covering topics from valuable cookbooks and rare bibles, to vintage magazines and ephemera.
AbeBooks sold a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for $88,140, one of only 500 copies printed. Do you have a valuable Harry Potter book? Learn more with our guide to collecting rare Harry Potter books.
The Limited Editions Club of New York was started in 1929 by George Macy. At 29-years-old, he was an avid reader who wanted to make his living from books. His business revolved around publishing beautifully illustrated classic titles in relatively small quantities with club members paying a subscription.
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Vintage magazines appeal to people who have a particular interest in old paper, to be sure, but they are also collected for the specific content on and between their covers.
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A pre-first edition is any limited run copy of a book printed before the first standard edition is published. These include advance(d) reader copies (ARCs), galleys, salesman’s editions, proofs and sometimes manuscripts. The importance of these editions varies from collector to collector - some enjoy seeing the evolution of a book from concept to publication while others are only interested in collecting the editions meant for public release.
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A list of the best books about book collecting including guides for beginner and experienced book collectors. Discover John Carter’s classic ABC for Book Collectors, modern guides to book collecting in the Internet age, and how to identify first editions.
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A popular way to narrow down a particularly broad area of interest is to focus on a specific time period. If you're a medical professional and find books about surgeries fascinating you might find it less daunting to begin collecting texts strictly from the Victorian era, for example.
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