Books, Magazines & Maps

Resources in this category:

About.com: Comic Books
http://comicbooks.about.com/

An Internet guide for comic books, with feature articles, Website links, and discussion forums. Topics covered include creating comics, dealers/retailers, online comics, manga (Japanese comics), preservation, pricing/grading, women in comics, and more.

Firsts - The Book Collector's Magazine
http://www.firsts.com/

Published for over fifteen year, Firsts is a valuable resource, providing information, entertainment, and an excellent portal into the delightful world of book collecting. This is their official website featuring many informative articles such as a guide to "The Fundamentals of Book Collecting" and a "Quick Reference Guide to Grading Books."

Golden-Age Comic Cover Gallery
http://www.samuelsdesign.com/comics/

Ben Samuels, a collector of comic books for over 20 years, has created an on-line gallery of roughly 200 sample covers from his personal collection of Golden-Age comics. Divided into three categories: Super-Hero & War Comics, Good Girl & Romance Comics, and Crime & Horror Comics; each gallery displays the colorful cover art of such classic titles. The main page has a "What’s New" section describing the recent additions to the site.

A Guide to Collecting Comic Books
http://www.googobits.com/articles/792-a-guide-to-collecting-...

"When you decide to read a comic book, you’ll find as many types as you would find novels. The comic book medium offers whimsical fun, epic adventure, gritty realism, and everything else you can think of. This article introduces readers to comic books and shows them what to expect when they go shopping for them. It also tells how to store comics to prevent wear and tear."

Guide to Rare and Old Book Values
http://www.fadedgiant.net/

This site was created to answer the question "How much is my book worth?" Here you can search by titles and authors to perform your very own book appraisals based on current auction prices. Site provides an online database of over 45,000 antique book prices. You can review a list of recommended books to collect, find out what makes some books more valuable than others, view author autographs, and learn about book condition and grading terms.

International Map Collector's Society
http://www.imcos.org/

IMCoS, a London based not for profit organization founded in 1980, is for people who love maps. There's no other qualification for membership. It serves around 750 members in 30 countries from all over the world. Members include collectors, dealers, librarians, academics and just plain dabblers. IMCoS encourages the study of cartographic history. The site includes listings of events and symposia, contact information for country representatives, and articles on caring for your collection.

MapForum.com
http://www.mapforum.com/

Website for Map Forum Journal. Includes links to features and special discussions within all current volumes of publication. Also has a beginner’s guide and a checklist for maps of the USA.

Old Telephone Books
http://www.oldtelephonebooks.com/

"Possibly the world's largest online collection of phone books." View images of telephone books by the hundreds, or learn more about phone book art and advertising, calling areas and varieties of old directories.

Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries
http://www.rbms.nd.edu/

"The official Web site of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). RBMS strives to represent and promote the interests of librarians who work with rare books, manuscripts, and other types of special collections." Includes ACRL publications and a "Your Old Books" section with general information on rare books.

rec.collecting.books FAQ
http://www.massmedia.com/~mikeb/rcb/

This set of frequently asked questions and answers for the Usenet group rec.collecting.books covers the following topics: "General Information About rec.collecting.books; Sources and Guides to Book Collecting; Identifying Books; The Care and Feeding of Your Collection; Book Terminology; Value Judgements; Miscellaneous Odds and Endpapers."