Then for relatively small improvements in quality, the price of a Bordeaux jumps to $1,000 or $2,000, but the quality is not 100 times better. For $200, one will find a slightly better quality Bordeaux (maybe from a better vineyard or vintage). One can purchase a good quality Bordeaux from an average vintage for $100. Ian Fleming’s James Bond first editions, like Bordeaux Grand Crus, are rare collectibles. In fact, some condition qualities are so scarce, that the pricing appears more exponential than straight line for seemingly ‘small’ improvements in condition (such as flame definition on the dust jacket of a Moonraker spine).Ī simple analogy to collecting Bordeaux wines may be helpful. It is often challenging to locate ‘very good’ or ‘near fine’ examples of James Bond / Ian Fleming novels due to condition qualities that are specific to certain titles and make them increasingly scarce. However, that assumption rarely holds true for James Bond titles. Generally speaking, one may assume that price increases for books, or dust jackets, follow a straight line as one considers them in ‘good’ condition, ‘very good’ condition’ and ‘near fine’ condition. This guide only covers conditions and prices specific to the Ian Fleming / James Bond first editions. Investing in Rare Booksįor general information about investing and collecting rare books, please refer to our other guide “Invest in Rare Books”. The guide is organized with an overall commentary about how conditions influence prices, which is followed by sections for each of the 14 James Bond novels that cover all three points above.

Attributes specific to certain James Bond novels that determine condition and price.Overall bibliographic attributes to determine James Bond first editions.This guide presents and describes the following:

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