I don’t know about you, but I’m a cover freak. I’m a sucker for a beautiful cover. Sometimes I can’t choose which one I like better. I like having multiple copies of books for a whole lot of reasons. Most of them have to do with my collector’s side. It sure does take up room though.
So let’s talk about having multiple copies of book. Is this something you do? I have several. For instance, I have 2 almost complete sets of the Harry Potter series. One complete set of American editions, and a second nearly completed set of British editions. I also have a third copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, an American first edition. As a collector, I love having these multiple copies.
I also have a small collection of foreign language editions of books, all of which are signed. These books aren’t for reading, I can’t read German for Finnish. I just think they’re cool. I would love to own something written in Welsh one day, it’s an unbelievably beautiful language.
Then there’s the cursed cover change. Often I think the original covers are better than the reprint. But for my own shelf OCD I love to have a matching set of books. In this case I sometimes get both editions: the original for the prettier cover and the reprint for the matching set. This has also happened a few times with movie covers. For instance I know I want to get a movie edition of The Fault in Our Stars. As a rule I usually hate movie covers but I just adore that particular copy. I already own a signed original but I still want to have a movie copy.
Another reason I may have multiple copies of books is for signings. For authors I love I may get their books multiple times to support them and have something new for them to sign. Or, in the case of my Unwind series I have a signed paperback and then the next book in hardcover. I have been wanting to get a matching hardcover but I would not want to get rid of my signed copy. This is how I end up with so many duplicates on my shelves.
Lately I’ve been giving up some of my duplicates. The ones I don’t feel I really want anymore. Maybe I’ve changed my mind about liking that original cover. Maybe I don’t care enough about the series to make sure they match. But since it has freed up space for new books I’m not complaining.
Do you have multiple copies of books on your shelves? Tell me about it in the comments.
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I don't usually have duplicate copies unless it's a book I really love and the second copy is a limited collector's edition or it's just too pretty to pass up lol…. I hate cover changes! I've put off buying some books because the sequels had cover changes. It bugs me way too much if they don't match 🙁 Barely any authors come to signings where I live so I haven't run into buying multiple copies for events.
Cover changes make me all twitchy. I hate them. They screw up my shelves. A lot of my duplicates are going to end up on my trade list. I don't have room.
I don't have multiple print copies but I do have multiple format – such as a print and an audio, ebook and audio, and/or ebook and print. Sometimes they are an oops double purchase, but other times it is intended – like buying the ebook makes the audio cheap.
I have some in both physical an ebook. It counts.
I have multiples of a number of things too. I own Harry Potter (all of it) in English and German–when I first started learning German it was a great help to read a story I was already so familiar with. Then there are books I will buy whenever I see them, so that I can give them away to friends because I just love them so much (but buy whenever I see them used, not new, for the record). Then there is the cover issue, haha, yeah I have totally bought a book I already owned because the cover was so awesome. I LOVE the covers on the re-issues Gollancz recently did of Simon Ings' books for example. Aaaand sometimes if I have a really special signed copy I will buy a second reading copy, especially if my husband is going to read it. He totally destroys books, so I don't let him have the special signed ones…
What books do you have special German copies of, by the way? Curious.
I have Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door in German. Signed.
I love studying foreign languages, so I collect my favorites in any language I'm remotely interested in if I can find it for a good price. I used to not buy multiple English copies unless the first was damaged somehow, but that's been changing recently. Total cover lust.
I just think they're cool. 🙂