How many books do you think a person should have

[Jolyon Trevelyan]

How many books do you think a person should have, before you can call him\her a book collector ?


I guess its different opinions about this ( well of course there is ). But i say a person should at least have a 100 books before he\she can call himself or herself a book collector.

[rssllue]

A collector? 100-200 sounds right. A book lover? Just one!

[madileigh1007]

Well I have 600 books so... I can't really answer the question.

[Fran]

How many books do you think a person should have, before you can call him\her a book collector ?


I guess its different opinions about this ( well of course there is ). But i say a person should at least have a 100 books before he\she can call himself or herself a book collector.

At least 100+ - any less & they are just a hoarder

[gali]

How many books do you think a person should have, before you can call him\her a book collector ?


I guess its different opinions about this ( well of course there is ). But i say a person should at least have a 100 books before he\she can call himself or herself a book collector.

At least 100+ - any less & they are just a hoarder

I agree.

I am a collector then.

[rssllue]

A guilty collector here; many times over!

[LivreAmour217]

This is a tough one, especially given that the number of books one can own depends on the size of one's home. An avid reader who lives in a one bedroom apartment will likely own less books that one that lives in a mansion, although both may consider themselves collectors. I would say that if your bookshelf is bigger than your television set, you're either a bona fide collector or at least on your way to becoming one.

[jhollan2]

I think it depends on the person and their situation. For example, a student working two jobs to put herself through school would obviously not be able to afford to purchase the same amount of books as an eccentric billionaire who has his own library. They may be spending the same percentage of their income on books, but the amounts would be drastically different. Therefore, I would just define a collector as someone who has a collection of books that they treasure and have invested time and money in curating.

On another note, calling someone a collector implies a certain quality of book. For example, if someone had only five or six books, but they were all first editions by famous authors, they could be considered collectors. At the same time, someone who has amassed hundreds of books from the free box at a library book sale that are outdated and unwanted would be more of a hoarder than a collector.

[vibha_sood]

"Quality is more Important than Quantity!"

The number of books one has is least important.Even a single book that is worth it and can change a person's perspective is worth a 100 books.

It is rightly said:

"The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it." ~James Bryce

Thanks & Regards,
Vibha

[Keith80]

'Collecting' implies choosing which books to keep in your library. Someone - I forget who - said that a person could collect 2000 books and have one place on earth where it was possible to be happy. This is probably not possible for many people due to space limitations, and the sheer cost of such a library. However it is a viable dream for all readers to aim at over their lifetime. I have a library of about 1400 volumes in my 'den'. Anyone can carefully accumulate select books, which they really like, to create their own library. It starts with ONE book which you want to re-read. All other additions should pass the re-read test. If you don't want to re-read it don't keep it in your library. As the member above said "Quality is more Important than Quantity!"

[zeldas_lullaby]

Hm... I agree that both quality and quantity matter, differently to different people. I'd say that a collector could be anyone who is proud of the books that they own, regardless of the number of books. Also, a true collector will scour the internet to find a mint-condition copy of an OOP book and take the time to have their old illustrated hardcover from yesteryear rebound.

[Jojowrites4All]

I have both quantity and quality. I've always been a collector, and it has been quite costly and well worth it. I know people who are occasional readers with impressive home libraries. I think the average reader would have 25 - 100 books. Collectors would be higher even if quality based. Reading is my life and my homes were built to reflect that.

[Christinar81]

This is a tough one, especially given that the number of books one can own depends on the size of one's home. An avid reader who lives in a one bedroom apartment will likely own less books that one that lives in a mansion, although both may consider themselves collectors. I would say that if your bookshelf is bigger than your television set, you're either a bona fide collector or at least on your way to becoming one.

I agree completely. I know that if I lived in a large house I would own so many more books. But a limited space only allows me to have my absolute favorites. Now if you count the number of books in my kindle I would be a collector many times over.

[Shadogirl]

As many as you can read!! I like to pay it forward, there are alot of people that do not have income to buy, I experienced this personally when staying at the shelter..... The books are a great distraction to relax, and escape in your mind for awhile!! The shelters always need books for any age!!

[Nishan Dass]

Everyone should read 2-4 books in a month