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Which newer subjects became popular among contemporary book collectors?

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View a tutorial on the safe handling of rare books, manuscripts, and prints by the staff of the Folger Shakespeare Library — book collecting A tutorial from the staff of the Folger Shakespeare Library on the safe handling of rare books, manuscripts, and prints.

Contemporary book collecting has evolved as traditional, high-value items like incunabula and Grolier bindings have become increasingly rare and expensive. Modern collectors have shifted their focus toward new genres and subjects that were previously considered less significant or obscure.

Popular subjects and materials among contemporary collectors now include:

Children’s books1
History of science and medicine1
Political pamphlets1
Comic books12
Underground magazines1
Printed ephemera1
Travel literature1
Cookbooks1

This shift is largely driven by changing patterns of scholarship, which place greater emphasis on information found in materials that were once unregarded. Additionally, contemporary collecting spans various interests, including physical forms like miniature books, pop-up books, atlases, and livres d’artistes (art books), as well as specific subjects such as gardening and architecture. The rise of the internet has further facilitated this trend by making it easier for collectors to locate and acquire these diverse materials.21