Does this hurt value

[chief4db]

In some of my books to mark them as mine, I will mark them. Usually on my kids birthday s. I will go to page 422 for example and on the page find the initials of my kids and add the middle letter. So if a sentence ends in a d and next sentence starts with a b I will put a small c in the middle. Now most of these are higher end books that have never been read. Also don't ever plan on selling them. But if I did I highly doubt the buyer would ever read it. The only way I can see someone seeing it is if they actually read the book and when they got to that certain page see it. So my question is kind of like if a tree falls in the woods and no one around does it make a sound. Same thing here in principle. Does it hurt value when no one even knows it's there and has been marked. I think this is very different from say the person's name on the front page. Or someone writing n inscription like happy birthday or from the library of so and so. The reason I do it is so when my kids get these they can look at there birthday and see it marked and remember good Ole dad. Also thomas Jefferson used to somehow mark his books.

Sorry for the length but last question, if I ever sold one of these should I disclose this and would it effect value. Example I have a 1st edition the stand. Very good condition. Looking on ebay this on would probably sell for 750 to 900. Would this cause it 50 bucks or whatever. I know, kinda hard to know since it's something u would never know was there. I work in a car factory and it's just like if there is a small dent on the inside of the deck lid that doesnt hurt performance and is then covered up with carpet pad, you never know it's there so it really doesn't matter.

 

[Tery]

I sell a lot of collectibles on ebay. The #1 thing people look for is condition. Writing in any book will decrease its value. And those who collect books look very, very carefully.

 

[Sundrop]

It would certainly matter to me if I purchased what I expect to be a book in perfect condition, and then found writing or marks of any kind in it. To me, it would be the same as cheating.

 

[chief4db]

Yea I agree. Guess I was just rationalizing being unless they actually read a higher end book which they probably never would, would never know it was there. To see 1 letter on page 617 would b about impossible. If I had a book and never knew it was somehow secretly marked I guess it wouldn't matter to me. Just a curious question. If I ever sell one of them which I can't imagine would have to disclose it just for knowing to do the right thing

 

[kingricefan]

Are you using pen or pencil? If you're using a pen then you are hurting the value of the book, and significantly in the 'higher end' ones. No one wants to spend a lot of money on a book only to find, once they have it in their hands, that someone has defaced it. The buyer will check every page of that book, too. I applaud that you are doing this with the thought of handing these down to your children, but if at some point you have to sell off something, then you must disclose this to the potential buyer(s).

 

[muskrat]

Never understood why cats gotta write their name in books, or, and this really irritates me, they leave all kinds of little dashes throughout the book, marking what paragraph they left off at--ye gods, just plant yer bookmark sideways.

Having said all that, I gotta say I don't mind a little defacing on a book. I buy used books allatime, and have seen all manner of weird inscriptions. I've got a William Burroughs that has, scribbled on the first page, Don't cut Uncle Earl's *scratched-out* off. Given the subject matter of most Burroughs's work, I found this bit of graffiti unsettling, to say the least.

 

[skimom2]

I have a 40s book of E.A. Poe short stories where someone went through and meticulously (I mean, using a ruler) underlined every italicized word. I didn't think it would bother me when I bought the book, but it does. I automatically pause or something--breaks the rhythm of the story, KWIM?

Back on topic (lol) Chief, you would definitely have to disclose what you've done.

 

[chief4db]

I have a 40s book of E.A. Poe short stories where someone went through and meticulously (I mean, using a ruler) underlined every italicized word. I didn't think it would bother me when I bought the book, but it does. I automatically pause or something--breaks the rhythm of the story, KWIM?

Back on topic (lol) Chief, you would definitely have to disclose what you've done.

Yea, mine is nothing like that. Just 1 letter on one random page. Never intend on selling but yes, would disclose it