In my early teens my parents introduced me to The Hobbit. Behold my biggest treasure in the picture below. My first paperback. It's a HarperCollins trade paperback, but John Howe elevates this to a piece of art for me. Smaug hoarding his treasure was so alluring to me as a 13 year old, that I devoured this book in a few days and have been reading ever since.
All speculative fiction and imaginative art intrigue me. It draws me into worlds I could have never dreamed of on my own. The craft that goes into creating it holds my admiration. This is why my passion culminates in signed limited edition fine art books. They combine imaginative worlds, with imaginative art and the creative endless possibilities to explore humanity and beyond. The beauty that can be found in fine crafts of bookbinding, paper making, paper marbling, typesetting, and printing are nothing short of marvelous. I have been collecting these books and it's associated art for 4 years now, so that makes me a fledgling collector. On my path, I have encountered many helpful, friendly and passionate individuals to guide me though the ins & outs of this particular niche of collecting. I felt the need to share the lessons I learned in a website open to all. So I am proud to present to you the Collectible Book Vault. This Smaug cover and paperback in gilded glass treasure box are my metaphor for the Collectible Book Vault. Treasures need to be hoarded, but unlike Smaug, I believe they need to be seen and shared. Enjoy the hunt!