I still have 5 or 6 tubs of military books and a couple of boxes. Plus the time life WW2 series mint LOL
My dad sold books and reloading stuff at gunshows the last decade or so ...<snip> Print is dead.
I bought that Time-Life series back in the early 1990s at a rate of two volumes each payday over several months. I still enjoy looking through them, but I doubt I'd spend anywhere near as much if I wanted to own them today. A few years ago I built a new bookcase sized specifically for their dimensions, with the top shelf for the old Ballantine $1 paperbacks.
I've made it clear to my sister that when I croak, the really valuable gun books in the bookcase in my bedroom are to be sold at auction in small lots, preferably through Simpsons. Because while many books have a definite 'shelflife' of desirability, there are specialty titles that were printed in relatively limited editions -- those can become much more valuable over time.
If you'd tried buying an out-of-print Collector Grade title recently, you'd know what I mean. I certainly don't see them as an investment per se, but they can sure cost a lot today if you're looking for one specific title!
While I still much prefer printed books, I'm amenable to the electronic alternatives for some titles and situations. I recently disposed of all of my old
Gun Digest annuals and bought the PDF versions on DVD ROM. Reclaimed a couple shelves doing that.
At last check a print copy of the sold-out 5th edition of
Mauser Military Rifles of the World is stupid expensive, while the PDF version is still available from the publisher, just as usable and at a more reasonable price. To me a book like that one is more for occasional reference than a cozy read by the fire.
