I have bought books that I thought I wanted to read, but then left on the shelf without reading for almost 20 years.
Then when I did read them, they greatly affected me, and were as worthwhile as I had originally hoped.
I could've died without ever reading them, but I still bought them to read at some undefined future date.
If I wanted to have books on a shelf for visual decoration, I believe that there are fake books available. But I have enough real ones.
Getting a signed first edition or something for the collector value seems reasonable to me, but I don't know why I would want it if I hadn't read some version of it.
Then when I did read them, they greatly affected me, and were as worthwhile as I had originally hoped.
I could've died without ever reading them, but I still bought them to read at some undefined future date.
If I wanted to have books on a shelf for visual decoration, I believe that there are fake books available. But I have enough real ones.
Getting a signed first edition or something for the collector value seems reasonable to me, but I don't know why I would want it if I hadn't read some version of it.