This is the easiest way to begin your collection. For the creative, however, approaches to collecting Christie can be as varied as the Mistress of Mystery's murder methods. There is a growing interest in collecting vintage paperbacks from the 1940s and '50s although they are not true first editions. The Dell mapback mystery line included a number of Christie titles, for example. These attractive paperbacks with their strikingly illustrated covers can still be found at reasonable prices.
Some collectors focus on a particular detective or character.
Poirot, the Belgian detective who earned his living from his little gray cells, appeared in the majority of Christie's works. Miss Marple made a later start, not appearing until Christie's thirteenth book, but eventually appeared in twelve novels of her own. Christie's minor detectives, Ariadne Oliver, Colonel Race, Harley Quin, and the Beresfords each appeared in a few books which are harder to find these days. Tell Me How You Live and An Autobiography . She also wrote six novels under the name of Mary Westmacott.