2017 Red Book Or 2017 Blue Book

Buy the Red Book: color photos rather than B+W, more information about coins.

YNumismetal's has it backwards. The RedBook is SUPPOSEDLY the retail prices you should expect to pay, and the Bluebook are the wholesale prices that dealers will supposedly pay you, As far a prices go the RedBook is a joke. The Bluebook is an even bigger joke. The RedBook however has a lot of other good information in it that the blue book does not have. So I do recommend the RedBook, but ignore the values in it except for one thing. While they are no good as far as absolute values, they are good at indicating relative values between coins in a series. You can tell which are the better coins and see where certain issued have a jump in value in certain grades. For example two common date pieces that track the same value across the page but then one of them makes a big jump and stays higher than the other once you get to XF. You now know these are common but one is a lot tougher in grades above XF etc.

So basically buy the RedBook, and READ it, but don't pay too much attention to individual values given.

When either one of those books go to print, it's already outdated with daily/hourly silver and gold prices.
The 2017 RedBook is on the shelves now, I presume, and common sense will tell you that as it sits on the shelves for sale for 11 months until the next one comes out, the values are impossible to remain correct.
And the values are way too high on everything to begin with.
But when you hear that the RedBook is the Coin Collectors Bible, it's true, but it's for the INFORMATION contained in there, not the "values".
That's why everyone says to "read" it.
Mintage numbers, types, errors to look for, years a coin was minted...so many things....everything really...just block out any prices you see!

The Bluebook isn't helpful in the same regard, because it's central theme is "what dealers" will pay, and the prices are way off, so...waste of money. Not enough "other" information in it.
And if Dealers don't even use it......why would consumers use an incorrect, exaggerated, out of date when printed, reference book....ever ?
Go with Greysheets, or the Internet for current pricing, but for all other info, use that RedBook ! ..