Month: July 2013

Bauman Dream Order - The List

I just received the new Bauman Rare Books notice that their new catalog was in. I thought I take a quick look and noticed a "Wish List" button. So I thought, "Here I am, lots of time on my hands. Why don't I just make a Wish List where money is no object. The sky is the limit!" I also thought I'd share that Wish List with yaw'll. These are in no particular order. I will let you know my little "shopping spree" came to $760,750.00 + tax and shipping. If I ever win the lottery, Bauman's is the first place I will go. Period

The List

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
THOMPSON, Hunter S.
Item ID: 88059
SIGNED BY HUNTER S. THOMPSON

THOMPSON, Hunter S. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. New York, 1971. First edition of Thompson’s edgy journey into the American dream, boldly signed by him with his characteristic “H.S. Thompson,” and additionally dated SF/7.18,84” by him. In scarce original dust jacket.
$8,250.00

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
http://www.bookcollecting101.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/SIGNED-BY-THE-ORIGINAL-ALICE-LIMITED-EDITIONS-CLUBS-ALICES-ADVENTURES-IN-WONDERLAND-AND-THROUGH-THE-LOOKINGGLASS.jpg

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
CARROLL, Lewis
Item ID: 88337
SIGNED BY THE ORIGINAL ALICE
CARROLL, Lewis. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. New York, 1932, 1935. Two volumes. Limited editions, each book number 608 of 1500 copies and each signed by Alice Hargreaves née Liddell, for whom Carroll wrote the books. $8500.
Status: Available
$8,500.00

Rose Tattoo

Rose Tattoo

Rose Tattoo
WILLIAMS, Tennessee
Item ID: 68221
INSCRIBED BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS

WILLIAMS, Tennessee. The Rose Tattoo. (New York), 1951[ie, 1951]. First edition of Williams’ “celebration of the inebriate god,” inscribed by the playwright to Cheryl Crawford, who produced the play’s first run: “To Cheryl with my heart’s true love—Tennessee.” Laid in is a flyer for Crawford’s 1977 memoir, One Naked Individual: My Fifty Years in the Theatre, with notes on the verso in Crawford’s hand about Camino Real and a prop list for Rose Tattoo.
$9,200.00

Romance of King Arthur

King Arthur - Arthur Rackham

Romance of King Arthur
RACKHAM, Arthur
Item ID: 82872
ARTHUR RACKHAM’S OWN COPY OF HIS ILLUSTRATED KING ARTHUR

MALORY, Sir Thomas. The Romance of King Arthur. London, 1917. Rackham’s own copy of the first trade edition of one of his classic works, signed by him, and with his bookplate and a page of notes in his hand tipped in describing the inspirations for five of the illustrations. With 16 full-page color illustrations, seven full-page black-and white drawings and over 60 in-text illustrations. $10,000.
$10,000.00

Absalom, Absalom!

Absalom, Absalom

Absalom, Absalom!
FAULKNER, William
Item ID: 86960
SIGNED LIMITED FIRST EDITION OF ABSALOM, ABSALOM!

FAULKNER, William. Absalom, Absalom! New York, 1936. Signed limited first edition, number 172 of only 300 copies signed by Faulkner-“the greatest American novel since the turn of the century”—with folding map of Faulkner’s fictional Yoknapatawpha County. $11,000.
$11,000.00

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Dali

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
CARROLL, Lewis
Item ID: 83979
DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE WITH SALVADOR DALÍ

(DALI, Salvador) CARROLL, Lewis. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. New York, 1969. Beautifully printed limited edition of the brilliant and beloved children’s classic, number 437 of 2500 copies signed by Salvador Dalí on the title page, with an original etching and 12 full-page color photogravures after his paintings—as breathtakingly imaginative as the text they illustrate. $13,000.
$13,000.00

Room of One's Own

A room of one's own

Room of One's Own
WOOLF, Virginia
Item ID: 72408
“A WOMAN MUST HAVE MONEY AND A ROOM OF HER OWN IF SHE IS TO WRITE FICTION”

WOOLF, Virginia. A Room of One’s Own. New York and London, 1929. Signed limited first edition, number 106 of 492 copies distinctively signed on the half title by Woolf in her characteristic purple ink. $15,000.
$15,000.00

Hell's Angels

Hell's Angels

Hell's Angels
THOMPSON, Hunter S.
Item ID: 87782
SIGNED BY HUNTER S. THOMPSON
THOMPSON, Hunter S. Hell's Angels. New York, 1967. First edition of Thompson’s first book, his narrative of California’s infamous biker gangs, boldly signed by the celebrated “gonzo journalist” on the half title. $16,000.

Writings

Writings

Writings
STOWE, Harriet Beecher
Item ID: 68172
HARRIET BEECHER STOWE’S WRITINGS, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR

STOWE, Harriet Beecher. Writings. Cambridge, 1896, 1897. Together, seventeen volumes. Signed limited large-paper edition, number 246 of only 250 sets signed and dated (“Jany 9th 1896”) by Harriet Beecher Stowe in Volume I, with 33 illustrated frontispieces and title pages, beautifully bound in full morocco-gilt. Autographed on the fly leaf by the author for this edition “a few months before her death.”
$16,000.00

Strength to Love

Martin Luther King Jr.

Strength to Love
KING Jr., Martin Luther
Item ID: 88406
INSCRIBED BY MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

KING Jr., Martin Luther. Strength to Love. New York, Evanston, and London, 1963. First edition of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s second book, inscribed by the author and civil rights leader, “Best Wishes, Martin Luther King,” in original dust jacket. An excellent association copy from the library of Transport Workers Union of America co-founder and president Mike Quill.
$16,500.00

Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Tree Grows in Brooklyn
SMITH, Betty
Item ID: 78153
EXTRAORDINARILY RARE INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION OF A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN

SMITH, Betty. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. New York, (1943). First edition of Betty Smith’s scarce first novel, inscribed, “To Bill with love, Betty Smith, June 1960, Chapel Hill, N. Car.”
$16,500.00

Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?

Where Do We Go From Here

Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?
KING Jr., Martin Luther
Item ID: 88773
PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. TO HIS AUNT AND UNCLE

KING Jr., Martin Luther. Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? New York, Evanston, and London, 1967. First edition, presentation/association copy, of Dr. King’s last book, published the year before he was assassinated, in scarce original dust jacket, inscribed by him, “To Aunt Woodie and Uncle Jerry, For whom I have great Love and Respect and whose loyal support I cherish very deeply. M.L.” $17,500.00

Works

Oscar Wilde

Works
WILDE, Oscar
Item ID: 82241
FIRST COLLECTED EDITION OF OSCAR WILDE’S WORKS, WITH TYPED LETTER SIGNED FROM HIS LITERARY EXECUTOR ROBERT ROSS TIPPED IN AND WITH A PHOTOGRAPH OF WILDE

WILDE, Oscar. Works. London, 1908. Fourteen volumes. First collected edition of Wilde’s works, one of 80 sets printed on Japanese vellum, bound in publisher’s limp vellum gilt-decorated after designs by Ricketts. With typed letter signed by Wilde’s literary executor Robert Ross and a hand-addressed envelope containing an early print of the famous photograph of Wilde taken two hours after his death tipped in to De Profundis.
$18,500.00

Gone with the Wind

Gone With the Wind

Gone with the Wind
MITCHELL, Margaret
Item ID: 88893
SIGNED BY MARGARET MITCHELL

MITCHELL, Margaret. Gone with the Wind. New York, 1936. First edition, first printing, of this American classic, in original dust jacket, signed by the author..
$20,000.00

Streetcar Named Desire

Streetcar Named Desire

Streetcar Named Desire
WILLIAMS, Tennessee
Item ID: 86964
SIGNED BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS

WILLIAMS, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire. New York, 1947. First edition of Williams’ first Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, signed by him. A beautiful copy.
$20,000.00

Green Hills of Africa

Green Hills of Africa

Green Hills of Africa
HEMINGWAY, Ernest
Item ID: 88839
“THE MOST LITERARY HUNTING TRIP ON RECORD”

HEMINGWAY, Ernest. Green Hills of Africa. New York, 1935. First edition of Hemingway’s gripping account of big game hunting, inscribed by the author, “Very truly, Ernest Hemingway.”
$22,000.00

Ravenna

Oscar Wilde

Ravenna
WILDE, Oscar
Item ID: 82478
EXTREMELY RARE PRESENTATION COPY OF RAVENNA, INSCRIBED BY OSCAR WILDE
WILDE, Oscar. Ravenna. Oxford, 1878. Rare first edition, presentation copy, of Oscar Wilde’s first book, one of only 168 copies published, inscribed by Wilde across the front wrapper: “E.B. Benson with best wishes from the author.”
$22,000.00

Farewell to Arms

Farewell to Arms

Farewell to Arms
HEMINGWAY, Ernest
Item ID: 88837
“THAT MUSICAL CRYSTAL-CLEAR STYLE, BLOWN LIKE GLASS FROM THE WHITE-HEAT OF VIOLENCE”

HEMINGWAY, Ernest. A Farewell to Arms. New York, 1929. Signed limited first edition of Hemingway’s “consummate masterpiece,” number 326 of only 510 copies signed by him, in scarce original slipcase.
$22,500.00

Document signed

Abraham Lincoln

Document signed
CIVIL WAR
Item ID: 89168
SIGNED BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN, RARE OFFICIAL PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENT DATED JULY 9, 1863, ONLY DAYS AFTER GETTYSBURG AND VICKSBURG

LINCOLN, Abraham. Document signed. City of Washington, July 9, 1863. Fine July 9, 1863 official presidential order signed by Lincoln shortly after the Union’s powerful but costly victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, here calling for Maine to draft thousands of men under the controversial March 3, 1863 Conscription Act, a law that would provoke the bloody New York draft riots that erupted only six days after the date of this rare Civil War signed document.
$22,500.00

Portfolio I

Folio

Portfolio I
JACOBI, Lotte
Item ID: 58801
EXCEPTIONALLY RARE PORTFOLIO COLLECTION OF LOTTE JACOBI’S MOST MEMORABLE PORTRAITS, ONE OF ONLY FIVE FOLIO COPIES, FEATURING TEN ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS SIGNED AND NUMBERED BY JACOBI

JACOBI, Lotte. Portfolio I. Deering, New Hampshire, 1978. Limited artist’s proof portfolio, number four of only five copies, a rare self-published edition containing ten original silver gelatin hors commerce proofs, each signed and numbered in pencil by Jacobi on the lower corner of the image, featuring some of her finest portraiture from before 1940, including her trademark Self-Portrait, her famous image of Einstein in a leather jacket and portraits of leading Weimar figures such as Lotte Lenya, Peter Lorre and Kurt Weill.
$28,000.00

Happy Prince and Other Tales

Happy Prince

Happy Prince and Other Tales
WILDE, Oscar
Item ID: 85909
INSCRIBED BY OSCAR WILDE

WILDE, Oscar. The Happy Prince and Other Tales. London, 1888. Rare first trade edition, one of 1000 copies printed, in original Japanese vellum pictorial boards, with three plates by illustrator Walter Crane, inscribed in the year of publication, “Edith Cones from her sincere friend the author. Oscar Wilde, June, 88.” A fine, exceptional copy.
$42,000.00

Tender is the Night

Tender is the Night

Tender is the Night
FITZGERALD, F. Scott
Item ID: 68091
INSCRIBED BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD

FITZGERALD, F. Scott. Tender is the Night. New York, 1934. First edition, third printing (only one month after the first), in scarce original first-issue dust jacket, boldly inscribed by the author: “Souvenir of Wilmington from F. Scott Fitzgerald to J. Stuart Groves.”.
$46,000.00

This Side of Paradise

This Side of Paradise

This Side of Paradise
FITZGERALD, F. Scott
Item ID: 75461

F. SCOTT FITZGERALD’S FIRST BOOK, THIS SIDE OF PARADISE, INSCRIBED BY HIM ONE DAY AFTER PUBLICATION

FITZGERALD, F. Scott. This Side of Paradise. New York, 1920. First edition, first printing of Fitzgerald’s first novel, inscribed one day after publication, “For Pete Compton, A wild man if there ever was one — F. Scott Fitzgerald, Princeton, NJ, March 27th 1920.”
$63,000.00

Catcher in the Rye

Catcher in the Rye

Catcher in the Rye
SALINGER, J.D.
Item ID: 87077
INSCRIBED BY J.D. SALINGER

SALINGER, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston, 1952. First edition, early issue, of Salinger’s first book—“a 20th-century classic”—an exceedingly rare copy inscribed and dated by him within months of publication, “New York, N.Y. March 15, 1952 With best wishes, J.D. Salinger.”
$65,000.00

Beautiful and Damned

Beautiful and the Damned

Beautiful and Damned
FITZGERALD, F. Scott
Item ID: 75463
INSCRIBED BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD IN THE YEAR OF PUBLICATION
FITZGERALD, F. Scott. The Beautiful and Damned. New York, 1922. First edition, first issue, an exceptional presentation copy whimsically inscribed in the year of publication by Fitzgerald, “For Wilbur Judd, Parisien [sic], Critic, Playrite [sic], Bibliophile, Drunkard and Good Egg, From F. Scott Fitzgerald, St. Paul 1922,” in scarce second-issue dust jacket (issued within months of the first-issue jacket).
$75,000.00

Call of the Wild

Call of the Wild

Call of the Wild
LONDON, Jack
Item ID: 81588
“YOU HAVE ALWAYS LOVED YOUR SON AND THINGS WITH US ALWAYS WILL BE WELL…”
LONDON, Jack. The Call of the Wild. New York and London, 1903. First edition, first printing, of one of the most desirable copies in American literature, inscribed from Jack London to his mother within four days of publication, one of the earliest known inscriptions: “Dear Mother, You have always loved your son, and things with us always will be well. Jack. July 22, 1903,” in scarce original dust jacket.
$125,000.00

Memoirs

Memoires

Memoirs
WILLIAMS, Tennessee
Item ID: 88999
SIGNED BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
WILLIAMS, Tennessee. Memoirs. Garden City, New York, 1975. First trade edition of Williams’ critically-praised autobiography, signed by him.
$750.00

Vision of Hell

Dante

Vision of Hell
DORE, Gustave
Item ID: 89102
“TORMENTS SHOWN WITH MINUTE AND SOMETIMES SHOCKING FIDELITY”
(DORÉ, Gustave) DANTE. The Vision of Hell. London and New York, circa 1870. Handsome folio edition, circa 1870, of one of Gustave Doré’s most famous illustrated works—The Vision of Hell of Dante Alighieri—his depiction of Dante’s horrific circles of Hell, with frontispiece portrait of the poet and 75 full-page wood-engravings, scarce in contemporary morocco.
$2500.

Opening of the Wisdom-Eye

Dalai Lama

Opening of the Wisdom-Eye
DALAI LAMA
Item ID: 89187
SIGNED BY THE DALAI LAMA
DALAI LAMA Tenzin Gyatso. The Opening of the Wisdom-Eye. Wheaton, Illinois, 1972. First American edition, signed on the title page by the winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet.
$4000.

Books are among the most collected items in the world

The mid 19th century saw two interesting developments: the invention of the book jacket and the ‘Penny Dreadful’, a type of British fiction publication in the 19th century that usually featured lurid serial stories appearing in parts over a number of weeks, each part costing a penny.

In 1832 detachable book sleeves, or dust jackets, were introduced. Such sleeves are important to collectors, as books with their sleeves intact are of much higher value than those without them, and the condition of a dust jacket can hugely affect the value of a book.

The ‘Penny Dreadful’ was the first mass-market paperback, aimed at the juvenile working-class market and featuring horror and crime stories for a penny each. Paperback were seen at this time to be low-brow, with lurid, poor quality content. This perception continued until the printing of the first Penguin Books Paperback in 1935.

Modern books
Founded by Sir Allen Lane, the principle idea behind Penguin paperbacks was to print high-brow titles in large quantities for an available price. The revolutionary idea was a success, and a mere ten months after their creation Penguin had printed over 1m books.

There is a large collecting community for Modern First Editions, classics of 20th century literature. Due to the increasing availability of digital books, the value of these are largely based on the condition of the binding and illustrated dust jackets of each volume, as well as authors signatures and inscriptions.

The 21st century has seen the development of the e-book, a digital book which can be downloaded and read on computers, phones and dedicated devices known as e-readers. E-books represented 31.1% of all book sales in 2012.

It is often specific authors who attract the attention of bibliophiles. They have to narrow their interest down somehow, and many may have a nostalgic or intellectual interest in one literary figure.

Many collectors veer towards fiction. They focus on the authors that they love to read, those who paint the world in a light that is at once revealing and familiar. These authors are often famous historical literary figures, whose stories have been studied across centuries. From the escapism of C. S. Lewis, to the romanticism of Charlotte Bronte, the adventures of Robert Louis Stevenson, the dark world of Edgar Allen Poe, the mystery and suspense of Agatha Christie, and the politically stirring tracts of Graham Greene, fiction boasts endless favourites among collectors.

However, there is a whole world of non-fiction books that entice others. Some focus on antique medical books, travel and exploration, or early works of natural history. An exciting focus is books that changed the world, books that altered the course of history. Whether this means the Gutenberg Bible, or Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, it is safe to say that collectors love a book with historical significance.

Others focus on modern literature. While this is more accessible, as it was generally mass produced, first editions in good condition can be extremely valuable – particularly if the work in question is considered a modern classic. For example, a first edition of F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, written in the 1920s, achieved $163,500 in 2002. Ian Fleming’s original James Bond novels, replete with fantastic illustrated dust jackets, are extremely popular.

Some collectors focus heavily on nostalgia, and antique & vintage children’s books have a vast collecting community. The Victorian adventures of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, with illustrations by John Tenniel, or A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh books, or the classics of Beatrix Potter – all these, as well as numerous more obscure works, are snapped up by collectors interested in the charming history of books for children. More modern children's writers are also receiving increasing interest from collectors, such as Maurice Sendak and Dr Seuss.

Others may be drawn to writers because they were, at their time of publishing, extremely controversial – often banned. Many of these works, today considered classics, were too contentious or explicit for the era they were written in. Works such as John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, banned for its exposure of the cruel treatment of migrant workers during the depression, is now considered a great American classic. Even the children’s adventure favourite, Mark Twain’s Adverntures of Huckleberry Finn was once thought of as too coarse. George Orwell’s criticism of Soviet corruption, Animal Farm, was banned during the Second World War as the U.S.S.R fought alongside the allies. All these and numerous others, once considered not fit for public regard, are now some of the most valuable books on the market."

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