Subject: Re: wierdness
From: Tim O'Connor (oconnort@nyu.edu)
Date: Sat Jun 09 2001 - 09:15:06 GMT
On Fri, Jun 08, 2001 at 09:36:01AM +0200, zazie wrote:
> Hey so cool!
> I got a copy just like that one! Mine is falling apart however, if i don't
> take great care, i'm gonna buy another one i think. About our copy, I don't
> think it's very rare or something .... Or is it?
What you guys have is the first paperback version of CATCHER. That
cover was arranged and negotiated between the hardcover and paperback
publishers. It apparently made Salinger hopping mad, and in a rare
move (perhaps in a tip to the success of that, his first book), he
gained a concession that gave him near-total control over what his
books were to look like. So, first we had the monochrome color
versions (green-and-white FRANNY AND ZOOEY, mustard RAISE HIGH...),
then the plain white-with-rainbow paperbacks of all books, and now, in
the new trade paperbacks, it's gone full circle to the original
hardcover jacket designs.
The value all depends on a number of things. First, the printing,
which is noted on the back of the title page. If you check there and
you see something like "THIRD PRINTING," you're out of luck right from
the start. If you should happen to have a first edition (which from
what I can recall -- anyone out there have a copy handy? -- has no
printing statement cited on it, though it's possible that they may
have taken the step of explicitly saying "FIRST PRINTING"), then
you're a little luckier. Then one needs to evaluate the condition of
the book. If it's all chipped and looks like it's falling apart, the
value diminishes considerably. If it's pristine and managed to avoid
the ravages of time, it's possible -- possible -- that it's worth a
small amount. Here's one citation from abebooks.com:
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye
New York: Signet/New American Library, 1953 Mass Market Paperback.
Very Good. First paper edition. 12mo. 159 pgs. Some wear to wraps,
particularly at edges, small tear to top edge of front cover, faint
soil to wraps. Faint dampstain visible on underside of front cover.
Pages slightly browned. Bookseller Inventory # 017283
Price: US$ 30.00 convert currency
Presented by Cellar Stories Bookstore, Providence, RI, U.S.A.
So, this fellow has it in reasonably good shape selling for $30.
The hardcover original is another story. In very good shape, a few
copies are listed at the site for $5,000 and more, depending on
condition.
We have a couple of serious collectors on the list; anyone want to add
commentary about this?
--tim
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