Surfing Alien

Good points all and i've gotten some great bargains in some lots like those. Those lists are two good stabs at it but here’s some issues: The first site includes mostly private or specialty books which were not mass marketed. Reform School Girl and Junkie are both on there and they represent a Jim Thompson paperback but mention the selling price of a signed hardcover book, which is puzzling? The second one is spot on about highly collected PB authors but very general and most of the books on there are not ones that would bring the highest money in the hobby although high grade copies of any of them are good money and high grade copies of all the early Jim Thompson paperbacks could get up there, certainly in the low to mid hundreds of dollars. If what we’re talking about is true mass market paperbacks that could fetch $500 or more in high grade, off the top of my head I can think of these: The Good Earth Pearl S. Buck, 1938 No Number Pocket Book Reform School Girl by Felice Swados, 1948 Diversey Digest Junkie by William Lee (Burroughs), 1953 Ace Double Tarzan in the Forbidden City by ER Burroughs, 1940 LA Bantam w/ Pictorial Cover Shadow and the Voice of Murder by Maxwell Grant, 1940 LA Bantam w/ Pictorial Cover Creature from the Black Lagoon by Vargo Statten, 1954 Dragon Publications Paper Edition (British) Reefer Boy by Hal Ellson, 1957 Pedigree Books (British) Marijuana Girl by NR DeMexico, 1951 UniBooks Digest 1st Ed. Sex Gang by Paul Merchant (Harlan Ellison), 1959 Nightstand 1st Print Any other of the LA Bantam Pictorial Covers Any of the first ten Pocket Books 1st Printings I am mostly dialed into the standard paperback world and don't know the market world of the more hardcore sleaze books from the 60's & 70's but I know there are some paperbacks in that field, like books with Bonfils covers, that go for some coin as well but someone else would have to chime in if any of them would get into the top tier. Can you think of any others?

My copy... This was considered to be the King of all Maguire covers in the early Paperback price guides. I can't argue...

I have seen more that I haven't seen in a long time... (Is that a "Yogi-ism" lol!)

Since Pocket Books don't get enough love on this thread, here's a group shot of some early favorites

There's no doubt that the Good Earth NN Pocket Book is probably the rarest USA paperback. I think in the long haul though, there will be a better market for GGA/SOTI type books like Reform School Girl for the same "titillating" reasons those kinds of books do so well in the comic market. I do collect Pocket's & would love to have one but I view the Good Earth (and the first 10 Pocket Book 1st Prints) kind of like the more innocent early pre-hero comic books that are historically important and rare but not going to excite cover collectors and so not the same market. That said, I have no idea what a copy would sell for since they never come to market.

Decent copy of the Reform School Girl digest popped up on the 'bay this weekend and sold fairly quickly for $525. My current copy is better so I didn't go after it but think that's a healthy price in that condition. It's only the 3rd copy I've seen for sale in the last 2 years and was definitely better than the others. It is so relatively cheap for the top book in the hobby. https://www.ebay.com/itm/REFORM-SCHOOL-GIRL-Original-1948-Paperback-Pulp-VG-F-/223887430826?hash=item3420bb14aa%3Ag%3A0GwAAOSwjONeM7EN&nma=true&si=%2BCwMXSPY5ifUqQhzlTLRG7k%2FZNg%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

I'll play...

September 1945

Yes, very cool & unusual. Peter Kuhlhoff, who only has a few credited works on isfdb, but includes 3 Weird Tales covers in this period. The story is cool too, I read it last night. There's something magic about reading them in this original format.

Ech-pi-el might call it an odious green, perhaps a detestable green...

Here's a couple new additions of Virgil Finlay et al...

Top notch cover art on most of them... be careful, they're addictive

A couple cool pickups... A bizarre Frank Paul bare breasted babe SciFi cover & my first Operator #5. It's very intriguing how the stories pre-suppose Axis victories and Allied resistance.

Here's a couple stacks getting fresh bags...

This Fantasy Press 1st is the one I read. It's a beautiful book.

It's an excellent cover but don't give short shrift to the story, it's one of Jack Williamson's best imho.

Really really happy to be able to add these to the stable...

We sure get a nice variety of different styles in here. It's refreshing.

No bout a doubt it! (That's Brooklynese....!!!)

Sweet titles Tough to follow up The Girl From Tiger Bay with this geek stuff but this just in. I've been looking for an affordable decent looking 1st print paperback of Stranger In A Strange Land for a looong time. These fat and fragile books got beat to hell when they came out.

I think I posted this one way back but it's a must have for a car buff...

That one's a favorite, here's mine.

Is this the first app of the story or is the 10 cent the first? I really like this image for the story even though the Dell is iconic.

I'll follow Belarski with an L.B.Cole Croydon I dug up. There are 4 regular size paperback Croydons, all with Cole "romance" covers. I used to have all 4. This is my only one now, I think I'm gonna have to keep my eye out for the others again...

I picked off a few unread Dells recently too. The romance & mystery I grabbed because they are newstand fresh. Jokes is tough unread like this but has a little lamination wear. Hopley is, well, Irish. I had a perfect copy back in the day but this one is pretty good.