Pulp magazine expert wanted ...

[rodan57]

I've seen some wonderful pulps being sold here on the boards and I have a question about trimming that I can't find an answer to searching the net. Pulps seemingly have cover overhang on all three sides. This overhang obviously gets torn and looks ragged as the the years go by.

 

How does trimming the overhang affect the value of the book and is it easy to tell if a pulp has been trimmed (in other words, should all pulps have some sort of cover overhang)?

 

[reposted from General.]

[TheEyeSees]

Well, I'm no expert, but I would avoid trimmed pulps like I would trimmed comics. Trimming definitely affects the value, though I'm not sure by how much ... guess it depends on the demand of the particular pulp.

 

Its a bit tricky to tell if a pulp has been trimmed, as trimming ranges from micro-trimming to major trimming. I've found that trimmed pulps were usually trimmed pretty generously, so you can start to see the interior paper past the cover edge.

 

Its hard to see trimming on scans sometimes, so use caution and ask questions if buying online.

 

Lastly, some pulps (like early AMAZING STORIES) were trimmed at the time they were printed, and have nice even edges. So it helps to know if certain titles were pre-trimmed.

 

Hope this helps a bit.

[Point Five]

I'm wondering if trimming is even more prevalent with pulps than with comics, given that overhangs are longer on pulps and naturally look kind of bashed in (hence, the greater temptation to "neaten").

 

I've avoided buying books where the trimming was obvious, but in the ones I've picked up I've already found a couple where the overhang has been (subtly, neatly) trimmed. I guess it doesn't keep me up at night on the cheap ones, but definitely something to watch out for with bigger buys.

[Forbush-Man]

Basically trimming a pulp should lower the grade down to the same value as Good. You want the over hang, tears and all. It's the way the books were produced, and collectors look for that. Finding one with normal overhang and little damage is the real challenge. Just MHO.

[Forbush-Man]

Well, I'm no expert, but I would avoid trimmed pulps like I would trimmed comics. Trimming definitely affects the value, though I'm not sure by how much ... guess it depends on the demand of the particular pulp.

 

Its a bit tricky to tell if a pulp has been trimmed, as trimming ranges from micro-trimming to major trimming. I've found that trimmed pulps were usually trimmed pretty generously, so you can start to see the interior paper past the cover edge.

 

Its hard to see trimming on scans sometimes, so use caution and ask questions if buying online.

 

Lastly, some pulps (like early AMAZING STORIES) were trimmed at the time they were printed, and have nice even edges. So it helps to know if certain titles were pre-trimmed.

 

Hope this helps a bit.

 

True. Bedsheet pulps like the early Amazing Stories were trimmed on the three edges during production. Later issues were standard pulp (this is where books were assembled using small bundles of stories and stapled together, unevenly and then the cover was attached, over sized to cover the unevenness. Later, say 1950's, the pulp went digest size and become trimmed along three edges again.

 

Many pulps went through this faze: Doc Savage, the Shadow, Weird Tales, ect. Some even ended their last few issues back in standard pulp form (Doc Savage & The Shadow).

 

So Bedsheet & Digest sizes were trimmed, basic pulps were not. This covers most examples, but maybe not all.

[Ze-man]

I am far from being pulp savy, but the rule of thumb on pulps is if the spine shows reading wear then so should the outer edges. Excessive spine wear should mean excessive edge wear..etc..etc. Each book is different obviously, but of the pulps I have seen and worked on they were always well read with jaggity outer edges, or bent top/bottom overhang.

 

A straight edge or sharp corner would stand out like a sore thumb on a well read pulp.

 

But as Point 5 said, on most low grade pulps I cannot see a trimmed edge killing the value, or even being less desirable.

 

 

 

 

[Forbush-Man]

 

But as Point 5 said, on most low grade pulps I cannot see a trimmed edge killing the value, or even being less desirable.

 

But it is less desirable and does effect the value. A trimmed pulp should sell for the value of a "Good" or "Reader" copy. Untrimmed pulps sell for more than the same book trimmed.

[Ze-man]

Perhaps I used too broad a brush. I meant most low grade pulp reader copies that were trimmed might only fetch $7 instead of $12.

 

It is a given key trimmed pulps would not be as favored as untrimmed.

 

Trimming = Bad no matter how you slice it.

 

 

 

 

[Scrooge]

Many pulps went through this faze: Doc Savage, the Shadow, Weird Tales, ect. Some even ended their last few issues back in standard pulp form (Doc Savage & The Shadow).

 

Yup. At some point (documented in pulp reference material), the Shadow (and others) went from untrimmed to trimmed when manufactured.

 

Here are 2 examples, an early Shadow (owned by Dwight) and a later one (mine). Noticed the difference and both are in their original untouched state -

 

 

[Point Five]

Well, that's interesting and good to know... the visual reference helps. I hate to say it but if I didn't know the seller, I would probably assume that the second Shadow here was trimmed. I thought all of the standard-pulp-size books had at least some degree of overhang.

[detective35]

Hi,

 

As others have stated, bedsheets and digests were trimmed at the printer. The Shadows started to be trimmed at the printer at Nov. 1/39 and Doc Savages close to that time as well.

 

With pulps that have over hangs, if you are not experienced, trimming can be difficult to detect.

The quality control on the printing process was low, therefore they just took a wrap and glued it to the interior pages. With a perfect glue, you might have a 1/4" - 1/2" overhang (depending on the era and company) on both the right (non-spine) side of the front cover and the top and bottom of the covers.

However, because of inaccurate gluing, you could get a front cover with no overhang on the right edge, but a full 3/4" to an inch overhang on the backcover because of this poor quality control. The same goes wit the top and bottom. You could have a pulp that shows 1/16" of the interior paper across the top, but has a 1/2 - 3/4" overhang at the bottom, this is NOT trimmed.

If it would show the paper and the top and would be cut flush on the bottom, then it is trimmed. If the right side of the front cover and the back has no overhang, then it probably is trimmed, but this not a science. Shadows in 1939 and pre-Nov. 1, 1939, have overhangs, but not as much as the 1933 Shadows...you learn this through networking, asking questions, seeing photo's, and through comparisons.

 

Also, "Street and Smith" pulps tended to have more of and over hang then the "Popular" pulps or the Weird Tales (post-bedsheet and pre-40's) did.

 

It is really easier to explain what to look for by phone, so if you want to call and chat, feel free to do so:

 

306-531-2211 cell

dwightfu@yahoo.com

www.theshadow.ca (new two-page website)

 

Dwight

[rodan57]

I spent a fair bit of time on the Internet finding little information.

 

I'd like to thank everyone who chipped in on the boards -- one can't beat first-hand knowledge and years of experience.