Comics, Pulps, and Paperbacks: Why such a discrepancy in values? 25 25

[OtherEric]

As for the others:  The Pockets are both Stated Pocket 1st.  The Ellison wasn't part of the batch, just something else the store had today.  I've seen the Pyramid version plenty of times but the Ace doesn't turn up nearly as often.

[GrasshopperFF]

On 3/15/2024 at 8:06 PM, OtherEric said:

So, my local book store called me and told me he had gotten a box of (mostly) 50's paperbacks and comics, the paperbacks fairly decent and the comics ranging from "bits & pieces" up to about VG.  I wound up getting a bunch of books and comics for more than what he paid for the box, but better than I could have expected for the material in general.  We'll start with the Hammett.  The Pocket Red Harvest is a stated Pocket 3rd, the Reader's League has no printing info, and the Maltese Falcon is a stated Perma Books 1st.

I’d jump on the Maltese Falcon (without looking anywhere else — how rare is it?). I’ve watched the movie a dozen times. 
 

edit: And it looks to be in nice condition!

Edited March 16 by GrasshopperFF

[OtherEric]

On 3/15/2024 at 6:18 PM, GrasshopperFF said:

I’d jump on the Maltese Falcon (without looking anywhere else — how rare is it?). I’ve watched the movie a dozen times. 

I have no idea how rare that particular edition is, it just looked neat to me today.  @Surfing Alien, any idea how scarce that one is?

 

[GrasshopperFF]

On 3/15/2024 at 8:09 PM, OtherEric said:

As for the others:  The Pockets are both Stated Pocket 1st.  The Ellison wasn't part of the batch, just something else the store had today.  I've seen the Pyramid version plenty of times but the Ace doesn't turn up nearly as often.

I’ve just started a want list. From books that I read in college seminars to classic old movies. To include some sci-fi and historical themes I’ve seen here.  I’m sure some of the books I’ll be hunting for are not cheap. This thread has lit a fire!

[OtherEric]

On 3/15/2024 at 6:40 PM, GrasshopperFF said:

I’ve just started a want list. From books that I read in college seminars to classic old movies. To include some sci-fi and historical themes I’ve seen here.  I’m sure some of the books I’ll be hunting for are not cheap. This thread has lit a fire!

As I've said before, always a good day when I set a fellow board member off on the hunt! 

[MattTheDuck]

Red Harvest is a great read.  I've called out "back to Philly, Al!" in all kinds of crowd situations just for fun.

[GrasshopperFF]

On 3/15/2024 at 10:11 PM, MattTheDuck said:

Red Harvest is a great read.  I've called out "back to Philly, Al!" in all kinds of crowd situations just for fun.

It’s now in my Audible library. Several murders in a corrupt Montana mining town… Lots of good street cred on this one. 

[Darwination]

On 3/15/2024 at 9:11 PM, MattTheDuck said:

Red Harvest is a great read.  I've called out "back to Philly, Al!" in all kinds of crowd situations just for fun.

I'll occasionally make the crack that I'm about to go blood simple when I start to lose my cool

[jimjum12]

On 3/15/2024 at 9:40 PM, GrasshopperFF said:

I’ve just started a want list. From books that I read in college seminars to classic old movies. To include some sci-fi and historical themes I’ve seen here.  I’m sure some of the books I’ll be hunting for are not cheap. This thread has lit a fire!

If you're patient, it is still quite possible to "luck out". Ebay auctions can still yield some wowzers, but pay close attention to shipping cost, which can sometimes be more than the book. Very many still go for much less than 40 bucks, especially if you like Mysteries and Sci-Fi, which were popular and were saved more than smut, which was often tossed in the garbage at the end of the line. Same to a lesser extent with horror, as the climate was more conservative in those days. One way to learn more is to study eBay sales histories, sorting by lowest price, highest price, and recent, each will yield different insights that should be self explanatory. Just type in "paperback", sort by "antiquarian" and let your quest begin. Luckily, with your preferences, you can still achieve affordable AND high grade for many examples, but some 1st prints in grade may be onerous, like "The Big Sleep". "1984", and "Lost Horizons" , which can be at prices that are simply breathtaking. GOD BLESS ... 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[OtherEric]

So, I actually tried to figure out a little more about the Reader's League edition of Red Harvest... and I'm coming up with almost nothing about the publisher or this edition.  I couldn't even find it at Bookscans. 

Does anybody know anything about the publisher in general or this book in particular?

Side by side scans with the Pocket edition:

[Darwination]

I'm seeing dates in the early 40s, some type of book club?  Different than than the Book League of America (or likely some sort of continuation)?  I'm also seeing some hardcovers.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/56781833@N06/albums/72157665470500807/

If it follows the pattern of the two above, the Reader's League edition came first.

 

 

[Surfing Alien]

On 3/16/2024 at 10:38 AM, OtherEric said:

So, I actually tried to figure out a little more about the Reader's League edition of Red Harvest... and I'm coming up with almost nothing about the publisher or this edition.  I couldn't even find it at Bookscans. 

Does anybody know anything about the publisher in general or this book in particular?

Side by side scans with the Pocket edition:

They're in Bookscans, but tucked away along with other Pocket side projects

https://bookscans.com/Publishers/pb/pbASE.htm

I think there's something about them in the early pb history books I have back home but were always known as  Pocket produced. Reader's League was a hardcover book club so this was likely some collaboration with them that didn't last too long. I'll look in those books when I get back to see if there's any back story mentioned.

 

Edited March 16 by Surfing Alien

[OtherEric]

On 3/16/2024 at 2:54 PM, Surfing Alien said:

They're in Bookscans, but tucked away along with other Pocket side projects

https://bookscans.com/Publishers/pb/pbASE.htm

I think there's something about them in the early pb history books I have back home but were always known as  Pocket produced. Reader's League was a hardcover book club so this was likely some collaboration with them that didn't last too long. I'll look in those books when I get back to see if there's any back story mentioned.

 

Thank you. 

I note that, while in general they're in that section, they don't seem to have the Red Harvest... I'll send them scans of the book.

[adamstrange]

On 3/15/2024 at 12:15 AM, OtherEric said:

As long as we're comparing Merritt variations:

 

[Bookery]

On 3/16/2024 at 1:38 PM, OtherEric said:

So, I actually tried to figure out a little more about the Reader's League edition of Red Harvest... and I'm coming up with almost nothing about the publisher or this edition.  I couldn't even find it at Bookscans. 

Does anybody know anything about the publisher in general or this book in particular?

Side by side scans with the Pocket edition:

I'm not sure of the history behind them... according to Holroyd there are only 29 of them, and they all came out in 1942.

[PhantomLadyKiller]

Reader's League, without seeing the spine (and if memory serves me), has no price.  That and the date strongly suggest it was a charitable effort with Pocket to send popular titles to the troops during WWII.  Also the first book in the series was "The Pocket Entertainer" according to Jon Warren in The Official Price Guide Paperbacks 1990 (where he lists 24) if there is any doubt about Pocket.  The titles seem male and action oriented, with an Abraham Lincoln reprint thrown in which ties in the wartime patriotism angle as well.  The borders and the covers sort of have the feel of Armed Services editions, although not yet tear out convenient for use as toilet paper, and sure enough, the Armed Services editions started in 1943 according to Warren.  Probably the government decided to take over the book supply to the troops business for complete control of the content.  Probably some shady contractors in there made a fortune off the publishing, too...

 

 

[johnenock]

Some new books:

Not the best written books but love this cover

One of my favorites of all time

Never read Brown so wanted one of his

 

The rest are from a kind fellow boardie

 

 

 

Edited March 18 by johnenock

[Sarg]

On 3/16/2024 at 4:54 PM, Surfing Alien said:

They're in Bookscans, but tucked away along with other Pocket side projects

https://bookscans.com/Publishers/pb/pbASE.htm

I think there's something about them in the early pb history books I have back home but were always known as  Pocket produced. Reader's League was a hardcover book club so this was likely some collaboration with them that didn't last too long. I'll look in those books when I get back to see if there's any back story mentioned.

 

Fascinating stuff. Until now, I had no idea there was a "Pocket Book Armed Services Editions" series. 

[johnenock]

One more nice one:

 

[alecholland]

On 3/19/2024 at 3:56 PM, johnenock said:

One more nice one:

 

You're on a roll John. That's one that I've been planning on getting. Nice copy!