Back in February some students at the University of Louisville had a sale of donated books, CDs and videos at which I was happy to procure some Ralph Vaughan-Williams symphonies on Chandos and Naxos CDs for $1 or less, some formerly very expensive ($40 each) Japanese film classics on high quality VHS tapes that were issued in the 1980s as part of the so-called Sony Japan Film Collection (50 cents each), and lots of historical books and some real oddball items, such as an early 1950s pulp softcover of Is Another World Watching? The Riddle of the Flying Saucers by Gerald Heard plus an early to mid-1940s postcard shaped paper book call A History of the War - In Maps - In Pictographs - In Words, put out by Penguin, and interesting because at the time of publication the war (WWII) was still not over.

One book I eyeballed activated my hunch meter, a first edition of The Memoirs of Marshall Mannerheim (Dutton, 1954), about a great Finnish general who saved Finland during the Winter War against the Soviets in 1939.

Another item of interest was Future Indefinite, a first edition of an autobiographical tome by the gay dandy of British theater, Noel Coward. The latter item, I thought, would be a nice supplement to a book I recently bought (but have not read): Philip Hoare's 1995 Noel Coward: A Biography, which is, just by a glance and by the reviews, easily the best biography of Coward available.

I picked up the Coward book unhesitatingly, but balked at first at the Mannerheim one. That is, until I went back to my computer and looked it up on Amazon and eBay and found that copies are long, long out of print and routinely priced at more than $100. I raced back to the sale and snatched it for a dollar.

Feeling that I had gotten the one real gem of the day, I sorted through my booty and casually flipped the pages of the Coward, whereupon the inside front cover page opened upon a signature. I beheld it and thought it must be the previous owner's mark. Until I saw a big 'N' and a flourish of a signature that suggested "Noel Coward." I was excited, but skeptical. I did a little research on the internet and found examples of Coward's signature that left no doubt. This was a first edition with a genuine Noel Coward signature.

Just in case some of you youngsters don't know who Noel Coward was, I will say that I first encountered the man's work as the director, writer and star of a masterful 1942 World War II film called, In Which We Serve and as the creator of the play, Blithe Spirit, which I enjoyed in its Technicolor 1945 film incarnation. I later saw him nicely portraying a jaded publisher in the 1935 Ben Hecht film, The Scoundrel (an unsung gem, by the way.)

He was sort of the twentieth century's Oscar Wilde, from the wit to the gayness.

But this description at the Noel Coward Society website says it best, so here tis:

"He was simply the best all-rounder of the theatrical, literary and musical worlds of the 20th century. He invented the concept of celebrity and was the essence of chic in the Jazz Age of the 20s and 30s. His debonnair looks and stylishly groomed appearance made him the icon of 'the Bright Young Things' that inhabited the world of The Ivy , The Savoy and The Ritz. No one is totally sure when and why it happened but following his success in the 1930s he was called 'The Master', a nickname of honour that indicated the level of his talent and achievement in so many of the entertainment arts."

I'll be holding on to this signed copy of Future Indefinite for awhile, just for the satisfaction of possession and then probably list it on Amazon or Half.com or eBay for $100 or so. (I'll entertain any fair offer for anyone willing to pay with money order or Paypal.) As of this posting a signed first edition is being offered on eBay for $285.

Who says a dollar doesn't buy much anymore?

-EG

If you are a Stephen King completist and would like to own the original World first edition of IT (ES), written in German text, now is your chance. It's a very rare collectible book - only 250 were produced, each numbered.

We just got one in, it's in MINT condition , in the original brown paper wrapping from the publisher.

The Collector (host of this site) has it valued between $800 - 1,000

SPECIAL PRICE UNTIL FRIDAY, JULY 18th:

$750 plus shipping.

Note: This book is currently listed in our store. For more information and photos, click below:
http://www.veryfinebooks.com/Stephen_Ki ... sk1340.htm

I will post photos soon. Anyone interested please email info@veryfinebooks.com

That's right! I have more first edition copies of STEALING WISHES, signed by me! Who wants 'em?

Just click here to be redirected to Amazon.com. Right next to the book cover, look for this information shown below. Click on the "8 used and new link" and look for the copies sold by MISTERYARBS. I'm currently offering them at $12.00 each, which is $3.00 off the cover price and .60 cents cheaper than Amazon (before shipping).

So add one of those to your cart, pay for it through Amazon, and they will shoot me an email letting me know to get a book out to you. Feel free to email me if you do buy one and would like for it to be personalized. I'll sign it and ship it to you within 24 hours!

Source: http://www.firsts.com/FundThree.html

ONE OF THE INEVITABLE QUESTIONS that arises in every book collecting seminar is “Why do you collect first editions?” I always give the same answer, “I collect firsts because I can’t afford to buy reprints.” And there is some kernel of truth in this seemingly contradictory answer. If you buy a first edition of any book, there is a chance that it will appreciate in value over time. If you buy a reprint, there is little or no possibility that it will ever be worth the original outlay in the resale market.

Let me give an extreme example. About a decade ago, I bought a first edition copy of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird at a book fair. It cost $2,200, a premium price at the time. Five years later, I turned down a legitimate offer of $8,500, sight unseen, for the book. So the first edition had appreciated nearly fourfold—at the very least—in a short period of time. Had I purchased a hardcover reprint instead, I would have spent $19.95. If I took the reprint to a used bookstore, I might realize $2.50 for it, perhaps even $5.00—if I were willing to take trade credit as payment. The first edition appreciated at least $6,000, up 386 percent; the reprint declined $17.45, down 87 percent.

While dramatic examples like this are unusual, the underlying point is sound. Unless you buy a first edition, you have little likelihood of residual value in any book purchase. Like most collectors, I keep track of my collection in a database program on my computer. From time to time, I update it with the current prices for my collection in the marketplace. Right now, the estimated resale value for my collection is a more than three times the amount that I paid for it, and it continues to appreciate. There is a real market for first edition books; the collection is an asset—if I ever decide to sell my books.

As with nearly every investment, the market fluctuates with economic conditions and the strength of demand, but over time, first edition books tend to appreciate in value at a greater rate than inflation in the economy. There is a very good discussion of books as investments in Allen and Patricia Ahearn’s invaluable Book Collecting 2000 (Putnam), a volume every collector should own. (Be sure to buy a first.)

You will always be able to identify a book collector in any bookshop. The collector will pick up a book, and immediately open it to the copyright page to see whether or not it is a first. This becomes second nature very quickly. I do not buy a reprint, new book or old, unless I intend to use it as a reading copy only. (This may seem like a contradiction, but occasionally when I write articles for Firsts I need to have a “working” copy of a book that I can use without worrying about its condition, and I never do this with a fine first. “Working” copies never enter my collection.)

Another point of the economics of collecting first editions needs to be discussed. Over time, the number of collected authors and books decline. If you happen across a rare book dealer’s catalogue dating back 50 years or so, you will see that there are many authors listed that would not be included in a similar dealer’s offerings today. Interest tends to narrow as time passes. However, if you look at the prices asked, you will see that for the authors that are still collected, asking prices have appreciated remarkably. A $10 Hemingway first edition from the 1940s may well be a $5,000 copy today. Also, lovely copies that are well preserved remain saleable, even though their authors may now be forgotten.

Leaving economic factors aside, there is aesthetic pleasure in owning a first edition that is its own reward. Now and then I venture into a corner of my library that I have not visited in some time. Invariably I spot an old friend on the shelf, and pull it down to look at it again. There is something wonderful about a loved volume that transcends any practical considerations.

It is time to come to the point of this column. What are first editions, and why are they collected to the exclusion of later printings?

A first edition, as it is defined by booksellers and the book collecting community, is the first printing of a book that is offered for sale. Technically, a first edition is any printing struck from the original plates used for the book, but the term has narrowed in the last 100 years to include only those copies that were bound from the first print run. Today, a “first” is a copy from the first edition, first printing. The first edition, second printing is not considered a first by either booksellers or collectors. Repeat—for book collectors, a first is only the first printing of the first edition.

Now for the “why.” There are several explanations. Collecting books into a personal library dates back to the beginnings of civilization. In some sense, the glory of any culture lies in its libraries. The loss of the great library at Alexandria, one of the wonders of the Ancient World, was a harbinger of the onset of the Middle Ages, during which most of the residents of Western Civilization were illiterate.

After the development of the printing press, literacy increased and books became valuable; both individuals and institutions began accumulating libraries again. In early presses, type was made out of wood and malleable metals. The first press run was often the best; the letters were crisp and the text was the most readable. Early collectors wanted first editions; the term was synonymous with the best copies. This continued until the development of the offset press, where plates could be changed easily if they became worn or damaged. By this time, early in the Twentieth century, the first edition tradition was firmly entrenched, and it remains so today.

Another explanation lies in the fact that the first edition is the one that is the closest to the author. It is the “real” book, as the original publisher intended. Everything else is later, and lacks the mystique of a volume that is part of the first press run. A first is genuine; later printings are imitations of the first. As odd as this seems, every publisher knows that the first is the risky run; if a reprint is needed, it is pre-sold and lacks the gamble of the first. Also, later print runs sometimes contain textual or other changes made for a variety of reasons.

Granting the logic of the previous arguments, the explanation that works the best for me is that a first is what every collector wants. Since demand drives the rare book market, that makes a first desirable, and a reprint an also-ran. Until this changes—and it is not likely to in our time—it will remain so. It is that simple.

Source: Gather & Bind:
The Fundamentals of Book Collecting

The world of book lovers is broken into two opposing and irreconcilable groups. The first, and much the largest, is made up of those who see books as consumables. The second, less common, includes those who see books as beautiful objects.

We will discuss book consumers first, and then dismiss them, for they need not concern us further. For these people, a book is a medium that carries the author’s content—and that is all. When they read, they use the copy of the book in any way they please. When they are finished, they set it aside or discard it. These are the people who dog-ear corners, write shopping lists on endpapers, make marginal notes in ink, underline the text. For them, books are disposable items, intended to be used and then thrown away. The physical book is nothing more to them than a reader’s fast food wrapper.

I once read an article by one of these people, the daughter of a world-famous book publisher. She related with pride how both she and her father delighted in mutilating books as they read them. She went to the extreme of tearing out chapters when she was finished with them, so she could always find her place. The point of her piece was that physically destroying books added to her appreciation of them. This black widow’s approach to reading is extreme, but not all that uncommon.

For book consumers, any copy will do. There is no difference between a hardcover first edition or a used paperback reprint. After all, they argue, the words are the same. The Sun Also Rises in any edition has the same Hemingway text. Whenever we give a book-collecting seminar, we get the same question from the consumers in the audience: “What difference does it make, really?” And, for most of them, they already have their answer: “None.” And that ends the discussion.

If you are a book consumer, you need not read any further. You will never be a book collector. We have found from experience that if you do not understand the difference immediately, you never will.

Those of you who are left are the fortunate ones, and not nearly as uncommon as you might think. Although we are in the minority as regards the general population, there are still a great many of us. You might not think of yourselves as collectors, but you carry the virus. It may be latent, but be warned, it is chronic. There is no cure. The good news is that this disease, book collecting, gives pleasure and adds dimension to your life.

Those of us in the second group add another dimension, an aesthetic one, to our appreciation of books. We see books as physical objects of beauty and romance. While many of us do not necessarily define ourselves as book collectors, we love the look and feel of our books. Even if some of us do not understand first edition collecting, we have a shelf of treasured books, or even a library full of them.

We tend to take care of our books in the same way we care for the other valuable objects we own, like paintings or posters. We see our collections as extensions of our interests, perhaps as a record of our intellectual and artistic experiences. Something about having a book on the shelf gives pleasure; owning books enriches our lives.

Since collectors value books as beautiful objects, the books’ condition is important. A lovely copy is more appealing than one that has been used and abused. One of our favorite book collectors says that she can read any book from cover to cover without leaving any evidence of having done so. While there are not many of us who can do this, all collectors take care with their books. Beginners may write their names in their books, but they would never purposely deface them, any more than they would carve graffiti into a sculpture or draw a moustache on a face in a painting.

For a collector, a book’s edition is likely to be even more important than its condition. A Hemingway may always be a Hemingway, but a first edition is a world apart from a cheap paperback reading copy. There may have been a million copies of The Sun Also Rises printed over the years in all editions, but there were only 5,090 copies in the first edition. Only a few exist, fewer still in their original dust wrappers. There will never be any more copies of the first edition.

The underlying reason to collect books lies in the duality of the experience. Not only do collectors take pleasure from the intellectual content of their books, but they also enjoy the process of assembling their collections. At its most fundamental level, book collecting is an extension of the hunting-and-gathering instinct that has fired mankind’s progress from prehistory. The thrill involved in finding a beautiful first edition is palpable, even for those of us who have been involved in the chase for many years.

Only yesterday, we had a conversation with a veteran bookseller who came upon a gloriously fresh first edition copy in dust jacket of Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937). Even though he had no economic interest in it, seeing and evaluating the book gave him pleasure. Finding a beautiful copy of a treasured book is a rewarding experience. Owning one gives continuing delight.

There are many secondary reasons to collect, including economic ones. Many first edition books appreciate in value over time. The laws of supply and demand dictate that. Since books are fragile, the number of available copies in the marketplace tends to diminish over the years. The chances are that a collector’s first edition library will become an increasingly valuable asset. There is a marketplace for books, and even though it has changed radically of the course of the last decade, book collecting is an expanding field that is likely to remain so.

Why collect books? Collect them because they are beautiful. Collect them because they are valuable. Most important of all, collect them because you love them.

If you are a collector, congratulations—and relax, you are not alone.

Part One: Collecting Terms

It has been nearly five years since Firsts published its “Book Collector’s Glossary,” in the April 2000 issue. In the interim, we have received many inquiries from collectors about the basics of book collecting. This series will present some of the nuts and bolts of collecting, giving newcomers an opportunity to get started and older hands a chance to brush up.

Bookseller Ken Lopez commented in his introduction to the April 2000 article, “Book collectors have to learn a trade jargon that is made extra difficult for two reasons. First, it comes from several related, but different, trades—publishing, printing and writing—as well as book selling and collecting. Second, many of the terms are commonplace words with normal meanings outside the world of book collecting, but which have specific meanings, including specific connotations, within book collecting.”

Book collecting terms can be confusing when you begin reading book descriptions in catalogues or online, and they generate most of the questions we receive from fledgling collectors: “What’s a first thus?” “I have a ‘second printing before publication.’ Doesn’t ‘before publication’ make it better than a first?’” “What’s a trade edition?” To help answer some of these questions, we have put together this short list of book-related terms.

Keep in mind that these definitions are not from the Oxford English Dictionary. They are based on everyday use by modern book collectors. A more comprehensive list and detailed discussion of terms can be found in John Carter’s ABC for Book Collectors. The best, most succinct, single-source glossary of book-related terms, especially useful for modern collectors, is found in Patricia and Allen Ahearn’s Book Collecting: A Comprehensive Guide.

First edition
Technically, a true first edition should be designa- ted “first edition, first printing,” a phrase that describes a copy from the first print run of a book’s first edition. A first edition may actually go through many printings before its text is significantly changed, usually to correct one or more errors. When the book goes back to press after such a change, it is in its second edition. Subsequent major changes require new editions—third, fourth, etc. But for collectors, “first edition” has become the shorthand term for a copy from the first printing of the first edition.

First trade edition
The first regularly published edition for release to the book trade and the general public. This may be the true first edition, or it may be preceded by a first limited edition.

First limited edition
An edition limited to a stated number of copies, usually specially bound and numbered or lettered and signed by the author and, perhaps, others who contributed to the book—an illustrator or photographer, for instance. It is important to note that not all limited editions are collectable; some publishers produce limiteds that are little more than the sheets of the trade edition bound in different boards and slipcased; others publish editions they term “limited,” but for which they will not state the number of copies produced. For a more thorough discussion of this, see Ahearn or Carter.

First separate edition
A story, poem, essay, chapter, etc. that previously appeared as part of another book and is being published for the first time as a “stand-alone” volume.

First edition thus
A book that had a previous appearance, and is being republished with a major revision—new illustrations, a new foreword or introduction, substantial textual changes, etc.

Second printing before publication
The phrase “before publication” indicates a happy publisher, not an edition that precedes the first edition. Sometimes when the forthcoming release of a book is announced, the publisher will receive orders for more copies than the first printing will fulfill. The publisher will then order more copies to be printed, and may let everyone know how successful the pre-release publicity was by designating these additional copies as part of the “second printing before publication.”

Book Anatomy:

Boards
The front and back covers of a hardcover book. In modern trade volumes, the boards are typically covered in paper or cloth. In special editions, they may also be covered in leather or other materials.

Backstrip
The material covering the spine.

Colophon page
In modern limited editions, the page where the publication and limitation information is given.

Copyright page
In modern trade editions, the page—usually the verso of the title page—that contains the publication and copyright information. The edition identifier (if any) is usually found on this page.

Dust jacket. Also dust wrapper, dust cover
The paper cover issued with a hardbound book.

Dust jacket protector
A clear plastic cover that wraps around the dust jacket.

Endpapers
Open the front or back board, and you will see a large leaf of paper facing you. The half of the sheet attached to the board is the paste-down. The half that is left as a “page” is the free endpaper.

Half-title page
The page that precedes the title page, containing only the title of the book.

Recto
The right-hand page of an open book. The “front” of a page.

Title page
The page preceding the text that carries on its recto the book’s title, the author’s name and the name of the publisher (and, sometimes, the location and logo of the publisher).

Verso
The left-hand page of an open book. The “back” of a page.

Wrappers
The covers of a paper-bound book.

ABA

In the US: American Booksellers Association (for independently owned
bookstores with a store front location selling new books).In the UK: Antiquarian Booksellers Association (the UK equivalent of the ABAA).

ABAA

Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America.

ADVANCE READING COPY

A special pre-publication issue published in wrappers.
Issued for publicity purposes. Occasionally there are textual differences
between an advance reading copy and a first edition. Usually in pictorial
wraps similar to the dust jacket art that is to be used on the first trade
edition. Preceded by an advance uncorrected proof copy which is usually in
plain colored wrappers.

ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLER

A term used loosely to describe a dealer in old, rare,
scarce, and collectible books

ASSOCIATION COPY

Books once belonging to the author, signed or annotated by the author, or someone
associated with the author of book in some way. Book inscribed by author to
famous person, or owned by someone of interest, or someone connected to the book
or author.

AUTHORS EDITION

Book authorized by author, usually foreign editions, around the turn of the last
century when many titles were pirated or "unauthorized".

BACKSTRIP

A strip used by binder to reinforce the back of folded sheets in the binding of the
spine.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A list of works, occasionally in great detail, on a given subject or by a given author.

BIBLIOPHILE

A lover of Books.

BINDING

Material used as a protective cover for a book (e.g.: leather,
cloth, buckram, paper, etc.)

BINDING COPY

A book whose text block is complete and serviceable, but the current
binding is defective, incomplete, or in need of repair.

BIOPREDATION

An attack to books by living matter, which may include insects or mildew.

BLIND (Stamped or Tooled)

Impressed into paper or binding with no color, leaving an impression only.

BOARDS

The front and back covers of a hardcover book.

BOOK CLUB EDITION

Editions published by book clubs (i.e.: The
Book-of-the-Month Club, Fireside Book Club, History Book Club, The Literary
Guild, etc).

BOOK JACKET

Separate paper covering for the book. Also referred to as the dust jacket or
dustwrapper.

BOOKLET

A small book, often only a few pages long and bound in wrappers.

BOOK PLATE

An ownership label, usually placed inside front cover. Many have become collectible
due to the designer or owner; others actually lower the value of books printed in the
last 50 years.

BOOKWORM

An organism, sometimes a literal worm, which harms books by feeding on their binding or leaves. Also a term for a person
devoted to books.

BROADSIDE or BROADSHEET

Large sheet of paper printed on one side only.

BUCKRAM

A heavy weave of binding cloth.

BUMPED

Usually referring to the corners of a book that has been damaged by being carelessly banged .

CASE

The covers enclosing a book, usually made of thick cardboard, or a specially made case for a book.

CANCEL

Due to errors or defects in printing, a book may have one or more pages sliced out of the text block after it has been bound. The new printed matter pasted on to the resulting stub is referred to as a "cancel" or "cancellans".

CHAPBOOK

Small, inexpensive books produced from the 17^th century until today, originally sold by
"chapmen", peddlers, and hawkers.

CHAPTER BOOK

Fairly modern term referring to books for older children which are organized into chapters, as
opposed to "picture books", which often are not.

CHIPPED

Small pieces broken off of a dust jacket or binding.

CIRCA (abbreviated: c )

Refers to an approximate date when actual date is unknown.

CLOSED TEAR

A tear with no material missing.

COATED

Paper is smooth and polished; something has been applied to the surface to make it
appear glossy.

COCKED

If, when looking down on the head of a book, the corners are not square it is said to
be cocked or rolled. Also known as a spine slant.

COLLATE

To verify completeness of a book by examining it carefully (e.g.: all illustrative plates are present, no pages are missing, etc).

COLOPHON

Details of the printer's typography, often found on the last page of a book. Sometimes
states the number of copies printed, and in the case of a limited edition,
will cite the copy number and may contain the signature of the author,
illustrator, or publisher.

CONTEMPORARY BINDING

Up until the 19^th century, books were published unbound, with the understanding that the new owner would have his books bound at his leisure. This term refers to bindings done the same year or within a few years of the publication of such a book.

COPPERPLATE

Illustrations produced when the original printing plate was engraved on copper; this method was introduced before the
end of the 15^th century. They replaced the woodcut, which reappeared later
on.

COPYRIGHT PAGE

The page that appears on verso of the title page, containing the
artistic property protection.

DAMPSTAIN

A stain left on a cover or pages that have been exposed to water. Considered a defect.

DECKLE EDGE

Uneven and uncut edges, often found on books printed on hand-made
paper and not trimmed by the binder.

DENTELLE

A lace-like pattern applied to the edges of the cover of the inside border of a book bound in leather.

DESIDERATA

A listing of books desired.

DIMPLE

An indentation, such as on a golf ball, on covers or pages. Considered a defect, if not part of decorated covers.

DING

A small bump or dent leaving an impression, sometimes caused by
careless handling or storage.

DOG-EARED

Worn or ragged, usually referring to the edges of pages and binding. Corners of pages turned down like a dog's ear. Considered a defect.

DUST JACKET or DUSTWRAPPER

The separate paper covering for a book. While originally intended for protection, these have become an important part of modern books, often including information about a book not found elsewhere.

EDGES

The three outer sides of the text block when book is closed: fore edge, top edge or head, and bottom edge or foot.

EDITION

All of the copies of a book printed at the same time from the same setting of type.

ENDPAPERS

The double leaves added to the book by the binder that become the pastedowns and free endpapers inside the front and rear covers. These pages are an integral part of the binding of a book, holding the text block and case together. The lack of them drastically shortens the value and life of a book.

EPHEMERA

Those bits of throwaway paper of every day life (e.g.: advertising, ticket stubs,
programs, some booklets and pamphlets, etc.)

ERRATA

A list of errors and their corrections or additions to the printing, found after book
has been printed, usually on separate sheet or slip of paper. The plural of erratum.

EX-LIBRARY

Deaccessioned from a public libraries collection.

EX-LIBRIS

Usually found on bookplate referring to "from the books" of John Doe, etc. From a
private library, as opposed to a public library. Could also be a stamp.

EXTRA-ILLUSTRATED

Extra illustrations added to the book after publication.

FAIR

A book that is very worn, but all of it's important parts, and dust jacket, must be present. May be soiled with tears, endpapers missing, etc. Such defects must be noted in descriptions. Also see our page of descriptive terms.

FINE

A book that has no defects in book or jacket, but not as crisp as it
was when new. Also see our page of descriptive terms.

FIRST EDITION

The first printing of a book, done from the original setting of type. The collectibility of the first edition was established in the early days of printing, when the lead type used in the presses would quickly wear away, compromising the readability of the book being printed.

FLEXIBLE BINDING

Limp, leather/plastic covers which are flexible.

FLY-LEAVES

Plain papers at front and rear of book after endpapers.

FOOT

The bottom edge of the text block.

FORE EDGE

The right edge opposite the spine.

FORE EDGE PAINTING

A painting on gilded fore edge, which can only be seen by fanning pages. Popular in
the 15th and 16th centuries, and occasionally still being done today.

FOXING

The brown age spots thought to be caused by impurities in paper(e.g.: acid, exposure to humidity,
etc.)

FREE ENDPAPER

Front and rear blank pages added by the binder.

FRONTISPIECE

The illustration facing title page.

GATHERINGS

The printed sheets, after folding, which are put in order and
bound in sequence. Also known as a signature.

GAUFFERED EDGES

A pattern tooled on gilt edges of book.

GILT EDGES

Page edges cut smooth and gilded (covered with a thin layer of gold leaf).

GLASSINE

Transparent paper sometimes used as a dust jacket to protect a book.

GOOD

A book, or dust jacket in average used and worn condition -
complete with all its parts. Note all defects in descriptions. Also see our page of descriptive terms.

GRADING

Guidelines used to properly describe condition of books. See our page of descriptive terms.

GUTTER

Inner margins of two facing pages. Can also refer to the outer indentation that is created by
the joining of the boards and spine.

HALF BINDING

Leather spine and corners. Leather extends about 1/3rd to 1/4th of the way to the
edge.

HALF CLOTH

Cloth spine and paper covered sides.

HALF-TITLE (fly title)

The page, preceding the title page proper, listing only the title of the book and no other information. While always present in modern books, it is sometimes lacking in older publications because it was originally designed to be removed before custom binding.

HALF-TONE

A gradation of tone (between light and dark) of an image by
minute, closely spaced dots. Used in photography and graphics.

HARDCOVER

A book whose case is made of stiff boards, as opposed to wrappers.

HEAD

Top edge of the text block.

HEADBAND

Band of silk or cotton affixed to signatures when bound for strength or, more often,
decoration of the spine.

HINGES

Where the sides of the binding meet the spine. Can be referred to as inner hinges and outer
hinges or joints.

IDEAL COPY

When a number of copies of an edition of a book are compared to each other, a bibliographer may set out what he or she considers to be the description of the standard copy of that edition, to which all other copies can be compared. Thus, when a book is said to be "missing a page", it is assumed that the ideal copy of that book always contains that particular page.

ILAB

International League of Antiquarian Booksellers. Includes 20 national associations representing 30 countries.

IMPRESSION

All the copies of a book printed during one press run. During the handpress period, when type was reset each time a press was used, this term was synonymous with edition.

INCUNABULA

The earliest printed books of a genre, often used exclusively to mean those printed before 1501. Coined from the Latin word cunae, meaning "cradle".

INSCRIBED

Signed by the author or someone associated with book, but with more wording than simply a signature.

IOBA

Independent Online Booksellers Association.

ISSUE

A change, textual or otherwise, made after the book has been published. (e.g.: The first issue of Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court has an "s"-like ornament between "The" and "King" on page 59. In the case of many of C. S. Forester's books, sheets were printed but not bound at the same time; when they were, sometimes years later, they were bound in differently colored bindings. The color of the binding then became an issue point.)

JOINTS

Refers to outer hinge where spine joins the sides of the book. Sometimes referred to as the "gutter".

LAID IN

Paper/photograph/print is laid in (not glued down).

LAID ON

See tipped in.

LAMINATE

The thin plastic layer covering the dust jacket of some books.

LIMITED EDITION

Small number of copies of book published. Books are usually numbered such as
"100/500" meaning number 100 of an edition of 500.

LOOSE

When a book has been read carelessly or too often, and has become loose
and sloppy in its binding.

MANUSCRIPT

The original pages of an author's work, written in the author's hand or typed.

MARBLING

A process of decorating paper, in which the result resembles the veins of stone marble.

MARRIED

Two related items brought together, though not initially sold as a
unit, for the purpose of making the set complete as published (i.e.: a book and dust jacket, or two volumes in a set).

MULL

The cloth which reinforces the hinges and is pasted directly to the body of a book
and is hidden by the spine.

OBVERSE

The front or main surface of anything.

OPEN TEAR

A tear which may have some material missing.

OUT-OF-PRINT

A book no longer available from the publisher. It is no longer being printed and no copies remain available for sale.

OWNER'S INSCRIPTION

Words written by previous or original owner of book. Also known as previous owner's
inscription.

PAGINATION

The numbering of the pages.

PANEL

Refers to borders in binding. Can also be used in connection with the main surfaces of a dust jacket.

PAPERBACK

A book bound with flexible paper covers; usually a term reserved for mass-market publications.

PAPER COVERS (also PAPER-COVERED BOARDS)

Describes a book not bound in stiff paper covers. Can refer to a temporary binding, a
booklet or pamphlet, or a book in early (1800s) wrappers.

PARCHMENT

The skin of a sheep, goat, etc., prepared as a surface for writing or for use as a binding material.

PASTEDOWN ENDPAPER

The part of the endpapers that is pasted to the inside of the front and rear covers.

PLATE

A special page containing an illustration or other extra information; often printed on glossy paper.

POINTS

Peculiarities in a published book whose presence or absence helps to determine edition, issue, or state.

PRESENTATION COPY

A book inscribed by the author to someone else of importance to the author, the book, or society in general.

PRICE CLIPPED

The price on the inner flap of a dust jacket has been cut off.

PROOF

See uncorrected proof.

PROVENANCE

Evidence of the history of the ownership of a particular book (e.g.: auctions records, booksellers' records, book plates, etc.) The book may be
important because of who owned it; perhaps a president or important bookseller, collector, royalty, or someone who may be related to the book
in some way. Important in establishing the ownership of especially rare items.

PSEUDONYM/PEN-NAME/NOM DE PLUME

An assumed name used to protect the anonymity of an author.

PUBLISHER'S BINDING

Binding provided by the publisher when supplying a book for a bookseller. This practice, while common today, dates from the 1800s.

QUARTER BINDING

A book with its spine bound in a different material than the boards (i.e.: a leather spine and cloth- or paper-covered boards).

READING CREASE

A crease down the spine of a book (usually a paperback); considered a defect.

REBACKED

A repair, where the original spine or backstrip has been removed, the spine replaced, and the original reglued on top. Can be considered a defect, but more valuable than not having any of the original spine present.

REBOUND

A repair, where the entire binding has been replaced by a new one.

RECASED

A repair, where a book is taken apart and put back together using original pages, cloth, and endpapers.
Usually done to tighten the sewing or to wash the pages, etc.

RECTO

A right-hand page, when a book is open and facing the reader.

REMAINDER

A new book returned to the publisher as unsold, then re-marketed at a much lower price.

REMAINDER MARK

A mark (rubber stamp, felt marker stroke, or spray, often on a book's bottom edge) signifying that the book
was returned to publisher as unsold, and then sold at a much lower price. Considered to be a defect.

REVIEW COPY

A copy of new book sent free-of-charge for purposes of review. Often includes a
laid in review slip with publishing information; not necessarily a first edition.

RUBBED

Where color has been worn from portions of the binding or dust jacket.

SHAKEN

The text block is loose in its binding; no longer tight, but not detached.

SHEETS

The pages which have been printed but not yet folded, sewn, or gathered together for binding.

SHELF-BACK

The spine of a book.

SIGNATURE

A printed sheet of paper, folded to size and ready for sewing (i.e.: large paper folded in half, fourths,
eighths, sixteenths, or thirty-seconds).

SIGNED

Signed with a name only, and no other text included.

SLIPCASE

A box built to house and protect a book, leaving the spine exposed.

SOPHISTICATED

Books that have had repairs that involve making additions to the original (e.g.: chips filled in and tinted to match the missing portion, replaced page corners, etc.)

SPINE

The backbone, or back, of the book where the title (if present) is displayed when it is standing upright on a shelf.

STARTING

Hinges or joints beginning to show signs of becoming loose, either through wear or defective binding. considered a defect.

STATE

Variations within an edition, which are made prior to publication; can include:• alterations due to stop-press insertions,

damaged type, etc.

• the addition of errata leaves, advertisements.

• textual changes affecting page lay-out.

• some special-paper copies.

This term applies only in connection with the printed pages, and not variations in bindings. (e.g.: a small number of copies of Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls were erroneously printed without the photographer's credit on the back of
the dust jacket. The presses were stopped midway through the first run, the
credit was added, and the second state of the first edition resulted.)

STICKER DAMAGE

A price sticker has been roughly removed resulting in surface damage to the underlying
material.

STICKER GHOST

Sticker has been left on book for some time, and the glue, reacting chemically, has
discolored the surface.

STIPPLED EDGE

Color sprayed on a book's external edges.

SUNNED

Browning, yellowing, or fading of paper or binding as a result of sun exposure.

TAIL

Bottom edge of the text block.

TAPE RESIDUE

Complications of cellophane tape which remains on the paper or a book's cover, resulting in brown
stains or bits of tape adhering to paper. Considered a defect.

TENDER

When the binding is loosening.

TEXT BLOCK

Pages containing the content of a book (text, illustrations, etc.) bound together; does not include endpapers.

TIPPED IN

Paper, photograph, or print glued down by only a narrow strip.

TITLE PAGE

The page which gives important information about the book (i.e.: title,
author, publisher, date, etc.)

TOOLING

The decoration of leather bindings.

TOP STAIN

The publisher's decorative colored stain, applied to the top page edges.

TRADE PAPERBACK

When the cloth-bound trade edition is issued by the same publisher, sometimes simultaneously, but bound in wrappers. Because the same sheets are used, such issues are often quite larger than paperbacks published for mass-market distribution.

TRADE EDITION

An edition sold through bookstores, as opposed to those meant for private or specialized distribution.

UNCORRECTED PROOF

A pre-publication printing intended for editorial use, or occasionally to be sent out for review. Usually issued in plain colored wrappers.

UNCUT

Edges which are rough-cut, rather than being neatly trimmed by the binders.

UNOPENED

When folded edges of the pages of the bound text block remain joined together and have not been
sliced open. Unread.

VANITY PRESS/PUBLISHERS

Publishers and presses that publish books at the author's own expense.

VARIANT

A copy of a book that varies in some way from the ideal copy. Can refer to binding color, illustrations, etc.

VELLUM

A thin sheet of specially prepared leather used for writing, printing, or as a binding material; considered superior in quality to parchment.

VERSO

The left page of an open book, when it is open and facing the reader. The back of a leaf. Also called the reverse.

VERY GOOD

Very light wear to book, and/or jacket; no large tears, or major defects; One of the
most often used terms. Also see our page of descriptive terms.

WATERMARK

A faint identifying design, usually in quality paper.

WHIPSTITCHING

To sew a book's leaves by passing the thread over and over the spine; often seen in early pamphlets.

WOODCUT

Illustrations produced when the original printing plate was engraved on a block of wood. One of the oldest methods of printing, dating back to 8^th century China.

WRAPPERS or WRAPS

The printed or unprinted cover of a pamphlet or book bound in paper.

Copyright 2002 by Independent Online Booksellers Association

You'll know when this happens, because you'll start to want First Editions, but not just First Editions - no, those won't do, will they - you want the First Printing of the First Edition - mmm....that's nice, right? What? There's a limited edition? That's the one you want, then. But then there's ARCs and Proofs and Publishers' Copies out there, and my, won't those be wonderful to own, but if you're going to want to read the book you're going to probably want to buy a copy just for that purpose, because anything can happen! What if you spill coffee on your signed, limited first edition? What then? Oh, you're not a coffee drinker? Smart ass. Then you'd best look out for big stupid friendly dogs with wet tongues, children with ice cream cones and sticky fingers, idiot coworkers who actually BEND the book's front cover backwards to touch the back cover! Augh! Can't you just hear the book scream when that happens? Or is that just me...screaming, that is...so right, it would be best to get a reading copy too.

So what's the difference between a first edition and first printing? An ARC and a Proof? A mass market paperback and a trade paperback? What does all of this mean? Well, it can get a bit tricky, but generally a first edition is the very first edition of the title to be available for purchase. Usually you'll see "First Edition" printed on the book's copyright page, but not always. Later editions may involve minor changes to the text by the author or not.  A true "first edition" is also a first print. The various printings refer to basically the batches of copies manufactured by the publisher, and when there's a new printing it can mean that the publisher may have made some changes to the text, like to reset the text for a new edition of the book, but this normally means that they've sold out of the title at least once and had to reprint it, hence a second printing. Usually - but not always -  you can look for a line of numbers on the copyright page of the book, and the lowest value number listed is the book's printing. So, if you looked and saw "10 9 8 7 6 5" you'd know the book was in its fifth printing. These numbers aren't always in order.

Now, hardcover and paperback is far easier to explain: hardcovers are generally manufactured of cardboard and will not bend without being damaged. Not so, paperbacks. Paperbacks themselves may be divided into mass market paperbacks, meaning that they've been printed for sale everywhere, like grocery stores and drug stores, not just book stores. These are those "rack sized" paperback books that are usually around 4" by " on diameter, depending on format. Trade paperbacks are books manufactured specifically for the book trade, and can vary in size but are usually larger in length and width than mass market books. Be advised that sometimes a book will be available in a "First hardcover edition" and "First paperback edition," further muddying the waters. Usually paperbacks aren't ever worth anything substantial on the market unless the book goes out of print and becomes a collector's item.

Now let's tackle galleys, proofs and ARCs. These aren't meant for sale to the public and usually only turn up on auction sites like eBay. A "galley" is a cheaply produced copy of the author's manuscript printed for use within the publisher's office for the purposes of proofreading and editing. A galley will often be bound with staples or plastic spiral, and the pages may be photocopied or printed on inexpensive printer paper. Galleys are usually messy affairs, with multiple assistants, proofers and other behind-the-scene people marking up grammatical errors and editorial goofs in red or purple ink.

When a galley is ready, it becomes a "proof," which at least cosmetically resembles the soon-to-be-released title. The publisher's staff uses this to catch printing problems and last-minute spelling and other grammar issues. Sometimes a publisher will skip this step and go straight to an ARC, or "Advance Reader Copy." These are limited runs of the book that are sent out generally three or four months in advance to critics and buyers in hope that the book will be reviewed or considered for bulk purchase. Sometimes these ARCs are marked "uncorrected proof," but they're still called ARCS by the industry. ARCS are normally marked as such on the cover, and depending on the publisher, may differ in minor ways from the final product. Lots of paperback ARCs are printed on coarse, heavy paper, for instance.

This is a lot to keep up with, right? Fortunately for me, there are only a few authors to whom I devote this much attention, so my habit is under control and I can stop any time I want to, do you hear me? Any time! Anyway, right. Back to the authors. Jeff VanderMeer is one of my prime targets for obsessive collecting, and fortunately for me, I do publicity for him now, so collecting has become much, much easier. Take a look at the good stuff, here:

VanderMeer isn't the only one, though. I like to grab first editions/limited editions from Caitlin R. Kiernan whenever possible. I own a deluxe, signed limited edition of her "To Charles Fort, With Love" along with an accompanying chapbook called "A Little Damned Book of Days," both published by Subterranean Press. They're gorgeous.

I also own a first edition/first printing of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road," and while I don't exactly love this book I have loved watching this edition steadily escalate in value ($150 or so). I'm hoping that this particular acquisition will become the future equivalent of owning, say, a first edition of Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" (valued at around $200,000 or so, currently). Like Dick Cheney, this book usually resides in an "Undisclosed Location."

Some other personal favorites? Signed first editions of "Anansi Boys" by Neil Gaiman, "Thunderer" by Felix Gilman (watch for this guy, he's brilliant, btw), "Mainspring," "Trial of Flowers" and "Escapement" by Jay Lake, "Lonely Werewolf Girl" by Martin Millar, "The Line Between," by Peter S. Beagle, "The River Pirates" by Manly Wade Wellman(!), "Be Cool" by Elmore Leonard (a heck of a nice guy) and probably a few others that I'm just not remembering right now.

An author's signature can make a book of lesser pedigree special, too: I have a beaten-up, third-hand paperback copy of Kurt Vonnegut's novel "Galapagos" signed by the author himself, right above the "Book Rack two for one" ink stamp. Long story, there, but I can verify its authenticity - and hey, that's important, right? Probably not.

if you share this particular type of bibliomanic sickness with me you might find this link to be of value. If you're going into book collecting hoping to fund your retirement then you're probably going to be disappointed, but if you do it for the sheer love of books then you'll find the rewards can be plentiful.

I'd love to hear about your own personal collections. Do you have any books you especially cherish? Let me know.

Eisler gives Rain a poet's melancholy, in a solo existence underscored by classic jazz and flavored with single malt scotches.

Ken was tearing through the six-book series so fast he had to force himself to take a break.

We have the first book, Rain Fall, in inventory and The Last Assassin and Requiem for an Assassin ready to go up to the web, so call if you're interested in those.

Here's Eisler's home page.

]]> http://bookwormzbooks.wordpress.com/?p=42 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 03:46:04 +0000 hfortysixit http://bookwormzbooks.wordpress.com/?p=42

Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind (Signed Copy).

1995 First Edition hardcover with dust jacket very good condition. Signed by author. $195.00. The second book in The Sword of truth series.

We also have in stock books 3 to 8 in hardcover , and book 10, also in hardcover - priced at $21.00 - $25.00.

Also we have all titles available in paperback at prices $5.50 - $6.00.

Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind.

1994 First Edition hardcover with dust jacket very good condition. $45.00 The first book in the long lasting Sword of Truth Series.

It should be pointed out that this map is depicting Ancient Macedonia. 

Please click the link below to see the full map.

Illyrie en General: Macedoine, Thessalie, Epire

World Renowned Writers on Golf - Ian Fleming

 Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond’s 007 character is one of the most famous writers of the 20^th century. Fleming’s novels have sold over 100 million copies worldwide.[i] Goldfinger is the seventh book in Fleming’s Bond series.  Fleming worked in Britain’s naval intelligence service during the World War II and was a member of both the Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent and Huntercombe Golf Club. Huntercombe is an inland course in Oxfordshire designed by Willie Park Jr., the same designer as Sunningdale (Old). The plot of the villain in the book, Auric Goldfinger, is to seize all the gold in Ft. Knox. The book has three chapters devoted to golf where Goldfinger plays a match against Bond set at Royal St. Mark’s golf course in Sandwich, which is a fictional stand-in for Royal St. George’s.

Fleming tells us that Bond played his golf “on courses around London - Huntercombe, Swinley, Sunningdale, the Berkshire.”[ii] 

Goldfinger was first published in 1959 by Jonathan Cape, London. The cover is black cloth with gilt lettering. The dust jacket contains an image of a skull with a red rose it its teeth and is illustrated below. First editions can be identified if the verso of the title page states “First Published 1959.” There were 24,000 copies of the first edition printed.[iii]

One of the issues to watch out for on such a famous book is the switching of jackets. We would be cautious of any first edition of the book with a dust jacket, since many reprints were printed with a facsimile dust jacket and you have to verify that a later jacket was not put on a first edition. Given the value of the books, there is a big incentive to do this, so be cautious. A true first edition dust jacket has a price of 15s (15 shillings).[iv]

Goldfinger was reprinted many, many times by several different publishers in both hard and softcover editions. The first American edition was published by MacMillan in 1959. The dust jacket price is $3. This edition is identical to the U.K. first edition with the exception of the Macmillan logo replacing the Cape logo on the spine. Cape printed the U.S. edition for MacMillan and they produced 7,500 copies.[v]

First editions of Goldfinger with the dust jacket come up for auction several times each year, including at the big auction houses and generally sell for between $1,000 and $1,200 of late. Copies signed by Fleming sell at many multiples of these numbers. One of the most famous copies of the book is a copy signed by Ian Fleming inscribed to golf writer and fellow Huntercombe member Henry Longhurst.  This particular book is priced in the stratosphere. Generally, the first American edition sells for between $600 and $800 with the jacket.

The movie production of Goldfinger features Sean Connery as James Bond.  Connery is an avid golfer himself (and in our view was easily the best of all the characters that played Bond). The scenes in the movie were not actually filmed at Royal St. George’s but rather at the Stoke Park Club (Stoke Poges). After catching Goldfinger cheating, Bond switches balls on his opponent during the match. Realizing that Bond is attempting to interfere in his affairs, Goldfinger motions to Oddjob, his deadly Korean manservant and caddie, to sever the head of a nearby statue with his steel-rimmed bowler. Bond is suitably impressed, but wonders what the club secretary will have to say. Goldfinger explains smugly, "Oh nothing Mister Bond - I own the club!"[vi] Both Bond and Goldfinger state their handicaps as nine.

The Lilly Library at the University of Indiana has the original manuscripts from all of Ian Fleming’s works. Apparently, the golf match between Bond and Goldfinger was inserted into the story as an afterthought since Fleming hand wrote them into the typed manuscript. Fleming died from a heart attack which struck him while at Royal St. George's in 1964. When our time comes, we can think of only two ways we’d like to go. One is like Fleming: we’ll leave the other to your imagination.  

Two of the books I ordered last week finally arrived within the past two days. I was getting pretty nervous seeing as I hadn't heard anything from amazon.com or the sellers... worried maybe something got mixed up or they were away on vacation... silly stuff that doesn't make sense to worry about but I go ahead and worry about it anyway.

The above picture of the book that arrived yesterday was provided by someone on eBay... I'm too lazy to upload my own, though I will for the second book I'm going to mention. I wouldn't take credit for the above picture, anyway, because my dust jacket is in far better condition and I got it for about a third of the price. But that's beside the point.

I've had my head buried in this book since it arrived last afternoon, though I'm only on p. 73... or around there. If you're reading this and you have the chance to do a google search, type up the title and look for a summary of the book. Or rather, just go here. If you know anything about Carl Sandburg and/or have a soft spot for sappy books, then I'll bet you ten dollars you'd love this one. I myself and a die-hard fan of old Cully (Carl's nickname when he was a kid), and the four books that I bought are all by him. This one, though, is a first edition from 1987... and good luck finding the image of the cover anywhere on the 'net... apparently it's an extremely rare edition. Might be the reason why the only place I've been able to find it is on eBay or old antiqued book stores. However, I wasn't expecting this dust jacket for this edition when I ordered it on Amazon... though after all the times I've ordered stuff on Amazon and had it look nothing like what it did on the site, you'd think I'd be getting used to it by now. But Amazon stuff aside, do check out the book. Look for it at your local library... buy it extremely cheap on Amazon... do what you may. Just make sure you find this book and read it. No, I don't know who you are nor what your book preferences are (or if you even read books at all... though you are on here reading this, so that must indicate something). But please, go find this book. Read it with a box of tissues planted on your lap, because I promise you you'll need them.

As for the second book that came - the one which arrived today - it's the Complete Poems of Carl Sandburg by... guess who? Indeed, Carl Sandburg. Now, if you've managed to survive reading through this silly thing for this long, you must have some interest in what I have to say. Bless your heart, and I hope there are more of you out there in the world than what it seems. You have to understand that I am a sucker for old stuff, especially if it's in pristine condition. To prove that, I'll back up my claim with proof - every single Sandburg book that I ordered from Amazon is a first edition. Want more proof? One of them is his book from 1919, titled "The Chicago Race Riots, July 1919". You guessed it - it's the first edition! I can hardly wait for it to come in the mail, though I'm a little sketched out as to the condition that the dust jacket is going to be in. The one that arrived today (the complete poems) gave me a bit of a shock when I opened it because the dust jacket has some issues... but a few minutes with clear tape and a steady hand took care of the problem. I put the pictures on here... just took them about five seconds ago. As you can see, not bad. I'd say for being the original cover (paper cover, mind you) on a book from 1950 and having just a few tears here and there, it's in pretty damn good condition. Heh heh. I don't mind if it's a wee bit slack in the appearance department... it's so big and bulky that I doubt I'll be lugging it around anywhere. Hence, I think it'll find a nice comfy place in my room... somewhere I can have it in close reach.

Anyway, I should get back to reading. I'm not kidding about going out and finding "The Poet and the Dream Girl" - you'll be doing yourself a major favor. Or do yourself and even bigger favor and find some of old Cully's poems to read here.
--------------------------------------------------
MOON RONDEAU

"Love is a door we shall open together."
So they told each other under the moon
One evening when the smell of leaf mould
And the beginnings of roses and potatoes
Came on a wind. Late in the hours of the evening
They looked long at the moon and called it
A silver button, a copper coin, a bronze wafer,
A plaque of gold, a vanished diadem,
A brass hat dripping from deep waters.

"People like us,
us two,
We own the moon."
-C.S.

At Christmas I asked Santa for books by Theresa Schwegel and the jolly elf obliged with her first book, Officer Down, which won the 2006 Edgar for best first novel.

The top cops think that our protagonist , Samantha Mack, shot her partner in a raid-gone-wrong. She's crashing around trying to find the real killer, drinking too much and relying on her married lover and fellow cop to help clear her name.

'd describe this as more police than procedural.  It captures the politics, paranoia and dark corners of a big city (Chicago) police department but short-changes protocol and rules of evidence.  Nevertheless, Schwegel paces the story well and creates rich details in an award-worthy first novel.

Talk to you guys later! Peace...

This is an interesting study out of Canada.   It was aired as part of "The First Edition" by CBC News in 2004.  Despite it being 3 years old, I think the data has changed little over time.   I also think the data would also apply to homeless youth almost anywhere in the world.

 In 1999, the most comprehensive study about how street kids making their money was conducted by the Shout Clinic which offers health care to homeless youth. Among the findings:

· 36%   of street youth earn money by panhandling or squeegeeing
· 19%   do break and enters or sell drugs
· 18%   receive social assistance
· 17%   by have paid employment
· 10%   do sex trade work

Some find legitimate work: Homeless youth had worked at an average of 3.1 legitimate jobs in the previous 12 months mainly in general labour, painting, welding, as bike couriers, cooks, cashiers, telemarketing, in baby sitting and retail sales.

Most have worked in the sex trade: 31% - including men and women - reported engaging in either street prostitution, phone or Internet sex, or massage/stripping at least once in their lives. Agencies like Street Outreach Services (SOS) focus on helping street youth out of prostitution.

Background determines how youth earn money: On average, sex workers left home at a younger age, had been on the street the longest, were most likely to have grown up in at least one foster homes, had the lowest educational credentials and left home because of problems pertaining to both physical and sexual assault.

In contrast, those who did property crimes or sold drugs were predominately male, were likely to have grown up in Toronto and were least likely to have experienced physical or sexual assault at home.

Would they like to work? When asked if they would like to find paid employment, 83.4% of males and 87.8% of females said yes. This indicates that street youth are unhappy about making money the way they do and would like paid employment instead.

Asked more specifically about under what conditions they would find accept a job:

· 53.7%   said they would take any job if paid $20 an hour
· 35.5%   would do just about any job
· 51.8%   felt that any job was better than welfare
· 18.7%   felt they would rather take welfare rather than a job they didn't like
· 18.%    said they would not mind being unemployed for awhile

Again, these results suggest a majority of street youth want a job, although they were not willing to accept any job offered.

When asked what was preventing them from getting jobs, reasons cited included:

· 45.2 %  no fixed address    
· 43.3%   lack of work experience 
· 44.5%   no phone     
· 40.2%   no money for transportation for job search    
· 34.7%   don't have the right clothes or appearance   
· 21.3%   legal problems   
· 21.3%   lack of motivation  

· other problems which included waking up and keeping a schedule, health, and literacy problems.

Most young homeless people were optimistic they would find work, with 46.6% very hopeful, and 35.7% somewhat hopeful.

Kristen Bell blows a bubble!

My interview with Spectropopper, Jean Emmanuel Dubois, for his forthcoming book "Le Bubblegum", the history of American and French Bubblegum music, published by le cahiers du rock, continues...

JE- There were a lot of sexual overtones in the music? "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy", "Chewy, Chewy"

AW- Sexual overtones! Sexual Undertones! Shit! There was all kinds of sex...all kinds of tones! (laughs) Those guys tried to get away with as much as they could...under the guise of innocent teen pop music! I remember one day a staff writer came into the office with a song, " 1, 2, 3 Lickety Split"...and was sent home because the title wasn't suggestive enough!

JE- Weren't Joey Levine and Artie Resnick the first to have "backwards" versions of their a-sides as the b-sides of their records?

AW- It made sense, kids who were buying Bubblegum records weren't buying them for the artist...but for hit A-side! There were no production costs for the B-side, and since all of the royalties were divided in the same way as the A-side, it was a win...win situation!

JE- Besides Levine/Resnick you represented Bo Gentry? ( "I Think We're Alone Now" )

AW- Joey started writing with Bo and started coming up with some excellent stuff! They wrote a song, "Make Believe" and put it out under the name, Wind. This time Joey wasn't the anonymous singer on the track, it was Tony Orlando. Ironically, Tony was also having hits at the same time as the anonomous voice of Dawn, ("Candida", "Knock Three Times")

The record was a modest hit in the US, but the B-side...a "real" B-side "Groovin' with Mister Blo", was top ten all over Europe!

JE-How were you involved with Tommy James and Shondels?

AW- I recorded an album under the name Shadow Mann, for the legendary Morris Levy, and he sometimes put my label mates and me out on promotion together. I remember once we all did the Upbeat TV show in Cleavland, Neil Diamond was there, Jimmy Ruffin, Kenny Rodgers and The First Edition. Tommy sang his number one hit, "Crimson and Clover"and I performed," Come Live With Me " the title track of my album. I also introduced my protoge, Sissy Spacek, who I renamed "Rainbo". She was promoting her single, "John, You Went Too Far This Time", which was a Bubblegummers reaction to the naked John Lennon and Yoko Ono, "Two Virgins" album cover.

JE- It was around this time you started writing songs with Gary Zekely and Mitch Bottler, who wrote, "Sooner or Later", "Wait A Million Years", "Superman", and other "Sunshine Pop Songs"?

AW- I fell in love with a beautiful, Playboy Playmate on my last trip to California...and couldn't wait to get back to the West Coast! The night before I was scheduled to write with Gary And Mitch...I broke up with her! I was crushed and devestated, but when I heard the chorus that Mitch started banging out on the old stand up piano I started singing some of the happiest, most positive lyrics I ever wrote in my life!

I used to look at life through a shade of grey

'Til I found some satisfaction in the things you'd say

You took me in your hands like a piece of clay

Made me a man now I gotta' say

Hallelujah...Hallelujah...Hallelujah...Hallelujah!

Copyright 1969/ 2006- EMI music/ Artie Wayne music

JE- What about the beautiful Playmate?

AW- Never saw her again...anyway, Gary Zekely had a top ten hit as producer for the Clique with "Sugar On Sunday" ( written by Tommy James), and recorded "Hallelujah" for the album. It was covered about a year later by Sweathog, and went to the top 30 in the US!

JE-You also produced, Sal Tramalchi who wrote the smash,"1, 2, 3 Redlight", for the 1910 Fruit Gum Company.

AW-Sal Tramalchi was a very complex person. He could go from writing bubblegum songs to psychedelic anthems in the time it takes a cube of sugar to dissolve in a cup of coffee! He wrote a great song, "Woodstock", which Howard Bogess and I produced for Vanguard. Sal was magic when he played guitar and sang, so I got the "Brilliant" idea to cut him live with my studio band. Unfortunately, Sal arrived in the sudio, "inspired" but unable to perform.

After we redid the tracks and overdubbed the N.Y. Philharmonic string section, Sal came in and did an excellent vocal in one or two takes. The record came out and quietly sank into the sunset, as I packed up the last of my belongings and moved to Hollywood.

JE- What would you consider your greatest acheivement in bubblegum music?

AW- In 1973, I was at the Tokyo music festival for Warner Brothers music and picked up a song from a white South African writer, who the music people were avoiding because of his country's stand on apartheid!

JE- You're an African- American, why didn't you ignore him also?

Aw-After talking to him, I felt he had the heart and soul of an artist that transcended the archaic practice of his country. It only took a few minutes to listen to the song that nobody wanted to hear...but I knew right away it was a hit!

Terry Dempsey gave me the sub-publishing rights for no advance, if I could get his song, "Daydreamer", covered by a major US artist. Within days of my returning to Hollywood, Stephen Craig Aristei, one of my "Warner Raiders" gave it to David Cassidy. He was fresh from the Partridge Family, and it became his biggest solo hit, selling 5 million records!

JE- I never realized how involved you were with Le Bubblegum!

AW- Now that you mention it...neither did I!

Copyright 2006 by Artie Wayne

If you missed the first half of the interview...and Elisha Cuthbert blows! click on http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2006/10/29/play-me-something-bubblegummy-chewy-chewy-yummy-yummy-yummy/

EXTRA! Lindsay Lohan And Paris Hilton On Top Of Britney Spears. PHOTOS! http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2006/12/04/exclusive-photos-lindsay-lohan-and-paris-hilton-on-top-of-britney-spears/

To see the naked John Lennon and Yoko Ono Naked album cover and hear Sissy Spacek ("Rainbo") sing, "John, You Went Too Far This Time" Just click onto http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2006/08/18/the-naked-truth-about-john-lennon-and-yoko-ono-and-an-outraged-sissy-spacek/