@imagine.ink wrote:
Hello Spark,
Stan Zielinski (who posted many entries on this thread, kindly resurrected by Lyceumbooks) wrote the following a couple of years ago regarding first edition points for Babar books:
Hello,
I know just enough about the early Babar books to help flesh out what Craig has provided. In general, look for large size folio books (10 1/2" x 14 1/4") with the correct title listing. The title Zephir's Holiday is a key (see explanation, below), along with a book showing the Random House address at 457 Madison Avenue is published after 1946.
As Craig indicated, the first American printings of the first three Babar books were published by Smith & Haas, as follows:
1933 Story Of Babar
1934 Travels Of Babar
1935 Babar The King
Each of the above was originally issued in dust jackets with a $3.00 price, and were large folio size at 10 1/2" wide by 14 1/4" tall.
In 1936 Random House purchased Smith & Haas and issued the above books under the Random House imprint in the same folio size at 10 1/2" x 14 1/4", with dust jackets, at a price of $3.00. That same year Random House published the ABC Of Babar in the 10 1/2" x 14 1/4" folio size, issued in dust jacket with a $3.00 price.
In 1937, Random House published Zephir's Holiday in the same folio size in dust jacket with a price of $3.00; the first edition book has a blue cloth spine. In 1942 Zephir's Holiday was reissued under a new title, Babar And Zephir, so this is helpful clue to identify the publication date of the Babar books. Any book which lists Zephir's Holiday was published prior to 1942.
(to be continued)
A BSB associate asked about Babar, so I thought to post the rest of my Bookthink thread here.
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Re: Babar
Postby StanZielinski on Tue Nov 27, 2012 9:57 pm
Hello Nancy,
I discovered some additional information last night. The 1936 Horn Book Magazine, Fall issue, pg 320, has an advertisement for the Random House Babar books, as follows:
"These brand-new editions are complete in every detail. The pictures of Babar, the little elephant, and his friends are printed in five brilliant colors. Every word and illustration to be found in the original, higher-priced editions is in these handy, size 6 1/2" x 8 1/2" volumes. Now you can own all the Babar books. They cost only $1.00 each. Order them today."
Only the first three books are advertised. So these small size Babar editions were available in 1936 for $1.00 each; the slipcase set was available in 1938.
The $3.00 price of the large size Babar books is equivalent to about $50.00 in today's dollar. Considering the country was in the midst of the Great Depression in 1936, one can assume that not many were purchased at this higher price, and in part explains the need for Random House to make a more cost effective alternative.
On page 319 opposite the $1.00 Babar books, is a small ad for ABC Of Babar, "A unique alphabet play book. Pictures in 5 colors on every page. $1.50". Unfortunately the ad does not give the size of the book. The Kirkus review indicates the ABC Of Babar was published on August 21, 1936, which is consistent with the Fall issue of the Horn Book Magazine, so we can assume the $1.50 price is that of the first issue.
In any case, my previous post is in error when it comes to the ABC Of Babar. I have first edition copies of the other Random House Babar books, and all of them are the large folio size 10 1/2" x 14 1/4" with a dust jacket price of $3.00. I have been waiting patiently for a similar formatted ABC Of Babar to surface, and assumed it was the same format as its siblings. However, with only a $1.50 original price, it is doubtful that it was originally published in the large folio format, so I have been waiting patiently for nothing to surface, since none such exists.
The ad on page 319 explains the "Originally $1.50 now $1.00" on the flap of your DJ.
Doing some additional research, PBA Gallaries sold a copy in August, 2009 for $204. It was described as a first edition, without a dust jacket, and was 8¼ x 6¼. See here for the auction: http://www.pbagalleries.com/search/item.php?anr=201446
Obviously your book is more valuable than the one sold at PBA Gallaries, since your book and their book are probably the same, and you have the added attraction of the dust jacket.
So, the question remains, your copy is either a 1st issue book in a 2nd issue dust jacket (i.e. the first issue was the 6 1/2" x 8 1/2" size, but priced at $1.50) or a "First, Thus" (i.e. the first issue was another size, most likely 8 1/2" x 11 1/4", priced at $1.50, and your book is the first issue of this smaller size).
I'm sorry, but I do not know which it is. Over the next year I'll probably come across something which will be definite (i.e. finding a copy with the $1.50 on the DJ), but right now, I just don't know.
Note that if you do decide to sell the book, please feel free to use the information I've provided.
Lastly, my notes indicate the illustration for the letter 'N' would have appeal to collectors of African-American material of this era; it would be appreciated if you could confirm the this.
