Collectible Childrens Books on eBay

[picture*books]

As per cc's suggestion, a thread for relatively higher dollar children's books sold on eBay and the ensuing discussions.

[buy_our_stuff]

Thank you so much for your help.  Y'all are very generous with your time on this board. Thank you.

[picture*books]

It appears a copy of the first trade edition of Peter Rabbit sold last week on eBay for $300. By all accounts this would be considered a good buy.

Item 130606399991 sold for $300 on Nov. 23, 2011

"I am not a collector.  I have taken the info from the following website to determine it is a 1st Edition of October 1902- http://www.peterharrington.co.uk/blog/2011/01/first-editions-of-peter-rabbit/  pages 7-11.

This book is in excellent shape.  The cover on the inside has some slight tearing as shown in pics but is very entact.  Very excellent copy!  The following has been determined according to website:

1. Dots in the O's
2. No ISBN
3. Page 14 has pic of Beatrice Potter as Mrs. McGregor
4. Page 51 reads, "and wept big tears".
5. The end papers are proper.
6. Undated, no "Ltd" after publisher's name"

Aleph-Bet has a similar copy (green boards, 'wept', flowered end papers) currently offered for $12,000. Not a bad $300 purchase on eBay.

[picture*books]

Great illustrations by John Bauer in this book.

Item 120825067586 sold for $599 on Dec. 7, 2011

SCARCE Swedish 1913 JOHN BAUER 1st Among Gnomes and Trolls HB Book Fairy Tales

Bland Tomtar och Troll with 17 Fantastic colour plates

"It is not often that this Super Rare 1913 John Bauer "Bland Tomtar och Troll" hardback Deluxe form with 17 tipped-in colour plates is up for sale.

This DeLuxe, hardback version of the book is the scarest to find in any condition.

Bland Tomtar och Troll No 7, 1913.Swedish Fairy Tales. This was John Bauers seventh book, and includes some of his most wanted and famous images.

First edition.

Edited by Cyrus Granér.

Illustrated by John Bauer.

144 pages with 17 colour plates and 9 b/w illustrations/vignettes by John Bauer.

Published by Åhlen & Åkerlunds Förlag, Stockholm in 1913.

Including four fairy tales by:Emil Eliasson, Helena Nyblom, Helge Kjellin, and Vilhälm Nordin.Pleading with stains and creases, see pictures.

Five pages with tears about 15-20 mm in the lower margin not affecting text or images.One page with a paper loss in lower right corner, about 20 x 20 mm.One picture with a paper loss in the lower left corner, about 5 mm.No missing pages.

This 1913 copy is the SCAREST BTOT to find in any condition.

Swedish language.

Size: approx. 7.25" x 7.75" inches."

[picture*books]

Surprising $1500 for this 1949 reprint Curious George with an H.A. Rey sketch.

Item 360416238520 sold for $1500 on Dec. 7, 2011

1949 H A Rey Curious George Takes a Job Signed Inscribed DJ Drawing Sketch

"H. A. Rey.  Curious George Takes a Job.  Houghton Mifflin Company Boston. The Riverside Press Cambridge.  1949.  Original red illustrated paper covered boards.  Original dust jacket priced $2.50.  10 1/4 by 8 3/4 inches.  47 pages.  Reprinted May, 1949 on copyright page  Slight soiling and wear to jacket, even less to covers. A very good to fine copy.  Except for the illustrated inscription opposite the title page, no markings.  Pages very clean.  Please see the photographs, which can be enlarged and are part of the description.

The ink sketch was dated Bread Loaf 1950 and shows a character picking flowers with a mountain, some trees and the sun in the background.  From its webpage: Each summer since 1920, the Bread Loaf School of English has offered a rich array of graduate courses in literature, the teaching of writing, creative writing, and theater arts to students from across the United States and the world.  It is part of Middlebury College in Vermont.

I believe the first printing was in 1947."

[picture*books]

Item 270861242474 sold for $510 on Dec. 6, 2011

RARE 1929 "DAS ZAUBERBOOT" by TOM SEIDMANN-FREUD, PUB. HERBERT STUFFER

This auction is for a  Very Rare Edition  of "DAS ZAUBERBOOT: EIN BILDERBUCH ZUM DREHEN, BEWEGEN UND VERWANDEIN" by Tom Seidmann- Freud. (The Magic Boat: a Picture Book to Turn, Move and Change).

PUBLISHED BY HERBERT STUFFER VERLAG, BERLIN, 1929.

BOUND IN ORIGINAL COLORFUL PAPER BOARDS WITH BLUE CLOTH SPINE.

UNPAGINATED, 11 PAGES + REAR POCKET WITH ALL PAGES AND ILLUSTRATIONS AS INTENDED. NO INTERIOR WRITING.

JOHN SULLIVAN HAS A BOOKPLATE AND HIS NAME ON THE FRONT AND PASTE DOWN OF THE BOOK.

BOOK IS IN GOOD CONDITION. ALL THE PULL TABS APPEAR TO BE IN THEIR PROPER PLACE, BUT I DONT WANT TO PULL ON THEM. THE WHEEL ON THE RABBIT GAME TURNS AS INTENDED.

THERE IS A SCREEN AND AN EYE PIECE WITH ONE RED AND ONE GREEN LENS THAT I BELIEVE GO IN THE REAR POCKET. I FOUND 3 HAND WRITTEN PAGES IN THE BOOK

DESCRIBING THE WORKINGS OF THE BOOK IN ENGLISH.

[picture*books]

Congrats to mroyalhome for getting $799 on this nicely presented auction. Great illustrations.

Item 140641991994 sold for $799 on Dec. 4, 2011

1928. Scarce Art Deco Arabian Nights Illustr. Virginia Frances Sterrett 16 Color

ARABIAN NIGHTS
EDITED BYHILDEGARDE HAWTHORNE
ILLUSTRATED BY
VIRGINIA FRANCES STERRETT

THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANYPHILADELPHIA1928.

DESCRIPTION:
Hard Cover. Very Good/ No Dust Cover.1928.[First Edition.]9 X 11"., 9-308 pages.

Cover of black cloth with gilt title on cover and spine and large color paste-down on front board with gilt border.
Spine gilt is much darkened and rubbed. Cover gilt is very good as is the paste-down.

Board edges ans corners rubbed. Corners just rubbed through. Chip to cloth along bottom rear board edge. Boards are slightly bowed. Binding and hinges are very good. Illustrated end papers. No writing or bookplate. Interior is very clean and bright. Text pages have some toning.

16 wonderful color plates, (including frontis,) plus color decorated title page. 20 excellent black and white illustrations by Sterrett as well.

The Contents:
Sheherazade

The Merchant And The Genie

The Three Calenders

Aladdin

The Caliph Haroun Al Raschid

Ali Baba

Sinbad The Sailor

About the Illustrator: (from wikipedia)

Virginia Frances Sterrett (1900–1931) was an American artist and illustrator.

Sterrett received her first commission at the age of 19 (shortly after she was diagnosed with tuberculosis) from the Penn Publishing Company to illustrate Old French Fairy Tales (1920) - a collection of works from the 19th century French author, Comtesse de Ségur (Sophie Fedorovna Rostopchine).
A year after the publication of Old French Fairy Tales, a new title including commissioned works from Sterrett was presented by the Penn Publishing Company - Tanglewood Tales (1921). From 1923, in failing health, Sterrett was able to work on projects for short periods of time only and as a result, she was able to complete just one further commission prior to her death - her own interpretation of Arabian Nights (1928).
Her best known work is the suite of illustrations for Arabian Nights (1928). She died of tuberculosis.[1]

The comments of the St Louis Post-Dispatch in the supplement published following Sterrett's death (published 5 July 1931) pay fitting tribute to her life and work:
Her achievement was beauty, a delicate, fantastic beauty, created with brush and pencil. Almost unschooled in art, her life spent in prosaic places of the West and Middle West, she made pictures of haunting loveliness, suggesting Oriental lands she never saw and magical realms no one ever knew except in the dreams of childhood ...

Perhaps it was the hardships of her own life that gave the young artist's work its fanciful quality. In the imaginative scenes she set down on paper she must have escaped from the harsh actualities of existence."

A very scarce edition of these classic tales from the 1,001 Nights.

[picture*books]

Over $800 for this 1860 mechanical Little Red Riding Hood, with a short, somewhat cryptic, description.

Item 260903142227 sold for $838 on Dec. 3, 2011

1860 LONDON DEAN & SONS LTD NO1 LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD MOVEABLE BOOK SEE PIC

UP FOR AUCTION IS A VINTAGE LONDON DEAN & SONS LTD NO1  LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD MOVEABLE BOOK SEE PIC.

COMES WITH PAPERS

[picture*books]

Congratulations to bibliomonster for getting $750 for his copy of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. As always, a professional presentation, with relevant and well researched information. Nice work Michael!

Item 380386048786 sold for $750 on Dec. 3, 2011

1939 RUDOLPH RED NOSED REINDEER COMIC 1ST & ORIGIN CGG 6.0 FINEST KNOWN COPY !

MAY, Robert L.

GILLEN, Denver (Illustrator)

"RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER"

Chicago. Montgomery Ward. 1939. Quarto (7.375 inches x 10.25 inches). NP (32). First Edition, First Issue (Three engines on plane, Elves assisting Santa loading the sleigh). Third party grading service CGC graded "6.0". (Highest graded as of this writing). Bound in original printed red, staple bound wrappers as issued. IN EXTRAORDINARY CONDITION FOR THIS TITLE. Save for a few tiny staple stress marks along left edge, this is a nearly flawless example. No tears, no stains, and no soiling.

This is a remarkable example of what is the ORIGIN AND FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER STORY.

The holiday classic tale started with THIS very 'giveaway' edition of this title. Housed in a brand new CGC slab and graded '6.0' which is the highest grade for this title. Of the dozen or so better, complete copies I've seen in person, this is by far the finest copy I've ever seen. In fact, we doubt this copy was ever distributed in the store and possibly was a put away copy by a Ward's employee or perhaps even the printer.

In 1939, Robert L. May of Evanston, Illinois who was a copywriter for area retailer Montgomery Ward, was asked to write a Christmas story that could be given to customers as a promotional to stoke holiday toy sales. Montgomery Ward had been giving away coloring books bought outside Wards for years and perceived this is a way to continue the giveaway promotion while saving money by producing the copy in house.

Robert May who was known for writing short stories and limericks was the obvious choice for the task amongst the staff.

May drew upon the themes both in the Ugly Duckling and in his own life relating to teasing and taunting he recieved for being a child of slight build. His effort which he tested out on his 4 year old daughter Barbara, resulted in the classic story we know today as Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.

The first issue of the promotional was originally printed in runs totaling 2.4 million copies in 1939. However, since this was a promotional Montgomery Ward's giveaway, many of the initial copies were quickly read and disposed of or pulped in later paper drives for WWII. Those that did survive were hastily shoved in purses, pockets, and shopping bags or eagerly read by grubby little pre-war children's hands making any complete surviving copies in excellent condition truly rare.

Please know the TRUE FIRST ISSUE of this book MUST have the important issue points which are:

1) The airplane with 3 engines (later printings and editions the airplane had 4 engines to reflect the advance in flight technology)

2) The elves are helping Santa load the sleigh. (later versions there are no elves)

I've taken care to capture photos of these important issue points before I had the book graded and slabbed to prove to knowledgeable buyers that this is what I puport it to be.

Please bid with confidence as we enjoy our 12th year selling on Ebay.

A 'Golden Age' comic with an exceptional story and an important piece of American Pop-Culture of the first order. An incredible, historic, investment grade and incomparable Christmas themed gift that the lucky receipient will cherish for years to come.

[picture*books]

Item 130574462705 sold for $375 on Dec. 11, 2011

"1910s LITTLE BLACK SAMBO, FIRST U.S. EDITION In RARE DJ, ALTEMUS "WEE BOOK" NICE

FIRST ALTEMUS "WEE BOOK" EDITION, EXCELLENT CONDITION --RARELY Found in ORIGINAL MATCHING COLOR PICTORIAL DUST JACKET!!While It looks LIKE NEW, I GUARANTEE It is NOT one of those Modern Reprints you see all the time! TRUE FIRST EDITION of the ALTEMUS Original "WEE BOOKS For WEE FOLKS" Title!!

This is indeed the ORIGINAL FIRST EDITION, retaining DUST JACKET, Ca. 1910. Bold Cover Color, with red cloth spine cover (2 tiny pin pricks), fully titled. Perfect Paste On Color illustration of Sambo with his Umbrella. Just a hint of tip wear, retaining the Original PICTORIAL DUST JACKET in Fairly Nice Condition, just a strip lacking along top front edge affecting "Little", retaining all of spine title, retaining both inner flaps, however. Rear is somewhat soiled, but title list is quite legible...now preserved in archival sleeve. Interior is Tight & Complete, with all 27 COLOR PLATES, with No Marks or Scribbling, No Loose or Damaged pages, REMARKABLY CLEAN!! Nice turquoise illustrated end papers, tanned where Jacket shadowed!! No Names in blocks. NO marks or Damage!! NEAR FINE EXAMPLE, protected all these years by the Nice RARE ORIGINAL FIRST EDITION DUST JACKET !"

[picture*books]

I will be posting a number of Dr. Seuss auctions by lfmbooks which closed yesterday.

Item 200683510296 sold for $382 on Dec. 11, 2011

TRUE 1st Edition of the classic Dr. Seuss book TEN APPLES UP ON TOP in Dust Jacket!!
Dr. Seuss TEN APPLES UP ON TOP 1961 1st ED w/DJ

TEN APPLES UP ON TOP
By Theo LeSieg [A Pseudonym of Dr. Seuss]

Beginner Book

RANDOM HOUSE/NEW YORK(1961)

True First Edition, First Printing, First Issuematching all issue points in First Editions of Dr. Seuss Books: A Guide to Identification by Helen and Marc Younger and Dan Hirsch.No. 75; Page 178-180; 
Octavo (9 1/4" x 6 5/8")

Condition: Good in Good+ Dust Jacket

Binding Tight. Pages are pretty clean but there may be an occasional smudge. Previous owner's first name on ffep. Moderate wear.

Dust Jacket is clean with light wear. There is some wrinkling due to the fact that the DJ was improperly stuffed into a mylar but I think if you pressed the DJ for a few days the wrinkles would mostly go away. Price still intact

[picture*books]

$1575 for a 1st edition Green Eggs And Ham with the 'sticker' on the front DJ. The DJ is VG- or G+, while the book is in VG+. While there are several on the market right now, these will eventually dry up due to the high demand and relative scarcity of this 1st edition book. Green Eggs And Ham is Seuss's best selling book, with over 30 million copies sold.

Item 200683500724 sold for $1575 on Dec. 11, 2011

"TRUE 1st EDITION of classic GREEN EGGS AND HAM by Dr. Seuss w/Dust Jacket!!

One of the TRUE CLASSICS of Children's Books!!

Dr. Seuss GREEN EGGS AND HAM 1960 1st ED w/DJ STICKER!1st Issue with 50 Word Vocabulary Sticker! Very Rare!

GREEN EGGS AND HAM
By Dr. Seuss

RANDOM HOUSE/NEW YORK(1960)

True First Edition, First Printing, First Issuematching all issue points in First Editions of Dr. Seuss Books: A Guide to Identification by Helen and Marc Younger and Dan Hirsch:  No. 27; Page 75-77;Has the rare 50 Word Vocabulary sticker! Only the first few copies of the First Edition had this, all the others had it printed on. Probably one of the rarest issues of any Dr. Seuss book!

Condition: Good in Fair Dust Jacket

Binding Tight. Pages are clean. Previous owner's inscription on ffep. Some wear to edges of covers.

Dust Jacket has some wear along edges, three small tears in rear panel (with creases), and light scuffing/soiling to rear panel. 50 Word Vocabulary sticker is nice with no wear! Price still intact."

[picture*books]

$3500 for a first edition And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street, Seuss first children's book. I think this is the scarcest of the Seuss books.

Item 200683495072 sold for $3500 on Dec. 11, 2011

TRUE 1st EDITION of classic MULBERRY STREET by Dr. Seuss w/Dust Jacket!!

"One of the TRUE CLASSICS of Children's Books!!

Dr. Seuss MULBERRY STREET 1937 1st ED w/DJ RARE HIGHSPOT CHILDRENSSeuss's First Book! Rare 1st Issue with all points! White shorts!

AND TO THINK THAT I SAW IT ON MULBERRY STREET
By Dr. Seuss

THE VANGUARD PRESSNew York                                                               1937


True First Edition, First Printing, First Issuematching all issue points in First Editions of Dr. Seuss Books: A Guide to Identification by Helen and Marc Younger and Dan Hirsch: No. 1; Page 14-15;

Including 1937 date on title page with no later printings mention on copyright page but the main point is boy has WHITE shorts not blue on both cover and dust jacket.

Price is not an issue point as at least the second printing had the same price but the boy's shorts are blue on the second printing.

One of Seuss's hardest to find books, as it was his first and not many were printed! The cheapest price for a comparable copy is $7,000 (and that copy has a later issue dust jacket!)
Quarto (11" x 8 1/2")

Condition: Very Good in Very Good- Dust Jacket

Binding very good. Clean and bright except for a small smudge or two. Very light browning on endpapers. Moderate wear along edges but still very square example. Dust Jacket is clean and bright with light chipping and a few small tears along edges. A nice copy! Price clipped."

[picture*books]

Debated whether to document this 'Reserve Not Met' auction. Bidding reached $787 for this innocuous little 1975 Seuss book, written under the pseudonym Rosetta Stone, and issued without a DJ.

Item 200683502596 didn't meet reserve for $787 on Dec. 11, 2011

TRUE 1st Edition of the classic Dr. Seuss book BECAUSE A LITTLE BUG WENT KA-CHOO!!

"Dr. Seuss LITTLE BUG WENT KA-CHOO 1975 1st ED RARE! because a One of Dr. Seuss's rarest First Editions with RARE $2.95 price sticker!

BECAUSE A LITTLE BUG WENT KA-CHOO
By Rosetta Stone [Pseudonym of Dr. Seuss]

Beginner Book

RANDOM HOUSE/NEW YORK(1975)

True First Edition, First Printing, First Issuematching all issue points in First Editions of Dr. Seuss Books: A Guide to Identification by Helen and Marc Younger and Dan Hirsch.No. 4; Page 21;

This is one of hardest Dr. Seuss First Editions to get. And it has the original price sticker (which may be as rare as 1 in 100). Original publisher price stickers on Dr. Seuss First Editions are rare even on common titles but especially of scarce titles such as this.

Octavo (9 1/4" x 6 5/8")

Condition: Very Good

Tight Binding. Clean Pages and Covers. Only slight wear. Several small indents (like a child write on a paper and pressed a bit too hard on the book) on the front cover (not very noticeable). A very nice copy overall!

No Jacket as Issued."

[picture*books]

The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins is Seuss's 2nd book and difficult to find in 1st/1st. This auction closed for $449 for a 1st issue DJ on a 2nd printing of the book.

Item 200683493625 sold for $449 on Dec. 11, 2011

1st EDITION of classic THE 500 HATS by Dr. Seuss w/Dust Jacket!!

"One of the TRUE CLASSICS of Children's Books!!

Dr. Seuss 500 HATS 1937 1st ED w/DJ RARE HIGHSPOT CHILDRENS BARTHOLOMEW CUBBINS

Seuss's Second Book! Rare 1st Issue DJ! $1.00 price!

THE 500 HATS OF BARTHOLOMEW CUBBINS
By Dr. Seuss

THE VANGUARD PRESS  -  NEW YORK(1938)

Dust Jacket is True First Edition, First Printing, First Issue matching all issue points in First Editions of Dr. Seuss Books: A Guide to Identification by Helen and Marc Younger and Dan Hirsch: No. 22; Page 62-64;

Including $1.00 price for Mulberry Street that was changed to $1.25 in 1939. Because of this the price on the front flap is not needed.

Book DOES NOT match first issue points. It has the hats opposite of what they are in the first issue. This does not mean the jacket was married to the book. Sometimes the publisher would have extra jackets and they would use them with later printings of the book.

One of Seuss's hardest to find books, as it was his second and not many were printed!

Quarto (12" x 9 1/4")

Condition: Good+ in Good Dust Jacket

Binding very good. Clean and bright except for a small smudge or two. Very light browning on endpapers. Slight wear to corners. A little spotting to covers. Dust Jacket has some wear, small chips, and small tears. A few smudges on dust jacket. Price clipped but Mulberry Street price of $1.00 still intact."

[elynslibrary]

Just interrupting this for a moment to say "Thank You" for continuing to maintain the invaluable information on this wonderful thread.

I especially enjoy your explanations and commentary - it helps to explain the "What the........?" reactions I sometimes have when looking at the final prices.:-x

THANK YOU, picturebooks!

Your efforts are very much appreciated.