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First Edition Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

We collectively know that the first edition Very Hungry Caterpillar was published in 1969 by World Publishing, with a Cleveland location (rather than New York). The first edition DJ price is at least $3.95, but uncertain if that is the exact price.


 


That's about all that is formally documented.


 


Does anybody have better/more information? What do you know of the first edition identification points for a Very Hungry Caterpillar?

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First Edition Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle


@kirthgersen wrote:

I have what appears to be a first edition of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, but the number line is 1-5, not 1-10.  Here is the number line, complete with the year string:

 

1 2 3 4 5   73 72 71 70 69

 

I read that as First printing, published in 1969.

 

My copy is missing the dust jacket, but it has cloth boards with matte finish, A3450 on back lower right corner, no ISBN listed anywhere, publisher on title page is The World Publishing Company / New York and Cleveland.

 

I think that must be a first edition, but any comments, information, or confirmation would be greatly appreciated.


Thank you.

 

About five years ago at the San Francisco ABAA Book Fair, I asked each of the children's book specialists about points of issue for the first edition The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Each didn't know for certain, save one, and each mentioned the Cleveland versus New York publication locale.

 

The one exception was Maggie Page, of Page Books. Maggie recalled that the points of issue were not difficult for the book, and thought it was a numberline with 1 through 5. I've been searching for five years for a secondary confirmation.

 

If only you would be so kind as to post a photograph of the numberline ...

Message 16 of 56
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First Edition Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

Interesting. The plot thickens.

 

What to make now of the $30k copy with a 1-10 numberline? I notice that the seller of that copy never mentioned the imprint (Cleveland vs. NY.) And I wonder why the listing disappeared from ABE, since the book was evidently not sold. I'm not suggesting anything nefarious, but it does arouse one's curiosity ....

Message 17 of 56
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First Edition Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

It could be something as simple as habit: the fingers get so used to typing 1-10 that its done without thinking about what is in hand.

Or something else.

world was always based in Cleveland, not sure when they went to NYC but I would think they'd do Cleveland and New York not New York and Cleveland.

Not that I know, but it's alphabetical and historical.
__________________________________________________________
" "Do not read too much Lionel Fanthorpe at one go, your brains will turn to guacamole and drip out of your ears."
~~~~~~~~~~~Neil Gaiman
Message 18 of 56
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First Edition Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

Glad to do it.  See the attached photo, please.

 

On NY v. Cleveland, I think that's a red herring.  The link below is to The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History's entry on World Pub., detailing how "Times-Mirror Inc., a newspaper, communications, and graphic arts firm, acquired World in the 1960s and moved its editorial offices to New York."  The link for PRINTING AND PUBLISHING IN CLEVELAND below that entry states this happened in 1962, so long before 1969 World's editorial offices were located in New York, with their bindery still in Cleveland.  I doubt there's a copy of this book that doesn't list New York.

 

Anyhoo, any idea on value for a first without a dust jacket?  I see a lot of wild figures being thrown around, and that by people who may not even have a first edition.

 

http://ech.case.edu/cgi/article.pl?id=WPC

 

 

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First Edition Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

First Edition Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle


@kirthgersen wrote:

Glad to do it.  See the attached photo, please.

 

Anyhoo, any idea on value for a first without a dust jacket?  I see a lot of wild figures being thrown around, and that by people who may not even have a first edition. 

 

 


Thank you for taking the time to post the photograph - that was very nice of you and I am soooo grateful!!

 

As for value, I had estimated a 1st/1st book and DJ to be in the $3,000-to-$5,000 range. With the $30,000 umbrella provided by the signed first edition, my estimate could be bumped up considerably. With no comparables for such a highly sought after book, I would probably list an unsigned 1st/1st in the $12,000-to-$15,000 range. I don't think the book is worth that much, however until others turn up in the market and some price history is established, having the lone copy for sale is worth the premium.

 

 

With that in mind, if I were to list a first edition book, without DJ, in Very Good+ condition, I would probably shoot for $3,000-to-$4,000.

 

Leverage the scarcity of the issue and the high demand of the book in the description. The Very Hungry Caterpillar has sold millions of copy (research!) and been published in many languages (research!).

 

Also describe the market's misperception of the previously thought first edition identification points. Many would want to own something which invalidates a widely spread myth.

 

 

Message 21 of 56
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First Edition Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle


@picture*books wrote:

We collectively know that the first edition Very Hungry Caterpillar was published in 1969 by World Publishing, with a Cleveland location (rather than New York). The first edition DJ price is at least $3.95, but uncertain if that is the exact price.


 


That's about all that is formally documented.


 


Does anybody have better/more information? What do you know of the first edition identification points for a Very Hungry Caterpillar?


So based on the picture provided, are we now saying tht the long held belief that the Cleveland imprint was required for a true first is not true?

Message 22 of 56
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First Edition Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

I also notice that this copy says Printed in Japan
Message 23 of 56
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First Edition Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

Japanese printers perfected exquisite color separations necessary for top-notch color work several years before they became available in the United States (and cost, of course, is always an issue). 

The improvements were soon adopted in the US, but not until the early 70's: it was then that newspaper Sunday magazine photographs started becoming legible and shortly thereafter color photography hit the dailies.

 

History of World Publishing: 

http://ech.case.edu/cgi/article.pl?id=WPC

Doubtful they were upgrading to the best in color work if they were on the block to be sold. Bad business.

__________________________________________________________
" "Do not read too much Lionel Fanthorpe at one go, your brains will turn to guacamole and drip out of your ears."
~~~~~~~~~~~Neil Gaiman
Message 24 of 56
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First Edition Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

I'll post a photo tomorrow of the copyright page of an early World Publishing issue which I have in my collection. It's a World Publishing issue, therefore pre-1971, and a library edition with associated binding. 

 

The binding is pictorial not cloth, with a cover similar to that of the DJ, and the book back designates it as a Library Edition. The DJ spine has a sticker which designates library edition, and both top and bottom corner of the front flap have been clipped. The book is not ex-library.

 

The copyright page has text similar to your book, however there is no semblance of a numberline, and it includes the ISBN's for both the Trade and Library edition. As is yours, my issue was printed in Japan, and published in New York. 

 

My copy could possibly be the first issue of the Library Edition.

Message 25 of 56
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First Edition Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

That's very interesting, thanks!  And that 1-10 number line, from the $30k copy, is consistent with how Philomel does it, not World.

Message 26 of 56
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First Edition Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

Looking forward to that.  I wonder when World started using ISBNs?  A quick search doesn't show any for World around the year 1969.  Also, have you ever seen the Canadian edition listed on the copyright page?  I don't see any available right now, but it was published simultaneously with the World first.

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First Edition Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

ISBN's were not in vogue until 1974 and not really in use until 1972. 

The SBN was gradually being adopted by the industry between 1968 and 1972.

Again, I see no compelling business logic to add that convention if they are putting themselves forward to be acquired. 

In any case, it would not have an ISBN in the first printing (or subsequent printings). 

Inasmuch as both ISBN and SBN are voluntary standards adopted for logistical reasons more than anything else it is hardly surprising that it is not present on the earlier printings. Once bar code readers because de facto standard cash wrap equipment, their nearly universal adoption was guaranteed. 

__________________________________________________________
" "Do not read too much Lionel Fanthorpe at one go, your brains will turn to guacamole and drip out of your ears."
~~~~~~~~~~~Neil Gaiman
Message 28 of 56
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First Edition Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

Stan, since you have considerable cachet in the children's book world, you could probably get a picture of that signed FP to answer the question whether the 1-10 numberline is the reality to his copy or just an understandable typo

I doubt that the NY Times is in any shape these days to have the staff to search out the paper records (if any) regarding this bibliographic trivia. 

__________________________________________________________
" "Do not read too much Lionel Fanthorpe at one go, your brains will turn to guacamole and drip out of your ears."
~~~~~~~~~~~Neil Gaiman
Message 29 of 56
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First Edition Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle


@gretchenfetchinsllc wrote:

ISBN's were not in vogue until 1974 and not really in use until 1972. 

The SBN was gradually being adopted by the industry between 1968 and 1972.

Again, I see no compelling business logic to add that convention if they are putting themselves forward to be acquired. 

In any case, it would not have an ISBN in the first printing (or subsequent printings). 


Thanks OBE, you are correct and I was wrong. Checked the merger date, and it is Jan. 2, 1974, not 1971, therefore my World Publishing issue could have been published anywhere from 1969-to-1973. However, the ISBN began initially in 1971 so the publication of my issue narrows from 1971/72-to-1973.

 

Most likely not a first library edition. Once I post the photo, you will be able to see the similarities to the first edition.

 

The dust jacket on my issue is very interesting, and contributes to the supposition of being an early printing. I'll leave that for another future conversation once I've been able to do some additional research.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to post, and to contributing to my education.

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