Gold Dust
little nelly
London, EnglandPosts: 152MI6 Agent
I seem to remember 20 or 25 years ago you could walk in to almost any charity shop in the land and be virtually guaranteed to find half a dozen Bond paperbacks for something like 5p each and frequently an original 50s hardback for a bit more. In the late 80s I picked up a first edition Moonraker for 20p (now no longer in my possession, sadly - stolen by my landlady!) and a "rare" DAF with the mis-numbered chapters for a similar price.
Nowadays though the old hardbacks are like gold dust. There are several specialist booksellers in Central London who charge a fortune for books that aren't even first editions - I paid £35 for a tatty OHMSS and £18 for Colonel Sun recently.
It seems people these days are more aware of the value of these old books, and rather than give them to the charity shop (always a good place to find old Bond books in days gone by) they choose to sell them on sites like e-bay.
Anyone else got a similar story to tell? Have you found any treasure lately in markets or charity shops? And do you think online auction sites are to blame for the disappearance of Bond books from the shelves?
Nowadays though the old hardbacks are like gold dust. There are several specialist booksellers in Central London who charge a fortune for books that aren't even first editions - I paid £35 for a tatty OHMSS and £18 for Colonel Sun recently.
It seems people these days are more aware of the value of these old books, and rather than give them to the charity shop (always a good place to find old Bond books in days gone by) they choose to sell them on sites like e-bay.
Anyone else got a similar story to tell? Have you found any treasure lately in markets or charity shops? And do you think online auction sites are to blame for the disappearance of Bond books from the shelves?
N O I N F O R M A T I O N I S U S E L E S S
Comments
~ Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
But NOT the new 2008 editions. Hideous!
I seem to remember the hardbacks being available in Foyle's in London, round about 1989. They were £9.95 each. I think.
I have duplicates of most of the hardbacks from Amis/Markham onwards plus a few Flemings. Last year I tried to sell a duplicate of the "James Bond Dossier" with no luck, despite asking a low price. And yes, I do have duplicate copies of the hardback "Cold" and "Licence To Kill", two of the rarer non-Fleming titles.
Prices vary widely both on the net and in the shops; I think the only answer is to keep hunting. You might comes across a hardback of Christopher Wood's "James Bond and Moonraker" for peanuts simply because the shop doesn't know it's worth.
I used to buy all the books about Bond as opposed to Bond books as well- such titles as "James Bond In The Cinema" by John Brosnan, "The Devil With James Bond!" by Ann S. Boyd, etc, but in recent years there have been too many of these to keep my interest.
[reply deleted] :v
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Says the edition was published in 1956, but research says 1962 to 69??
Now Little Nelly a man or autogyro after my own heart. Yes I'd pick up paperbacks from junk shops or antique shops as I called them, for 10p or thereabouts, often on my way home from school.
But don't you shop on eBay, LN? This does alter things, as my precious book of the film collection can of course be bought quite easily on the net. That yearning essential to any collection goes out the window, but you can buy stuff and not feel you own it, you're simply borrowing it until you decide to reflog it on eBay.
I don't really bother buying Bond books at these Charing X London bookshops, I'd rather go on eBay really. But yes, the chance of picking up a rarity for a song is less likely now. You don't even really get those old junk shops any more, and second hand books these days do look a bit rubbish because the gloss covers age more readily and the designs aren't much to look at either.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Pan edition (first) published in 1956 - that series of covers were about in 1969 - 1970.
This is the most common one though the earlier MR Pan edition is very rare and looks like this:
If you find this one buy it, as they're going for around £150 on eBay. Really eBay is the way to go on these, everything is there (for a price, and that will usually be cheaper than in a bookshop, unless it's a real rarity in which the eBay seller is likely to know about, or will do once the bids start coming in).
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I've got that one! Ha!
All my life I've resisted getting a credit/debit card because I don't think I could trust myself with one but it's looking like the time has come. Ebay is the place now, innit? The junk shop of the future.
I'm delighted my scabby old Moonraker is worth so much though. Got that for £3 at Murder One (now there's a sadly-missed outlet).
I suggest however that you do have the 'holy grail' of Bond paperbacks so I wouldn't sell it! It's rare and it looks great. I've only recently got into eBay, you need to have paypal to back it up, and you need a debit card for that.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
While we're on the subject, my old DAF hardback has mis-numbered chapter pages, for instance chapter 15 begins on page 146, but the Contents page says page 144. Also, in ch14 "We Don't Make Mistakes", Leiter tells Bond: "Kidd's a pretty boy. His friends call him "Dolly". (as opposed to "Boofy").
Now someone said this is a rare printing that is worth something. Can anyone enlighten me? Thanks.
To think that as a type setter, I get paid the big bucks not to make these types of mistakes, it's ironical to think that it's because of these, that it makes the book more valuable.
- so Loeff, how about it? Want me to lay your book out..... :v
I don't know if it's connected, but Fleming had a habit of using his friends' names for characters (Leiter, Bryce, etc) and thought it would be funny to use one of their names ("Boofy" Gore) on a homosexual hit man. The friend wasn't chuffed, Fleming apologised, and changed the name.
Same here, although the spine of mine is coming adrift.
I have a Cape 1964/6th edition and although the page number (146) is correct for chapter 15, this also contains - Kidd's a pretty boy. His friends call him "Dolly" - so perhaps that's not quite so rare.
My favorites are still the 60's US signet paperbacks though.
I thought you'd never ask :x It'll be on the way to you soon
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Roger Moore 1927-2017
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
I think they already did
Sorry there, Little Nell...these things just happen sometimes :v ...didn't mean to hijack your thread, which deals with a most worthy subject...
When I was a teenager, there was used book store in Lincoln, Illinois, called "The Browsin' Shop." It's long gone, of course, but back in the day it was a treasure trove of old Ian Flemings and Donald Hamiltons (Matt Helm)---not to mention countless other books from my misspent youth, such as Don Pendleton's original Executioner series, which was an absolute blast, as well as other more worthy material such as Poe and Hemingway...
There is nothing like the smell of an old book---particularly a paperpack. I hope I live long enough to have a book I've written smell that way B-)
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM