Inflation

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tix
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Inflation

Post by tix »

It’s surprising how the Enid Blyton books increase in value. A first edition of “Five go Adventuring Again” has just sold for £31 on the eBay site. I bought the same title at a church gala for about 10p and as that was in March of 1996 you can work out the profit inflation-wise. I can’t, but it must be fairly good.
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Jeffery Greyling
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Re: Inflation

Post by Jeffery Greyling »

Do you mean that you bought a first edition in '96, or that you only bought the title?
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tix
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Re: Inflation

Post by tix »

It was a “First Edition.”
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Re: Inflation

Post by Tony Summerfield »

tiq wrote:It’s surprising how the Enid Blyton books increase in value. A first edition of “Five go Adventuring Again” has just sold for £31 on the eBay site. I bought the same title at a church gala for about 10p and as that was in March of 1996 you can work out the profit inflation-wise. I can’t, but it must be fairly good.
£31 sounds like an absolute bargain to me, but I don't suppose it had a dustwrapper or it would have sold for several hundred pounds! :lol:

The astronomical rise in the prices of these books is frightening, copies of Five on a Treasure Island have sold for over £2000. I have said so before in the forums, but when I bought my copies twenty years ago only one book cost me more than £10, and that was because I was impatient to complete the series! :roll:
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Re: Inflation

Post by Jeffery Greyling »

Tony Summerfield wrote:The astronomical rise in the prices of these books is frightening, copies of Five on a Treasure Island have sold for over £2000. I have said so before in the forums, but when I bought my copies twenty years ago only one book cost me more than £10, and that was because I was impatient to complete the series! :roll:
As first edition copies of Treasure Island were only 47 years old 20 years back, now they'd be 67 years old. I know myself, from collecting Mary Grant Bruce books, that first editions get a much higher price than reprints from five years later. I see first editions in good condition go for about 40 pounds on Ebay Australia, but to get a reprint from a couple of years later, they're about 8 pounds. That said, most of her books are extremely rare, having been out of print for 70 or so years.
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tix
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Re: Inflation

Post by tix »

Tony said: “£31 sounds like an absolute bargain to me, but I don't suppose it had a dustwrapper or it would have sold for several hundred pounds! The astronomical rise in the prices of these books is frightening … “

*******************************

It had a “facsimile” dust-wrapper, Tony. That’s about US$50 for a volume that’s seen kinder days with a cover that cost a paltry amount. Still, it’s better than a lot of similar books held in our collections and with that in mind I’ve just discovered another first edition (coverless) that I also picked up for a few pence. If I add a facsimile wrapper perhaps I could sell that one for £31, PLUS the inflation increase since September 21st which might be an extra 20p or so.

Here’s an example of a slightly later book for comparison purposes from a well-known Blyton dealer in 2003:- “Five on Kirrin Island Again.” 1947, inscr, spine sl cocked o/w VG+ in VG npc first-issue d/w, one sml chip corner of spine top just taking off the top of the first 'F', neatly repaired, several tears with associated creasing and minor chips. £325

“Frightening” it is. For the last few years my estimation of the current (reasonable?) price for a First Edition of “Five on a Treasure Island” was in the area of US$1000 although I’ve had to extend it to £1000 now that the bidding is becoming fierce. As for £2000? I haven’t seen a price that high as yet but there is the “context” factor because it has to remembered that if a person with piles of money is buying a First Edition then the thought “He’s paying peanuts,” needs to be considered. Many of us could afford a £2000 book if we were desperate, but what’s the point? Prestige? Profit from inflation? Perhaps an exhibition is envisaged and if that took place an entrance fee could be charged to help recoup losses at the very least.

No doubt the value of the book will rise although you’ll have to wait around a bit but the true Enid Blyton appreciator puts the stories first and foremost and if you can read exactly what the original copy contains in a later edition and dwell on the Soperian pictures then why pay the grossly inflated price? You might have to get a copy from as far back as the early 1960’s to ensure authenticity but there are loads of second-hand and twentieth-hand “Treasure Islands” of that vintage lying around the place.

Norman Wright, a Founder Member of the EBS, quoted about £125 for a Good copy in a 1997 article. He more than doubled the price when the millennium arrived so, as the grains of wheat multiply on the chessboard, a £2000 tag can be quite easily comprehended. If the board is fully utilized, then accordingly “Five on a Treasure Island” should be selling for miles over £1,677,721,600 in the required amount of years but that brings us well into the next century so hang around (I was able to estimate only up to a third or so towards the potential cost before running out of window-space on the calculator).

On January 12th, 2007 a copy went for just over £150 and it appears to have gone to one of our “Own.” As the description reveals, the cover was in bad shape. There was a large piece torn from it and that included – all of “Enid,” the pants of the person standing up, and then it went down through half of the boat’s rear. There was another piece gone from the top which more-or-less included part of “Enid” on the spine down to the top of the “I” in Island and up again to eliminate the “Fi” of Five.

(BOOK OFFERED IS FIVE ON A TREASURE ISLAND THIS THE 1ST EDITION [1ST IMPRESSION AND NOT A COPY OR FACSIMILE THIS IS THE REAL THING ] PUBLISHED IN AUGUST 1942 IN HARDBACK BY HODDER & STOUGHTON. THE UNCLIPPED ORIGINAL PARTIAL DUSTJACKET SHOWS 5/- NET AND HAS PART OF FRONT AND SPINE AND BOTH INNER FLAPS ONLY [NO BACK ] [SEE 3RD PHOTO] SO BE AWARE THE REST OF THE JACKET YOU SEE IN THE OTHER PHOTOS I HAVE ADDED LOOSELY [FROM A FACSIMILE COPY OF JACKET] TO COMPLETE THE BOOK AS YOU SEE IT IN THE 1ST PHOTO SO COULD BE FINISHED OFF PROFESSIONALLY OR LEFT AS IT IS INSIDE PROTECTIVE PLASTIC COVER. THE BOARDS HAVE BEEN BEAUTIFULLY REBOUND USING THE BEST MATERIALS AS NEAR TO THE ORIGINALS AS TO BE FOUND [SEE PHOTO] SO VERY GOOD CONDITION. 1 VERY SMALL MARK ON FRONT BOARD . CONTENTS GOOD + [HAVE TO BE GOOD TO WARRANT REBINDING]. ODD PAGE HAS A LITTLE DIRTY MARK [AGE RATHER THAN DIRTY]. NO INSCRIPTIONS OR COLOURING IN OR FOXING. STILL A 1ST IMP WITH A FIRST JACKET WILL SET YOU BACK £1,000+[USUALLY WITH POOR BOARDS] SO THIS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO OWN AN ORIGINAL 1ST IMPRESSION WITH A ORIGINAL JACKET ………………….. )

Ten days after that auction (Jan. 22nd) I was driving along the highway without a care in the world when suddenly, I had one. A law-enforcer signaled me to stop and then issued a speeding infringement notice for the equivalent of £75. To pass the time when I resumed my journey I analyzed the financial loss and its relation to the bids made on book auctions. The result was very rewarding because I became aware that the limits could be raised considerably through the following process:-

No doubt most of us have taken part in auctions at one time or another and there is a limit that we impose however loose it may be. When I lost my £75 I thought back to the books I’d bid for over the years and the level to which I had been prepared to go. Often, the “Lost Cause” feeling is reached and you won’t go any higher due to the realization that someone else is determined to win the prize. If you enter an auction and bid up to your limit of say £20, why not think of the infringement notice you didn’t receive that day, or yesterday, or during the past six weeks? If you’d been unlucky, you would have dispensed with £75 with no questions asked which is equivalent to throwing the money out of the window or onto the fire. With that in mind, when you next feel like opting out of an auction because your limit has been reached, remember the cash you are forced to part with unexpectedly now and again as in the above example. Imagine you had received a speeding fine that very day and paid it and then dwell on the fact that you “haven’t” received a speeding fine so why not spend the money, or part of it, on something that will not only provide you with untold pleasure but will also increase in value and allow you to sell it any time you like for a full refund-plus? There you are, the clue to winning auctions is to bid up, and up, and up towards the cost of an unexpected calamity that could force you to throw your money away with no choice at all about it. In a more costly auction, why not raise your limit even higher:

“I almost dented the car today but I just managed to swerve. Whew! I’ve saved myself over £300. I think I’ll bid for that £50 book that I thought I couldn’t afford!”
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Re: Inflation

Post by Tony Summerfield »

A very interesting reply, almost a complete article! It is true to say that the cost of everything has gone up and perhaps it is a good idea when considering whether to buy or not to buy a book to put it into perspective.

One thing that is worth mentioning when one considers these horrendous prices is that my set of Famous Five books that I bought twenty years ago is probably the best investment that I ever made. Herein lies the problem of some of the high prices, the books are being bought by investors and not by collectors. Of course I have no intention of selling my books, so the investment is only really on paper, but there are others around who treat these books just as they would stocks and shares. The downside of this is that the poor collector has been priced right out of the market. But personally I would be too worried about the kudos of owning a first edition when I can buy an almost identical reprint at a fraction of the cost.
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Re: Inflation

Post by shadow »

I can't believe the prices of these books, I may have to revise my 99p limit in the future. :(

A couple of months ago I bought three FF books for 99p, one of which was a first edition of Kirrin Island Again with the wrong way round frontis piece in the book. There was no dust wrapper and the spine is in a bad way, I was the only bidder. Does this mean that there are still bargains out there, this book isn't that sought after or the book has to be in AI shape with DW ?

I've also found that the first and last three FF books are fetching quite a lot more than the other FF books in similar condition. It's taking a long time to get the last three books, not necessarily 1st editons or DW, for a reasonable (according to me) price and I'm still missing demon's rock. It's not just the first editions that are going into the silly price bracket (over £10 in my case). It's also thanks to the cave that I have managed to find those bargains and avoid the pitfall of a reprint being passed as a 1st edition.

Lets hope there's still bargains to be had, I've not managed to replace the paperbacks with older editions just yet. :o
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Re: Inflation

Post by Fiona1986 »

I like to buy editions that are as early as possible, and I am thrilled every time I manage a 1st.
I have 193 Blytons, of which 47 are True firsts - and I'm very careful to check the cave before declaring any of my books as true firsts....... Although I did just notice I had a Dean&Son marked as true 1st :oops: .
Around 20 or so of my books have no date, or no edition details, and around 10 are actual second editions, the rest are all 1st/2nds, 1st/3rds and so on.

I agree with Tiq though, I'd rather buy a slightly later impression in good condition at a reasonable price, so that I can enjoy reading it, than wait and wait in the hope of spending a small fortune on a poor 1st. Sadly, I can't afford a small fortune, let alone a bargain + a small fortune for every book!!

I really like the thinking of "I saved myself a speding fine so I should spend the money on a book"....... I don't drive so I now just need to come up with an alternative for myself!!
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Jeffery Greyling
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Re: Inflation

Post by Jeffery Greyling »

You have 47 firsts? I wish I had half that collection. I've got:
1. A 1951 reprint of Five Run Away Together
2. A first of Finniston Farm, with the opening page of the story missing
3. A 1954 reprint of The Rilloby Fair Mystery
4. A 1966 edition of The Rat-a-tat Mystery
5. Well, I don't think there is a #5!

None of these have dust-wrappers, BTW.

There are a couple of short-story collections, and The Enid Blyton Omnibus, Josie, Click and Bun, but that concludes my list of pre 1970 hardcovers. All the other short-story books are Dean & Son hardcovers, and the Famous Five, Adventure books, Secret series (which I've only one of!) and the Five Find-outers (which I also only have one of) are all '70s and '80s paprebacks. The Barney series I have mostly in hard-cover, but Rockingdown is a paperback.

I know that people love first editions, and I do too, but there is a certain charm (for me) in an old battered paperback, which someone has read countless times and really loved it. A crisp, mint condition first edition that has never been opened would be a wonderful thing to own, but to know that someone in a past time has read and loved that particular copy, is more special to me than anything you could ever get out of a book.
Last edited by Jeffery Greyling on 24 Sep 2009, 22:42, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Inflation

Post by Fiona1986 »

I'm not sure if any if any of my 1sts have Djs, and only a handful of the rest do.

I'd love a copy of the Enid Blyton Omnibus!! Each time I've seen it on eBay is has been 30 pounds or more though.

I still haven't parted with my 60s-80s paperbacks after I bought older editions as they still have sentimental value, but I do prefer to buy and read books as close to the original as possible. Obviously, there are changes, even between a true first and the next impression such as a new dust jacket and frontispiece, but usually it's the same illustrator and text.
"It's the ash! It's falling!" yelled Julian, almost startling Dick out of his wits...
"Listen to its terrible groans and creaks!" yelled Julian, almost beside himself with impatience.


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Re: Inflation

Post by Lucky Star »

I'm not sure that I have any first editions at all. I do have a nice little collection of early editions with dust wrappers. I am quite happy if I have the original text and artwork in reasonably good condition. I do love the smell and feel of an old book, some of mine have inscriptions dating back from before I was born, I sometimes wonder where their original owners have got too and whether or not they remember their childhood books. I could not justify paying some of the outrageous prices that I see on ebay and other places.
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Re: Inflation

Post by Jeffery Greyling »

I once bought an old book that said; "To John, on his 12th Birthday. Love from Aunty Margaret (or something like that). I was shocked when I saw this, and it made me extremely happy. The only problem is that it was just after my 13th b'day. :(
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Re: Inflation

Post by Aurélien »

Occasionally one can still find a cheap Blyton hardback (that collectors and the book scouts have somehow overlooked) at NZ booksales, or in Thrift-cum-Goodwill shops. These books are more often Dean editions, rather than Hodder/Brockhampton and Methuen, or even Newnes or Lutterworth.

Usually they're less sought-after, so-called 'minor' works, and seldom do they have even part of a dustjacket remaining. Most of them are illustrated, however, and the texts are likely unchanged, or substantially unchanged, from the originals. Best of all, the prices are :D affordable to an old codger living on a small pension.

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Re: Inflation

Post by pete9012S »

Tony Summerfield wrote:
One thing that is worth mentioning when one considers these horrendous prices is that my set of Famous Five books that I bought twenty years ago is probably the best investment that I ever made. Herein lies the problem of some of the high prices, the books are being bought by investors and not by collectors. Of course I have no intention of selling my books, so the investment is only really on paper, but there are others around who treat these books just as they would stocks and shares. The downside of this is that the poor collector has been priced right out of the market. But personally I would be too worried about the kudos of owning a first edition when I can buy an almost identical reprint at a fraction of the cost.
I enjoyed this thread.I checked ebay today (2017) and the most expensive edition of Five On A Treasure Island is being offered for £2,575.

Image
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIVE-ON-A-TRE ... SwQPlV9q~-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Personally,I would be quite happy to have these two books in my collection instead and save a couple of quid..

Image
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIVE-ON-A-TRE ... Sw-0xYP-tx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Image

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Enid-Blyton-F ... SwnHZYlz01" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Now,what should I do with that £2,470 or so pounds I have saved by buying later editions...Mmmmm. :D
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