Collectors- just old books or new ones too?

[Ice_Gemz]

Hi all, I was thinking the other day about my collection of EBs and how recently I have acquired (spelling?) several modern books. I didn't originally intend to go for the modern versions of books but over time and with bulk-buying several boxes of books via eBay, I have found I have lots of modern books.
The modern ones I have are mainly Noddy ones (1990's BBC paperbacks) and most of the 1990s Dean reward hardbacks, even though I have the Deans in 1970s hardback and several also in older hardback with DJs.
This means I have duplicate books/stories, but I am happy with having them in various formats.
I was wondering how other collectors feel about the modern books, whether you collect them as well as the older copies? (after all, they too will be old one day!)

[Katharine]

I'm like you, I've got a real mixture of old and new books. Ideally I'd like to have all originals, but financially that's not always realistic, so next up I go for the oldest version I can find. However I'm also trying to complete my set of Dean books for the 1970s. I've also got different versions of things like the FF books ranging from the old red board covers, to the 1970s paperbacks and even some with the TV covers. Due to lack of space I'm trying now to just collect books I don't have in any version, but every now and then if I see something that catches my eye and it's a bargain I find it hard to resist.

About the only series I won't collect in the modern form are the Sampson Low Noddy books, I don't mind them not having the D/W, but they must have the Golly.

[MJE]

I was wondering how other collectors feel about the modern books, whether you collect them as well as the older copies? (after all, they too will be old one day!) :)

     For me, this is not really about relativity of age (new books will be old one day, so it's all relative, so one might as well collect new books too). Rather, there are two issues involved.
     One is the issue of having texts as unaltered as possible. That may not require first editions, but it probably requires editions before about 1970, which is when the bowdlerizing rot seems to have begun. I have occasionally bought a more recent copy if I thought it may take a long time to find an earlier one - but mostly I avoid buying anything published after 1970.
     The other issue is that I was unfortunate enough to be persuaded to part with my entire Blyton collection when my parents thought I was too old for Enid Blyton, and so I am especially interested in finding again the exact editions I used to have. This, once again, does not require first editions, but ones before 1970, because (as it happens) it was around that time I parted with the collection, so all my editions are from before that year.
     I have already found the exact editions with some titles, but with some (maybe still most) I haven't yet. For Famous Fives, that means those old red hardcovers, although it doesn't have to be the exact same edition - if it looks the same, that will do, and it won't matter much if the copyright page says "12th edition" when my old one might have been 10th or 11th (which I would not remember anyway). With some paperbacks where the cover pictures changed every few years, it does mean finding the exact edition that had the cover I used to know.
     I never had the hardcover editions of series like The Five Find-Outers or the Adventure series. I did decide at one point to look for those nonetheless, and I half-heartedly bought a few copies. I was half-hearted because I knew it would be both costly and time-consuming to get the whole series in such editions. But it was a bit disappointing, because the copies were rather on the expensive side (I got only copies with a dustjacket), and they were a bit tatty, too - so I've kind of stopped looking for them - although without any decision to stop, but just not getting around to further searching. No doubt - the cost is something of a deterrent.
     And storage space is a bit of a issue for me, too, as I'm already almost crowded out by books.

Regards, Michael.

[Francis]

The Adventire series without the cover but including all the marvellous
inside illustrations should not be expensive. I bought one for 50p the
other day (but it was a Charity shop!).

[Fiona1986]

Like Michael the age is more about being close to the original rather than being interested in the edition or 'oldeness' of the book. Of course, I do like having first/early editions but that's not the be-all and end-all.

What I like is knowing my books are as close to the original as possible. A first edition is almost exactly as Enid wrote it. There will have been few revisions or corrections. The artist will be the one she had approved.

Pretty much all my books are first edition somethingth impression. I have a few 2nd or later editions but only where either the illustrations and content are very similar to the original (one or two of my Fives are Brockhampton rather than Hodder for example) or the first is too hard to get a hold of (I have 'Enid Blyton's Circus Book' rather than 'Boys' and Girls' Circus Book).

[Gingeroo]

I just used to buy any book, modern or not- as long as it was Blyton.
However, after realising that this was producing a rather jumbled mess on my book shelf (not to mention the expense!), I have restricted myself to the Dean and Son Hardbacks of the 60's and 70's as these tend to be in good condition. Plus I love the front covers.
Unlike most I don't mind that much when the text has been altered- although perhaps that is because I haven't read many originals and so find it harder to tell when one has been altered.
I would prefer a full series of modern books to a mixture of older ones.

[7upromana01]

I tend to go more for the newer editions. I've already got all the new versions of Malory Towers, St.Clare's and i've nearly got new editions of Famous Five. I've got older editions though of Faraway Tree, Wishing Chair and Adventurous Four, most of them being dean rewards. I am collecting though clothboard secret sevens as I got one for free from my grandma's friend. I've recently ordered some more clothboards secret sevens from Ice_Gemz.

[yarvelling]

I only collect the older 40's, 50's, and 60's editions; I want to read the books as originally written, and not changed by the faceless PC collective who want to remove any instances of things that 'may' be considered inappropriate for children nowadays, and to make the characters more 'modern'.... are we going to be reduced to a 'modern' series of books such as:
"Five Buy an iPhone Together"
"Five Get Their Ears Pierced"
"Five Get a Tattoo"
"Five Get a Tattoo Again"

and ultimately, because all elements of danger, intrigue, and adventure have been removed:
"Five Stand Around Looking Bored"

Sorry! Small rant! I just hate the censorship, and needless changing of items, language, etc. that takes place. It's been done with another series of classic children's books that I used to love too; the Billy Bunter books.
That's why it'll always be the older 'classic' books!
Cheers!

Steve.

[Julie2owlsdene]

Most of my collection is from the 50's and 60's, and is Enid's orginial wordings. I've got one or two new updates, just to see for myself how they've changed, but that is mainly out of curiosity!

[Bectun67]

I prefer mine to be of the "vintage" they were when I read them in the mid 70s, so Knight for FF, Dragon for Find Outers/SC/MT, Armada for Barney R etc. I did buy the St. Clare's and MT's editions by Mammoth, although had I found out about the "new" St. Clare's books a couple of years later ie. when I got onto the Internet and had discovered Ebay etc. I would have probably got the MT's in the Dragon versions I had as a kid. I did buy the 6 post - Darrell books, but of course there is no alternative but to buy up to date versions of those.

I have to say, especially on the boarding school books, I absolutely LOATHE the "nowadays" covers artwork!!

[Francis]

I have the old hardbacks of the Famous Five and Aventure series but also
have quite a few later paperbacks. When I have the time I might start
comparing the various editions of one book to spot the changes.

[Lawrie]

  One is the issue of having texts as unaltered as possible. That may not require first editions, but it probably requires editions before about 1970, which is when the bowdlerizing rot seems to have begun.

Like Michael and many others I like to read the original, unedited, text, and so tend to go for hardbacks if they're not too expensive. I'm a great haunter of charity shops and there are bargains to be found although many of them now send the books off to specialist dealers. I love the dustwrappers but usually can't afford them, though all my Fives have them! When I first read Blyton it was mostly in paperback, apart from a lot of Fives inherited from older cousins. It was all Knight and Red Dragon. Does anyone else remember how grown up you felt when you got on to Green Dragons (for older boys and girls)? I felt really proud to be seen reading one of these . Does anyone know if any Enid Blytons were published in Green Dragon?

[Lawrie]

When I have the time I might start
comparing the various editions of one book to spot the changes.

I'd be interested in your findings Francis.

[joanne_chan]

I'm coming at this from a restocking angle more than a collectors one with first editions and end papers.
The main criteria for edition selection for me is no character or character name changes so if I was looking for series like Noddy I certainly skip anything after the 70's.
I have the early 90's Naughtiest Girl omnibus as well as the two St Clare's omnibus's Dean hardbacks which I got surprisingly cheaply that I'm quite happy with.
I really do not like the current school series covers Egmont are using and sticking on the parts of my head that know what I liked as a child, I'm not sure I'd of bought them myself because I knew what drawings were liked visiting galleries so the aesthetics would have displeased me because I'd of wanted a more static drawn image.
They come over as being 'too cheap'. I had the separate 2006 editions of Malory Towers but replaced it with the 2004 set of the original six stories as I preferred the covers although I may be tempted to look at a future point for earlier editions once I can identify where the major text changes occur.

[Moonraker]

Does anyone know if any Enid Blytons were published in Green Dragon?

Yes, they were.