The Enid Blyton Society

I don't if this has been covered before, but the recent discussion about what makes a 'true' collector got me thinking. If money were no object, would we all be buying mint copies with D/W, not price clipped and with no inscriptions?

Personally I'm not that bothered about the original white spine versions of the FF books, the ones that I do own with D/W are all the newer versions, so I'd prefer to have a matching set, rather than a mixture of 1st editions in different styles. Price clipping really doesn't bother me either way. I'm not keen on books which have been coloured in, but I'm happy with inscriptions in the front. I actually quite like them, as to me it makes the books have more of a personality, although I also feel sad that 'Peter' or whoever didn't keep the book for whatever reason.

For me, the most important feature of collecting the books is to get the original text and illustrations, so if it's a reprint but is identical to the original in every other way, then that's fine by me.

I feel very much the same Katharine. My FF copies are all hardback with a mixture of no D/W , new style ones and the white spine ones - one of which (Smugglers Top) I had from new and although some are first editions that is by default rather than choice as it is the story which for me is the most important.
I find the dedications to be interesting and they don't detract from my appreciation of the book at all. Quite a number have my name in them as I used to get presents of books every birthday and Christmas for a good number of years. So I suppose you could say they are a bit of history - well my history anyway!

It's a good question. I think if money was no issue I would be buying the nicest copies I could get - first editions with nice dust jackets. I'm not bothered about neat inscriptions or price clipping though. I'd probably go for a matching set of Famous Fives though and not get the white spines either. Unless (money being no issue of course) I had a huge library and could have both types!

If I had the money and space, I'd love to have something akin to the arrangement that you mentioned jokingly on the eBay rip-off thread:

Katharine wrote:If I had the money, I'd be both kinds of collector. I'd have a room full of glass fronted cabinets, displaying mint condition 1st editions, then the rest of the house would be piled high with all the books I actually read.

- except that with me it would probably equate to books that I would read in the bath, and books that I wouldn't!

I'm not so worried about having first editions either. I do like to have a matching set so that they look good on the shelf and like to have the original text, but any edition in good condition is as much as I'll ask for (and often it's more than I can afford!). I'm slowly building up a collection of Enid Blytons which I feel very pleased with. Most don't have dust-wrappers and those that do are a bonus. I also have a number of paperbacks. Ideally I'd like to have a copy of every book of the main series in a matching hard-back set and a matching paper-back set.

Ultimately I would much rather have copies that I can read and enjoy, and not be afraid to lend to other people who might want to enjoy them too - even children with possibly careless fingers.

Perhaps I should say, especially children!

Most of my hardback copies have inscriptions in the front. I often wonder if the child enjoyed the book and was he/she excited as they tore the wrapping paper off. I suppose that the child eventually grew out of reading the book and gave it away.
If money was no object I would probably try to collect a set of first editions with wrappers. But I will never be in that position and it doesn't bother me. As long as the book has a wrapper I'm happy. I do like the binding to be firm and the book intact though.

An interesting question. I don't know if I would dare to read mint copies, complete with dust wrappers, etc. I wouldn't want to spoil them, knowing how delicate they are. I do love to read my own existing early editions from time to time: the old thick pages, the nice old smell and over all - the original text and illustrations! That is if they are in acceptable enough condition. Otherwise, I just keep them for their illustrations, and referring to them for the original text. I do very much enjoy reading the stories alongside their original illustrations, but I can never relax as much, concious of the fact that the books are so delicate and old.

On the subject of price-clippings and inscriptions: I don't mind this at all. This just adds more history to the book, in my opinion.

And so in answer to the question: if money wasn't an object, I would collect as many mint copies of the books as possible and read them very carefully (but with lots of enjoyment!)

I've got no First Edition Enid Blytons but I have a dozen hard-backed, pre-decimal copies with dust jackets and I much prefer them. If money were no object then I would only buy good condition First Editions. As money is a consideration though, I will settle for pre-decimal paperbacks if I don't want to buy HBs.

I am a bit of a book collector - I have got a number of antiquarian books and look after them accordingly. I will happily lend out reading copies but I wince at the thought of lending out anything decent. Whatever the edition, I always remove the DJ before lending a book out.

My favourite thing about old books is a nice inscription. The inscription I like best is in a VGC gilt-edged 1847 edition of the "Vicar Of Wakefield". It reads something like "To Emily Maria Maudsley, Christmas 1849, from her loving Mama". I found someone on the census records that would be a good candidate for the original recipient.

I collect books but I read what I collect. My copy of The Valley Of Adventure is a 1st edition but I read it, it is on my shelves and I don't mind others touching it and looking at it. These collectors who buy 1st editions for no other reason but to make a profit on them (dealers), or to preserve in luxury protective wrappers with no intention of reading them may be booklovers but they collect as an investment and not, as I do, collect because I love the stories and want to own as many as I can in their original text.

I do the same as John Pickup... I love to collect nice copies but I do read what I collect, although I'll sometimes take the dj off before I read it if it's a really nice one or if it's fragile. I'd LOVE to have all first editions with good dustjackets but that's not a possibility, sadly!

I'm not a serious collector of books. I do seek out original text rather than updated text editions but I'm not all that fussed to be honest. I have a soft spot for books that have a worn cover and old book smell. I've always liked to imagine who else has held the book and read it. I have a few first editions/early editions (not Enid Blytons) of old books that I've found in book markets, op-shops or have been handed down in the family since the late 1800s. I'm too scared to read most of them now in case I rip the pages or spill something in them I am yet to read many of my Ethel Turner books for this reason.

I'm the same as most people who have answered. If I bought first editions in mint condition (not that I could afford them!) I would be scared of reading them, and my greatest pleasure comes from opening a book, reading it, enjoying it. Most of my books are 'good' copies rather than 'fine' and I like the fact they have been read and enjoyed by not just me but also the previous owners. I'm always pleased to get a book with original DW still intact, and have quite a number, but I also have quite a few where I made a DW by scanning a photo of the original DW picture etc.

If I bought first editions in mint condition (not that I could afford them!) I would be scared of reading them

I have had a similar reaction when Tony has offered to lend me a mint, first edition.

A first edition mint eh? Was it an original Tic Tac or an After Eight?

Good one, Cathy!

At least it wasn't a secondhand mint!

And it certainly wouldn't have been a book either, poetic licence here from Nigel! The only mint first editions I have are of books that I have bought new and I buy them to read anyway! Most of the books that I have do have quite nice dustwrappers on them, but none of them would qualify as 'mint'.