How much are first editions worth?

[Kiki's new mam]

i just couldn't help wondering i think i have got the first edition of five go to demons rocks (without the dust jacket i'm afraid ) and i also think that i have got first editions of the sunshine book and amelia jane again! the sunshine book and the amelia jane again! books are both by dean and sons LTD also without the dustjackets

any help will be much appreciated


Leila.

EDIT: i went into a book shop once (a sort of charity book shop) which sold a lot of old books there was one section with quite a lot of enid blyton books.

one book, which looked exactly the same as my five go to demons rocks book, except that it was five go to finningston farm (without the dust jacket again ) and its price was £4.99!

there was also the third holiday book and the fourth holiday book well they must have been rare or something because i remember that the fourth holiday book was something like either £9.99 or £14.99!

[Anita Bensoussane]

The value depends partly on how sought-after the title is, as well as how rare. If lots of people are after a very good condition copy of a certain book, that will push the value up. The Dean & Son books aren't worth much because they date from the late 1960s/early 1970s or later and there are so many of them around, though they're still nice books to own. I've seen them in charity shops and on the internet for anything from about 10p to about £5.00 each. Sometimes they're priced higher than that, but that means they're less likely to sell. The Dean & Son The Three Golliwogs is often priced fairly high, probably because gollies are now controversial characters.

As far as older editions of the books are concerned, books with dustwrappers (where applicable) usually fetch a higher price than those without. The highest prices of all are paid for first editions in very good dustwrappers, especially popular titles like Five on a Treasure Island which has been known to fetch a couple of thousand pounds at auction.

[Fiona1986]

Unfortunately, though, Dean and Sons aren't first editions. They are reprints, and unless you have the dust jackets you can't tell if your D&S copy is a first for that run either, as they didn't date each edition separately.

[Kiki's new mam]

thanks for the help Anita and Fiona,

does anyone know when the rockingdown mystery was first published?



Leila.

(two thousand pounds for five on a treasure island! )

[Julie2owlsdene]

In the Cave of Books, Leila, you will find plenty of Enid Blyton books for you to look at in there. You will see when they were first published and by whom, and underneath most of them a review of the story.

Go to the top of the page and you will see Society Website. Click onto this which will take you to the Home Page. On the left hand side have a look at all the little boxes and you will see the box for Cave of Books. Have some fun looking in their. Also on the Home page. You will see the most favourite series of Enid's books. Famous Five, Find Outers etc. Just press one of those boxes and you will see the whole of the series. You can then spend hours of fun looking at all the books and reading the reviews.

[Kiki's new mam]

thanks julie, forgot about the cave of books will have a look,


Leila.

[Moonraker]

thanks julie, forgot about the cave of books

Bet that's made Tony's day!

[Enikyoga]

This discussion of first the editions of say, Five On A Treasure island fetching thousands of dollars reminds of the bidder who, as you may have heard, recently bought the very first edition of the Superman comic, that originally cost 10 cents in 1938, but was auctioned off for a whopping $1 million !!!
Stephen I.

[Lenoir]

Perhaps one day "The Famous Five: A Personal Anecdotage" will go for a million dollars.

[Lucky Star]

This discussion of first the editions of say, Five On A Treasure island fetching thousands of dollars reminds of the bidder who, as you may have heard, recently bought the very first edition of the Superman comic, that originally cost 10 cents in 1938, but was auctioned off for a whopping $1 million !!!
Stephen I.

Whoever bought that must literally have money to burn. I mean I love old things and collectors items too but a million dollars???????

[Tony Summerfield]

The highest prices of all are paid for first editions in very good dustwrappers, especially popular titles like Five on a Treasure Island which has been known to fetch a couple of thousand pounds at auction.

I have just checked out AbeBooks.co.uk (on our links page) and a copy is priced at £3750! If this is a bit beyond your means there are two cheaper copies at £3250!

[Fiona1986]

I think I'll stick with my 17th impression, but thanks all the same Tony

[Anita Bensoussane]

My 1967 Knight paperback suits me fine, thanks. With the Betty Maxey cover and Eileen Soper internal illustrations I get the best of both worlds!