"How to identify and collect American first editions: A guide book"

NOT WORTH CONSUMING

Book Collector’s often prefer a book that is timely, dated, and a clear reflection of the taboos, morals, prejudices and sexisms of the era for which it is written. A person who collects books on slave narratives, for example, does not expect to pick up an edition written in 1955, open it up and read the following:
“Yo, so this G had a musket in my face an’ he say “Drop it, homeboy!” So I dropped my glock, and chilled while the man was out picking cotton in the field…Yeah, Yeh!.”

Yet, when it comes to reading a book on how to identify and collect rare books, I recommend that the average collector find something more modern. How to Identify and Collect American First Editions: A Guide Book was written in 1976. While this book offers some great tips on how to start a collection, it was written during the beginning stages of serious book collecting. Many of the prices and profitable trends have changed. When the author wrote this book, children’s books were basically a dime a dozen. In todays market, Juvenile Fiction is one of the 3 most valued type of books to collect (along with autographed editions and illustrated books with their original plates and protection papers).

Even the standard how books increased in value has changed somewhat since this book was written. Tannen explains that a book value was rarely determined on age rarity, but on the inflation of paper currency.( though the author admits there are some exceptions to this rule) Since inflation is more valued now on debt than the amount of money printed, I am sure a books value is due more now to how scarce and old the volumes are. However, Tannen’s advice to buy books printed in the Civil War South or Old West Territories, and other areas no longer in “existence”, will probably always be hot commodities to look for.

This book offers a extensive but not exhaustive listing of American publishing companies. I took great delight coming upon listing for Duke University Press and The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill’s printing company. Yet, I noticed other North Carolinian publishers curiously absent from the author’s bibliography; such as The University of Wake Forest and North Carolina State University.

While this listing is not exhaustive, it is quite tiring to read. In a thirty-eight page bibliography of “American Publishers and their Methods of Denoting First Editions” (page 18), the phrase “The first edition can be identified by identical dates on the title page and verso” is found so many times, I gave up counting after 40. In a book with 10 chapters, each with it’s own bibliography, one should expect repetitive narrative throughout this volume.

Reflecting on the age of this book, the author, Jack Tannen writes in his foreword, that he hopes to live another 25 years. Written almost 30 years ago, I wonder if he made it to his goal. Tannen is co-owner of the Biblo-Tannen Book store on New York’s Fourth Avenue, if it is still there. The author’s knowledge of books could mean that his store was a haven to bibliophiles. It would be interesting to visit the store if it was still in existence the next time I go to New York.

More than likely, the casual reader will not take much out of this book, unless they develop the urge to start collecting rare book. Like any buyers guide, age dates this work, leaving much of its information worthless. The only value a book like this have might be to a collector of bibliographies. Which is funny, since the author claims that too, is a growing genre interest of collectors.
Author’s Note: As I was looking for an image of the book, I discovered that Jack Tannen wrote a second revised edition of this book. My library only had the first edition. Thus my review is only pertained to the edition I read.