Read Ebook: The Collector's Guide No. 17 January 1940 A monthly periodical devoted to first editions Americana autographs old newspapers and magazines sheet music playbills dime novels current auction prices etc. by Various Madison James Editor

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Editor: James Madison

The COLLECTOR'S GUIDE

A Monthly Periodical Devoted to First Editions, Americana, Autographs, Old Newspapers and Magazines, Sheet Music, Playbills, Dime Novels, Current Auction Prices, etc. per year. Single copies 25c. Published by James Madison, P. O. Box 124, Grand Central Annex, New York. Advertising rates on page 8.

No. 17 January 1940

Largest Buyers and Sellers of FRONTIER AMERICANA IN THE COUNTRY

RETZ & STORM, Inc. 598 Madison Avenue, New York

AUTOGRAPHS, DOCUMENTS, MANUSCRIPTS OF AMERICANS OF ALL TIMES or RELATING TO AMERICA. HISTORICAL AND LITERARY, purchased for immediate cash. Fine Single pieces as well as Collections. Also accumulations of such material in large quantities.

Want List on Request

BEN BLOOMFIELD 65 University Place, N. Y. C.

Buys and sells autographs. HIGH PRICES PAID for collections and choice single items.

Bibliography Books about Books Literary Biography Fine Printing and Limited Unusual Books

HART BOOK CO., 1775 Broadway, New York

Always Selling Old Stuff

including rare American periodicals, curious broadsides and song sheets, and many other printed oddities you always wanted but never knew where to get. Prices surprisingly reasonable. List free on request.

PITZER 41 Woodlawn Ave. Jersey City, N. J.

BLAND GALLERY, Inc. Harry MacNeill Bland 45 East 57th Street NEW YORK CITY

Early American Prints and Paintings Bought and Sold

Kipling--Stevenson--Twain--Hawthorne--1st Printing of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address Prints or Paintings of Fire Scenes Early American Children's Books Specially Wanted, Outstanding First Editions in Science and Literature

BOOKSHOP OF HARRY STONE 24 East 58th Street New York, N. Y.

CURRENT BOOKS OF INTEREST TO COLLECTORS AND DEALERS

DRURY LANE CALENDAR, 1747-1776. Compiled from the playbills and edited with an introduction by Dougald MacMaillan. An account of the life and work of the 18th century actor and playwright. 398 pages. Oxford University Press, New York, in co-operation with the Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif. .

BANK OF CALIFORNIA, San Francisco. A series of historical advertisements commemorating its founding in 1864, with woodcut reproductions of historical scenes. 24 pages.

SACRAMENTO GUIDE. 220 pages, with folding map, and illustrated with reproductions of early woodcuts, lithographs, and photographs. Sacramento BEE, 1939. Paper covers, 50c. Cloth, .

Amateur Journalists Who Became Famous

In "The Career and Reminiscences of an Amateur Journalist," Thos. G. Harrison states that Nathaniel Hawthorne was really a pioneer member of the clan, having gotten out six weekly issues of a periodical of this description, called THE SPECTATOR, the first number appearing Aug. 21, 1820. Thus it predates by three years what many have heretofore accepted as his first literary effort, in the SALEM GAZETTE, in 1823.

Prior to its appearance, Hawthorne, at that time a youth of 16, got out a preliminary prospectus, stating that THE SPECTATOR would be issued on Wednesdays, at 12c per annum, payment to be made at the end of the year. In an early issue, Hawthorne advertised that he proposed to publish by subscription, a new edition of "The Miseries of Authors," to which he promised to add a sequel containing facts and remarks drawn from his own experience.

Truman J. Spencer, for many years a historian on amateur journalism, questions whether a copy of either THE SPECTATOR or Hawthorne's prospectus, is in existence today. Here, then, is an opportunity for ambitious bibliophiles and rare book speculators to ransack the garrets of their ancestors, and "see what they can see." Harrison states that THE SPECTATOR was neatly written by the hand of Hawthorne. It was probably manifolded by some crude reproducing process of that period.

THE JUVENILE PORT-FOLIO, AND LITERARY MISCELLANY,

DEVOTED TO THE INSTRUCTION AND AMUSEMENT OF YOUTH.

A lasting wreath of various hue.--deck'd with each fragrant flower.

Good Investments In Autographs

Frequently I am asked, "What is a safe investment in autographic material over a long period of years?" The answer may well come from my experience gained in this field during the past decade. The boom years of 1928 and 1929 sent many items of a literary, historical and musical character sky-rocketing, although subsequently they shot down just as suddenly, 1938 seeing prices at probably their lowest level in 25 years. And yet, just as in the case of rare books, some forms of autograph material suffered less than others. The knowledge thus gained, helps materially to light the pathway as to what is the best sort of autographic material to consider for future investment.

Today, the safest buy seems to be good Presidential letters written either before or during their terms of office, preferably the latter. These letters must have worthwhile contents. Uninteresting documents of our Chief Executives are all too common and sell at nominal figures. Signers of the Declaration of Independence and of the Constitution are also excellent, that is, if the contents measure up. In the literary domain, authors' letters about their works are always sought for, although prices are more inclined to fluctuate than on historical items.

Of late, increased interest has been evinced in the "War between the States," or, as it is called up North, the Civil War. An added lure is that prices for this sort of material, are almost at rock-bottom, as collectors are just beginning to wake up to its importance. The years will see good war letters of famous Federal and Confederate Generals go very high. The upward swing has already begun.

A new field which has sprung up recently is that of State collections. The country has heretofore been too young to care much for the historical records of individual localities. But with the development of the nation, this interest has steadily grown, and today, all letters relating to internal politics of individual states or cities are being sought, the competition having a healthy effect upon prices.

Early Mormon material, and records pertaining to Texas, Michigan, Colorado, Virginia, California, etc., are in active demand, thus enabling the average dealer to place them without difficulty almost as fast as received. Furthermore, whereas a collector may become discouraged in buying a complete set of Signers because of the super-rarity of a few names, there is little difficulty in obtaining the two or three Signers belonging to the collector's home state, to say nothing of famous Generals, literary lights, composers, etc.

The one, almost unchanging code of the collector should be to buy hand-written letters of good date, and of unusual, historical, or otherwise excellent content. Fine items seem to hold their value pretty well, even in times of financial stress, and with the years should edge upwards in price. Less desirable items will fluctuate considerably. To sum up, good autographs provide the best expectation for at least a fair dividend on the money invested. On the other hand, common items that have little to recommend them except cheapness, are almost invariably a disappointment as far as the hope of satisfactory returns, are concerned. There are occasional exceptions but this rule holds true 98% of the time. In closing, may I also stress the importance of being sure that what you purchase is genuine. Unless you are an expert yourself, the safest way is to acquire your pen treasures only through a dealer on whose reliability and experience you can absolutely depend.

Rare book dealers should make good chiropractors because they know so much about "spines".... To make Book Week successful, avoid displaying Weak Books.... It requires no earthquake to produce "shaken" books.

WANTED AUTOGRAPHED FREE FRANKLED ENVELOPES

WARREN L. BARR 420 21st St., N. W. Canton, Ohio

ADVERTISING RATES The Collector's Guide

Full page 1/2 and 1/4 pages pro rata Less space, per inch.

Discount On three insertions, 10%; Six insertions, 15%.

For rates on front and back cover spaces when available, please address publisher.

As Flodden W. Heron aptly observed in a recent issue of the ARGONAUT, it is estimated by the Postal Department that one person out of every fifteen is interested in stamp collecting. There are over twenty-five journals issued exclusively for stamp collectors, and three hundred and two American newspapers maintain stamp departments. In addition sixty-four radio stations conduct regular stamp broadcasts. Book collectors constitute a much smaller group, and to date there has been no connection between these two enthusiastic armies of "acquisitioners." To bring these two groups into closer cooperation, Mr. Heron recently suggested to the Pacific Philatelic Society of San Francisco the use of postage stamps of authors as association items for collected books. Investigation disclosed that postage stamps had been issued in honor of nearly one hundred authors.

Temple Scott, rare book expert, died on Sept. 30th. in Edinburgh. Among his many activities, he had been adviser in the assembling of some of the notable private libraries of this country, including those of Jerome Kern, and the late William H. Woodin, former Secretary of the Treasury. The Kern collection was considered one of the most valuable ever gotten together in America, and in 1929 was sold at auction for ,300,000. Also remembered are some of Mr. Scott's outstanding purchases including the letters of Lord Chesterfield for which he paid ,000, and the original text which Sir Walter Scott prepared for a definitive edition of his novels, and which set him back 0,000.

The first volume of Dr. Greg's "Bibliography of the English Drama to 1640" is reported as ready. Information regarding it can be obtained from R. B. McKerrow, Picket Place, Wendover, Bucks, England.

Mrs. Nellie Dumont, widow of the minstrel king, Frank Dumont, died several months ago at her home, 1207 Green St., Philadelphia, Penna., where she had resided for 60 years. Mr. Dumont in his lifetime, possessed an unusually fine collection of theatrical material, and to this day, as far as we know, it has never been definitely established, just what became of it.

"COLLECTING NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINES"

.00 EDWIN C. BUXBAUM Box 327 Swarthmore, Penna. Wanted to Buy: Geographics before 1907

PEGASUS BOOK SHOP 144 East 61 St. New York, N. Y.

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