Sharing my latest acquisitions with you

[Hans]

I recently won a French paperback (livre de poche = pocketbook) on the French eBay for € 1,50 plus the same again in postage which I consider cheap for this excellent copy.
It's a rather unique little book in the sense that later editions were published by Pocket Presses rather than by this publisher (Opta).
The book is in a remarkably nice state with not even a crease on the spine. So why is that special? Well this booklet titled "Le vol du dragon" is one of the first foreign translations of Anne's Dragonflight. The translation dates back to 1970! and this book was published ten years later, in 1980; so already well over 25 years old itself. The chances of a mass market paperback being in pristine state is not very great. Yes, you're looking at a happy collector More on what made me happy, too later in this topic



One fun thing came extra with this book: a Parisian metro ticket (2 x 1 inch) an abviously very bookloving and careful reader used as a book mark. Any collectors of metro tickets here?

[Greenrider Tresa]

That's a great find, Hans! I have books almost that old that don't look half as good for being frequently read.

[edith]

the covers better than the new ones!
great buy!

[Cheryl]

Very nice! I'm definitely jealous!

[Anareth]

Wow! Either they made them better in France or someone was very careful (or never read it much!) Pbs from the '60s-'70s don't hold up well in my experience. Nice find.

[Jax]

*suitably awed*

You know Hans, H makes money selling metro tickets on ebay, perhaps someone wants an antique one? How old is it?

[edith]

Originally Posted by Anareth

Wow! Either they made them better in France or someone was very careful (or never read it much!) Pbs from the '60s-'70s don't hold up well in my experience. Nice find.

Pbs in general don't-hense why I'm trying to find hardback copies where possible now.
My copy of DQ which I brought 2 1/2 years ago has worn out already.

[Hans]

Jax, if there is a date on it it must be in code I really can't discern how old it is.

Anareth, I have the idea this copy has been read once, if even that much. And if it is read the person certainly took every precaution and never opened the book completely. othwerwise creases in the spine would have been a fact!

[Cheryl]

Hey Hans, I'm checking my Hargreaves, which says the paperback version was published by Livre de Poche and not Opta, and the seal in the upper left corner of your picture looks like it might say Livre de Poche... Was Hargreaves wrong and mistaking that as the publisher?

[Hans]

Livre de Poche just means pocketbook. The actual publisher is, I think, Librairie Général Française unless Livre de Poche is a publisher's name, which I don't think is the case but which might merit further investigation.
Opta is mentioned however because the page opposite the title page says: Traducion Opta, 1971; which means the translation was done by/for Opta in 1971. This is indeed correct because the two collectors, limited, numbered editions (hardcovers with illustrations by Bertrand) were issued by Opta in 1971. All actual translations are by Simone Hilling. I am under the impression that Opta is the name of a French bookclub since I recently discovered that those first two hardcovers were published for/by a bookclub.
It is possible though that Opta is indeed the publisher of this pocketbook, too, although it doesn't seem so.

[Lady Maelin]

Hans, My husband reads a paper back, just like the one you just bought. He is always very careful not to damage it in any way.
He also has a fantastic collection, much like yours of Anne McCaffrey, only his is of Star Trek, the original series.
You two have much in common, with your collecting, and how you treat them.

[Nefermiw]

Congratulations on you "new" book.

(If you want me and the others that come to the German gather to look for used German translations of AM books, send me a pm with a list of the ones you are missing, so we can go book hunting for you.)

[Hans]

I still need quite a lot of the German ones, but if you really want to keep an eye open when you are browsing a second hand bookshop I'd be much obliged

Will send list! But will need to make one first and that will take some time.

[Hans]

Yesterday a book I had asked Golder to buy for me in France arrived: L'aube des dragons (Dragonsdawn). This one, too, has a new cover (and it wasn't even offered on French eBay So I now suspect all French Pern paperbacks will have new covers... oh dear
The new illustration on this one is by a Jean-Yves Kervévan, not by the "old hand" Siudmak

[Hans]

And today Tony's (Bagpuss) surprise arrived. Thank you Tony! An Dragonflight with full Weston cover that looks infinitely better than the one I bough on eBay This one only has a minute damage on the front side ridge and top of the spine; hardly noticeable and not even creases in the spine! The one I bought was a 1991 printing, this one is a 1992 printing, so not much difference in age. You should have told, Tony, now I spent a whole 1 pound 50 on two paperbacks of which the worse Dragonflight was one




More later, after I have received the books that still haev to come!

[edith]

ooh...
well done Hans!

(I think we've got more copies of DF than any of the other Pern books, the latest Corgi one (white+ Weston), the edition before (maroon? and Weston) and one from 1981 (blueish with draons + egg shell)
Mum buys them not realising that it's just a different cover!

[Hans]

And here's the next installment Today Lohikäärmeen lento arrived. That's Dragonflight in Finnish if you didn't know. My dear friend Granath found a copy in a second hand bookshop in Helsinki and it is in absolute, mint condition! Thank you! When she was over here in The Netherlands a few years ago she already brought me Tuliliskojen laulu (Dragonsong), so now I only lack Vaarallinen tähti (Dragonquest) and I'll have the whole Finnish Pernin Lohikäärmeritarit (Dragonriders of Pern) series complete because there are only three (hardcover) volumes published in Finland...



There's more to follow yet and I'll keep you posted!

[~(_'>]

Oh those look very nice. congrats!

[Hans]

Originally Posted by Nefermiw

Congratulations on you "new" book.

(If you want me and the others that come to the German gather to look for used German translations of AM books, send me a pm with a list of the ones you are missing, so we can go book hunting for you.)

Nefermiw (and others)

I don't have that many German editions, yet. Go here: http://forums.srellim.org/showthread.php?t=2148 to see what I have got. Those are all new. The Pern paperbacks usually cost about 9 euro's in Germany (not too bad a price) but I'm especially looking after the older ones (also by Heyne).
I have already bought the hardcover German Dragonflight over the internet but it hasn't arrived yet.

I am definitely limiting myself to Pern. I posted a list in the German forum of what I know is translated but I'll not be buying non-Pern books. Also, if you do see second hand copies of books (covers) I don't have, in a good condition for under 4 euro's. Buy them outright. You know I'll be good for the money. In all other cases, please email me.

I don't expect you to go hunting for me specifically but if you do know the odd second hand bookshop (that you maybe visit anyway) and if you do want to keep an eye open for me I'd be very, very grateful!

If there's anything I can do in return, don't hesitate to ask!

[c_ris]

*definately jealous*

[ghyle]

My latest book was ATWOP. Reading copy.

[Lady Maelin]

Hans, your collection is growing by leaps and bounds, those new ones look very nice indeed.

[granath]

What a wonderful collection! Good to know Lohikäärmeen lento arrived safely.

[Hans]

Originally Posted by granath

What a wonderful collection! Good to know Lohikäärmeen lento arrived safely.

Drat, obviously this isnt my week I forgot to mail both you and Tony to tell the books arrived safely. Again, my apologies and again my thanks!

[Hans]

Right, the next book to arrive was the German Die Welt der Drachen (The World of Dragons); the second German translation of Dragonflight, published by Bertelsmann (Gütersloh [Hargreaves conveniently forgets the Umlaut), 1976; seven years after its US counterpart) and the first German hardcover Strangely enough this is the hardest copy to get. Strangey because this is actually a German bookclub edition (which you would think are mass produced and easy to buy second hand). the first and later editions were (all) published by Heyne. Both publishers used the same transaltion by Birgit Ress-Bohusch.

The cover art is by Jeff Jones, and English name but unique to this volume.
Special about this book is the way the author's name is spelled on the cover (Mc.Caffrey) and the fact that the title page holds also the words/statement: "Utopischer Roman" (Utopian novel)

[Greenrider Tresa]

Very nice, Hans! Though, I wouldn't have guessed that yellow thing was a dragon if not for the title and author. Drachen being one of the few words I know in German... <G<

[Hans]

It's very stylized and "smooth" indeed but by far not the worse cover I've seen

I haven't the slightest idea why dragonriders of both sexes often need to be totally of half naked but sometimes it does make for interesting if not funny cover art
At first glance I thought this guy was merely wearing some tight fitting, tiny-sexy Y-slip but then saw his trousers have that same light yellowy-beige colour the dragon has

[Hans]

Right, I managed to buy my first Swedish Pern book. It is Drakryttarna (Dragonflight) but not the edition I covet (the 1970 hardcover with the naked lady on dragon cartoon cover) but the later paperback edition. A totally new translation as the first one was atrocious (as I was told by reliable sources as I don't speak Swedish).

Thomas of www.antikvariat1.se was very helpful (spoke English fortunately ) and even placed the titles I am still looking for in some database created for that purpose. Thanks you Thomas.

Second hand books in Sweden are relatively expensive it seems although the postage always makes things more expensive if you are collecting foreign books. I had to spend 40 Swedish Kroner on the book and 70 on postage that's 9 US dollars. Ah well these things are pretty rare, I've been looking for quite some time.

Now the search is on for its sister book Drakjakten (Dragonquest)

Here's the pic.

[Hans]

On eBay I could resist a bookclub hardcover edition of The Masterharper of Pern for a mere 2 pounds (3.50 dollars), though I still need the first edition Bantam Press hardcover of that title.

This BCA carries no ISBN but has the number CN 4205 above the barcode on the back cover as well as on the title page. It doesn't state when it was published. It does have the same cover as the BP edition but is smaller in size.

[Hans]

This week the last book arrived of the three Pern titles that are published in Finland. This is Vaarrallinen täthi (Dragonquest). Thanks you Beisla! I now have all three translated titles, all of which are hardcover books.

[Lady Maelin]

Hans very nice collecting there, you work so hard finding all of your books!!!