Collecting Highlight (31) - A very special edition of Pegasus in Space

[Hans]

Let me tell you from the start that I could not find any the copies in this edtion anywhere on the web and I guess they will be very, very, very hard to find because together they represent an edition with 21 copies in total. I know where at least two (I think three) of those copies are which leaves a maximum of 19 (probably less) copies at most to ever turn up on the market if they'll ever do. But hey... that constitutes a real collectors item, doesn't it?

We are talking of a special leather bound authorial edition of Pegasus in Space. The book itself is the regular first edition (the number line is there on the copyright page in both states) Del Rey edition, published by The Ballantine Publishing Group in April 2000. The ISBN is 0-345-43466-8. The book has text design by Holly Johnson. There end the comparison with the regular Del Rey edition because this edition is made especially to order by and for Anne McCaffrey herself.

The books are bound in blue leather, have an antique-5 ridge spine with the title and author's name stamped in gold leaf and the front and back cover are also decorated with gold leaf (see pics). The inside of the boards are covered with (new) old fashioned marmored paper and to both a limitation page is added to hold the additonal data for the two states.

Of this book there are 9 lettered copies (A - I) and 12 numbered copies (1-12). The special edition page holds a "Presented to" line and all copies are signed by the author.
Below this special edition data is printed:
"This book has been bound by / Antiquarian Bookcrafts, / Marlay Park / Kathfarnam / Dublin 16./ 2000"

I started saying I haven't been able to find any of these copies for sale, so essentially I can't say anything about the worth of the books. However, there are also leatherbound editions, albeit in higher numbers, published by the Easton Press. I found two Easton Press volumes (also published in 2000) through Abebooks and they cost 95 and 150 US dollars respectively.

After co-MoM staff member Becky read my draft for this CH she told there actually IS one copy for sale on the internet...
Rare SF book seller Barry R. Levin has a copy for sale from the lettered series although he does not provide which one. The price is... $ 1,500! This is the seller who also has the Theodore E. Bear and many other Anne McCaffrey colectibles for sale. Be aware, prices are steep Look for McCaffrey on this page: http://www.raresf.com/bcat4.html Go right ahead if you want it, neither Becky nor I are planning to buy it

Enjoy the pics!

Cover of the numbered edition. Yes, this was lying flat on top of a small stack of books, hence the dust; makes it clear I got my dirty, greedy paws all over it, eh?



Title page, the same for both numbered and lettered series.



Edition page of the numbered edition. I know who should have been the recipient of this book but apparently she never received it. Because of privacy reasons I blacked out the name. This is number 12.



Cover of the lettered series, the same as the numbered one but without dust



And the edition page of the first of the nine lettered copies, marked A.

[Becky]

Wow, that one is a rarity! And to actually have held and looked at copy 'A' is so neat! Nope, it's not in my price range. Very little of what Levin has is in my price range. He's got some great stuff but his prices are just way out there.
Thanks for the peek at this item, Hans!

[P'ter]

The trouble with that sought of binding is that it looks so good on the shelf that I would want ALL my Anne collection to be bound the same way.

[Hans]

Well, P'ter, you CAN! And it won't set you back as much per volume as this one costs

Seriously, maybe it sounds crazy but I don;t really like the leatherbounds... I even dislike the Easton Press editions and - honestly - not because of their price and because they'll make more if they think they can sell more for 150 dollars a piece. I'm just too much of a "cover guy"

[P'ter]

I used to do some bookbinding while I was at college (it was a craft subsid) so I know it can be done.

[Lady Maelin]

Hans. WOW!!! You lucky guy you...this book is beautiful. I love the look of the leather bound books, but I wouldn't want them either as I would miss the cover art to much. If I ever win the lottery I might go and buy a few of those pricey books that Mr. Levin has for sale, but until then I will just go and drool once in a while. This was a great Highlight, reading about this book was very interesting as I happen to really enjoy reading my normal copy often.

[edith]

It'd be good if we could have covers like some of the old books I've got at home (not here so a photo'd have to wait for the weekend- I'm not subjecting them to the damp) which have cloth covers (think that's the right term) witha coloured picture inset in them. Or a frontispiece of the cover art!

[Lady Maelin]

Somewhat like the Hargreaves covers, they are green cloth with an inset picture of Anne on the front of it. I like that idea, you could get the best of both kinds of cover...leather with a beautiful cover and put an inset on them with a small picture of the story in the front.