Vintage mysteries for guys and dolls
There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study thier husband's necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge.
--Raymond Chandler from Red Wind
We offer a range of books aimed at different collecting interests and pocket books. One of the great things about book collecting is that there are ways for just about anybody to put together a collection or a library tailored to individual circumstances.
True First Editions in original dust jackets are the books most sought after by collectors. Highpoints of the genre, such as Haycraft Queen’s Quorum titles, generally represent the best investments, but can be prohibitively expensive, if they can be found at all. Emphasizing quality over quantity will bring the greatest returns over the long run.
Let’s face it though how many of us can afford a jacketed First of THE BIG SLEEP given listing prices exceeding $10,000. However, there are literally thousands of mystery titles that can be had at a fraction of the cost of a Highpoint. Many of these are as good or better than the more sought after titles. One of the joys of collecting is uncovering that hidden gem, known to only a few.
Early Vintage Reprints from publishers like Grosset and Dunlap and A. L. Burt offer great value. Many of these were printed with original Dust Jacket artwork and are a cost effective alternative to those out of reach First Editions. For example, attractive versions of all the Hammett novels were published by Grosset and Dunlap and are extremely collectable in their own right. Likewise, relatively affordable Photoplay or movie editions have their own following.
First Editions without dustjackets also represent great values, usually a fraction of the price of the jacketed First. High quality Facsimile Dust Jackets provide ‘as new” shelf presence. Visit our friends at Facsimile Dustjackets LLC to learn more about them.
