Top Tips for Collecting Rare Books by Walter R Brooks, by Vic Zoschak

Top Tips for Collecting Rare Books by Walter R Brooks

By Vic Zoschak

Tavistock Books

 

When Walter R Brooks published To and Again in 1927, he had no idea that the children's novel would grow into a beloved series of 26 books. Indeed, the novel (later retitled Freddy Goes to Florida) proved a pivotal work in Brooks' career as an author. To this day, Brooks has a devoted following, as evidenced by groups like Friends of Freddy. If you're a fan of Brooks, you may find yourself building a collection of Freddy the Pig books and related works. As you delve into the world of collecting rare books, keep these guidelines in mind.

 

·         Remember that condition is everything. The value of a rare book is directly affected by its condition. If you're building a Freddy collection, focus on buying the best copies you can afford: both the book itself and the original dust jacket should be as pristine as possible. The dust jackets of Freddy books are particularly appealing, which simply makes an edition with the dust jacket more visually appealing. But moreover, the dust jacket makes the book "complete."

·         Learn how to identify a first edition. Collectors value true first editions most highly. The Freddy series was published by Alfred A Knopf between 1927 and 1958. From 1927 to 1932 or 1933, the publisher would include "second printing," "third printing," etc to indicate subsequent editions. The first edition lacks this on the copyright page. Around 1933, Knopf issued a new statement, saying that "First Edition" or "First American Edition" would be denoted on the copyright page. For more information on first edition identification, consult Zempel and Verkler's First Editions.

·         Remember alternate titles. Several books in the Freddy series were published under one title, then renamed for subsequent editions. A truly complete collection would include first printings of both titles:

▪     To and Again was later published as Freddy Goes to Florida.

▪     More To and Again was reissued as Freddy Goes to the North Pole.

▪     The Story of Freginald was republished as Freddy and Freginald.

▪     The Clockwork Twin was later published as Freddy and the Clockwork Twin.

▪     Wiggins for President was retitled Freddy the Politician.

·         Explore Brooks' other works. Brooks enjoyed an active career as a literary critic and columnist. He also published over 100 short stories for various magazines. These kinds of articles are fascinating additions to a Walter R Brooks collection because they add both depth and dimension. They may also be more difficult to locate and obtain, giving the collector a satisfying "treasure hunt"!

·         When in doubt, consult an expert. Fans of Freddy are lucky to have an active community of fellow enthusiasts--who are also excellent resources. Reach out to others who can share their knowledge with you. And if you have questions about collecting rare books, be sure to talk to a reputable dealer. You can find qualified rare book dealers through professional organizations like the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA).

My Father's Favorite Library, by Chris Peters

My Father's Favorite Libraries

 

Rather than write about my own favorite library, I want to say a little about my Father’s favorites, because his choices had a wonderful impact on my life, reading and otherwise.

 

I was born in 1944, in Pasadena, California, into a large book loving family. My father was a prominent lawyer in Los Angeles. My mother and father assembled an excellent home library, and put in special built-in shelves through the house. They loved books, bookstores…and libraries.

 

Out of these, my father had a number of favorite libraries.

 

After William Randolph Hearst died, my father spent weeks leading a team of appraisers through Hearst Castle to come up with numbers for the California inheritance taxes. There was a Gutenberg bible, first editions of all sorts. Wonderful stuff everywhere.

 

But it wasn’t his favorite library. The Los Angeles and Beverly Hills libraries were close and had wonderful resources.  But there were more libraries.

 

In 1957, (with the money from the Hearst evaluation – you got a percentage, in those days!) my parents took my brothers and I to Rome. It was a meeting of the International Bar Association, and my dad led the California Bar group. As such, he was invited to meet the Pope, and he got to visit the Vatican Library, which was filled with astounding volumes. 

 

Amazing as it was, the Vatican Library wasn’t my Dad’s favorite.

 

The Huntington Library (built by the old robber baron’s money) was just 20 minutes away from our house and another favorite of my parents. We joined (and I was able to go and study there, and do research.) But not Dad’s top favorite.

 

Before that, at UC Berkeley as an undergrad (and later law student) he practically lived at the Doe Memorial Library.

 

The Doe was also important in another way: there were all night study rooms available.  This was often where he worked to support himself and my mother, late at night, with his “52 Assistants.”

 

(In point of fact, Dad sometimes really had a “53rd Assistant” – one of the “strangers” who drifted into the game was, in fact, his friend Jack-- later to be a champion bridge and poker player. Never had a job in his life, did Jack, that didn’t use a deck of cards.  But that was in the future; at that point he was just a young guy who had a memory and a talent for cards.  Afterwards, they’d split the take. Hey, Dad was going to be a lawyer, alright?)

 

 

None of these were my Father’s favorite library however; for that, you have to further back. 

 

Before he worked with movie stars, and Howard Hughes, before he argued cases before the Supreme Court, you have to go all the way back to his childhood.

 

He was born in 1902, one of nine children on a cold water farm in the hard dirt of Fresno, California.

 

And in 1904, the Fresno Carnegie Library opened. And free access to books profoundly changed the direction of my father’s life. 

 

That was always my Father’s favorite library.