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Phred
02-17-2007, 07:56 PM
Hi Guys,

I just was that a first edition of the Handbook of Model Rocketry is listed on ebay:

item # 330089946835

I have a copy myself, and it is very interesting. There is a picture of mabel!!

Phred
Gus
02-25-2007, 02:07 AM
That was a first edition paperback, the rarest of the rare 1st editions.

I don't believe I've ever seen one on Ebay before. And I've only seen one offered once by a rare book dealer for over $125.

And this one went for $30 ????

Holy cow.
Ltvscout
02-25-2007, 08:54 AM
That was a first edition paperback, the rarest of the rare 1st editions.

I don't believe I've ever seen one on Ebay before. And I've only seen one offered once by a rare book dealer for over $125.

And this one went for $30 ????

Holy cow.
Really? I have one of those as well. I know I didn't pay over $30 for it when I got it 6-8 years ago.
Gus
02-25-2007, 01:09 PM
Scott,

I honestly don't know how to put a realistic value on something like this. Obviously it's whatever an individual collector thinks its worth (look at the Estes Vostok that just went for $191 on ebay :confused: ).

But in terms of book collecting the Handbooks fall into an unusual category in that there aren't that many books that have had so many revised editions, by the same author, spanning over 40 years. For a bibliophile collecting the first printing of each edition, hardback and paperback, is the goal. Many of the early editions were preserved because they were library books (which makes them less valuable to a collector).

Paperbacks, being less durable, and less likely to be in libraries, makes them even less likely to come to auction.

I've probably seen over 10 hardback first editions of the Handbook offered over the last 5 years but, like I said, this was only the second time I've seen a paperback publicly offered. Hang on to yours.
Ltvscout
02-25-2007, 02:37 PM
I've probably seen over 10 hardback first editions of the Handbook offered over the last 5 years but, like I said, this was only the second time I've seen a paperback publicly offered. Hang on to yours.
Oh, I will. ;) I just didn't realize it was that rare.
Phred
02-25-2007, 07:42 PM
Hmmm...

I picked up my paperback copy two years ago at a collectible bookshop for the whopping price of $25!!

Phred
Gus
02-26-2007, 02:56 AM
OK, so now I'm really curious.

Anybody else out there have a paperback copy of the first edition?

And who has a hardback copy of the first edition?
shockwaveriderz
02-26-2007, 02:25 PM
Gus, I have a 1st edition 1965 Library book version I think I paid $30-35 for it.



terry dean
Gus
02-26-2007, 02:29 PM
Terry,

Hardback or paperback?
shockwaveriderz
02-26-2007, 02:31 PM
Terry,

Hardback or paperback?

its hardback

A few months back somebody sold what appeared to me to be a HArdback 1st edition (non libary) with dust cover? it went for approx $70-75. It looked sorta like the one yesterday that went fro $30-35

terry dean
Gus
02-26-2007, 04:25 PM
Terry,

Very nice!

I have a hardback library copy that was rebound so the cover is not printed like yours.

The major benefit of mine is that it is not at all collectible so I flip through it frequently without worry. Amazing how much has changed (and stayed the same) in the last 42 years.
shockwaveriderz
02-26-2007, 04:34 PM
Gus:

CAN you scan the front cover and post a pic of yours?

Heres a pic of a very rare and very valuable Italian verson from 1969. Its based on the 1967 US edition. Its available online here:

http://www.razzimodellismo.org/divulgazione/libri/librostine/stadi.htm




terry dean
Gus
02-26-2007, 07:06 PM
Terry,

Fascinating (to me, at least :p )!

My copy has nothing printed on the cover except the name of the book along the spine in silver printing. On the inside copyright page the numbers along the bottom are "123456789" which suggests it was the first printing of the first edition.

The printing on the cover of yours looks the same as the cover for the paperback version but the rocket is a black and white outline instead of the red rocket on the paperback cover.

I'm curious what the numbers along the bottom of the copyright page on yours are.

The Italian version you posted is also interesting in that the cover is different from the US 1967 version (2nd Edition) which was also basically the same cover as the US 1970 version (3rd Edition).

I really don't know much about the foreign editions but if anybody has any info I'd love to read it.
shockwaveriderz
02-27-2007, 01:46 PM
gus:

heres the cover of a 1996 French 2nd Edition! also is the cover of that recent paperback? 1965 version that went for $70-75
Phred
02-27-2007, 02:00 PM
I just remembered. Right after I picked up my 1st Ed HAMR, I designed the cover model using Roc-sim, but never got around to building it....

I dubbed it the HAMR-1

Attached is the Rocism file:

Phred
Gus
02-27-2007, 09:37 PM
Terry,

Very cool. In looking at the US edition the color of the book beneath the dust jacket looks to be the same color blue I have. I wonder if your printed-cover-version was something special done for library versions.

Phred,

You're right, the HAMR-1 looks like fun. But I wonder if the fins were modeled after the plastic fireworks fin units available at the time. I bet they'd be pretty fragile if made out of balsa.