Island of Adventure 'retro' hardback edition 2014

[Anita Bensoussane]

I agree that that internal picture has a great deal of life and movement to it, John.

What they seem to have done on the boards is take the boat from that picture but use the island from the title page in the background:



It's amazing that Macmillan were producing such sumptuous children's books during the war.

[Courtenay]

It's amazing that Macmillan were producing such sumptuous children's books during the war.

That's what I thought when I picked up a first edition of Island in the local second hand bookshop (my first encounter with the Adventure series) and saw the date on it!!

[walter raleigh]

Wow you've got a first edition Courtenay? I'm quite envious.

I'm wondering if they just got a house artist to copy Tresilian's internal drawings for the boards as they don't seem to have his usual lightness of touch to them. Although I suppose he might have just drawn them with heavier lines out of necessity due to restrictions with the printing process.

[Rob Houghton]

I have a couple of first editions from the Adventure series - one is 'Ship' - but unfortunately not with a dust-wrapper.

I agree that maybe the board designs may have been drawn (or probably traced) by another artist...or perhaps as you say they were made deliberately more simple for printing reasons. I still like them though, and rather like the fact they are more stylised.

[John Pickup]

I would sooner have an early edition of this book without a dust jacket than this new edition. I have one first edition with dust jacket and that is Valley, my favourite children's book of all.

[Courtenay]

Wow you've got a first edition Courtenay? I'm quite envious.

I have - it was a chance find at the wonderful little second hand and antiquarian bookshop, Wadard Books, in Farningham, half a mile down the road from me. I'd been hearing (or reading) people on here raving about the Adventure series for months and figured I'd have to try it one of these days, so when I found the first book of the series there in front of me, I just had to have it - and being a first edition was a bonus! (It's in near-perfect condition, too, except it doesn't have a dust wrapper. )

[Moonraker]

I have many first editions, but few with d/js. It's the jacket that adds to the value, but not necessarily in all titles.

[kikifan]

There is someone on EBAY who sells scanned copies of the origional Adventure series dustwrappers. They come with plastic covers. This could be the way to go if you need a dust jacket to complete the look of your books. I can put up the details if anyone wants them.

[pete9012S]

Thanks kikifan.
Many only like the old original battered torn covers,but the covers you mention are a good way to protect your precious early editions.

[Anita Bensoussane]

There is someone on EBAY who sells scanned copies of the origional Adventure series dustwrappers... I can put up the details if anyone wants them.

Thanks for the offer, but we avoid putting up links to that kind of thing because sellers often charge high prices and are making a great deal of money out of printing off images for which they probably don't hold the copyright.

[kikifan]

Good point I had not considered that aspect of things.

[walter raleigh]

There's nothing more annoying than seeing a nice vintage hardback with dustcover at what looks to be a bargain basement price only to see in the small print something like "The dustjacket is a laser printed copy of an original first edition". Here's a good example:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Enid-Blyton-T ... 3cec94a32f" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[pete9012S]

I understand what you are saying Walter,but if I was given the choice of your
£14.50 listing with another first edition with original wrapper at £63.00 I personally could live with the laser print cover.(though I totally understand for the purist why this option would be unacceptable)
This is mainly due to budget and financial constraints.



£14.50


£63.00

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THE-MYSTERY-O ... 19f3de22f0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Rob Houghton]

I think it's great if the seller advertises them as laser print covers, and sets a price that reflects this. I once bought a copy of 'Six Cousins Again' and it was sold as being complete with dust wrapper. It was covered by a plastic wallet cover also and I didn't notice until I got home that it was a photo-copied dust wrapper and not a real one. However, as I'd only paid £10 for a book I really wanted, I didn't really mind, but it was annoying even so.

[Fiona1986]

I don't see it as a problem if the seller is upfront and honest about it, but sometimes they hide that little detail way down the listing amongst other things or just plain lie about it.