New authors added to the website

Just a quickie to say that, thanks to the Christmas hols, I have at last managed to add some more new authors to my website
Most notably Lorna Hill, but also Judith Campbell, Catherine Spencer, John Kenney and Betty Horsfield (great name for a pony author!) I will hopefully be adding more over the next few days. I may start work once more on my Monica Edwards page. The file and its back up mysteriously disappeared so I have to start from scratch - most annoying!

A strange ambiguity...

With the imminent publication in paperback form of Silver Snaffles by Fidra Books I have been pondering upon the ambiguous response this fashion for the re-printing of rare books inspires in me. As a reader I cannot help but be excited by the fact that I may be able to get my grubby mitts on books which had previously eluded me. As a bookseller however I can only watch sadly as the sales price of my rare copies suddenly dwindle...

I am not sure how much impact these imprints actually have on collectable editions. I think that firsts will perhaps remain un-changed, after all there have been numerous re-prints of the famous five books and the first editions still command respectable prices. I think the main difference will be seen in the rare paperback /reading copy market of which I seem to specialise. Six Ponies and Fly by Night have both dropped in price for example. With Silver Snaffles, I think it may be possible that the paperbacks and tattier hardbacks with no jackets will fall in price.

And yet whilst wondering what effect these changes may have upon me, I am at the same time waiting with eager anticipation for Fidra to re-publish more of Monica Edward's books so that I can once again read that wonderful book The Wild One. The rarest by far of all the author's books, I found an extremely tatty copy in a market for about 20p and sold it for well over £200. I read it before parting with it as I thought it would probably be the last time I'd ever get the chance! It was a sad parting as I absolutely loved the book but who can turn down that sort of profit? Now thanks to Fidra I - and many others who would never have been able to - might soon be re-reading this classic. The unselfish philanthropic part of me rejoices in the fact that such brilliant books will once again be available to the mass readership. But I can't help wondering how many 20p market and charity shop treasures will soon be left for us poor booksellers...