My Lizzie Book Collection

Eric · Post by **Eric** » Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:44 pm

I wanted to let everyone on the board know that I have listed most of my Lizzie book collection on eBay. Unfortunately these tough economic times have made me take some unfortunate measures, and the auctions are the result. Up for auction I listed my:

The Knowlton Papers
Lizzie Past & Present (Rebello)
The Proceedings
The Mysterious Axe
The Mystery Unveiled
In Defense Of Lizzie Borden
and a 1st Ed. 1937 Pearson's The Trial of Lizzie Borden

I have kept the opening bids reasonable on all items, and no reserve, so if your are in the market, please take a look.

I hope everyone else is doing well, and I will still be reading the board with fevor, even though I do not post that often.

Thanks! - Eric

Grace · Post by **Grace** » Fri Nov 28, 2008 4:55 pm

Linkie? I would like to buy the Rebello. I will go and look to see if I can find it...

Nm, I found it. I will be watching. If it doesn't go too too high I'll definitely be bidding.

There is another with a bin at 499.00 that one is way too high for me.

Thanks for the heads up, and good luck!

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 9:20 am

Sorry you need to sell your books, Eric. I don't have Pearson's 'Trial of LB'. I'll stop in.

Does anyone know if it was reprinted?

Fargo · Post by **Fargo** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:24 am

Pearson's Trial of Lizzie Borden was reprinted in 1989. The reprint was in hardcover and most of the copies of it that I have seen, cost a few bucks.

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 11:02 am

Thanks, Fargo! I found Pearson's "Five Murders" reprinted in paperback in like the late 1960's and got it for a couple of bucks from Abebooks.com. I was hoping the same might have been done with his LAB Trial.

It's rare when I pay a whole lot for a book. I use them a lot, and I drag them everywhere - doctors' offices, etc. I set them on the floor after I'm done reading at night. If I'm lucky, they don't get shoved under the bed and lost for a few months.

If someone reprinted inexpensive paperbacks of some of the Lizzie books, they would probably sell quite well.

Stefani · Post by **Stefani** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 11:59 am

As of this morning, there were still no bids on the Rebello. I bet there are a few out there waiting until the last few seconds to scoop that one up!

The Knowlton papers is worth far more than what is currently being bid. While it originally sold for $50, the FRHS had one donated back to them so they could resell it for profit and have priced it at $350 I think.

Both books are must haves. But times are tough right now. I guess the only saving grace to the potential buyer is that they will probably only increase in value as the years go by. Both are out of print. And pretty rarely sold on the internets.

mbhenty · Post by **mbhenty** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 6:25 pm

When a book is in demand, such as: THE COMMENWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS VS. LIZZIE BORDEN, and printed in a limited number, once sold out the price continues on a gradual scale upwards until it finds a market value.

The Knowlton Papers is such a book, but market value has never really been established. Thus Greedy and Ignorant dealers set the practice for new record level pricing. Such is the case below. Knowlton Papers for 1100 bucks? Come-on now.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDet ... 4%26y%3D11

One almost wants to call the dealer or email him and label him a crook.

So what is the Knowlton Paper's worth?

The cheapest place to purchase one is probably on ebay.

Most copies are probably in private libraries. Most of these owners have no idea what it is worth or have tried looking into it. If I remember correctly, their was around 2000 published.

The last one I remember selling was by the FRHS, and they got 350 for it.

I would not want to pay much more than 200 to 250. If you can pick it up for less than that consider yourself quite lucky.

Anyway you look at it, Knowltons and Rebellos don't come up for sale everyday, so keep a sharp eye out on this ebay offering. But don't blink. There is only a little more than a day left.

william · Post by **william** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 12:18 pm

On Bookfinder.com, several book sellers are offering the Rebello book at prices from five hundred dollars to 1800 dollars.

Four of the plus one thousand dollar books are listed by Amazon.com

When will this madness cease?

mbhenty · Post by **mbhenty** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 12:32 pm

WOW WILLIAM:

All the more reason for L. Rebello to publish a paperback copy for scholars. If he did it would certainly sell out.

Wordweaver · Post by **Wordweaver** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 5:53 pm

mbhenty @ Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:32 am wrote:

WOW WILLIAM:

All the more reason for L. Rebello to publish a paperback copy for scholars. If he did it would certainly sell out.

I'd be thrilled with a searchable DVD or CD. Especially if you could copy and paste from the text files.

mbhenty · Post by **mbhenty** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 5:26 pm

Yes, that's a good idea WORDWEAVER:

A DVD or CD.

As I have seen many times before, Mr. Rebello could publish a paperback copy of LIZZIE BORDEN PAST AND PRESENT and include a DVD or CD version in a pocket at the end of the book.

Will need to speak to Leonard about that one.......

Wordweaver · Post by **Wordweaver** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:39 pm

mbhenty @ Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:26 pm wrote:

Yes, that's a good idea WORDWEAVER:

A DVD or CD.

As I have seen many times before, Mr. Rebello could publish a paperback copy of LIZZIE BORDEN PAST AND PRESENT and include a DVD or CD version in a pocket at the end of the book.

Will need to speak to Leonard about that one.......

If he needs technical help, I'm an editor. Also, does he know about Lulu.com? They're a print-on-demand service that could make the bound book readily available with *no* upfront investment. The problem with book publishing is that you pour so much cash into it at the beginning -- in printing, transportation, and storage -- and it takes a long time for sales to pay it back. I'm not sure Lulu would work with the Lizzie book, because it's so huge, but I bet I could find a printer who could tackle it.

mbhenty · Post by **mbhenty** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 11:25 pm

Yes, in casual conversation with the author, I get the feel that he is into other projects at the moment. Not that I speak for the author.

I'm sure a re-write is a demanding job which requires undisturbed focus, since there have been many new developments with more to come, and I imagine he will want to make some changes and additions as any author would with a second edition.

Also, with scholarly work timing is very important.

Still, I have not climbed into the authors head and when we get together we talk mostly about other things, and in most cases everything but the Borden case.

Thus, every opportunity I have had to discuss Lizzie Borden Past and Present has been a lost opportunity. But in reality I probably prefer it that way. I'm sure when he is ready he will make it plain. Let's hope it will not be to long. A new Rebello with new material, bigger, better and affordable, well, we can hardly wait.

Speaking to a friend, he brought it to my attention that very few books come with a CDs any longer unless it is supplementary or technical information since a Cd of the actual book can be so easily copied and passed around and a bad idea when selling books.