The Twenty-two Thousand Dollar Book

[intertext]

Oh. My. God.
no... I don't have a copy of this tucked away in my collection. I wish. But then, I also rather wonder at the price of what is, after all, only 40 or so years old...

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=719691369

Would you buy it if you had the money??

How much money would you have to have before this _didn't_ seem like too much?

Comments

[intertext.livejournal.com]

Agreed - I think you should only collect things that you'd like to have anyway, or I my case where I collect books it's because they're either beautiful or very good (ie signed 1sts or illustrated) editions of works that I love. One of my most treasured possessions is a signed first of Ursula LeGuin's Tehanu, mostly because she signed it to me, and it's one of my all time favourite books of hers and she's one of my most admired authors. I wouldn't pay for a Huxley, though Jim Sexton might *grin*. I actually own some first Sendacks - that's what sent me to that link in the first place. Not Wild Things, and not bought for exorbitant prices, mostly just bought new when they first came out.

[umbrella-term.livejournal.com]

ha, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Jim owned a signed first edition of Brave New World! I remember him lecturing us about that book's title: "Does anyone know where it comes from?" Of course, we all scratched our heads, much to his dismay, and he replied "The Tempest!!" in such a tone that made us all feel somewhat stupid. :D But thanks to that I've never forgotten it!

Unfortunately I don't have any first editions signed for me because all my admired authors are dead! I do have a first edition The Fire Dwellers that I treasure, though. I spent a lot of time studying The Bell Jar last year, and that's why I researched a first edition as a treat. Instead of that hugely expensive book, I bought a first edition of Letters Home which was edited by Aurelia Schober Plath and released in 1975 (either that or 1973, I can't recall right now). That book alone was over $100 when it came down to shipping and everything. That's a pretty expensive book for me.

[lilyfriend.livejournal.com]

Mm, that reminds me.. I need to return a book he leant me. Oops.