Beware of wizard of oz books advertised elsewhere online as first editions! many of these books are not actually the original printings of these books. This is often an innocent mistake on the seller’s part, stemming from the fact that copyright dates are the only dates given on most Oz books published until recently. As a result, people mistakenly assume the book is a first edition because only one date is given.
The surest way to determine the printing history of an oz book is to use the l book collector’s guide. frank baum, a complete reference. Another good guide is Bibliographia Oziana published by the International Wizard of Oz Club. I have tried to describe some general rules below for a brief online reference. Cautionary note: In this review I use the term “first edition” to refer to the earliest version of a book, that is, the first printing of that particular book by the original publisher. these are the most sought after by collectors. (see bibliographia oziana p. 12 for more information, can be confusing!).
You are reading: Wizard of oz books value
It is easier to determine what is not a first edition than what is. (Unfortunately, true first editions/first printings of most oz books, especially older ones, are somewhat unusual. Very few of the books in general family collections are true first editions.) for more information see also my youtube video interview here.
1) most of l frank baum’s early oz books were published by reilly & Britton, who became Reilly & reads in 1919. check publisher’s impression on spine or title page. books with copyright dates prior to 1919, but published by reilly & read, they are actually later editions. The photo shows the typical spinal imprints of Reilly & britton and reilly & leeward. Reilly & Lee published the first editions of some Oz books by authors other than Baum. See the list below for the original publishers of the early Forty-Ounce Books, by L. frank baum and later authors. (note: the rare Canadian and British first editions are not included).
2) Unlike the other Oz books, the first edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (the basis for the story of the MGM movie starring Judy Garland) was published by George M. closed. there are hundreds of later editions of this book. Despite early copyright dates, books titled “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” are not first editions if they do not have the hill mark at the base of the spine. Below is the cover of Hill first edition of the wonderful wizard of oz. must have 24 color plates inside (including cover). Books titled “The Wizard of Oz,” “The New Wizard of Oz,” or “The Original Book of Oz” are later editions.
3) Most of the early oz books were printed with color plates (inserted color illustrations) until about 1935. Please note that oz books have a copyright date on the back of the page. title, but not the actual printing date. therefore, if your oz book has a copyright date before 1936, but does not have color illustrations inside, it is a later printing. (The exception to this is the first edition/printing of The Road to Oz, which was printed on different colored pages and never had actual color illustrations. If your Road to Oz is printed on plain white paper, it’s also a later printing.) .
See Also: Steven James – Book Series In Order
Most first edition oz books with color plates should have 12 of them (glued or “pointed” along the inside margin). however, first impressions of the land of oz, dorothy & the wizard of oz and the emerald city of oz had 16 colored sheets. The first printings of Patchwork Girl of Oz and Ozma of Oz never had color plates inserted, but do contain numerous full-color illustrations. conversely, just because your book has color plates doesn’t mean it’s a first edition. it simply means that it was printed before about 1935. use the reference books listed above or take your book to a knowledgeable bookseller to be sure.
4) So-called “white cover” oz books, with bright white background cloth, were published primarily in the 1960s and are not first editions. The photo below shows the difference between an earlier version and the 60’s white cover edition of the magic of oz.
5) Does your oz book have a dust jacket? If so, check the last ounce title on the flap with its publication date in the list below. if that mentioned book was first published after your book’s copyright date, sorry! your book has to be a later printing. think about it. Some books also have a list of oz titles on the back of one of the front inside endpapers. the same principle applies for the most part.
6) baum also wrote many non-oz books, which are also quite collectible. For more information, see my related page: l Frank Baum’s Books and Pseudonyms.
************************************************ **** ********************************************** ****** I Frank Baum The Wizard of Oz – Originally Published as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900): Geo. meter. hill the wonderful land of oz (1904): reilly & britton ozma of oz (1907): reilly & dorothy britton and the wizard of oz (1908): reilly & britton the road to oz (1909): reilly & britton the emerald city of oz (1910): reilly & britton the patchwork girl from oz (1913): reilly & britton tik-tok of oz (1914): reilly & britton the scarecrow of oz (1915): reilly & britton rinkitink in oz (1916): reilly & britton the lost princess of oz (1917): reilly & britton the tin woodcutter of oz (1918): reilly & britton the magic of oz (1919): reilly & Lee Glinda of Oz (1920): Reilly & lee
ruth plumly thompson: the royal book of oz-originally attributed to him. Frank Baum (1921): Reilly & lee kabumpo in oz (1922): reilly & read the cowardly lion of oz (1923): reilly & Lee Grampa in Oz (1924): Reilly & Lee The Lost King of Oz (1925): Reilly & lee the hungry tiger of oz (1926): reilly & Lee The Gnome King of Oz (1927): Reilly & read the giant horse of oz (1928): reilly & lee jack pumpkin head of oz (1929): reilly & Lee The Yellow Knight of Oz (1930): Reilly & Lee Pirates in Oz (1931): Reilly & Lee The Purple Prince of Oz (1932): Reilly & Lee Eye in Oz (1933): Reilly & lee speedy in oz (1934): reilly & Lee Oz’s Wishing Horse (1935) Reilly & lee
See Also: Rachel J. Good – Book Series In Order
note: the books listed below were not published with color plates, even in the first edition. Captain Salt in Oz (1936): Reilly & lee handy mandy in oz (1937): reilly & reads the silver princess in oz (1938): reilly & lee ozoplaning with the wizard of oz (1939): reilly & lee
john r. neill: the wonderful city of oz (1940): reilly & read the scalawagons of oz (1941): reilly & lee lucky bucky in oz (1942): reilly & lee
jack snow: the magical impersonators in oz (1946): reilly & lee the hairy man from oz (1949): reilly & lee
rachel cosgrove: the hidden valley of oz (1951): reilly & lee
eloise jarvis mcgraw and lauren mcgraw wagner: carousel in oz (1963): reilly & lee
************************************************ **** ********************************************** ****** If, like most people, your book doesn’t turn out to be a first edition, that doesn’t mean it’s worthless if it’s a first edition in very good condition. “no-nos” conditions include ripped covers and spines, broken hinges, coloration, and water stains. Books with these defects have little commercial value and are best given to your children or kept for their sentimental value. Due to a large number of requests, I am unable to provide information on your individual book, but please use the contact tab on my website if you have color plate books in very good condition that you would like to sell. I will probably ask you to send photos to assess its editing and condition. I also buy ephemera (paper goods) from early oz, baum, denslow, and roycroft.
note: I do not offer appraisals as it is considered a conflict of interest to appraise items one might be interested in purchasing. You may be able to get a rough idea of your book’s value by searching for similar books on eBay: enter the title and check the filter box for sold listings (no asking prices, which can be much higher than asking prices). If you need a more formal written appraisal for tax or insurance purposes, you can try the American Society of Appraisers.
See Also: 12 best books for new siblings in 2021 | Mum&039s Grapevine