AT TERROR STREET AND AGONY WAY, the red-headed stepchild of Black Sparrow books? (1 Viewer)

[mjp]

It's interesting to me that AT TERROR STREET AND AGONY WAY and A Bukowski Sampler just sold for essentially the same price.

They are from the same era, '68 and '69, but beyond that the comparisons are hard to make. Sampler is a cheaply produced rehash of well known pieces, TERROR STREET is the first Black Sparrow Bukowski collection, expensively produced, with new and - even now - uncollected work, and it only had one edition (as opposed to Sampler which has been reprinted at least twice, in unknown quantities).

I understand that there are only about half as many of the first edition of Sampler (400 copies compared to 765 of TERROR STREET), but 400 is hardly in the realm of the "impossible to find." Just seems to me that TERROR STREET is historically much more significant (and unique among Bukowski's Black Sparrow books), and content-wise, much more interesting. So I don't get it.

 

[bospress.net]

It is one of those books that I have wanted in a true first for some time. That was why I bid. When the price got up to the point that I could buy it on abe, I stopped bidding. The true first is tough to find and many later editions are mislabeled as firsts. Still, I'd rather have "Terror" than the Sampler If that damned sampler was not one that I was missing.

Bill

 

[nymark]

Actually, that's an AMAZING price for a fine copy of AT TERROR STREET. Most of the copies I've seen have some minor wear or damage to the cover stock that hangs over the text block. That book is a printing marvel. And a good read!

 

[mjp]

Actually, that's an AMAZING price for a fine copy of AT TERROR STREET.

No kidding, I almost bid on it myself when it stayed low. Probably should have.

That title just seems to be forgotten by a lot of people, I don't know. Maybe because it looks out of place on the shelf next to all those other uniform Black Sparrow books. ;)

I've always found it to be the most interesting BS Bukowski book, maybe because it's so different. Was Martin trying to compete with the Webbs a little bit there? Hmm...

 

[hoochmonkey9]

I gotta start going to ebay.com instead of ebay.ca and try to convince the seller to ship to Canada.
DAMN YOU CANADA.
ah well.

 

[hank solo]

I gotta start going to ebay.com instead of ebay.ca
ah well.

That's not a bad idea. Even though Vicarious has said in the description that he will ship World-wide, because he didn't select that option in the listing (ie. it just says Ships to: United States at the top of the listing) it didn't appear on ebay.co.uk either. And I agree with nymark, it does look like someone got a bargain there.

I don't have the Sampler either, but I'd go for a cheap 3rd edition and save the change for something like At Terror Street.

Oh well, another opportunity to spend money I don't have on something I don't need missed. :o

 

[Purple Stickpin]

I probably overpaid a bit for Sampler, but this copy is fine, and those firsts I saw on abebooks near this price range are VG with creases, etc (IIRC). Anyway, I also think I scored a nice deal on Terror Street (as nymark has indicated), so I figured I could drop a couple of extra bucks on Sampler,which seems rarely to be in true fine form (probably because, as mjp said, it is a fairly cheaply-produced volume).

If nothing else, I've driven up the prices of all my other signed and/or first ed stuff... ;)

 

[cirerita]

because he didn't select that option in the listing (ie. it just says Ships to: United States at the top of the listing) it didn't appear on ebay.co.uk either.

Check the "worldwide" box and, voilà, those listings will magically appear on the non-US ebay sites.

 

[hank solo]

Not if they haven't specified shipping to your 'zone'. I always search Worldwide. Not the first time I've missed a goody.


Check it out:

Simple search : Bukowski, All Categories, Worldwide, via eBay.es - right now 325 items.


Simple search : Bukowski, All Categories, Worldwide, via eBay.com - right now 364 items.

Lots of sellers probably don't realise that they aren't really listing globally.

 

[MULLINAX]

The link above does not list the BUY IT NOW 'quality' items.

 

[hank solo]

Sorry

 

[MULLINAX]

I would post the link myself but I don't know how. Cirerita?

 

[hank solo]

The links weren't meant to show everything, just to illustrate the difference you would get from two different ebay sites with the same search term and search options.

ie. a simple search for items with bukowski in the title, listed worldwide.

I was trying to show that the Worldwide option alone doesn't actually show you everything. There are other options, such as language options, which make a difference, but those two links should suffice to make the point.


Maybe you use something like: T H I S

I have some of these BIG searches set up, but there is still some global variance. eg, the UK version of that search, which is a Worldwide, Auctions, Buy It Now and Ebay Shop/Store search, returns 160 or so fewer items at this time.

So I think, its worth checking .com, .de, etc if you're really keen.

And have a lot of time to kill. :cool:

Searching ebay is a bit like playing the horses - everyone's got a system... or 6...

 

[MULLINAX]

Yeah, I do. Thank you for your efforts.

 

[mjp]

So I think, its worth checking .com, .de, etc if you're really keen.

I never check anything but the .com, but maybe I should. I think most non-U.S. sellers indicate that they will ship to the U.S. so their items show up on the main site, yeah? And I guess if they don't ship here I don't want to see what I can't have. ;) (Not that I can have all I see anyway, which is most likely a very good thing.)

Anyway, I only buy from Americans!

You know, except for my car.

And computer components, clothes, furniture, electronics, vegetables...but everything else - American only!

Mmm hmm.

 

[cirerita]

Not if they haven't specified shipping to your 'zone'. I always search Worldwide. Not the first time I've missed a goody.

You sure have a point. If I had used ebay.es I would have missed 90% of the items I've won.

I think your best bet is to search using ebay.com by default with the "worldwide" box checked. Of course, you'll probably miss the most interesting Buk items from Germany as those bastards never check the "worldwide" shipping option and they hardly ever accept Paypal. :eek:

 

[MULLINAX]

It is one of those books that I have wanted in a true first for some time. That was why I bid. When the price got up to the point that I could buy it on abe, I stopped bidding. The true first is tough to find and many later editions are mislabeled as firsts. Still, I'd rather have "Terror" than the Sampler If that damned sampler was not one that I was missing.

The firsts with the 'corrective sticker' are called "first edition, second state" because they were the recalled books that had a new title slathered on. That's the description that was on my invoice when I acquired AT TERROR STREET AND AGONY WAY.

 

[bospress.net]

that is true. Still, the 1st edition/second state is as close as I'll ever be able to get on that one!

Bill

 

[Rekrab]

Purple Stickpin: You got a screaming deal on AT TERROR that more than balances out the high price for that SAMPLER. Both very nice. I never had a copy of TERROR. Had the first of the SAMPLER and like a fool sold it. Now I'm hoping to luck into a cheap third printing.

 

[mjp]

The "state" of TERROR STREET is one thing (I'm still waiting to get the hardcover for my birthday...you know, if you are all still shopping for me), but it's always been interesting to me that it only had the one edition. It's the only BS Bukowski title (other than those "books" with less than a dozen poems) that wasn't continually reprinted. I assume that's because it would have been a slim volume in the traditional BS format.

But it is an odd bird, the only kind of "in-between" Bukowski title. Not one of the "mini-books," and not a full scale collection. So it's interesting for that reason. And the format, and the printing, and the rare original cover, etc., etc.

 

[chronic]

(I'm still waiting to get the hardcover for my birthday...you know, if you are all still shopping for me)

Don't hold your breath. I've been faithfully checking the mail for my laser turntable and I'm beginning to think that it's not gonna come.

:(

 

[mjp]

Damn man, things are slipping around here.

 

[Father Luke]

I would like an ashtray for my birthday.

 

[mjp]

Wow, that looks exactly like Bukowski!

 

[Purple Stickpin]

Purple Stickpin: You got a screaming deal on AT TERROR that more than balances out the high price for that SAMPLER. Both very nice. I never had a copy of TERROR. Had the first of the SAMPLER and like a fool sold it. Now I'm hoping to luck into a cheap third printing.

Kinda how I looked at it. That SAMPLER looks to be in better shape than most I've seen out there recently. Thanks for the verification from a knowledgable source...

Yours in Buk,

Purple Stickpin (and yes, I like escargots) ;)

 

[Rekrab]

Wish I was in the market for a fine copy of TERROR. I'd settle for a beat to hell Ex-library copy, but probably couldn't afford even that. A xerox copy might fit my budget.

Which brings to mind something that bookstores do that drives me insane. When someone brings in a box of books to sell, they almost always turn down anything in bad condition (the "good", "fair" and "poor" copies in bookselling terms). Even if the book is rare, if it's too worn or damaged, they'll pass. They won't lay out 50 cents or a dollar for it, thinking it's too ugly for their customers. That means the chance of buying a lesser condition copy of a rare book is greatly diminished. I wish booksellers would understand that some readers/collectors would want even a beat up copy of a book they will otherwise never have, and would pay a fair amount for it.

 

[roni]

yes, most German Bukowski-auctions don't show on ebay.com - but then: most of them have only old, used, worn, reprints of translations anyway.

yes, I too would've missed to see (I usually can't afford to bet but like to see what's going on on the market) a LOT of items if I only had seen the German pages. It's good to have them mentioned here so often, so I go have a look at ebay.com every now and then.

mjp:
I think one reason, they never continued to publish 'Terror' may be, there's so much of it in 'Burning'.

Too bad for all those fans who are more readers than collectors and just want to have the book, even if it was a cheap paperback reprint. (Same goes for 'Flower, fist', 'Longshot Pomes', 'Catches' and 'Crucifix' of course!)

 

[Purple Stickpin]

Funny, there's another copy of Terror Street with just over an hour left, and it's going for $177.50 ($2 less than the price I got mine for). So, perhaps a value has been established?

 

[jordan]

i check ebay.fr for stuff a lot (and I sell some things on it too)... anything by celine, le clezio, or queneau that's any good isn't going to show up in the worldwide results. plus, i've bought two things recently from sellers who specified france only, and they've shipped to me anyway (after i asked nicely, prior to the auction's close). it costs an arm and a leg, since the euro is so strong right now, but sometimes i can't live without certain items i see... book collectors know how it is, right? :D

so, the moral of the story is, if you see something you're dying for, and the seller doesn't specify that they ship worldwide, just ask them!

 

[LickTheStar]

Wow, that's a low price for Terror Street... Damn... Ah well, I guess $275 is the lowest I'll hope to get it for... Especially since some jerk bought the $250 copy from The Strand.

Jerk!

 

[ROC]

book collectors know how it is, right? :D

Right!

 

[LickTheStar]

Just got my eBay copy from The Buk Shop a few minutes ago and... its in great shape. Small cover tears and a small amount of writing on the front page, but otherwise nearly fine.

Paid $400 for it which seemed high until I checked on abe... cheapest one there was $450. Prices seem to have jumped recently. Weird. But I'm happy with it, especially since I made the only bid.

Also, I've noticed on my copy that the first couple of pages have some kind of embossments on them... First across two pages is a letter presumably written by Buk to someone named Mike. If there wasn't so much damn text I could probably make more of it out...

Also, the divider page between the title page and the first poems has some of Buk's drawings embossed on them. Mostly, they look like people. I presume this is standard on Terror Street, but if not I'd be curious. Anyway, little things I've noticed.

Quite a thin volume. But I love it.

 

[hank solo]

Yes, that is standard. See here.
And congrats.

 

[bospress.net]

It is sometimes called "Blind Embossing" or "Blind Debossing" It is in all 800 copies of the book. It is a nice touch I think.


Bill

 

[LickTheStar]

Thanks for the term. I realized that embossing was probably raising the page UP, but couldn't figure out for the life of me what doing it DOWN was.

And I think its great. A nice addition and unexpected.

Yes, that is standard. See here.
And congrats.

Thanks for the link. Of course a search probably would have brought that up, but I remembered this thread and here I ended up. Glad to know its been discussed before.

And thank you. I've been looking for a copy for almost 2 years now and its nice to have one for my collection. I can safely stop buying books until I actually have money now.

Maybe.

 

[bospress.net]

... and $400 is not a bad price lately. This book has been under priced for years. You just paid what it should have been all along. Sure, you cold have bought a copy for $250 a few years ago, but in a couple years it will be $550.

This one has always sold for less than it should and at $400, I think that it is still under valued.

I have printed a few projects using blind debossing. If done well, it is very cool. I have some friends that print birthday cards for very young kids. They sat something like "HAPPY BIRTHDAY", but they use no ink. They only deboss the front, so the toddler can just color the cover and the words show up and they made the card, but it is actually readable and artistic. This is similar to doing a grave rubbing. It was a great idea of theirs.

Bill

 

[Joseph K]

This is similar to doing a grave rubbing.

We always did "Brass rubbing" as kids. "Grave rubbing" sounds kind of sinister. Did you mean "grave robbing"?

 

[bospress.net]

Hi,
That too! Nope. What you do is use a thin paper (tracing paper works well) and place it on a grave marker (tombstone). Then you color much of the paper with a crayon, paster, or soft pencil. The areas where the letters are will drop out and will not get colored. That will leave you a reverse negative of the grave. I have one of Bukowski's grave here.

Bill