manuscript question (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter d gray
- Start date
mjp
Founding member
From the late 1960s up to 1980 they are carbons. In 1980 he started using a photocopier (or Xeroxing, as the kids say). Then in 1991 he switched from copies to computer printouts.
So up until 1980, the manuscripts were actually in his typewriter. After that they were just copies, but they were always hand dated and signed. Though I know of at least one case where Bukowski mistakenly sent out an original typescript rather than a carbon (if you compare it to the other manuscript from 11/27/79 you can see the difference).
To me the carbons have more value, since they were actually in his typewriter. But if you look at the prices manuscripts sell for, carbon vs. Xerox doesn't seem to make much of a difference. People will pay almost as much for a Xerox as a carbon.
Though at this point the price similarities may be due to the overall scarceness of manuscripts. Back when Scott Harrison was selling hundreds of manuscripts on eBay there was more of a price difference, and the Xeroxes sold for less.
All of the letters are original typescripts. He did not make copies of letters.
This brings up another question, which is, where are the original poem typescripts, at the Huntington, or in Martin's file cabinets?
So up until 1980, the manuscripts were actually in his typewriter. After that they were just copies, but they were always hand dated and signed. Though I know of at least one case where Bukowski mistakenly sent out an original typescript rather than a carbon (if you compare it to the other manuscript from 11/27/79 you can see the difference).
To me the carbons have more value, since they were actually in his typewriter. But if you look at the prices manuscripts sell for, carbon vs. Xerox doesn't seem to make much of a difference. People will pay almost as much for a Xerox as a carbon.
Though at this point the price similarities may be due to the overall scarceness of manuscripts. Back when Scott Harrison was selling hundreds of manuscripts on eBay there was more of a price difference, and the Xeroxes sold for less.
All of the letters are original typescripts. He did not make copies of letters.
This brings up another question, which is, where are the original poem typescripts, at the Huntington, or in Martin's file cabinets?
interesting. so an original typescript poem from any period becoming available would be an anomaly?
any idea what the value difference would be for a carbon as opposed to the original typed sheet?
btw i have no vested interest in this (unfortunately).
any idea what the value difference would be for a carbon as opposed to the original typed sheet?
btw i have no vested interest in this (unfortunately).
mjp
Founding member
Boy, I don't know. I haven't seen an original poem typescript for sale in some time. The only reason I got my mitts on wall clock was because the seller didn't realize it was an original typescript until he was preparing it for shipment. Had he noticed beforehand and listed it as an original, I probably couldn't have afforded to buy it (and if he had wanted to be a dick about it, he could have kept it and refunded my payment).
Value is hard to determine. It depends on the buyer. Most buyers in the past few years seem to be satisfied with computer printouts or Xeroxes. But that could just be due to the lack of carbons on the market.
But again, to me, I would think that someone who values this stuff would be prepared to pay twice what they would pay for a carbon for the original typescript. As far as the poem manuscripts are concerned, the original is the most scarce version, as they were never intentionally sent out to small press publishers. The carbons are one of a kind, but still a copy. The Xeroxes are just Xeroxes - there could be dozens of copies. Same for computer printouts, of course.
But it's hard to put a dollar value on any of them right now.
Value is hard to determine. It depends on the buyer. Most buyers in the past few years seem to be satisfied with computer printouts or Xeroxes. But that could just be due to the lack of carbons on the market.
But again, to me, I would think that someone who values this stuff would be prepared to pay twice what they would pay for a carbon for the original typescript. As far as the poem manuscripts are concerned, the original is the most scarce version, as they were never intentionally sent out to small press publishers. The carbons are one of a kind, but still a copy. The Xeroxes are just Xeroxes - there could be dozens of copies. Same for computer printouts, of course.
But it's hard to put a dollar value on any of them right now.
