Your Rarest Buk Piece (1 Viewer)

Lttr Prssd

Lttr Prssd

Sorry if this is a repost, noob here, but I didn't find anything like it in the first 5 pages of this thread.
Mine would have to be Horsemeat, although I did own a copy of The Curtains are Waving for a few years. Both had editions of 125 and were numbered/signed. Don't think I could ever get rid of Horsemeat, although I think about it whenever times are tough. Unfortunately, I did exactly that with Curtains, a copy of In the Shadow of the Rose, and a signed/numbered Pulp w/ print before eBay was around (or at least before I was aware of it). Got half of what I paid for all of them.
So what's your rarest piece (not talking about sentimental faves here)?
 
Hi,
I have a copy of the rare broadsides "Fencing W./ The Shadows" (one of about 10 copies released) and "Pastoral" (1 of about 5 released).

Book-wise, it would be a HB copy of the Big White Book, "It Catches" and a HB 1st Trade, Library binding of "Burning In Water".

Bill
 
Mine would be Horsemeat as well, one of only 15 Photographer's copies that has glossy prints instead of the matte finish prints in the trade edition. According to Krumhansl, the 15 Photographer's copies are in addition to the 125 trade copies. Plus, there were an additional 5 copies of the trade edition.

But, if you consider rareness to be based on the total printing, which is actually 145 copies for Horsemeat, then my other option would be You Kissed Lilly, #10 of 75 copies with a hand-colored cover signed by Buk. Of course, there were really 87 of these, plus 210 of the uncolored copies, so hell; I have no idea. :D
 
You Kissed Lilly is on my want list, but I'll have to start making a lot more money if I want to spend that much on a book. That and the Burn Again stuff. But I gave up serious collecting long ago to save myself from financial ruin.

Yes, the numbers can get confusing on a lot of the BSP stuff. I try not to get to into it when I'm perusing Krumhansl.
 
The single rarest Bukowski item I have is probably a proof copy of Heat Wave (<10 copies). I also have advance copies of Women (25 copies), Love is a Dog from Hell (29 copies, this one signed) and Ham On Rye (± 30 copies). I have more valuable books but, in terms of the numbers, these are probably the least common.
 
At Terror Street and Agony Way is the rarest I own for now.

And I'm heartbroken to hear you got rid of Shadow of the Rose. I don't own a copy myself, but it is by FAR my favorite cover of all Buk's BSP stuff...
 
Terror Street is another want item. The library at Fresno State had a copy, but it had been re-bound. I "owned" it for awhile when I worked there, but returned it eventually. :)

p.s. Shadow was an impulse buy on a visit to Ojai Books back in the early '90s. Never really cared much for it, actually. However, I wish I'd held on to everything a little longer, at least until I'd discovered eBay.
 
I have Horsemeat as well. It'd be interesting to figure out how many of those copies reside here in the hands of buk.net members. If I were a betting man (and I am), I'd guess that collectively we own a good portion of that issue.

But my favorite (and rarest) would have to be the original sketch that later became the serigraph print for Screams from the Balcony. It's my personal favorite Buk drawing (and my avatar).
 
my rarest buk pieces, numbers-wise, are the lettered edition of the night torn mad w/footsteps (26 copies) and the illustrated edition of hollywood (150 copies).
 
Just books, and not one of a kind things like art and letters, yeah? Because every letter could be considered "rare," being one of a kind and all.

Funny, I've been working on an inventory recently, for insurance reasons, and mainly so I'll know what I have (nothing worse than buying a book that you already have, but then again, when that happens it just may be a sign that you have too many fucking books).

Not that I have too many fucking books - in my opinion ;) - but I am disorganized and forgetful. Hence the inventory. Here's everything with a limitation of 125 or less:

30 - Hot Water Music 1983 (hardcover) Paget Press
99 - 2 poems 1967 (signed softcover) Black Sparrow Press
100 - War All The Time 1984 (signed hardcover w/painting) Black Sparrow Press
100 - Dear Mr. Bukowski 1979 (other) Mario Verlag
101 - If We Take 1969 (signed softcover) Black Sparrow Press
103 - Three By Bukowski 1992 (hardcover) Black Sparrow Press
 
probably not valuable, but I've never seen one for sale: a signed prospectus for Barfly, put out by Paget Press.
 
mjp said:
99 - 2 poems 1967 (signed softcover) Black Sparrow Press
101 - If We Take 1969 (signed softcover) Black Sparrow Press
Click to expand...

2 poems is such a lovely chap. Didn't your wife find that for you? Lucky SOB. ;)

I have a green-thread version of If We Take (350 of those, if I recall correctly), but signed at a later date with the little man and flask (probably 1986 or 87). For all I know that may be the only one of those. :cool: ;)
hoochmonkey9 said:
probably not valuable, but I've never seen one for sale: a signed prospectus for Barfly, put out by Paget Press.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how many of those were made (strangely, the Paget prospectus doesn't seem to be in Krumhansl), but I wouldn't think that too many are out there. Just throwing this out there:

$200-$250?
 
One of my oldest friends lives a couple blocks from the shopping center where Kizzy's was, and we went for the Sunday brunch a few times when we visited. Man, oh man, soooo good. I'd ask where it is now, but I don't know the area well enough.


Hmm, just searced for Lilly on ABAA and I guess it isn't as expensive as I was thinking.
 
Barfly, The Paget Press, 1984 - #4 of only 10 comb bound galleys
It is not listed by Krumhansl and I have never seen one listed anywhere let alone for sale.
I have no idea of its value.

In addition, I have several lettered and Presentation Copy BSP books, some personally inscribed to me by Buk.

I have over 80 different Bukowski books/editions from BSP and appreciate them all equally.

Oh, and count me among the Horsemeat book owners with its original prospectus. John Martin was also kind enough to slip into the book an original monochrome Montfort print of the books cover photo of Buk.

Can I order a Kizzy's sub over the internet?
 
alright, i'll throw my hat into the ring...
starting with the oldest, i have:

a complete Portfolio III, featuring 20 tanks(1000 copies printed in 1946)
It Catches, 1 of 40 or so with hand printed aphorism and abstract drawing
Cold Dogs in the Courtyard(1 of 500)
Confessions of a Man Insane Enough...(1 of 500)
At Terror Street with an early signature(1 of 747)
2 by Bukowski(1 of 12 review copies) additionally signed by John Martin
Women review copy(1 of 25 according to chronic)
The Cruelty of Loveless Love(1 of 65)

so there's a few. probably my favorite buk item is one of his button up plaid shirts(with pen in pocket) that linda lee sent to me :D
that's one of a kind for sure!

update:
i have the hardcover 1st of Women, and with only 254 copies printed is quite scarce.
AND, i have Horsemeat, but, alas it's the german edition, so i prolly don't get counted into the horsemeat club...
 
The real question is... how many people named James can there possibly be in TN? I mean... for a visit, of course. ;)

I've heard the story before and it is very cool. You're one lucky guy james. And not just because you and I share a name.
 
Lttr Prssd said:
I was thinking books/publications, but other pieces are cool too.
Click to expand...

Now I'm just damn jealous of the rest of you, but I do have: "Three by Bukowski", Hardcover (signed but not #'d).. a paperback "you get so alone" signed by Linda.. a signed "I'd rather be reading.." bumper sticker from baroque books. and a anouncement from Bukowski's funeral... (the last two are on Chronics web page)
 
Purple Stickpin quote >>> Mine would be Horsemeat as well, one of only 15 Photographer's copies that has glossy prints instead of the matte finish prints in the trade edition. According to Krumhansl, the 15 Photographer's copies are in addition to the 125 trade copies. Plus, there were an additional 5 copies of the trade edition. <<< end quote

The colophon page of HORSEMEAT reads in part, "This edition is limited to 125 copies numbered & signed by Charles Bukowski & Michael Montfort of which 100 are for sale."

My copy is signed by both Buk & Monfort and is numbered 115 with its glossy color prints, not matte, but without any notation that it is a Photographers Copy either. I wonder what that means to the Krumhansl listing.

Anyone have an answer?
 
Lttr Prssd said:
...Kizzy's...I'd ask where it is now, but I don't know the area well enough.
Click to expand...
Closer to the beach, still in a strip mall kind of thing, still (giant plates of) good food.

---

Speaking of rarity, I was never too fond of those "rare for rarity's" sake things that BSP put out. Talking mainly about the Burn Again Press stuff, and things like You kissed Lily, Shadow of the Rose. Not the early broadsides and books, which were done in very small numbers because the publishers didn't know if they could sell more than a couple hundred of them. Those are legitimately rare.

But that later "rare" stuff, I don't know, I can't bring myself to go after some of them because I feel like I'm buying a "limited edition" Star Wars toy or something. Just my take on it.

I really prefer the stuff that is rare because it's old, and there weren't many to begin with and only half of that small number survived. Those kinds of things have history, man.

You can bet that every copy of the later BSP/Burn Again titles is wrapped in plastic on someone's shelf, being preserved for posterity. You'll be able to buy one of those in pristine condition 50 years from now. But try finding a good copy of Longshot Pomes 50 years form now...hell, try finding it now.

So yeah, but that's just me, I realize that your mileage may vary.
 
planahea said:
The colophon page of HORSEMEAT reads in part, "This edition is limited to 125 copies numbered & signed by Charles Bukowski & Michael Montfort of which 100 are for sale."

My copy is signed by both Buk & Monfort and is numbered 115 with its glossy color prints, not matte, but without any notation that it is a Photographers Copy either. I wonder what that means to the Krumhansl listing.
Click to expand...
Very interesting. I was only going by what Krumhansl wrote; I've never seen another copy of HORSEMEAT, so I am a bit curious what the other photo types look like. Now, I wonder if there even are different photo types. My copy is unnumbered and is indicated PHOTOGRAPHER'S COPY in the same red pen as the usual numbering. Signed by both.
 
mjp said:
I was never too fond of those "rare for rarity's" sake things that BSP put out. Talking mainly about the Burn Again Press stuff, and things like You kissed Lily, Shadow of the Rose. Not the early broadsides and books, which were done in very small numbers because the publishers didn't know if they could sell more than a couple hundred of them. Those are legitimately rare.
Click to expand...
I have to agree actually. Knowing that the particular story/poem is going to end up in a regular collection makes those pieces lose some appeal. One of the reasons I got rid of In the Shadow, and haven't purchased any of the other ones.

However, something like the Burn Again stuff, for me at least, with the really low numbers, the personal touch of the drawn logo, and how most probably went to friends, etc. has a certain appeal.

You Kissed Lilly (like Horsemeat) is one of those titles I would always see at the beginning of the BSP books and try to search for in library catalogs, etc. Long before the internet. This was when I didn't know they were specialty pieces. So they gained a kind of elusive draw for me which has stuck.
 
I got a hospital braclet of Hank's from 1994.... Not much else to add...

hank_hospital_braclet.jpg
 
Early BSP broadsides, post 1971, were printed in the 1,000s as free handouts for retail & wholesale booksellers throughout the national book trade to be used for promotional purposes. (Those same signed and numbered broadsides were primarily for friends of the press.) The broadsides were also given away at various book shows around the country. Alas, when a given sales season was over (book publishing has two sales seasons per year) the excess were thrown away. The newer season always brought new and interesting promotional give aways for new titles from publishers.

The BSP New Year's Greetings in wrappers were handled the same way, but in much reduced quantities.
The handbound limited editions were for friends of the press, and as with the broadsides were not sold to the public.
 
"I got a hospital braclet of Hank's from 1994"... Creepy.


'Red' signed by Buk and Red.
'Living on Luck' presentation copy - 1 of 10.
'You Kissed Lilly' colored in

almost all of the lettered (1/26) editions.

Oh and 'Heatwave' lettered and 'Horsemeat'

But my favourite is still 'It Catches' in as new with an accompanying letter.
 
ROC said:
'Red' signed by Buk and Red.
'Living on Luck' presentation copy - 1 of 10.
'You Kissed Lilly' colored in

almost all of the lettered (1/26) editions.

Oh and 'Heatwave' lettered and 'Horsemeat'

But my favourite is still 'It Catches' in as new with an accompanying letter.
Click to expand...
Do you still have the mis-printed Terror Street? That has to be one of the rarest items out there.
 
May I join in on this pissing contest, please?

Copy #1 of 2 by Bukowski with a full page inscription to Barbara Martin asking her when she's going to do away with John so they can be together. Below the inscription he drew a picture of Barbara pushing a spear through John's back. It protrudes from his chest and has some guts dripping off the tip.

Genius of the Crowd

The dedication copy of It Catches My Heart with a full page inscription to Gypsy Lou.

Flower Fist inscribed to Jon Webb

Signature 1
 
nymark said:
Copy #1 of 2 by Bukowski with a full page inscription to Barbara Martin asking her when she's going to do away with John so they can be together. Below the inscription he drew a picture of Barbara pushing a spear through John's back. It protrudes from his chest and has some guts dripping off the tip.
Click to expand...

I would love to see that.

hint hint
 

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