The Westvaco American Classics series

LucasTrask has been kind--and industrious!--enough to post photos illustrating the books published by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper company in their American Classics series (which is now unhappily defunct, it appears). These are true works of art, and anyone interested in Fine Press books should give them a look--you'll have to scroll down in the thread a bit, but your efforts will be well repaid.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/88020#1926133

Ditto for LucasTrask, I am especially impressed by the magnified details of the books. I bought the 50th book and bibliography earlier this month so that I could learn about the series and was very pleased to see pictures, tho small, for each volume. The enlarged photos give a better idea of the appearance of the books and slipcovers.

I am a cataloger at a library in Texas, and in 2009, we received a donation that included a complete set of the Lakeside Classics and the Westvaco Classics among many,many other books. I have already add the Lakeside Classics and am in the process of adding the Westvaco set. They are a wonderful set and seemingly fairly ignored for some reason.
The donor collected the early editions from booksellers, but had the later ones sent to him directly. The series editor for about half the set was Karen Elder, and she sent short letters with each of the last several editions describing them in addition to the. Initially, I contacted her to see if there would be anymore in the series, but she assured me that the set was complete at that point.

On a related note, if you can find the limited editions from the Texas Western Press while Carl Hertzog was the publisher with illustrations by Jose Cisneros, those are also quite nice.

I'm not familiar with this series or the company. Could someone give me some details? Such as quality of paper, letterpress or not, original artwork or not, etc...
Thanks!

>4 astropi:

astropi, many, many discussions about the Westvaco books in the Folio Society archives. They are roughly comparable to the pre-CT Heritage Press books and even more to the Folio books. Beautiful quality printing, bind and especially imaginative design: eg, The Red Badge of Courage has a bullet hole through the entire book.

A 1962 edition from West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company of Typee, by Melville, is up at Books and Vines.

http://booksandvines.com/2011/12/12/typee-by-herman-melville-limited-editions-cl...

or

http://booksandvines.com

I'm very excited to have just taken delivery of a parcel containing the two Silk Road Journey books. Both are in absolutely pristine condition - vol two is so pristine that the outer cardboard container was still sealed - and the combined cost was less than a standard UK paperback!

On the flip side, for the first time ever, not one but two book purchases have apparently gone missing in the post. One was quite a nice FS book, which I'll be able to get again, although maybe not at such a good price, whilst the other item was something a little bit special, that is truly heartbreaking to think of as having gone astray.

Books: lost, and unloved. That is heartbreaking. Perhaps you inadvertently introduce someone to their new favourite author. Silly, but thinking so makes me feel a bit better.

Huxleythecat, I hate to even think what the missing "little bit special" item was--maybe it will show up yet.

Congrats on the Silk Road books--I've been looking out for those for years. I'm glad you got them!

>9 Django6924: I'll let you know what it was when I'm absolutely, absolutely certain that it is not going to arrive. I'm absolutely certain it's not at the moment, but 'whilst there's breath there's hope'. The seller's failure to respond to two (very polite) emails requesting information on despatch date makes me think that it may not actually be an issue with the Royal Mail, but it is quite a coincidence that the other item from a different seller hasn't turned up either. Oh well, fingers crossed.

I had to write off 3 ( in one go ) previously unopened LECs that were apparently shipped to Germany. Nearly 5 months are gone and I have been refunded, but these books are now just that little bit rarer. I wonder where all these missing books end up, there must be some real corkers in some PO lost and found?

I was doodling around in an antique shop this weekend and came across a Westvaco of Charles Dickens American Notes for $10. It was in Foscoe, NC during just about blizzard conditions so I was in a hurry to get back on the road. I didn't buy it because although the book was fine, the slip case looked like it had acid dropped on it. Now I'm kicking myself. Do you want to kick me too? :(

>12 varielle: I just recently bought that book for $14 ($10 + $4 shipping) with a decent slipcover. I don't think all is lost.

>12 varielle:

I'd LOVE to kick you, now that you mention it....

But I agree with Ken--you'll find this in Fine condition for the same price if you are patient. I just got in the mail a copy of Anne Lindberg's Listen! The Wind I bought on e-Bay. Perfect book, perfect slipcase, $5. For some reason, the Westvaco books, except for a few like the Poe, are grossly undervalued--even more so than the Heritage Press books.

>14 Django6924: oh Django, that book was a revelation!
Maybe because these books were given away as Christmas gifts, they were not highly prized by the recipients. A pity really, but a good thing for collectors! Apparently sometimes you can find them in the original mailing envelope!

I didn't realize that I had become kickworthy, but I'll refrain from kicking myself.

ole puppy, my father collected these books and managed to get a few full sets for us kids. He has a number of dupes--he got quite carried away at times. They are moving into a smaller place and would like to find loving homes for the books. Should you be interested still.

>17 MarkDA:

Sent you a private message concerning the books. Let me know.

> 17 - I left a PM as well!

Thank you very much for the nice offer, MarkDA, I'll send an e-mail.

I stumbled across the 1992 Two Years Before the Mast in like new condition today in a junk shop for $10.

>21 varielle:

Oh stop gloating! :-P

>21 varielle: Currently 8 copies on ABE for under $10. One of the nice things about collecting Westvaco editions is the low price for such a quality product.

How about 99p for Great Gatsby? And the seller was local so no p&p. As I rather abashedly handed over the coin and refused the penny change he offered, I was rather relieved to hear that he made 100% profit on the deal! Now that's what I call a low price for a quality product.

I guess I should have bargained for $5.

OK, I fell for it. My fault, as I did not follow normal online due diligence. The previous post from courtneyhicks regarding Second Story Auctions was a scam. "Stumbled across"....right. Check the profile--no books, no history, and the entry above was posted on the same day the profile was created.



One Westvaco edition interested me. The day before the auction ended, I sent an inquiry regarding shipping. No answer. Thinking it couldn’t be too bad, I bid a little high compared to the same edition available on ABE. After the auction, I was hit with a minimum (minimum!) $29.45 shipping charge. I’ve purchased at least a couple of hundred books online, and that is, by far, the most expensive shipping I’ve ever encountered for domestic postage on a single book.



In any case, buyer beware of Second Story Auctions. You got me once, but never again.

>27 TrippB:

I'm a bit appalled, but also a bit impressed.

Don't feel too bad, however - auction house shipping is always expensive. Even PBA or Heritage, which are both very reputable, charge several multiples of what you would pay on Abe or Biblio.

Agreed. A different business model. The regret isn't with the book, either. I've been looking for one in very good condition, and this completes the set. I'm more annoyed about letting my guard down.

I've been on eBay since 1997. 100% rating (mostly buying).

In this situation (asking $30 to ship a single book), I would offer far less and if not accepted, I'd open up a report with eBay and refuse to pay. There is a difference between honoring one's bid and sellers using that promise to extort money from a buyer.

-Shawn

And just in time for Black History Month, I came across the beautiful Westvaco edition of Not Without Laughter for $25. Looking forward to reading this one as I've only read his poetry to date.

>31 jveezer: I very much enjoyed that one, and it is a lovely edition.

I still have the bibliography somewhere that I bought so many years ago

I just picked up the Westvaco edition of A Week on the Concord and Merrimack at a FOL sale for $2. The book is beautiful. The slip case once was too covered in honey bees but it’s taken some abuse.

Dang! Just found Listen! The Wind for $1 at an FoL sale. It was perfect. People don’t know what they have. Do you think there’s enough interest in Westvaco to start an independent group?

>35 varielle: I doubt there is enough interest for an independent group. This thread alone doesn’t get much activity. Westvaco titles are an eclectic bunch. Good value proposition. I have 24 titles and paid less than $5 for most.