Since 1996, AbeBooks has provided a place for independent sellers to sell their new and used books and for buyers looking for rarities. In addition to first editions and dedicated copies, you can also find magazines, photos, maps and letters on the site. The millions of books and other items come from sellers from more than 50 countries. It is a subsidiary of Amazon since 2008 and it has several international sites. At the site, I read about the most valuable children’s books, from which I highlight those that I am familiar with.
The Hobbit was first published by Allen & Unwin on 21 September 1937. The story, which marked the beginning of fantasy literature, was initially published in just 1,550 copies. One of these sold for £45,050 on AbeBooks in 2003. More affordable editions are still available on the website, but even these can cost hundreds of pounds.
A first edition of Harry Potter sold for £70,000. In 1997, Bloomsbury published only 500 copies, of which 200 were for promotional purposes and 300 were for libraries. One of the latter ones was this book from the Edinburgh Public Library being sold here last year. A total of 27 people borrowed the book before it was ‘withdrawn from service’. Those 27 people were among the first to experience the magic. There was a previous first edition that someone bought on AbeBooks for $37,000 USD, which seems like a bargain in comparison with the previous price.
Alice in Wonderland was first published in 1865, in a print run of just 200 copies, but the illustrator, John Tenniel, complained about the poor quality, so it was reprinted in December of the same year, in a print run of 4,000 copies. Copies of the first edition can now be bought for seven-figure price tags, but the second edition has also become an expensive and rare treasure. Another interesting edition is the volume illustrated by Salvador Dalí, which sold for over £13,000. The volume I have is also interesting because the illustrations were made by Tove Jansson, the creator of the Moomins. The illustrations were made for the Swedish translation but later they were adopted for the English edition.
The 1926 edition of Winnie the Pooh, which should be an essential item on any child’s shelf, and which was signed by Milne and E. H. Shepard, sold for over £8,000 in 2006. However, affordable, very nice editions of this classic are constantly available. Interestingly, E. H. Shepard’s daughter, Mary Shepard, illustrated the Mary Poppins stories, which are also considered classics.
The Wizard of Oz is probably America’s best-known fairy tale, thanks to the film and stage plays made from it and the subsequent adaptations. The first edition was published in 1900 with 24 color plates by W.W. Denslow. The first edition, signed by him, sold for £6,100 on AbeBooks in 2012.
The character of Peter Pan first appeared in J. M. Berrie’s adult novel, The Little White Bird, in 1902, and a play about the boy who never grows up was made in 1904. The novel was published in 1906 with illustrations by Arthur Rackham. One such volume sold for £4,505 in 2016.
Of course, at far more affordable costs, I have also purchased books from AbeBooks: for example a signed copy by David Attenborough.
