Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Eliot, T. S.. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Faber and Faber Ltd, London, 1939.
Price: US$57.97 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 1939, 2nd impression. Small thin Quarto. 45pp. Original yellow cloth. Minor markings and edge wear. Binding square and tight. Clean internally. A 'Very Good' copy.
Seller: Kerr & Sons Booksellers ABA, Cartmel, CMA, United Kingdom
Eliot, T. S.. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Faber and Faber Limited 1939, London, 1939.
Price: US$225.45 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Second impression, published two months after the first. 45 pp. Publisher's yellow cloth with decoration in red to front board and red lettering to spine. In yellow pictorial dust wrapper. Jacket edgeworn & darkened. A few faint spots to cloth. Pencil annotations to three pages, otherwise clean. No ownership names. Large 8vo. Illustrated
Seller: Foster Books - Stephen Foster - ABA, ILAB, & PBFA, London, United Kingdom
Eliot, T S. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. 1939. Faber & Faber Ltd, London, 1939.
Price: US$262.42 + shipping
Description: 220mm x 160mm (9" x 6"). 45pp. With darkened dust jacket. G: in good condition in clear protective wraps. Spine chipped and darkened with closed tears and tape repairs to dust jacket. Cover with some light marking towards extremities. Previous owner's inscription and date to fep. Faint residue of previous label to fep Hardback: Yellow illustrated board cover
Seller: Barter Books Ltd, Alnwick, NORTH, United Kingdom
Eliot, T. S.. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Faber and Faber (1939) 1939, London, 1939.
Price: US$289.86 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: DJ spine browned with small stain to front, foxing to cover adjacent to spine, owner's signature on ffep ; Inside clean, DJ now protected with archival quality detachable Melinex. ; 0.35 x 8.7 x 6.5 inches; 45 pages; Yellow cloth with red spine titles and 2 gentlemen on roller skates to cover
Seller: C P Books Limited, Oxted, United Kingdom
Price: US$322.07 + shipping
Description: 8vo. 8.75 x 6.75 inches. 45 pp. Bound in original yellow cloth with red titles and block on front board, in unclipped pictorial dust wrapper, illustrated by the author, with sunned spine and edges, and some small chips at head of spine. Rough cut edges. A little wear and sunning of extremities, but otherwise a very good copy. November Second Impression of the September First Edition of Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, showing the work in its original state. The whimsical poems by T. S. Eliot were later performed on stage as the Lloyd Webber musical, Cats, from 1981. They were originally included by the author in letters to his godchildren in the 1930s. ILLUSTRATED/CHILDRENS POETRY POETRY CHILDREN'S 20TH CENTURY ILLUSTRATED/CHILDRENS
Seller: Marrins Bookshop, Folkestone, KENT, United Kingdom
Eliot, T.S.. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Faber and Faber, London, 1939.
Price: US$354.27 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Hardcover, first edition bound in yellow cloth with red design to front board, red lettering to spine and untrimmed page edges. Previous owner's name penned to FEP and picture of author tipped into same. Light foxing to FEP, boards are rubbed and tanned at edges and spine. Few small marks to front and rear covers. Minor marks to a couple of pages internally, otherwise pages are clean and text is clear throughout. AD
Seller: PsychoBabel & Skoob Books, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OXON, United Kingdom
Eliot, T.S.. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Faber and Faber Ltd., London, 1939.
Price: US$395.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Faber and Faber Ltd. London. 1939. 45 pages. First edition; second printing stated. Original DJ with 3s. 6d. net price present on front flap. Considering only 3,005 copies were printed in the first print run, the second printing remains highly collectible, in DJ. Eliot's classic would go on to become the basis for Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1981 smash hit CATS. Yellow cloth boards with author's design in red on front panel. A nice square copy; sturdy. Binding and hinges are strong. Yellow cloth is bright with minimal soiling. Red design and titles are bright. Previous owner's name on FFEP. Original DJ shows light soiling and handling with shallow chipping at crown and heel. A couple of faint creases on DJ rear. A VG+ early printing, in original VG DJ.
Seller: Medium Rare Books, Mountainside, NJ, U.S.A.
T.S. Eliot. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Faber & Faber, 1939.
Price: US$600.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" by T.S. Eliot. Faber & Faber, London. 1939 first UK edition first printing. Dust jacket tatty, age-toned, some spots, some losses to spine, as shown. First free endpaper has been torn out. Hard covers good with some age-darkening, mainly to spine & edges, a couple of small marks. Foxing to closed page edges, just a hint of spotting to endpapers. One page has small edge loss (about 15 mm x 6 mm at most) - the corresponding piece is attached to the opposite page. Pages very good, clean and firm in binding. The dust jacket has the price: 3s 6d net. And please see photos as part of description. Collectable 1st Edition of this classic work.
Seller: Neverland Books, waalre, Netherlands
Price: US$772.96 + shipping
Description: pp. 45, (iii) blanks. Pale yellow dust wrapper, decorated in black on front and rear panels, wrapper spine a bit faded, the top of the spine torn with a small piece lost [loss of the letter 'O' from the word 'Old', a 2.5cms. tear at the head of the spine and a couple of tiny tears without loss at the top edge of the wrapper, front turn-in priced '3s6d', some scattered foxing of the wrapper, interior clean with occasional marginal foxing
Seller: Patrick Pollak Rare Books ABA ILAB, SOUTH BRENT, DEVON, United Kingdom
Price: US$837.37 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: London: Faber & Faber, 1939. First Edition, First Printing, printed in September 1939. New quarter leather binding with new paper boards and gilt titles to a red leather spine, original first edition, first impression contents. First Edition with pagination as follows: new end paper, original end paper (one page, 2 leaves), half title, blank, followed by title page, print information, preface page numbered 7, 45pp, end blank and a further 2 blank leaves (one page), new end paper. Recently rebound in a fine attractive quarter leather binding. Approximately 9 inches tall. Condition Report Externally Spine very good condition gilt titles to a red morocco quarter leather spine. Joints very good condition. Corners very good condition. Boards very good condition wavy pattern. Page edges very good condition. See above and photos. Internally Hinges very good condition sound. Paste downs very good condition new. End papers very good condition new. Title good condition very minor marks. Pages good condition minor marks, ever so slightly tanned. Binding good condition sound, attractive example. See photos Publisher: see above. Publication Date: 1939 Binding: Hardback
Seller: Louis88Books (Members of the PBFA), Andover, United Kingdom
ELIOT. T. S.. OLD POSSUM'S BOOK OF PRACTICAL CATS.. Faber & Faber Limited. London. 1939, 1939.
Price: US$837.37 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: FIRST EDITION. Large 8vo.(8.8 x 6.6 inches). 45pp. Finely bound in recent full red morocco leather, single gilt ruled border on boards. Spine lettered in gilt. Top edge gilt. A fine copy of this classic book in an attractive leather binding. Only 3005 copies were printed.
Seller: Paul Foster. - ABA & PBFA Member., London, United Kingdom
Eliot, T. S.. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Faber and Faber, London, 1939.
Price: US$950.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, first printing of T. S. Eliot's charming collection of poems about feline psychology and sociology. Bound in publisher's original pale yellow cloth printed in red. Very Good with light soiling and irregular toning to cloth; top edge dust soiled. Former owner's bookplate on front pastedown with heavy foxing to endsheets. In a Very Good unclipped dust jacket with toning and light soiling to spine and covers; chipping to crown. Eliot wrote these poems in the 1930s and included them, under his assumed name "Old Possum," in letters to his godchildren. It inspired the smash hit Broadway musical Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
Eliot, T. S.. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Faber and Faber, London, 1939.
Price: US$1000.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First edition, first printing of T. S. Eliot's whimsical collection of poems about feline psychology and sociology. Bound in publisher's original pale yellow cloth printed in red. Near Fine with light soiling to cloth, trivial wear at extremities; previous owner's name on front free endpaper. Contents slightly toned with light foxing at edges. In a Very Good price-clipped dust jacket with light edge wear, light staining, several small chips, toning to edges, old price on rear cover and foxing to blindside. A lovely copy. Eliot wrote these poems in the 1930s and included them, under his assumed name "Old Possum", in letters to his godchildren.
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
Eliot (T.S.). Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Faber & Faber, London, 1939.
Price: US$1198.08 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition, first impression. Large 8vo. Original yellow pictorial boards. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 3/6. The first edition of Eliot's famous whimsical poems featuring feline protagonists - famously of course the inspiration and source for Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, Cats. Eliot wrote the poems in the 1930s, and included them, under his assumed name "Old Possum", in letters to his godchildren. The illustrations in this edition were by the author himself, with subsequent editions illustrated by such luminaries as Nicolas Bentley, Edward Gorey and, most recently, Axel Scheffler of Gruffalo fame. Contemporary gift inscription to front endpaper; boards with light stain to foot of spine but otherwise VG+; jacket with some toning and light marking, browned and worn around spine, but overall a VG example.
Seller: Lycanthia Rare Books, Newark, NOTTS, United Kingdom
Price: US$1545.92 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: London: Faber & Faber, 1939. First Edition, First Printing, printed in September 1939. Recent full yellow calf leather binding with black titles to the spine and black decoration of a cat clawing the back of a chair to the front board, original first edition, first impression contents. First Edition, first impression, 45pp. Recently rebound in a fine attractive full leather binding. Approximately 9 inches tall. Condition Report Externally Spine very good condition black titles. Joints very good condition. Corners very good condition. Boards very good condition black titles and decoration. Page edges very good condition. See above and photos. Internally Hinges very good condition sound. Paste downs very good condition new. End papers very good condition new. Title good condition very minor marks. Pages good condition slightly tanned, minor foxing. Binding good condition sound, attractive example. See photos Publisher: see above. Publication Date: 1939 Binding: Hardback
Seller: Louis88Books (Members of the PBFA), Andover, United Kingdom
ELIOT T.S.. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. , 1939.
Price: US$1610.33 + shipping
Description: First edition. 8vo. Original yellow cloth, spine lettered in red, dust jacket. London, Faber and Faber. Contemporary gift inscription to front free endpaper, just a hint of faint spotting to endpapers, jacket slightly edge worn and marked, spine panel toned with small loss to head, notwithstanding a very good copy overall. Gallup A34.
Seller: Maggs Bros. Ltd ABA, ILAB, PBFA, BA, London, United Kingdom
Price: US$1775.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Faber and Faber Ltd. London. 1939. 45 pages. First edition; first printing. First published in September Mcmxxxix printed on the copyright page; no later printings listed. Original first issue DJ with 3s. 6d. net price present on front flap. This is one of only 3,005 copies printed in the first print run. Eliot's classic would go on to become the basis for Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1981 smash hit CATS. Yellow cloth boards with author's design in red on front panel. A nice square copy; sturdy. Binding and hinges are strong. Yellow cloth is bright with some soiling around edges. If so desired you could easily have this shampooed by a restorer and it would pop. Red design and titles are bright. No writing within; or on exterior. Endpapers show foxing. At base of FFEP is a tiny tip-in from The Grolier Bookshop / 6 Plympton St. Cambridge. You could easily remove this without damaging the book by just a slight pull; but it is rather charming as is. Original DJ shows light soiling and handling with a couple of rubs, chips and closed edge tear. The DJ is disjointed at spine with the majority of the spine area missing; thanks to the notoriously brittle nature of this DJ and paper used; explaining why so few original DJ have survived. Interior of DJ shows a small amount of vintage tape reinforcement. A nice copy of the classic; in its original dj.
Seller: Medium Rare Books, Mountainside, NJ, U.S.A.
Price: US$2500.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition. Original yellow cloth pictorial vignette on cover stamped in red, spine with red lettering. In the unrestored and unclipped yellow dust jacket with enchanting cover illustration of cats climbing a ladder. A FINE ASSOCIATION COPY, Stephen Spender's Copy, noted novelist and essayist whose work focused on social injustice and class struggle. With his bookplate. Book is fine, wrapper near fine. Eliot published four of Spender's poems inâT1930 (in the Criterion, and later, Spender's first standalone work,âPoems, in 1933) Spender recalled: "At our first luncheon [T.S. Eliot] asked me what I wanted to do. I said: 'Be a poet.' 'I can understand you wanting to write poems, but I don't quite know what you mean by "being a poet,"' he objected."âA FINE ASSOCIATION COPY.â.
Seller: Nudelman Rare Books, Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
ELIOT, T. S.. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1939, 1939.
Price: US$2576.53 + shipping
Description: First edition, first impression. Eliot wrote whimsical poems throughout the 1930s and sent them under his assumed name "Old Possum" in letters to his godchildren. Andrew Lloyd Webber later adapted the collection into the musical Cats, which opened in the West End in May 1981. Gallup A34a (3,005 copies). Octavo. Original yellow cloth, titles to spine and central vignette to front cover in red, fore and lower edges untrimmed. With dust jacket, designed by the author. Inscribed gift card (dated "Xmas '39") mounted on front free endpaper. Spine ends bumped, hint of soiling and foxing to edges, contents clean; jacket rubbed and slightly toned, extremities nicked and creased with one short closed tear to head of front panel, unclipped: a very good copy in very good jacket.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
ELIOT, T.S.. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.. London Faber & Faber, 1939.
Price: US$2722.50 + shipping
Description: First edition, first impression; 8vo; light spotting to endpapers, else unmarked internally; publisher's yellow cloth, red lettering to spine, device to upper cover in red, light dust-soiling to extremities, with the price-clipped pictorial dustjacket, short closed tear to top edge of front panel, spine browned, minor wear to spine and corners; overall a very good copy. Eliot's poetry book for children about cats, which would become the basis of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats. The book became hugely popular, sparking many reprints, including illustrated editions with drawings by Nicholas Bentley, Edward Gorey, and Axel Scheffler. Gallup A34a.
Seller: Shapero Rare Books, London, United Kingdom
T S Eliot. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Faber and Faber, London, 1939.
Price: US$2898.59 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: An uncommon, first edition copy of T S Eliot's famous poetry collection regarding feline psychology and sociology. This anthology forms the basis of Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous 1981 musical 'Cats'. Written under the assumed name of 'Old Possum', a name T.S Eliot used in letters to his godchildren.With the original dustwrapper priced 3s. 6d. with Eliot's drawing to the front wrap. This dustwrapper has been neatly restored and repaired to the head and tail of spine and joints. The true first edition, published in September 1939. One of only 3005 copies printed in the first print run.Comprising fifteen poems, including 'The Rum Tum Tugger', 'The Song of the Jellicles', 'Old Deuteronomy', and 'Mr Mistoffelees'. In the publishers' original cloth binding. With original unclipped dustwrapper Externally, very smart. Dustwrapper is in a bright condition. Professionally repaired and restored internally to the head and tail of spine and to the head and tail of joints. Near Fine
Seller: Rooke Books PBFA, Bath, United Kingdom
Eliot, T. S.. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Faber & Faber, London, 1939.
Price: US$2999.99 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Yellow cloth with red picture/letters. A first edition copy, with "First published in September, Mcmxxxix", toned at spine and board edges. Tidy gift inscription to ffep. Light foxing to endpages. The jacket, in mylar, is unclipped and retains price of 3s. 6d. The jacket is toned, lightly soiled/rubbed with shallow chips to spine ends/corners. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall
Seller: curtis paul books, inc., Northridge, CA, U.S.A.
ELIOT, T. S.. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1939, 1939.
Price: US$3220.66 + shipping
Description: First edition, first impression, one of 3,005 copies printed. Eliot wrote the whimsical poems included in this collection throughout the 1930s, and included them under his assumed name "Old Possum" in letters to his godchildren. The work was adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber into the musical Cats, which opened in the West End in May 1981 and on Broadway in October 1982. Both productions became the longest-running musicals in each theatre district. Gallup A34a. Octavo. Finely bound by the Chelsea Bindery in red morocco, spine with raised bands and lettered in gilt, single gilt fillet frame to covers, turn-ins ruled in gilt, marbled endpapers, edges gilt. A fine copy.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
Eliot, T.S.. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Faber and Faber Limited, London, 1939.
Price: US$4500.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First Edition, First Printing with the words "First Published in September 1939" printed on the copyright page. This ORIGINAL First Printing dustjacket has the 3s.6d. net printed price present on the front flap with NO chips or tears. The book is bound in the publisher's yellow cloth and is in excellent condition. The binding is tight, and the boards are crisp with minor wear to the spine. The pages are clean with NO writing, marks or bookplates in the book. A lovely copy. We buy T.S. Eliot First Editions.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.
Eliot, T.S.. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Faber and Faber, London, 1939.
Price: US$6500.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: First Edition, First Printing SIGNED by T.S. Eliot on a laid in signature. A beautiful dustjacket that is rich in color with NO chips or tears with minor repair. The book is in excellent condition. The binding is tight, and the boards are crisp with minor wear to the edges. The pages are clean with NO writing, marks or bookplates in the book. A beautiful copy of this SIGNED by the author. We buy Eliot First Editions.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.
Eliot, T. S.. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Faber and Faber, London, 1939.
Price: US$15000.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Advance proof of the first British edition of T. S. Eliot's whimsical collection of poems about feline psychology and sociology. Bound in publisher's original yellow wraps printed in black. Typed title label to spine over old handwritten title. Very Good with soiling and light creasing. A very scarce format of this beloved collection of poetry. Eliot wrote these poems in the 1930s and included them, under his assumed name "Old Possum", in letters to his godchildren.
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
Price: US$16103.29 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: The First UK printing published by Faber and Faber, London in 1939. The BOOK is in Very Good++ condition. Publisher's original yellow boards with the spine lettered in red and the front with a vignette illustration in red. The boards remain clean with a hint of toning to the edges. Internally, a contemporary gift inscription to the upper front blank end-paper. Very light offsetting to the front blank end-paper with one tiny mark to the lower rear blank end-paper. A few of the pages have been roughly uncut resulting in a small closed tear to the fore-edge of pages 25 and 31, and some irregularity to the upper half of the fore-edge of pages 13 and 15. The WRAPPER is complete and is in Very Good++ condition. A slither of loss at the spine ends with some toning to the spine, folds and edges and some light age related markings. The wrapper artwork (by the author) remains very striking in the removable Brodart archival cover. The book has been signed (without dedication) by the author to the title page. Housed in a custom solander box, with marbled inserts, a silk tie and gilt titling. One of the author's key titles and very rarely found with such attributes. More images available on request. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact.
Seller: Ashton Rare Books ABA : PBFA : ILAB, Market Harborough, United Kingdom
Price: US$22544.60 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: HARDBACK - The book is in very good condition with clean yellow boards. The inner text is clean, free of finger marks or folded pages. The book has been Inscribed by the author, the inscription reads FOR SALLY BLAKE FROM TOM POSSUM. Sally Blake was the daughter of George Blake, the Scottish author, journalist and Broadcaster. Sally Blake's father became friends with Eliot after being made director of Faber & Faber in 1930, and as Sally Blake herself recalls, in August 1942 he invited Eliot to his home in East Devon Lodge in Dollar, Scotland. There was much anticipation in the Blake household at the prospect of Eliot's visit, and some anxiety on the part of Sally over the imminent arrival of the 'important man'. Knowing that Blake had an eight year old daughter, Eliot had brought with him this copy of Old Possum which he duly Inscribed to Sally. He did spend some time reading to the girl, but rather than his own poems, he chose the Uncle Remus stories of Joel Chandler Harris. Unfortunately, he also chose to adopt a deep southern American accent, which much have sounded entirely foreign, and perhaps a little frightening, to young Scottish ears. At any rate Sally was unsettled to the point of tears, and looking back now, she suggests that the poet rather put the enjoyment of his own performance above the sensibilities of his young listener. The dust wrapper is in very good condition with a little browning to the spine. There are a couple of small closed tears, with a little rubbing to the folds. The dust wrapper has not been price clipped, and presents as a very nice clean example.
Seller: West Hull Rare Books - P.B.F.A., Hull, YORKS, United Kingdom
Eliot, T. S.. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Faber and Faber, London, 1939.
Price: US$24000.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition of T. S. Eliot's whimsical collection of poems about feline psychology and sociology. Inscribed by the author, though Elliot's name not signed, "To Edith with love / Christmas 1939". A warm and personal inscription. Though impossible to prove, this might be inscribed to avant garde poet Edith Sitwell, one cannot say for certain. Elizabeth Salter in The Last Years of a Rebel: A Memoir Of Edith Sitwell cites a note Sitwell circulated to friends circa 1960, "I've not read Mr. Eliot's Book Of Practical Cats, so can you tell me if it is true that he is the author of these lines? I tort I saw a puddy tat .I wonder what put it into my head that he is the author?" Bound in publisher's original pale yellow cloth printed in red. Very Good with light soiling to cloth, light wear at extremities with a slight repair at the crown, contents tanned and lightly thumbed. Eliot wrote these poems in the 1930s and included them, under his assumed name "Old Possum", in letters to his godchildren.
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.