Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Sign of Four. George Newnes, Limited, London, 1892.
Price: US$1000.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: An early edition of Doyle's second stand-alone Sherlock Holmes title. 283 pp. 8vo. Burgundy cloth pictorial boards with an image of Dr. Watson and a woman on the cover, Mr. Holmes on spine. General wear and scuffing, fraying at base of spine, small losses along edges, small hole 3" down from head of spine, even with Holmes' forehead. Front and rear endpapers have a green flower repeating pattern, previous owner's name in light black ink on first free endpaper. Text block slightly loose but still tight to boards, clean within.
Seller: Craig Olson Books, ABAA/ILAB, Belfast, ME, U.S.A.
Arthur Conan Doyle.. The Sign of Four.. George Newnes Ltd., London, UK, 1892.
Price: US$1120.00 + shipping
Description: Bound in brown leather with five raised bands on the backstrip. All Edges Marbled. Marbled Endpapers. Quarter-Leather with Leather Corner Tips and Marbled Paper Panels.Very Good: shows moderate wear to the extremities, with three corner tips starting to rub through to the underlying board; the lower portion of the front hinge is just starting to split, but doesn't appear to endanger the integrity of the hinge; mild rubbing overall and a small area of scuffing to the lower mid-front panel; the very slightest spine lean; a former owner has placed a quite attractive bookplate overanother previous bookplate at the front pastedown endpaper. The binding remains secure; the text is clean. Free of any creased or dog-eared pages in the text. Free of any underlining, hi-lighting or any other markings in the text. A handsome copy, structurally sound and tightly bound, showing moderate wear and minor flaws. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. (7.5 x 5 x 0.9 inches). 224 pages. Illustrated with Forty black & white illustrations by George Hutchinson. Gilt titles and designs at the backstrip. Bound in brown leather with five raised bands on the backstrip. All Edges Marbled. Marbled Endpapers. Language: English. Weight: 17.7 ounces. Third Edition (1891); Second Printing, with Illustrations (1892). Quarter-Leather with Leather Corner Tips and Marbled Paper Panels. This may be a privately produced leather binding, as we have a matching volume of "A Study in Scarlet", published by Ward, Lock, and Bowden and Co.
Seller: Black Cat Hill Books, Oregon City, OR, U.S.A.
Conan Doyle, Arthur. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. George Newnes, Limited, London, 1892.
Price: US$1932.39 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: The spine is darkened with the lettering a little faded and there is rubbing at the top and bottom. Rubbing and bumping to the corners of the front and rear panels with some light fraying. Small white mark to top right hand corner of rear panel. Small stain near the bottom of the front panel. Small torn patch at the bottom left hand corner of the front pastedown. There is a gap in the front endpapers with the webbing exposed but the binding is secure. The title page has a strip torn from the top edge that is about half an inch wide by four inches long. Brown spots to a large number of the pages. These are generally fairly light and scattered but they do affect over half the pages. First printing and first issue - no "Southampton Street" sign on the front cover, "cucaine" for "cocaine" on page 133, and "Violent Hunter" for "Violet Hunter" on page 317. Heavy item so there will be an additional postage charge for overseas orders.
Seller: Raymond Tait, Beccles, SUFFO, United Kingdom
Conan Doyle, Arthur. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. London George Newnes Limited 1892, 1892.
Price: US$2898.59 + shipping
Description: First edition, first printing. Published by George Newnes Limited in London, 1892. This is a very good copy. The true first issue, with the street sign blank on the front cover, the misspelling of 'Cocaine' ('Cucaine') on page 133 and 'Miss Violet Hunter' ('Violent') on page 317. The boards are generally bright and presentable, but the gilt titling and black 'Strand Library' stamp are faded. The spine is moderately tight, but suffers from rubbing at the top and tail, fading again to the 'Strand Library' stamp and the gilt titling. There is a small tear at the tail end of the spine. The corners are sharp, but slightly frayed. The gilt text side text block is bright and generally clean; the top and bottom text blocks are toned. Internally, the end papers are beautifully designed and remain clean, but with slight toning to the fly leaf; the rear end papers match this. This copy is, however, mostly free from foxing. Overall, this book is in very good and highly collectible condition- an asset to any Sherlock Holmes or Conan Doyle collector. A collection of twelve short stories, each featuring Conan Doyle's famed protagonist, Sherlock Holmes.
Seller: John Atkinson Books ABA ILAB PBFA, Harrogate, United Kingdom
Price: US$6119.25 + shipping
Description: Newnes 1894, 1892. Two volumes, both first editions, first issues. Original light and dark blue cloth with gilt lettering and Strand Library design on upper covers and gilt labels on spine. A very good set. 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' First edition, first printing. Published by George Newnes Limited in London, 1892. This is a very good copy. The true first issue, with the street sign blank on the front cover, the misspelling of 'Cocaine' ('Cucaine') on page 133 and 'Miss Violet Hunter' ('Violent') on page 317. The boards are generally bright and presentable, but the gilt titling and black 'Strand Library' stamp are faded. The spine is moderately tight, but suffers from rubbing at the top and tail, fading again to the 'Strand Library' stamp and the gilt titling. There is a small tear at the tail end of the spine. The corners are sharp, but slightly frayed. The gilt text side text block is bright and generally clean; the top and bottom text blocks are toned. Internally, the end papers are beautifully designed and remain clean, but with slight toning to the fly leaf; the rear end papers match this. This copy is, however, mostly free from foxing. 'The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes', a very good (or better) copy without inscriptions (small blindstamp to the top of the endpaper, accompanied by a name, repeated to the prelims, gutters are uncracked and very good indeed, some rubbing to the corners and extremities). A much nicer set than is usually encountered.
Seller: John Atkinson Books ABA ILAB PBFA, Harrogate, United Kingdom
Price: US$9000.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First Editions, First Printings of "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" Both books are in great shape with minor wear to the spine and edges. The First book, "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" has the First Issue point wit the "Street sign blank on the front cover" with the first state uncorrected text "cucaine" for "cocaine" on page 133, and the misprint Miss "Violent" Hunter on page 317. The pages are clean with minor discoloration expected for a 100 year old book. There is NO writing, marks or bookplates in the book. A wonderful copy of this 2 volume set preserved in a custom slipcase.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.
Price: US$11000.00 + shipping
Description: First editions of Arthur Conan Doyleâs classic stories starring literatureâs most famous detective, with an autographed letter. Octavo, original pictorial black and gilt-stamped light blue and dark blue cloth, illustrated by Sidney Paget, patterned endpapers, all edges gilt. First issues, the first title with the street scene vignette with no text on the street sign and with "Violent" for "Violet" on p 317. With an autograph letter signed by Arthur Conan Doyle dates September 24th on his Windlesham letterhead which reads, "My dear Stilwell I am full of sympathy but it is simply implausible for me to fall into your Brownie scheme. I have a full winter before me. Then, if I get to America in April I should start off from Chicago and carry on in the West, as I have not touched that ground. Jim and Randall would make a strong combination. Rev Vale Owen comes and in January. I wonder if you could supplement him. There is responsibility experience and responsibility involved - and that's the case. I told Lloyd George about you and he was interested in the Plan. All remembrance to Mrs. Stilwell. Yours A Conan Doyle." The recipient, Arthur Edward Stilwell was the founder of the Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Gulf Railroad, predecessor to the Kansas City Southern Railway. He served as KCPGâs president from 1897 to 1900 and published many books after his retirement in 1912. He wrote novels, poetry and plays. He also wrote political works on world affairs and the monetary system. His writing attracted attention because in them he maintained that he had based many of his life and business decisions on the whispers of what he called brownies â" nocturnal spiritual fairies that provided him with guidance. He notably claimed that his brownies had advised him not to make Galveston the Gulf terminus of his line, because that city was destined to be destroyed by a tidal wave â" which it would be in 1900; he placed the terminus at a different location, which he founded and named for himself, Port Arthur. Arthur Conan Doyle and other authorities on the supernatural considered Stilwell to have the greatest psychic experiences known to man, according to a June 15, 1922, New York Times article about Stilwellâs gift. In very good condition, reinforced. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. These volumes contain such famous and memorable tales as "A Scandal in Bohemia" and "The Adventure of the Speckled Band." Of special note is the last case in the Memoirs, "The Final Problem," in which Holmes apparently meets his death in a struggle with "the Napoleon of crime," Professor Moriarty. "At one point, tiring of the detective, Doyle attempted to exterminate him⦠but the clamor of his admirers forced him to resurrect Holmes for several further volumes, and his popularity has waned little since" (Benet, 273). With Sidney Paget's original, iconic illustrations: "Paget's spirited illustrations⦠greatly assisted to popularize those stories" (DNB). "The initial 12 tales were collected between covers as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, published in England and America in 1892; and 11 of the second 12⦠as The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, published in 1894. If any reader be prepared to name two other books that have given more innocent but solid pleasure, let him speak nowâ" or hold his peace!" (Haycraft, 50).
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Price: US$11500.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: FIRST EDITIONS OF TWO MASTERPIECES OF ENGLISH LITERATURE. The story of Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, and Strand Magazine began in April, 1891, when Doyle sent three stories, "A Case of Identity," "The Red-Headed League," and The Boscombe Valley Mystery" to The Strand for publication in their issues. Doyle had imagined a creating a series of stories centered around his detective Sherlock Holmes, but with each one self-contained in case a reader missed an issue. The series, however, was intended to be limited, but the editor of The Strand kept asking for more. As Doyle later explained, "The more he asked for the more I turned out until I had a dozen. That dozen stories being finished I determined they should be the end of all Sherlock's doings." (Green and Gibson, A10). After appearing in magazine form, those original twelve stories were collected together in book form as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. "The proprietor of the magazine published the book himself using the same presses and many of the same materials as the magazine and was printed on thick cheap paper which was too heavy for the binding." (Green and Gibson). This heavy paper has been a source of frustration to collectors, since the weight of the text has destroyed so many of the original bindings over the years. The volume was published on 14 October 1892, and sold out quickly. Doyle had earlier threatened to kill off Sherlock Holmes (apparently he was persuaded not to by his mother) but now, in the next series of stories he was determined to do so. "If I don't [kill Sherlock Holmes]," Doyle announced, "he'll kill me." The second series, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes contains many of Doyle's most famous stories, before concluding, famously, with "The Final Problem," where Holmes apparently plummets to his death at Reichenbach Falls while wrestling Professor Moriarty. (Years later Doyle would, of course, succumb to the demands of a grieving public -and hefty payments from The Strand - to "resurrect" Holmes in "The Adventure of the Empty House".) Both volumes are the correct first editions, first printings: Adventures with the correct first printing points: "Miss Violent Hunter" on p. 317 and the blank street sign in the cover vignette; there are no comparable points for Memoirs. With wonderful illustrations throughout by Sidney Paget. London: George Newnes, 1892, 1894. Tall octavo, original publisher's decorated cloth gilt, patterned endpapers, all edges gilt. Housed in custom box. Adventures with light, general soiling and wear to cloth, some rubbing to gilt; front free endpaper with old newspaper clipping about the death of Sherlock Holmes neatly pasted on recto and owner signatures on verso. An excellent copy of a book that is notoriously difficult to find in collectible condition. Memoirs in outstanding condition with clean cloth and very bright gilt on front panel. Spine gilt with a touch of rubbing. Front free endpaper with small embossed stamp of the London bookseller "W.H. Smith"; mild toning on both front and rear endpapers. A beautiful set. References: Green and Gibson, A Bibliography of A. Conan Doyle, A10; A14.
Seller: Manhattan Rare Book Company, ABAA, ILAB, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$12500.00 + shipping
Description: First editions of Arthur Conan Doyleâs classic stories starring literatureâs most famous detective. Octavo, original pictorial black and gilt-stamped light blue and dark blue cloth, patternedÂendpapers, all edges gilt. First issues, the first title with the street scene vignette with no text on the street sign and with "Violent" for "Violet" on p 317. In near fine condition, small name. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. A superior set, with no cracking to the hinges as is typically seen. These volumes contain such famous and memorable tales as "A Scandal in Bohemia" and "The Adventure of the Speckled Band." Of special note is the last case in the Memoirs, "The Final Problem," in which Holmes apparently meets his death in a struggle with "the Napoleon of crime," Professor Moriarty. "At one point, tiring of the detective, Doyle attempted to exterminate him⦠but the clamor of his admirers forced him to resurrect Holmes for several further volumes, and his popularity has waned little since" (Benet, 273). With Sidney Paget's original, iconic illustrations: "Paget's spirited illustrations⦠greatly assisted to popularize those stories" (DNB). "The initial 12 tales were collected between covers as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, published in England and America in 1892; and 11 of the second 12⦠as The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, published in 1894. If any reader be prepared to name two other books that have given more innocent but solid pleasure, let him speak nowâ" or hold his peace!" (Haycraft, 50).
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. George Newnes, London, 1892.
Price: US$20000.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: First Edition, First Printing SIGNED by Arthur Conan Doyle on a handwritten letter laid into the book. A fantastic copy without the words "Southampton Street" on the front cover street sign and "Violent" for "Violet" on page 317. The book is bound in the ORIGINAL publisher's grey cloth with BRIGHT gold lettering on the boards. The binding is tight with minor wear to the edges. The pages are exceptionally clean with NO writing, marks or bookplates in the book. A stunning copy SIGNED by the author in collector's condition. We buy SIGNED Doyle First Editions.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.
Price: US$25000.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: First Editions, First Printings of both books SIGNED by Doyle on a handwritten letter laid into the first book. A spectacular set in excellent condition. The "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" has the First Issue point without the name on the street sign in The Strand Library device on front cover and 'Violent Hunter' for 'Violet Hunter' on page 317. Both books are bound in the ORIGINAL publisher's cloth. The bindings for each book are tight, with NO cocking or leaning and the boards are crisp. The pages are clean with NO writing, marks or bookplates in the books. Overall, a fabulous set of both books in collector's condition SIGNED by the author. We buy Doyle First Editions.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.