Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Someone should buy this book. It's an investment!!!

Good info sbrmike. Nice observation on countries of origin. Never noticed that.

We need to flogg that sob!!

I bought the first edition when it was released for $65...picked up the limited edition, leather bound and slipcased book in a trade later on....

Glad I got them when I did...

Any idea what the slipcased limited addition is worth now?

On the 2nd edition in the wrapper, when it first sold, it said $350, which is why I posted that it went for the full fare. It now says "best offer accepted", which makes more sense.

I offered $275 (79%), and didn't get it, so it went for more than that.

Glad sbrmike snagged that 1st edition. I need him to adopt me.

Gotta be north of $1,000...I traded a copy of Hunting in the Rockies by JOC for it..

So, some questions for the experts.

How many editions/versions are there? I have seen 1982, 1996, and 2009 mentioned.
It seems all the softbound books are 2009, and mine is from AuthorHouse.
As for publishers of the hardbound, I have seen Alliance, LEGO (according to sbrmike), Diakonia Publishing, and I think one other although I cannot find it now.
So, we seem to have more publishers than years, but maybe some publishers use two names? Or not. I know there are some numbered/deluxe versions, so perhaps this helps answer that question?

If the hardbound books have better detail, especially in the pictures, can anyone offer an opinion if one edition/version is better than others in this regard.

I have seen the 1982 edition listed as 2nd edition, but this could be an error.

I have also seen pictures where the M70 at the top of the front cover is embossed without color and embossed in gold. I would think this might help one to determine something, but I am not sure what.

I would truly appreciate any insight and information.

Thanks,
Gun Doc

Far from expert but I will give a good evaluation when I get them side by side. I am fairly certain that 1982 would be the first edition. It was years later after much begging and sky-high prices asked and received for the original printing that they finally came out with a second edition. I remember reading that a second edition would never happen; probably LEGO in Italy was up to the task at a reasonable price was why the 1996 edition was bound and printed in Italy. My second edition is certainly very well made. I never physically saw or touched the first edition. I don't know how many copies of each edition there were, but know the second edition sold out fast. Either they printed a boatload of the paperbacks, or they just don't sell well. They don't hold a candle to the hardbacks

From an email I have from Mr Rule himself when he lived in HI... He is now in Ga. He signed my edition for me..

"Of the first edition in 1982, 10,500 copies were printed (500 in leather bound, numbered, cased and signed by me) we called the Limited Edition, and 10,000 in faux leather hard bound we called the Deluxe Edition.

In 1996, I licensed a company to print 3000 copies in Italy, that was in effect the second edition. Those have become collectors items too. As part of the licensing agreement, I required that they incorporate a few of my changes, mostly in Chapter 9, but also some typo corrections from the first edition.

Today, recently, we have come out with this 3rd edition in soft cover. There is no limit in sight for this edition as it is taking advantage of the new PRINT ON DEMAND technology, so there is no inventory, just printed instantly per order"

Good info. This tells us that the second edition is also very rare as not many were made.

So, assuming the quality of the images is as good, from an information perspective, perhaps the 1996 edition is preferable?

Now, about my last question concerning the the embossed image of the M70, gold or not. Might that tell us which edition we are looking at in a picture on the web?

Thanks,
Gun Doc

It should. I've seen the ones with the gold model 70's and am wondering if they are the more rare deluxe first editions??

The gold-embossed M70 book is the 1982 Deluxe First Ed..mine is #329/500 and signed by Rule, in its slipcase...

Since no one has posted a picture of the limited edition I thought I would brag a little and show everyone what one looks like.


#392, not far off from Bob's I believe this is double signed, one done neatly and one done very messy!



And my collection of M70 books.



I had Roger sign my standard book when I met him in Cody WY.

For those who know more about collectable books how should these be stored? I'm storing them horizontal instead of vertical since I think there is less chance to damage the spine on them this way.

Wow, very cool! Thanks for sharing. This is the first limited edition that I've seen. Count yourself lucky!!

Eric

Nice collection Reelman. Jealous!

Reelman,
Is the darker brown one that is not gold embossed a first edition or a second edition?

Gundoc, it says printed in Italy so I believe that means it's a 2nd edition.

reelman, it's about time you posted some pictures of them. Thanks!!! Very cool collection. I do have a question though: How does the Whittaker compare to Rogers book? I've been thinking about buying one, but some say if you have the rifleman's rifle book, you really don't need the other? How do you feel about that??