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

Gees there is another First Edition on eBay 275 opening and $360 Buy it Now, plus a couple of @ds on Amazon.

I am going to assume that these are from estates of deceased Win Collectors. Stuff seems to run like that.

Yep, widows selling all their stuff.

sbrmike, and others with questions,

Sorry to have not responded sooner. I was out of town and not able to compare the books. I have been told I have a good eye for detail (sometimes the people making that observation weren't particularly happy about it either) so here are the differences I see in the three books before me, a 1st edition, a 2nd edition, and a 3rd edition softcover (I have never laid hands on one of the fancy 1/500 1st editions.) Most of my observations are between the 1st and 2nd editions, as the 3rd editions are easily obtained.

Spine tightness - I'm not a seasoned book collector, so I don't know if I understand the question. Also, the 2nd edition I have (and plan to return) is not in as good a condition as my 1st edition. Having said that, here goes. If I place my fingers on the back cover and my thumb on the front cover and try to "rack" the covers, as if trying to make the pages slide relative to one another, the 1st edition is a bit tighter than the 2nd edition. However, the leatherette cover across the spine from front cover to rear cover is just a bit tighter on the 2nd edition compared to the 1st.

Thickness - Each book has 368 numbered pages. NOT COUNTING COVER THICKNESS OR THE TWO "THICK PAGES" AT THE FRONT AND BACK OF EACH HARDCOVER EDITION, the 3rd edition softcover is the thickest (1.040 measured), then the 1st (0.738), then the 2nd (0.625.)

Cover - Here I compare only the two hardcover books. The 1st edition cover is a lighter brown than the 2nd edition. The first edition cover has more surface texture and seems more "leather like" than the 2nd edition.

Paper - Here I compare only the two hardcover books. The paper in the 2nd edition is whiter and glossier than the 1st edition. Neither has discolored pages, so I believe the differences are original.

Picture quality - Here I do not agree with those who say the picture quality is equal between the two hardback books. To me, the picture quality is definitely better the lower the edition number. This is most easily seen in pictures showing barrel marking or stamping (page 116 is a great example.) I did not compare every picture, but in every case I looked, I believe the picture quality is better the lower the edition number. Now, I admit that at age 61 I had to put on my close work visor to see the differences. But, in the three individual examples before me, I have no doubt.

Summary - If I could own only one, and if cost was no object, it would be the 1st edition. But the 3rd edition is so relatively inexpensive that no matter what else you have, I think everyone should consider one of them for "everyday" use.

Hope this helps,
Gun Doc

Very good post GD. Personally, I only have the softback but if I ever have a secure way to display my guns, the hardback would be an appealing accessory. Maybe the biggest plus would be to have a really nice 1st or 2nd edition to pass down to our nephew along with the guns when the time comes.
John

Gotta be careful with Amazon. Some of those are "bookjackers" listing the same book where only one of them, if that, actually owns the book. I'm 99% "Wisepenny" is a bookjacker.

Notice also how so many of them blatantly use the same picture of the "Limited" x/500 edition?

There are good legitimate sellers on Amazon, but you have to be careful. Also, for some reasons I can sometimes mess around and find something on Amazon that I cannot get to with the usual searching Amazon search methods. It is almost as if they are trying to hide the goods of some sellers in preference to the goods of other sellers. IIRC, both of the books I just bought through Amazon were not easy to find on the site. IMO Amazon is fugged up, but sometimes useful.

I just pulled the Amazon trigger on a like new paperback for $53.

That was useful.

That's a good price on the softcover. Unless you are already a seasoned collector, you will learn a lot from that book. Amazing book!

Yeah, I thought it was a good price, according to what I've seen here.

I'm more of an accumulator than a collector, but if you're going to accumulate good stuff......you need a good book.



I already have the "Winchester Book" by Madis and the "Winchester Handbook" by him as well, but there's more in the Rule book, I know.

Good deal, now go and buy a highlighter...