HARDY FORUM ARCHIVE H03053 6/23/03 "SALE OF WESSEX EDITION"
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From: "Jon Dewest" <jdewest@gulfescapes.com>
Subject: Wessex Edition: 1914 - Vol. 1-21-McMillan, London
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 11:07:27 -0700


We are downsizing our living accommodation and one of the areas affected is the library. The above collection requires a new home and is for sale. Good condition, maroon boards, no dustjacket. Please forward correspondence to: Jon De West Tel: 250 537 2879
Fax: 250 537 2879


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Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 15:14:23 -0400
From: Rosemarie Morgan <rosemarie.morgan@yale.edu>
Subject: Re: Wessex Edition: 1914 - Vol. 1-21-McMillan, London

Hi folks I think Jon meant to include the following:

Thomas Hardy - Wessex Edition 1914 - Macmillan, London. Vols-1-21

He tells me he has the entire Collection and would like some feedback from
interested purchasers.

Cheers,
Rosemarie

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Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 23:16:04 -0500
From: Bill Morgan <wwmorgan@mail.ilstu.edu>
Subject: Re: Wessex Edition: 1914 - Vol. 1-21-McMillan, London


Dear Mr. DeWest (and Forum readers)--

I'll venture a comment on the books you are offering for sale, and I hope that others will comment as well.

You are offering most of the volumes from one of the early and distinguished Collected editions of Hardy's work; it is the one that R. L. Purdy called, in his Bibliographical Study, "in every sense the definitive edition of Hardy's work and the last authority in questions of text" (p. 286). Purdy's confident assertion has of course been completely overthrown by what can only be called a revolution in Hardy textual studies in recent years, but that the Wessex Edition is a major milestone in Hardy's textual history no one would deny. It marks the last time Hardy went through all his fiction to bring it into line with his wishes at the time (1912-13). These are important and attractive books, and you should be able to find a buyer willing to pay for them according to their distinction. Do not give them away to the first offer is my advice.

You say that you have volumes 1-21, so I assume that means that you have all the fiction (18 volumes) plus the first three volumes of the verse (I. Wessex Poems, Poems of the Past and the Present; II. The Dynasts, Part First and Second; III. The Dynasts, Part Third, Time's Laughingstocks). I find three complete sets--that is, all 24 volumes--for sale on the Web for over $7,000! Unluckily, the price for the first 21 volumes is not proportional to the number of volumes: I find, for example, the first 17 volumes offered for about $800. But since the volumes of verse are, generally speaking, harder to find and more expensive than those of the fiction, I'd say the retail value of your set to a collector is around $2000-3000--assuming all the books are all in good condition. A dealer might be expected to pay you half that amount (such is the nature of the marketplace).

As I say, I hope other Forum readers who are interested in collecting Hardy will contribute to this discussion. Jim Gibson, Mark Simons--am I in the ball park here?

May I also suggest that collectors or potential collectors may want to refer to Mark Simons's excellent resource on Collecting Thomas Hardy's Poetry, located at:

<http://pages.ripco.net/~mws/collect/Collect.html>http://pages.ripco.net/~mws/collect/Collect.html

Though he doesn't offer a price for a complete or partial Wessex Edition there, Mark does provide a picture of a representative volume and likely prices for many other items of Collectible Hardy.

Best of luck in finding an appropriate buyer for your set. I hope you will also have started a discussion on the subject of Hardy collecting, prices, editions, etc. on the Forum.

cheers,

Bill Morgan

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