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Top 100 Collectible Picturebooks - Overview A series of articles to select the Top 100 Collectible American Picturebooks, providing the rationale for each book's inclusion, with an objective of providing readers with the context for valuing first editions within the genre. Within the hobby value is a combination of scarcity and collectibility: very scarce and very desirable lead to very valuable. Scarcity is a function of the number of copies in the first printings and the subsequent attrition over time due to natural causes. Collectibility is more elusive, outlined heretofore as a complex intermingling of eight rated factors. Nearly No Brainers In the previous article the Marquis 25 was selected - the top 25 collectible American picturebooks. Although some might argue whether a book or two belongs in this list, most would agree that all belong in the Top 100 Collectible American Picturebooks. The next logical step is selecting the books that almost made the Marquis 25 - what I call the "Nearly No Brainers." These have many of the qualities of the Marquis 25 but by comparison do not have all the necessary credentials. The following chronological chart provides a brief summary of the selection rationale and the estimated market price for the first edition book with the corresponding first edition dust jacket, both in VG (Very Good) or better condition.
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Note that the values of several of the Nearly No Brainers are higher than several of the Marquis 25's. Some comments on specific books:
Rating Each Book, Each Factor As noted in Part I, I used eight different but related factors to rate each book. The above chart provides a single line summary rationale that synthesizes these ratings. The chart at the end of today's article provides the specific ratings for each factor - a '10' indicating strong collectibility. Rating The Illustrators I rated Dr. Seuss a '10' as an illustrator, a rating given to only two other illustrators - Maurice Sendak and Chris Van Allsburg. The basis for this is the Illustrator's Eminence, which is determined by four key criteria:
There is a natural progression from beginning illustrator to established illustrator within the children's book publishing industry, also a progression within the collectible book market. However, collectors should note that an illustrator's success in the publishing industry is not necessarily synchronous with collectibility, which often requires years of publishing success to attain. Following several successful books in the primary market, a small group of collector's might take interest in an illustrator's first editions. This group grows, necessarily, after a decade or more of success, more so if the illustrator garners an award or two, and specialist booksellers also become involved. If the collector base grows substantially, generalist booksellers may take interest too. Within any specialty, however, generalist booksellers must be assured that a given book or illustrator has a sustained market value before risking capital to acquire it, not to mention the time required to research it. I've developed the following categories for the illustrator's status in the collectible book market:
Key Caldecott Medal Winners While the Marquis 25 and Nearly No Brainer's selections included several Caldecott Medal books, the award itself was not the crucial ingredient ; other factors contributed to the book's inclusion. Twelve additional books were selected based primarily on the basis of winning the Caldecott Medal. The following chronological chart provides a brief summary of the selection rationale and the estimated market price for the first edition book with the corresponding first edition dust jacket, both in VG (Very Good) or better condition.
Click here to see the chart.
Louis Slobodkin, Leo Politi, the Dillons, and David Wiesner won their first Caldecott's fairly early in their careers, the rest toward the ends of their careers. Some comments on specific books:
Book Awards Award winning children's picturebooks are of the highest caliber. In nearly all cases, sales of these books increase after the award and stay in print longer than they otherwise would. This increased demand and exposure, in turn, enhances collectibility and value of first editions. There are a number of awards given annually to illustrated children's picturebooks, the most significant being the following:
Currently, only the Caldecott Medal and Honor Awards make a significant impact on a book's collectibility. Rather than rate the Awards factor 1-to-10, I simply input whether the book won a Caldecott Medal or Honor. Why Are Caldecott Award Books So Collectible? Since 1938, the Caldecott has been awarded annually by the American Library Association. The ALA was originally chartered in 1879 and currently serves 150,000 librarians working at 110,000 libraries. A sub-group of the ALA, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is responsible for the selection of the awards. A committee is appointed each year by the ALSC. The nomination of books for consideration is formalized, as is the selection and award process. Books can only win the award during their initial year of publication; there is no second chance. This highly structured organization along with a credible and structured nomination and selection process gives credibility to the Caldecott awards. In and of itself, this should be sufficient to create high collectibility for first edition award books, but there is more to consider. The ALA/ALSC is the same group responsible for selecting books carried in our public libraries, including elementary school libraries. It is a foregone conclusion, therefore, that Caldecott award books will be carried by most public libraries across the country, and are thereby front and center when librarians and elementary school teachers make recommendations to their students. This also fuels out-of-school purchases for home libraries. Children will gravitate toward books they have seen and read in school. This cycle nearly guarantees the Caldecott books will stay in print for a long time and be read by children from generation to generation. Millions of readers, perhaps tens of millions, are exposed to the books as children. As these children become adults, some will harbor nostalgia for them seek first editions for their collections. The Caldecott award books are necessarily some of the most familiar books from an adult's childhood., and this familiarity breeds desirability, which in turn enhances collectibility.
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