The Vine: July 6, 2012
Okay, Bunting, I’ve got a doozy for you here. When I was a kid (around the same time you were) Reader’s Digest put out two thick volumes of fairy tales. “The World’s Best Fairy Tales,” I believe they were called. Light-blue hardcovers, hundreds of stories amongst the two volumes. I (foolishly) lent them out to a chick who promptly erased herself from my life, taking my beloved books with her. Amazon has Volume 2, eBay has Chapter One (at an exorbitant fee) but I know, nay, I FEEL one can get both volumes together at a price that won’t put me into foreclosure.
Does anyone have any clues? These books meant SO much to me, and it breaks my heart that they’re gone. It would be so awesome if someone could help me. They were published in 1977, if that helps in any way. And these weren’t Disney-fied, which made them ever so much more rad.
Please help, only because I always wanted the Beast to stay a Beast….
Fairy Tale Non-PrincessÂ
Tags: Ask The Readers popcult
Have you tried abebooks.com? It has many many used book stores, and I have had great luck finding things long out of print there. http://www.powells.com/ might be another one to try.
It looks like there are a bunch of used copies on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0895770784/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all
Sorry, wrong link. If you click on “Collectable” at the link above, there is a set with both volumes.
So, according to LibraryThing, there are a bunch of options, if you’re willing to look at used: Volume 1 and Volume 2. Those pages should give you online price info and swap site availability, and, if you tell it your location, bookstores and libraries near you that have it. (It shows up as out of stock or unknown for bookstores in my area, but there might be used book stores with online inventories in your area; you never know.) There’s also a page that seems like it might be for both volumes that might get you some additional results. Hope this helps!
Non-P: your new best friend should be abebooks, home of used booksellers everywhere: here are lots of inexpensive options for both volumes
No ideas on where to find them, but I feel your pain. I had that set, but lost it when my dad’s VW bug caught on fire. I don’t know why I had them both in his car, but I’ve been missing them ever since about 1984. :-(
Abebooks shows sellers with both volumes at reasonable prices
abebooks.com
It looks like abebooks.com has a ton of used copies available for cheap. From scanning the descriptions, it looks like there might have been another edition that combined both volumes into one binding.
Try abebooks.com, alibris.com, half.com, and keep trying ebay. Also call local used book dealers – they’re sometimes willing to keep an eye out for particular items when they have a guaranteed buyer. Library booksales are a potential source as well.
Good hunting!
Try etsy? There seem to be a few shops where people recover the Reader’s Digest bound volumes with pretty designs, etc. Or just resell them flat-out.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/103577762/the-worlds-best-fairy-tales-by-readers?ref=sr_gallery_3&ga_search_query=World%27s+Best+Fairy+Tales&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_min=0&ga_max=0&ga_search_type=all
Are you talking about the Reader’s Digest edition of “The World’s Best Fairy Tales”? When I look on Amazon, they’re selling it at around $20 and up, and some editions even lower. And there are some other rare book sites like Abe Books and alibris.com, though those editions can be pricey.
Have you tried contacting Reader’s Digest itself? It’s a long time ago, but they may have some kind of records on the publisher, etc. that could narrow your search.
A quick search on Amazon shows a “collectible”-quality set of both for $24 + shipping!
Check Powells.com? It looks like they have a couple of used copies, reasonably priced. Good luck to you!
Both volumes are available at PaperbackSwap.com. If you aren’t a member, email me and I’d be happy to order them for you – I have more credits than I can use.
corimarti AT gmail DOT com
Here is the link to what looks like the edition you want in WorldCat. It has links to all editions of the book, and sources to buy copies. It looks like you should be able to find some pretty cheaply, and you could always contact the sellers to make sure it’s really the book you want.
Alibris has several copies of the two volume set as one bound edition. The copyright date is 1977, which seems right date-wise.
Here’s the link: http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qwork=7313291&matches=49&cm_sp=works*listing*title
Clearly the heat has melted the part of my brain devoted to reading comprehension. I see now that you mentioned the 1977 edition. It’s the right one, then!
Here it is at Amazon: http://amzn.to/LTN74A
Currently they have 44 used starting at $.01.
I have the giant 380 page version, copyright 1977. My grandpa gave it to me when I was three. I saw one similar to it selling on Amazon for $500, but mine would never get that much as it’s in terrible condition, since I have been reading it for 30 years.
Good luck!
I have those books! I have loved them since 1977 too. You can’t have mine, but I can provide the citation info or ISBN if that will help you find them online.
Also, many of the stories came from Andrew Lang’s series of fairy tale books called The Blue Fairy Book, The Yellow Fairy Book, and so on. You can find them on Amazon in paperback, and they aren’t expensive at all.
Oh, I remember these so well! I loved, loved, loved this set. I remember the inside covers had a beanstalk effect, with lots of little pictures from various fairy tales. My favourite was The Colony of Cats, which was an old…I want to say Balkan…story.
I don’t have the answer, but thanks for the trip down memory lane.
I’ve always had a lot of luck with bookfinder.com. Just a quick search led me to what appears to be what you want on alibris for about $10, not including shipping. Hard to know, of course, without a picture, but maybe check it out just in case?
Oh, man! I had that book when I was a kid, and it had lots of the less well-known fairytales (my favourite was “East of the Sun, West of the Moon”). Unfortunately, I no longer have mine either – very similar story. While I can’t help, I can at least commiserate.
Andrew Lang’s fairy tales are also available free for Kindle. I downloaded all of them, plus Grimm’s fairy tales.
Oh! My grandmother had those. After she passed away, I somehow wound up with only volume 2. Sorry, but I may be competing with you for getting hold of a copy of Volume 1. So uhm… thanks for asking this!
@Crass: “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” was my favorite too! I remember it in particular because it was one of the first times I ever used a dictionary all by myself, because I didn’t know what the hell “tallow” was.