Treasures: Library sale leads to rare book find
Q. A few years ago, I went to a book sale at a library in a small Oklahoma town, and the items were priced at 25 cents and 50 cents each. I found “The Robe” by Lloyd C. Douglas and bought it because it is one of my favorite books.
I started to read it a few weeks later and discovered an inscription signed “Lloyd.” It reads: “Here is the new book. I hope you will like it in its present costume as you did when it was still in script. Thank you, sweet girl, for all the loyal interest you have shown in The Robe.”
The spine is off, but the book is in fair shape otherwise. What is its value?
A. Collecting can be all about the hunt for a rare find, a great bargain or both. Sometimes when we purchase something, we get an unlooked-for surprise — either pleasant or unpleasant. In this case, an entirely agreeable revelation provided an interesting link to your favorite author.
Lloyd Cassel Douglas entered the world in Columbia City, Ind., on Aug. 27, 1877. His father was a pastor, and after getting his A.M. degree from Wittenberg College (now Wittenberg University), the younger Douglas was ordained as a Lutheran minister.
He began writing novels, and his first book, “Magnificent Obsession,” found a publisher in 1929. His work pursued moral and religious themes, and critics of the day linked him with the authors of such famous novels as “Ben-Hur” (Lew Wallace) and “Quo Vadis” (Henryk Sienkiewicz).
Douglas is also known for “Doctor Hudson's Secret Journal” and “The Big Fisherman,” but his best-known work is “The Robe.” First published in 1942, “The Robe” initially sold more than 2 million copies. It became a movie starring Richard Burton in 1953 — two years after Douglas' death on Feb. 13, 1951.
It is a pity that you did not send us a copy of the book's title page, because without that information, there is no way to tell whether it is a first edition. Normally, this would be an important piece of information, but in this particular case, the author's rather long handwritten note — and yes, that is his signature — overshadows this lack of data.
This example of “The Robe” is what collectors would call a “reading copy,” meaning it is in rather poor shape and only good for reading the story. The spine is detached, the edges are worn and frayed, the original dust jacket is missing, and in the photograph, the cover looks faded and worn.
Even if it were a first edition, its value would be rather modest because of the poor condition. But then there is the author's note. We may never identify the “sweet girl,” but she was someone who had seen the manuscript before its publication and had given Douglas her input.
As the note states, this copy is a “thank you” from the author, and that makes it an important example in the eyes of any collector interested in the work of Lloyd C. Douglas. In light of this, the question of whether this copy of “The Robe” is a first edition fades in importance.
For insurance purposes, we feel this book should be valued in the $200 to $300 range.
• Contact Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 18350, Knoxville, TN 37928.