Set tablets to WEB version at page end
** Note to eBay Sellers, please credit our site when you use our content for your descriptions.**
Greater Toronto and Mississauga, Ontario or Winter Garden and Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida area:
We are trying to recover a Montgomery and Canadian national artifact.
If you see a 200 year-old postal cancellation stamp from Prince Edward Island, please contact us!
Link to Photo, scroll down
Greater Toronto and Mississauga, Ontario or Winter Garden and Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida area:
We are trying to recover a Montgomery and Canadian national artifact.
If you see a 200 year-old postal cancellation stamp from Prince Edward Island, please contact us!
Link to Photo, scroll down
The Value of Book$ by L.M. Montgomery
(c) 2021 L.M. Montgomery Literary Society and M. Cavert
Many visitors to this web site arrive here looking for information about a Montgomery book they wish to sell or buy. Here is some information from our own (extensive) experience buying L.M. Montgomery first, rare, and early editions. See our Book page for a list of first edition Montgomery books.
You will see many more L.M. Montgomery books listed on eBay near the holiday season, by the way, so be patient!
We are always in touch with our great friends at the Montgomery archives and collections at the University of Guelph and University of Prince Edward Island, as well as super collectors and benefactors like Donna Campbell and Frank and Juanita Lechowick! If we can't answer your question, we can usually find someone who can!
First of all a Note For eBay sellers/buyers - When you hit the Buy Button, you have entered into a legal contract - and, it is illegal to interfere with an auction: for example, if you are selling a book and you are contacted by a buyer outside an active auction who asks you to end the auction and sell to them, or tell your recent buyer that the book they just bought is missing (even if they have not yet paid), then you have breached a contract. Buyers, if a sellers cancels an auction, be assertive. It is illegal -- our advice to is go after dishonest buyers and sellers in every way possible and give honest feedback! First, report the seller to the Better Business Bureau of their state. Then, contact a lawyer. Complain to eBay immediately, even though it is generally ineffective.
There are very few dishonest buyers/sellers of Montgomery books, but beware. Contact us, if you have questions, we have bought from many sellers.
No matter how early or "rare" an edition it is, the most important element in value is the book's condition. Worn or scuffed covers, damaged or missing frontispiece/illustrations, loose bindings, missing pages (a book held together with duct tape!), etc. do not equal a valuable book, even a true first edition. However ...
The value of any book is what the buyer is willing to pay. If your book is not selling, it is probably priced too high for its condition.
Most buyers will not pay top dollar for books in poor condition.
Disclaimer, of course: Please understand that some bidders on auction sites are collectors of Montgomery while others are buying in order to sell later at a profit. Our valuation of books is based on our position as collectors. Others will buy at the prices that we will be quoting and then turn around and attempt to sell at twice to ten times (sometimes 100x!) what they paid. We recommend sellers who belong to accredited bookseller organizations.
Nearly all of our issues of The Shining Scroll (especially the 2014 part 2 issue) contain information about old editions of Montgomery books, our collecting experiences, and unique discoveries. For a different interpretation of the "value" of L.M. Montgomery books, read the 2012 (part 1) issue of The Shining Scroll.
Many of Montgomery's first edition books and stories are listed in:
Lucy Maud Montgomery: a preliminary bibliography. ed. Ruth Weber Russell, D.W. Russell, Rea Wilmshurst. University of Waterloo Library ISBN 0920834426
Lechowick, Frank, and Juanita Lechowick. A Collector's Guide to L.M. Montgomery Firsts. [Charlottetown, P.E.I.]: F. and J. Lechowick, 2009.
These, in addition to our Shining Scroll articles, are "must-have" books for collectors and sellers of early editions!
You will see many more L.M. Montgomery books listed on eBay near the holiday season, by the way, so be patient!
We are always in touch with our great friends at the Montgomery archives and collections at the University of Guelph and University of Prince Edward Island, as well as super collectors and benefactors like Donna Campbell and Frank and Juanita Lechowick! If we can't answer your question, we can usually find someone who can!
First of all a Note For eBay sellers/buyers - When you hit the Buy Button, you have entered into a legal contract - and, it is illegal to interfere with an auction: for example, if you are selling a book and you are contacted by a buyer outside an active auction who asks you to end the auction and sell to them, or tell your recent buyer that the book they just bought is missing (even if they have not yet paid), then you have breached a contract. Buyers, if a sellers cancels an auction, be assertive. It is illegal -- our advice to is go after dishonest buyers and sellers in every way possible and give honest feedback! First, report the seller to the Better Business Bureau of their state. Then, contact a lawyer. Complain to eBay immediately, even though it is generally ineffective.
There are very few dishonest buyers/sellers of Montgomery books, but beware. Contact us, if you have questions, we have bought from many sellers.
No matter how early or "rare" an edition it is, the most important element in value is the book's condition. Worn or scuffed covers, damaged or missing frontispiece/illustrations, loose bindings, missing pages (a book held together with duct tape!), etc. do not equal a valuable book, even a true first edition. However ...
The value of any book is what the buyer is willing to pay. If your book is not selling, it is probably priced too high for its condition.
Most buyers will not pay top dollar for books in poor condition.
Disclaimer, of course: Please understand that some bidders on auction sites are collectors of Montgomery while others are buying in order to sell later at a profit. Our valuation of books is based on our position as collectors. Others will buy at the prices that we will be quoting and then turn around and attempt to sell at twice to ten times (sometimes 100x!) what they paid. We recommend sellers who belong to accredited bookseller organizations.
Nearly all of our issues of The Shining Scroll (especially the 2014 part 2 issue) contain information about old editions of Montgomery books, our collecting experiences, and unique discoveries. For a different interpretation of the "value" of L.M. Montgomery books, read the 2012 (part 1) issue of The Shining Scroll.
Many of Montgomery's first edition books and stories are listed in:
Lucy Maud Montgomery: a preliminary bibliography. ed. Ruth Weber Russell, D.W. Russell, Rea Wilmshurst. University of Waterloo Library ISBN 0920834426
Lechowick, Frank, and Juanita Lechowick. A Collector's Guide to L.M. Montgomery Firsts. [Charlottetown, P.E.I.]: F. and J. Lechowick, 2009.
These, in addition to our Shining Scroll articles, are "must-have" books for collectors and sellers of early editions!
FIRST EDITIONS
Note: A true First Edition Anne of Green Gables means a book published by L.C. Page in April 1908. This is the date of the first impression which will be printed on the copyright page. And, the roman numerals, MDCCCCVIII on the title page do not mean a true first edition - they appear in the first 34 impressions. Every edition of Anne of Green Gables published by L.C. Page is a (c)1908 "first" edition, so a 1944 edition might be listed as a "first" edition but it is a 760,000th impression. What collectors look for is the impression and the year of printing, and most importantly, condition. The first impression of Anne is April 1908, the second is July 1908. There were no impressions in June 1908, although later editions omit the April impression on the copyright page and list June instead because the release of the book was delayed until then.
More on LC Page:
The first publisher of Anne of Green Gables was L.C. Page of Boston, MA. Until 1914 it was known as L.C. Page & Company. After 1914 it became The Page Company, although many editions of Anne after 1914 still retained the name “L.C. Page & Company” on the first pages because they were printed with the original plates.
Opposite the frontispiece Illustration in the first pages is the title page. At the bottom of this page is the name LC Page and then Roman Numerals for the year 1908. On a different page is the copyright right and impression date. If the impression is April 1908, it is a first edition, first printing. If the impression date is August 1908, it is the 3rd impression, for example.
All the later printings, from summer 1908 up to 1913 will show the Roman Numerals on the title page. In 1914 and 1915 the Page Company contracted with other publishers, like Grosset and Dunlap, to reprint their books. By the 42nd impression of Green Gables in 1917, the title page no longer had roman numerals but stated The Page Publishers instead.
In the Anne of Green Gables L.C. Page editions, Elizabeth Withington replaced WAJ Claus as the illustrator after the mid-1920s, about 1925, when the old worn out printing plates were replaced with new ones. It is difficult to date some Montgomery books because the copyright page sometimes lacks impression dates. Later editions and reprints may have the original copyright date alone (no impression listed), but are not first editions. All true early editions have the impression (and/or month, for example) listed. The exact printer information and lists of book prices in the fore pages also helps to date editions.
If your Anne of Green Gables is missing the copyright page, use this guide to estimate the LC Page publishing dates based on the AGG price listed after the title page: $1.50 = 1909-1911, $1.65 = 1920 (49th imp), $1.75 = 1920 (50th imp), $1.90 = 1923, $2.00 = 1924-1940, $2.25 = 1944, $2.50 = 1947.
Almost all Montgomery's early edition books (first published by Page, Stokes, McClelland) have gold or silver gilt titles - exceptions are The Blue Castle (except for the A.L. Burt reprint edition which is gold), the McClelland edition of A Tangled Web, and Anne of Windy Poplars. True firsts of all L.M. Montgomery books do not have black lettering on the cover titles or spine. If a seller is offering a dustjacket "first" edition, ask what color the spine title is -- if it is black, it is not a first edition.
The first edition of Anne of Green Gables published in England by Sir Isaac Pitman has all of the Claus illustrations in it.
Any L.M. Montgomery book, no matter how old, which does not look nearly new, should have a value of any used books, $10 - $80, especially if it is a library book, a reprint publisher, or has a worn cover, or a faded spine, or loose pages/binding, or writing.
Note: we are not fans of poor condition books being "dressed up" with photocopied (facsimile) dust jackets. It looks like a seller is trying to fool the buyer.
April 1908 impressions of Anne of Green Gables can be priced quite high ($2000+) but only if they are in lightly used condition with no damage, with bright titles and unmarked cover with no scratches, and complete pages. We have seen later 1908 impressions sell for under $700: a 2nd impression (July 1908) sold for $600 in spring 2014 and we have seen earlier auctions reach as high as $900; 3rd and 4th impressions (August and September 1908) have sold for $170; November and December have recently sold for $180. Editions from 1909 and 1910 are valued at under $100 to $180. Booksellers (not eBay) will price these much higher.
Almost all editions of The Blue Castle lack dust jackets. The true first edition, does not have a castle on the front boards, it was added after Montgomery commented on it, "Not so pretty. A plain cover." The Blue Castle (1926) is hard to date, because the publishers rarely, if ever, printed the impression, but the boards (grey), and title (blue) are considered the true first printing. Printer information also indicates when the book was published: after 1926 to about 1930 = "Printed and Bound in Canada the Hunter-Rose Co. Limited Toronto;" about 1935 and earlier = "The Hunter-Rose Co. Limited Toronto;" after 1939, 1940-42 (also has "A Love Story of the Northwoods" on the spine) = "The Hunter-Rose Co Limited Printers and Bookbinders Toronto, Canada." A first editon sold in late 2012 for $100.
We consider most quality (in excellent+ condition, almost new with bright gilt titles) first edition Montgomery titles to be around $250 (with or without dust jackets) at this time. Original dust jackets add value to editions if both jacket and book are in excellent condition and are not later printings. Beware of a dust jacket that has been put on a different book. If the book is an edition published in 1909, for example, and the dust jacket has a different publisher or titles of Montgomery books from later years printed on it, it is not an authentic match!
Note: A true First Edition Anne of Green Gables means a book published by L.C. Page in April 1908. This is the date of the first impression which will be printed on the copyright page. And, the roman numerals, MDCCCCVIII on the title page do not mean a true first edition - they appear in the first 34 impressions. Every edition of Anne of Green Gables published by L.C. Page is a (c)1908 "first" edition, so a 1944 edition might be listed as a "first" edition but it is a 760,000th impression. What collectors look for is the impression and the year of printing, and most importantly, condition. The first impression of Anne is April 1908, the second is July 1908. There were no impressions in June 1908, although later editions omit the April impression on the copyright page and list June instead because the release of the book was delayed until then.
More on LC Page:
The first publisher of Anne of Green Gables was L.C. Page of Boston, MA. Until 1914 it was known as L.C. Page & Company. After 1914 it became The Page Company, although many editions of Anne after 1914 still retained the name “L.C. Page & Company” on the first pages because they were printed with the original plates.
Opposite the frontispiece Illustration in the first pages is the title page. At the bottom of this page is the name LC Page and then Roman Numerals for the year 1908. On a different page is the copyright right and impression date. If the impression is April 1908, it is a first edition, first printing. If the impression date is August 1908, it is the 3rd impression, for example.
All the later printings, from summer 1908 up to 1913 will show the Roman Numerals on the title page. In 1914 and 1915 the Page Company contracted with other publishers, like Grosset and Dunlap, to reprint their books. By the 42nd impression of Green Gables in 1917, the title page no longer had roman numerals but stated The Page Publishers instead.
In the Anne of Green Gables L.C. Page editions, Elizabeth Withington replaced WAJ Claus as the illustrator after the mid-1920s, about 1925, when the old worn out printing plates were replaced with new ones. It is difficult to date some Montgomery books because the copyright page sometimes lacks impression dates. Later editions and reprints may have the original copyright date alone (no impression listed), but are not first editions. All true early editions have the impression (and/or month, for example) listed. The exact printer information and lists of book prices in the fore pages also helps to date editions.
If your Anne of Green Gables is missing the copyright page, use this guide to estimate the LC Page publishing dates based on the AGG price listed after the title page: $1.50 = 1909-1911, $1.65 = 1920 (49th imp), $1.75 = 1920 (50th imp), $1.90 = 1923, $2.00 = 1924-1940, $2.25 = 1944, $2.50 = 1947.
Almost all Montgomery's early edition books (first published by Page, Stokes, McClelland) have gold or silver gilt titles - exceptions are The Blue Castle (except for the A.L. Burt reprint edition which is gold), the McClelland edition of A Tangled Web, and Anne of Windy Poplars. True firsts of all L.M. Montgomery books do not have black lettering on the cover titles or spine. If a seller is offering a dustjacket "first" edition, ask what color the spine title is -- if it is black, it is not a first edition.
The first edition of Anne of Green Gables published in England by Sir Isaac Pitman has all of the Claus illustrations in it.
Any L.M. Montgomery book, no matter how old, which does not look nearly new, should have a value of any used books, $10 - $80, especially if it is a library book, a reprint publisher, or has a worn cover, or a faded spine, or loose pages/binding, or writing.
Note: we are not fans of poor condition books being "dressed up" with photocopied (facsimile) dust jackets. It looks like a seller is trying to fool the buyer.
April 1908 impressions of Anne of Green Gables can be priced quite high ($2000+) but only if they are in lightly used condition with no damage, with bright titles and unmarked cover with no scratches, and complete pages. We have seen later 1908 impressions sell for under $700: a 2nd impression (July 1908) sold for $600 in spring 2014 and we have seen earlier auctions reach as high as $900; 3rd and 4th impressions (August and September 1908) have sold for $170; November and December have recently sold for $180. Editions from 1909 and 1910 are valued at under $100 to $180. Booksellers (not eBay) will price these much higher.
Almost all editions of The Blue Castle lack dust jackets. The true first edition, does not have a castle on the front boards, it was added after Montgomery commented on it, "Not so pretty. A plain cover." The Blue Castle (1926) is hard to date, because the publishers rarely, if ever, printed the impression, but the boards (grey), and title (blue) are considered the true first printing. Printer information also indicates when the book was published: after 1926 to about 1930 = "Printed and Bound in Canada the Hunter-Rose Co. Limited Toronto;" about 1935 and earlier = "The Hunter-Rose Co. Limited Toronto;" after 1939, 1940-42 (also has "A Love Story of the Northwoods" on the spine) = "The Hunter-Rose Co Limited Printers and Bookbinders Toronto, Canada." A first editon sold in late 2012 for $100.
We consider most quality (in excellent+ condition, almost new with bright gilt titles) first edition Montgomery titles to be around $250 (with or without dust jackets) at this time. Original dust jackets add value to editions if both jacket and book are in excellent condition and are not later printings. Beware of a dust jacket that has been put on a different book. If the book is an edition published in 1909, for example, and the dust jacket has a different publisher or titles of Montgomery books from later years printed on it, it is not an authentic match!
(c)MCavert Early editions of LM Montgomery books
Dust jackets (dust wrapper, dust cover) made by L.C. Page are rare if you find one before 1915. We have many dust jackets on Anne of Green Gables books from the 1930s and 1940s, especially 1944. The publisher printed many of these books after Montgomery died in 1942. We have paid $20 to $100 for them. Other near fine editions from the 1940s in dustjackets have been recently sold for under $100. Our Anne of Green Gables from the early 1930s in a dust jacket is in near fine condition and cost $42.
(Read more about early edition dust jackets in The Shining Scroll 2014 part 2)
We have at least six Anne of Avonlea (LC Page) in dust jackets from the 1930s and 1940s; prices for these ranged from $40 to $80. Our Anne of Avonlea in a dust jacket from the early 1920s is in near fine condition and cost $40. Dust jackets on 1st editions of Montgomery books published before the 1920s may be priced in the $180-$300 range.
Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island were reprinted in the 1940s with several different color boards (beige, green, blue, and red). The border lines on the dust jacket covers of these later editons may be brown or blue, but not on 1st edition dust jackets (bright gold). Text on the jacket flaps will help date books. For example, the brown or rust color on the cover boards of Anne of the Island is a 1949+ edition and can be dated by the Pollyanna titles in the back of the jacket. Montgomery received an OBE in the 1930s. If a dust jacket mentions this honor, or has a photo of the author, the book is a printing from that time period or later.
Our first editions of Emily Climbs and Emily's Quest with dust jackets (Stokes) were bought for $150-$200 US.
The Blue Castle dust jackets: a first jacket had a blue mottled pattern and had very fragile paper; an early one is the 1928 A.L. Burt white dust jacket with a castle; next is a mottled gray jacket from about 1929 by McClelland and Stewart, identical to the jacket on the first edition; then the yellow dust jacket with the castle which appears in the 1930s and 1940s.
If a Montgomery book with a dust jacket has Anne of Ingleside (1939) listed on the back, it was printed after 1939. When Montgomery died in 1942, LC Page printed many more editions of her books to cash in.
By the way, Montgomery wrote to a friend that she did not like dust jackets because they came between her and her book. She would remove them and toss them away!
(Read more about early edition dust jackets in The Shining Scroll 2014 part 2)
We have at least six Anne of Avonlea (LC Page) in dust jackets from the 1930s and 1940s; prices for these ranged from $40 to $80. Our Anne of Avonlea in a dust jacket from the early 1920s is in near fine condition and cost $40. Dust jackets on 1st editions of Montgomery books published before the 1920s may be priced in the $180-$300 range.
Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island were reprinted in the 1940s with several different color boards (beige, green, blue, and red). The border lines on the dust jacket covers of these later editons may be brown or blue, but not on 1st edition dust jackets (bright gold). Text on the jacket flaps will help date books. For example, the brown or rust color on the cover boards of Anne of the Island is a 1949+ edition and can be dated by the Pollyanna titles in the back of the jacket. Montgomery received an OBE in the 1930s. If a dust jacket mentions this honor, or has a photo of the author, the book is a printing from that time period or later.
Our first editions of Emily Climbs and Emily's Quest with dust jackets (Stokes) were bought for $150-$200 US.
The Blue Castle dust jackets: a first jacket had a blue mottled pattern and had very fragile paper; an early one is the 1928 A.L. Burt white dust jacket with a castle; next is a mottled gray jacket from about 1929 by McClelland and Stewart, identical to the jacket on the first edition; then the yellow dust jacket with the castle which appears in the 1930s and 1940s.
If a Montgomery book with a dust jacket has Anne of Ingleside (1939) listed on the back, it was printed after 1939. When Montgomery died in 1942, LC Page printed many more editions of her books to cash in.
By the way, Montgomery wrote to a friend that she did not like dust jackets because they came between her and her book. She would remove them and toss them away!
RARE
Not all early Montgomery books are "rare" or hard to find. There are many Anne of Avonlea editions available, for example. We also see a great number of Chronicles of Avonlea, Magic for Marigold, and Anne's House of Dreams for sale. There are many editions of Anne of Green Gables from 1914 and 1915, especially from the reprint publisher, Grosset and Dunlap. Most of our books from these publishers were acquired for under $20. A first edition of Anne of Avonlea in beige boards sold on eBay in spring 2012 for $125 and many more (either in green or beige boards) sell for less; the piano music for the long-lost 1919 Anne movie (with Mary Miles Minter) sold for $10.
Also not rare: The McClelland and Stewart Cavendish edition series with the letter C on the boards and photo of Green Gables on the back of the dust jacket are from the 1940s. The Thrushwood series from Grosset and Dunlap was printed in the 1940s-50s (covers are grey tweed-like, Anne looks like Nancy Drew). Reprint editions like A.L. Burt/Grosset Dunlap should sell in the $15 - $45 US price range.
The 1914 reprint of Anne of Green Gables by Grosset and Dunlap is also often available. We have several copies, including a dust jacket which were acquired each for $15 US.
Anne's House of Dreams was Montgomery's first book with a new publisher so many copies were printed, which is why you can find nice ones from Stokes and McClelland and Stewart at low prices! Prices for these are often far less than $100 ($15-$30) because of availability. You can find this title almost everywhere, by the original publishers and by the reprint publishers (A.L Burt). A couple of our members have a beautiful, and uncommon, edition of this title by the UK publisher, Constable. By the way, McClelland and Stewart is not the name of the publisher of the true first Canadian edition of Anne's House of Dreams -- look for those names and Goodchild.
While the first edition AGG from April 1908 is considered rare, we know of at least 9 copies among our friends and fellow collectors, and we see more of them available, although not always in quality condition. It is a rare book, especially in excellent condition, but read our Shining Scroll from Dec. 2010 (3rd part) to find out about the most rare.
Courageous Women, (c) 1934, is a somewhat rare Montgomery title. It is non-fiction, with biographies of several Canadian women. LMM was one of three authors. Editions which lack the dust jacket but which are in near fine condition can be acquired around $600-$700 US. Editions with the dust jacket (and red top edges) which are in excellent to near-fine condition sell for $1200. Another less known title for collecting is Up Came The Moon by Jessie Findlay Brown. LMM wrote the introduction for it. We have editions signed by Brown and purchased for $50 and know of others purchased for $100.
The Watchman and Other Poems is also somewhat rare, although we are seeing more of them for sale. A Stokes edition (1917, red or burgundy cover) of The Watchman was sold on eBay in 2012 for $880, another sold for $300 in late 2013. One of our members acquired (in 2012) an identical edition in excellent condition for $800. Our Canadian edition (McClelland Goodchild Stewart, 1916) in green boards was acquired for $2800 (signed by author).
Not all early Montgomery books are "rare" or hard to find. There are many Anne of Avonlea editions available, for example. We also see a great number of Chronicles of Avonlea, Magic for Marigold, and Anne's House of Dreams for sale. There are many editions of Anne of Green Gables from 1914 and 1915, especially from the reprint publisher, Grosset and Dunlap. Most of our books from these publishers were acquired for under $20. A first edition of Anne of Avonlea in beige boards sold on eBay in spring 2012 for $125 and many more (either in green or beige boards) sell for less; the piano music for the long-lost 1919 Anne movie (with Mary Miles Minter) sold for $10.
Also not rare: The McClelland and Stewart Cavendish edition series with the letter C on the boards and photo of Green Gables on the back of the dust jacket are from the 1940s. The Thrushwood series from Grosset and Dunlap was printed in the 1940s-50s (covers are grey tweed-like, Anne looks like Nancy Drew). Reprint editions like A.L. Burt/Grosset Dunlap should sell in the $15 - $45 US price range.
The 1914 reprint of Anne of Green Gables by Grosset and Dunlap is also often available. We have several copies, including a dust jacket which were acquired each for $15 US.
Anne's House of Dreams was Montgomery's first book with a new publisher so many copies were printed, which is why you can find nice ones from Stokes and McClelland and Stewart at low prices! Prices for these are often far less than $100 ($15-$30) because of availability. You can find this title almost everywhere, by the original publishers and by the reprint publishers (A.L Burt). A couple of our members have a beautiful, and uncommon, edition of this title by the UK publisher, Constable. By the way, McClelland and Stewart is not the name of the publisher of the true first Canadian edition of Anne's House of Dreams -- look for those names and Goodchild.
While the first edition AGG from April 1908 is considered rare, we know of at least 9 copies among our friends and fellow collectors, and we see more of them available, although not always in quality condition. It is a rare book, especially in excellent condition, but read our Shining Scroll from Dec. 2010 (3rd part) to find out about the most rare.
Courageous Women, (c) 1934, is a somewhat rare Montgomery title. It is non-fiction, with biographies of several Canadian women. LMM was one of three authors. Editions which lack the dust jacket but which are in near fine condition can be acquired around $600-$700 US. Editions with the dust jacket (and red top edges) which are in excellent to near-fine condition sell for $1200. Another less known title for collecting is Up Came The Moon by Jessie Findlay Brown. LMM wrote the introduction for it. We have editions signed by Brown and purchased for $50 and know of others purchased for $100.
The Watchman and Other Poems is also somewhat rare, although we are seeing more of them for sale. A Stokes edition (1917, red or burgundy cover) of The Watchman was sold on eBay in 2012 for $880, another sold for $300 in late 2013. One of our members acquired (in 2012) an identical edition in excellent condition for $800. Our Canadian edition (McClelland Goodchild Stewart, 1916) in green boards was acquired for $2800 (signed by author).
SIGNED BOOKS
Montgomery was trying to sell as many of her books as she could in the 1930s. She gave many speeches and conducted book signings. You will be able to find signed copies of her novels from that time, especially Jane of Lantern Hill and Anne of Ingleside. Our signed editions from the 1930s with dust jackets were purchased in the $800-$900 range. A signed book without a dust jacket was purchased for about $500 in 2014. Books that are first editions, signed before 1919, and in good or higher condition, can be purchased for $1500-$2300. A signed Watchman and Other Poems (1917) was acquired for $2800 in 2014.
Our Jane of Lantern Hill in a dust jacket and signed by the author was purchased for $900. A Vancouver bookseller failed to sell a similar book in late 2014 on eBay for $1750. After his auction ended, a seller from MA bought it privately for less and listed it on eBay for $2200.
Books signed by Montgomery for her friends are truly rare. These books have been acquired for under $2400 USD. They are usually inscribed, but also signed "Faithfully," "Lovingly," or "Sincerely" Yours (plus "With Author's Compliments"), especially if she gave her recently-released books to the friend quite often. Note: she also signed in this fashion at a few book-signing events (like "Cordially Yours" or "Yours Sincerely"), but usually she signed with only her name.
Any book (not written by her) with her signature (and a date) in it may have come from her home library. Several books were missing during her lifetime (loaned and not returned, stolen) and some were given away, sold, or missing after her death. However, some books were given to her friends. A recent personal book owned by LMM surfaced recently. It was a 1920s edition [when the printing plates were changed] of Anne of Green Gables owned by Montgomery and (after her death) given as a gift to a hospital staff by her son, Dr. Stuart Macdonald. It was sold to a book dealer in NY for $2800 in late 2013 and is for sale in 2021 at $12,500.
In one private collection (which will be donated), we have eight books signed by Montgomery, including a pre-World War 1 1914 Anne of Green Gables. Besides this rare collectible, the other treasured signed books include: two from her home library, one signed and inscribed to a long-time friend, one signed with a quote from Anne, one signed in 1917 "Faithfully Yours." We wonder if LMM signed many Page books before 1916 (when she left her publisher, L.C. Page) and if she declined to sign books published by Page because of her extended legal issues with him (1917-1928). Have you seen a signed L.C. Page edition (other than one from her personal library)?
These books (and letters) are being sought by our Society to return to the Montgomery museums and archives.
Please contact us if you find one!
LETTERS
L.M. Montgomery wrote thousands of letters. She answered all her fan mail, as far as we know! Our friend, Joanne Wood, commented (in the Toronto Star) on the author's letter writing when one of LMM's letters, from late in her life to an Australian fan, appeared at the Sotheby's auction in December 2011 (it failed to sell -- this same letter was listed with Bonham's in Dec. 2012 for $6000-$8000 and did not sell. It was acquired by a bookseller in Calgary and was listed in spring 2014 for $5500 CAN). Joanne has also written about the beautiful Montgomery Australian editions in The Shining Scroll.
All of Montgomery's letters to her fans follow the same template, that is, she thanks the writer and lists all of her books, and encourages the writer to share the list with others. In some cases, she asks the fan to write to a movie company and request Anne movies.
Her personal letters are much more scarce because her friends (like Montgomery) usually destroyed them, although a few have been preserved by families on Prince Edward Island. Many of these have been donated to Montgomery archives on the Island. Two collections of her three most important correspondences, with George Boyd Macmillan, Arthur John Lockhart, and Ephraim Weber, have been preserved and published [see BIBLIOGRAPHY and BOOKS].
DONATIONS
We encourage owners of rare Montgomery items to contact us about donations or consider making a donation directly to https://go.upei.ca/donate/
Montgomery was trying to sell as many of her books as she could in the 1930s. She gave many speeches and conducted book signings. You will be able to find signed copies of her novels from that time, especially Jane of Lantern Hill and Anne of Ingleside. Our signed editions from the 1930s with dust jackets were purchased in the $800-$900 range. A signed book without a dust jacket was purchased for about $500 in 2014. Books that are first editions, signed before 1919, and in good or higher condition, can be purchased for $1500-$2300. A signed Watchman and Other Poems (1917) was acquired for $2800 in 2014.
Our Jane of Lantern Hill in a dust jacket and signed by the author was purchased for $900. A Vancouver bookseller failed to sell a similar book in late 2014 on eBay for $1750. After his auction ended, a seller from MA bought it privately for less and listed it on eBay for $2200.
Books signed by Montgomery for her friends are truly rare. These books have been acquired for under $2400 USD. They are usually inscribed, but also signed "Faithfully," "Lovingly," or "Sincerely" Yours (plus "With Author's Compliments"), especially if she gave her recently-released books to the friend quite often. Note: she also signed in this fashion at a few book-signing events (like "Cordially Yours" or "Yours Sincerely"), but usually she signed with only her name.
Any book (not written by her) with her signature (and a date) in it may have come from her home library. Several books were missing during her lifetime (loaned and not returned, stolen) and some were given away, sold, or missing after her death. However, some books were given to her friends. A recent personal book owned by LMM surfaced recently. It was a 1920s edition [when the printing plates were changed] of Anne of Green Gables owned by Montgomery and (after her death) given as a gift to a hospital staff by her son, Dr. Stuart Macdonald. It was sold to a book dealer in NY for $2800 in late 2013 and is for sale in 2021 at $12,500.
In one private collection (which will be donated), we have eight books signed by Montgomery, including a pre-World War 1 1914 Anne of Green Gables. Besides this rare collectible, the other treasured signed books include: two from her home library, one signed and inscribed to a long-time friend, one signed with a quote from Anne, one signed in 1917 "Faithfully Yours." We wonder if LMM signed many Page books before 1916 (when she left her publisher, L.C. Page) and if she declined to sign books published by Page because of her extended legal issues with him (1917-1928). Have you seen a signed L.C. Page edition (other than one from her personal library)?
These books (and letters) are being sought by our Society to return to the Montgomery museums and archives.
Please contact us if you find one!
LETTERS
L.M. Montgomery wrote thousands of letters. She answered all her fan mail, as far as we know! Our friend, Joanne Wood, commented (in the Toronto Star) on the author's letter writing when one of LMM's letters, from late in her life to an Australian fan, appeared at the Sotheby's auction in December 2011 (it failed to sell -- this same letter was listed with Bonham's in Dec. 2012 for $6000-$8000 and did not sell. It was acquired by a bookseller in Calgary and was listed in spring 2014 for $5500 CAN). Joanne has also written about the beautiful Montgomery Australian editions in The Shining Scroll.
All of Montgomery's letters to her fans follow the same template, that is, she thanks the writer and lists all of her books, and encourages the writer to share the list with others. In some cases, she asks the fan to write to a movie company and request Anne movies.
Her personal letters are much more scarce because her friends (like Montgomery) usually destroyed them, although a few have been preserved by families on Prince Edward Island. Many of these have been donated to Montgomery archives on the Island. Two collections of her three most important correspondences, with George Boyd Macmillan, Arthur John Lockhart, and Ephraim Weber, have been preserved and published [see BIBLIOGRAPHY and BOOKS].
DONATIONS
We encourage owners of rare Montgomery items to contact us about donations or consider making a donation directly to https://go.upei.ca/donate/
The Good Fairy 1916
(c) MCavert
An important icon in L.M. Montgomery's life was a statue of The Good Fairy,
which was made during World War One.
It was given an important place in her home [Article on page 24].
eBay sellers be sure to credit our site/author for the Good Fairy information
you use in this article:
