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Valuation: Any gems in my childhood Tintin collection?

Viva Tapioca
Member
#1 · Posted: 12 Jan 2016 19:12
Hello all,

I've recently unearthed my much beloved childhood Tintin and wanted to check that it isn't of any astronomical value before handing them over to my three year old to teach him to read(as I did). I'm a bilingual Canadian here who would have collected these (mainly used) in the early 80s.

And please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm assuming the date of publication is the latest date on the LAST page (e.g. D. 1966/0053/155.) for the earlier ones where the back cover features the cast sitting around on an island. Nearly all of these are imported Belgian hardcovers, BTW:

L'Affaire Tournesol - Casterman - indicates 1956 but references Tibet (Excellent) red cloth bound
Le Secret De La Licorne - Casterman - 1966 (Excellent) X2
Le Tresor De Rackham Le Rouge - Casterman - 1966 (Excellent)
Tintin au Tibet - Casterman - 1966 (Very Good)
L'Affaire Tournesol - Casterman - 1966 (Excellent)
On A Marche Sur La Lune - Casterman - 1966 (Fair)
Le Crabe Au Pinces D'Or - Casterman - 1966 (Excellent)
L'Etoile Mysterieuse - Casterman - 1966 (Poor)
Tintin Au Congo - Casterman - 1970 (Very Good)

These are newer ones where the back cover features thumbnails of the other books and ISBNs:

Tintin Au Congo - Casterman - indicates 1970 but references Picaros (Good)
L'Etoile Mysterieuse - Casterman - indicates 1970 but references Picaros (Good)
Tintin En Amerique - Casterman - 1984 (Excellent)
Les Bijoux De La Castafiore - Casterman - 1984 (Excellent)
Vol 714 Pour Sydney - 1984 (Excellent)
The Blue Lotus - Methuen - 1983 (Very Good)
The Red Sea Sharks - Methuen - 1977 (Fair)
The Broken Ear - Methuen - 1977 (Poor)

The remainder are English language Magnet paperbacks I'll omit because they're from the late seventies or early eighties.

Thanks so much!
jock123
Moderator
#2 · Posted: 13 Jan 2016 17:16
I can't be certain, but sorry, it doesn't look like you are sitting on a gold-mine, no.

The code you are seeing might have some indication of the book's first publication, but it's not going to be definitive, especially as you say that some are advertising later books, which certainly puts them into later printings.

However, good copies probably do have value to some collectors and completists so I wouldn't be handing them to a three year-old myself; if nothing else, they are surely going to appreciate them more in years to come, and they possibly will be worth nmore by then anyway.
Viva Tapioca
Member
#3 · Posted: 14 Jan 2016 19:49
Jock123,

Thanks for your prompt response and your insight.

The ten books where the back cover features the cast sitting around on an island are completely unambiguous in age, with the exception of the one that is cloth bound. The remaining nine reference only those volumes that pre-date their stated publication date. I will set those safely aside.

The rest he can continue to have, though. I'm not terribly concerned with foregone potential appreciation. Having deprived him entirely of screen time thus far I have no qualms about sharing my book collections with him. I've been translating / simplifying the narrative as I read and he's been enjoying them tremendously.

Best Regards

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