Sight Unseen: Palookaville No. 21 With an Original Drawing by Seth

A copy of Palookaville No. 21 offered by Hourglass Books caught my eye on line. Priced at $50 with AbeBooks, it offered the promise of an original drawing by Seth, albeit of a hat and a lit cigarette. I like Seth's graphic work almost as much as I dislike cigarettes. On hats, I'm personally indifferent, but I admire those men who can project a personal sense of style to the world. The hat and cigarette, I readily surmised, were a stand-in for Seth himself. There was no image of the drawing, alas, but I took the plunge and bought it anyway—sight unseen.

As much as I like Seth's graphic novels, I can't say I've ever read Palookaville. It is, give or take, an annual forum presenting the artist's work in progress. This one was published in October 2013. From the two gentlemen on the cover, this book evidently contains some material from Clyde Fans. The bookseller confirms this.

Seth
AbeBooks listing

Seth
AbeBooks listing ended June 15, 2026

https://www.abebooks.com/signed/Palookaville-%2321-Seth-Drawn-Quarterly-Montreal/14768924842/bd

Seth
AbeBooks item description

So, you may well ask, how did it go? Well, the bookseller searched high and low for this one, he wrote me, but he was unable to locate it. Perhaps he sold it previously and lost track of it. He was as nice as could be, refunding my money for this book as well as for another book by Seth, George Sprott (1894-1975), that I ordered and that he did indeed have on hand, although perhaps in imperceptibly lesser condition than advertised. So, no complaints on my end, except that I can't show you the drawing in Palookaville No. 21 as I proudly add the book to my library. When I started this post, I didn't intend for it to end so anticlimactically, but that is sometimes the nature of these Sight Unseen musings. Perhaps I'll have something better to show off when that copy of George Sprott arrives . . . any day now.  

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Sight Unseen: Karen's Copy of Seth's George Sprott (1894-1975)

Recently I wrote here about the listing on eBay of two exceptional but, I thought, overpriced copies of George Sprott 1894-1975 (2009) which include original drawings of the title character by Seth.

I decided, as an exercise, to see whether I could still find other, less expensive copies that were similarly signed and sketched upon. This led me to AbeBooks, where a copy signed and inscribed to one Karen, with a drawing, was available for $50. I thought this price was fairly reasonable, although it was still more than I had paid previously for similar books. To complicate matters, though, there was no photograph of the drawing, just a stock image of the book.

Seth
AbeBooks listing accessed September 2, 2022

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30441908064&searchurl=kn%3DSeth%2BSprott%26sgnd%3Don%26sortby%3D17&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title1

One always wonders what prompts sellers to omit photos of that one personalized page that makes a book unique. Is it a question of cost or of workload? Is it because the drawing doesn't quite measure up to the written description of it? Personally, I was pretty sure Seth would have done right by Karen.

As readers may know, the way I get to the bottom of these mysteries is not to ask the seller for more information but to order the book myself, sight unseen, and then to publicly post the results. My instincts have proven pretty good and usually the outcome is more than satisfactory for me, but there is sometimes a caveat or two. So, you might ask, how did I do?

Qualitatively, I don't see enough difference between these books to justify an eight- to ten-fold price differential. Still, Seth is good to his fans, and I wouldn't be surprised if demand for such books ticked up in the future. Will collectors be willing to pay $400 to $500 for Seth's books with original drawings? I will not, but then I don't speak for everyone.

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Tony's Copy of George Sprott 1894-1975 by Seth

Last year, I noted a very expensive copy of Seth's George Sprott 1894-1975 which was graced with an original drawing dated 2009, the year of publication. I pointed out that its $500 asking price meant it was some ten to twenty times pricier than the other similarly signed and embellished copies I had previously documented here.

This year, the book can still be found on eBay, $10 more expensive but otherwise none the worse for wear. It now boasts a PSA DNA letter of authenticity although there was never any question it was the real McCoy. Has the book been priced so high there is no one to buy it? Or is the seller just waiting for the market to come to terms with a new paradigm?

To be sure, signed copies of the oversized 2009 book have become less readily available. As a few copies trickle into the market, should we expect them to be in the $50 range as they were before, or in the $500 range, as this one is?

Well, both, actually. On AbeBooks there recently was listed a copy dedicated to one Karen selling for $50, and on eBay a copy made out to a Tony in 2019 priced at $429. The thinking of the eBay seller of Tony's book must be to try to profit from the higher pricing scheme while still undercutting the other eBay seller. It could very well work.

Seth
eBay listing accessed 8/31/2022

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115341737240?hash=item1adae73d18:g:sb4AAOSwKNliVNI1&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoGQqEzRUxFD%2BA6Xv1OXec039Qm%2F8QiJpkY8JXTSUN63RTPvPwIVz74s3ekhG8AdAQxNINASGLcNIdhUiDgOa1hzkLBPEyFRwOqlAFB7nadZQSTXvCZSH%2BXacNVSEBqg42VsA9Ku5XZ7OsoJhRy2ba5vmjkFVflMbNc8tl2IiQKDmLRCVzuZEBvEPLd4zmrBk9m01KUy97RvQkxezvl8MUCM%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5y6ipTeYA

Seth
eBay item description
"Signed by George Sprott..."

Note:  Just yesterday I purchased that $50 copy of Seth's George Sprott 1894-1975 that once belonged to Karen. There was no photograph of the drawing, alas, so I will report on it soon in one of those Sight Unseen posts I love to do.

04066

A High-Priced Copy of George Sprott (1894-1975) by Seth

I have not kept it a secret here that I'm a fan of Seth's signed books, by which I particularly refer to those with original character drawings or even self-portraits. Yet a copy of George Sprott 1894-1975 (2009) now on eBay has me puzzled over the issue of price. The book sports an original drawing of the title character. It is signed, in pristine condition, and in every way worthy of a mention here on Attempted Bloggery. Yet with an asking price of $500, it is more than ten to twenty times the price of the three other copies of this book I've shown on this blog previously. 

So the book is an outlier in terms of price, a very nice book to own but probably not a sound investment. Still, nothing is set in stone. An overpriced book isn't overpriced just because I say it is. If one buyer wants it enough, it's a sale. If several buyers start clamoring for such a book, it's a collector's item. If more and more people come to appreciate Seth's work, maybe it's a good investment after all.

I did actually make three offers for this book, generous (I thought) based on the prices of the copies of George Sprott already seen on this blog, but certainly not in the ballpark of the seller's price. We did not come to an agreement.

Seth
eBay listing accessed March 21, 2021

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154376228995?ul_noapp=true&autorefresh=true

September 3, 2022 Update:  The book remains available. An image of the PSA DNA letter of authenticity has been added to the eBay listing and the Buy It Now price has been increased by $10.

03587

Bill's Copy of George Sprott (1894-1975) by Seth

George Sprott (1894-1975) was serialized in the New York Times Magazine in 2006 and Seth's "picture novella" was subsequently modified for publication in book form in 2009. Bill's copy, recently sold on eBay, is the smaller softcover British edition. It was signed by Seth in 2019 with a self-portrait, as noted by the eBay seller.

Seth
eBay Listing Ended July 4, 2020

https://www.ebay.com/itm/george-sprott-uk-edition-original-comic-art-by-SETH-new-yorker-artist/264696412639?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225086%26meid%3D08f58003f49c4d3f8bdca41425edaaba%26pid%3D100036%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D123883119382%26itm%3D264696412639%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganic&_trksid=p2047675.c100036.m2109

Seth
eBay Item Description

Note:  I admit it: I have a soft spot for Seth's signed books, particularly those with drawings. Usually the drawings portray characters from the book he has signed, but self-portraits, apparently, do exist as well. Scans and photos of other interesting copies of his books would of course be welcome here.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Seth

Signed Books with Original Drawings

Self-Portraits

Attempted Bloggery's Self-Referential Index

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V's Copy of George Sprott (1894-1975) by Seth

A copy of George Sprott (1894-1975) is dedicated by author Seth to someone named V in 2009, the year of publication, and it has an original drawing of the fictional television talk show host. Offered on eBay in 2013 with a Buy It Now price of $40, it ended up selling with a single bid for only $20, so even with shipping added it cost less than a brand new unsigned copy of the book. That's the way to do it. There were some condition issues, but these seem relatively minor.

Seth

eBay Listing Ended December 18, 2013

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261356603288?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:VRI&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2661

Seth

eBay Item Description Ended December 18, 2013

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261356603288?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:VRI&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2661

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Seth

Signed Books with Original Drawings

George Sprott (1894-1975)

Attempted Bloggery's Telegenic Index

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George Sprott (1894-1975) with a Bookplate Signed by Seth

I don't really like signed bookplates. No matter how well done, they're evidence that a book's author never came into contact with the particular copy of the book you're looking at. Still, while browsing the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's table at the 2016 MoCCA Arts Festival, I came across several copies of George Sprott (1894-1975), Seth's 2009 graphic novel. In each, the artist had signed a bookplate and provided a two-tone drawing of the title character. Who was I to say no? I needed a third copy of the oversized book anyway....

Seth, George Sprott (1894-1975), 2009

CBLDF bookplate with an original drawing of George Sprott signed Seth, 2011

CBLDF bookplate with an original drawing of George Sprott signed Seth, 2011

Note:  This concludes my series on the books I purchased in April at the MoCCA Arts Festival, still the closest thing to a comics convention I have attended. I was there only for about two hours, far less than the time it took to write the seven blog posts chronicling my take.

I have followed my own interests and inclinations, hunting down artists primarily over age fifty whose work appears once in a while in the New Yorker. This makes perfect sense for me, but it doesn't begin to hint at the youthful energy and vitality present throughout the venue. Each year's MoCCA Fest is full of talented, independent comic art practitioners already producing exciting art and destined to make many stunning contributions down the road.

Attempted Bloggery's quick links:

Seth

The MoCCA Arts Festival

Signed Books with Original Drawings

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

Bookplates

Attempted Bloggery's Gallant Index

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