Christmas Shopping 1992

[StereoInstaller1]

"How To Play With Your Food" by Penn and Teller.

Villiard Books (Random House) 11/92

I was out shopping for Christmas way back in 1992. I like to give books as gifts, so I was in some major bookseller in a mall somewhere, could not even tell you what city.

The young lady was taking books off the shelf and putting them back into a shipping box. My curiosity being what it was, I asked her what she was doing...she said she had to send these books back, as they were recalled due to them being "dangerous"...

She then jumped up to go answer the phone.

I took this as a sign from God to buy these books. I grabbed 2 of them and went to the cashier and paid for them.

One of them was later stolen by an angry ex-wife.

I still have this one, unopened. Since 1992, 18 years!



I want to find out how to "value" this book. I also want to find out how or what to do to validate my story. I mean, I know this is true, I know this book has been recalled, I know this is an original sealed copy. I even know the what, where and why of the recall, and what was done about it.

I just want proof.

I have long since lost the receipt. I have only my story to corroborate this package and the obvious fact that it is still sealed. I can find some anecdotal evidence of my story: I want fact.

Any ideas?

Luke

[Midnight Sun]

Best bet, find out who the publisher is, get the ISBN and make some phone calls.

Odds are it is not worth that much. Maybe what you paid still, doubtful.

[StereoInstaller1]

Best bet, find out who the publisher is, get the ISBN and make some phone calls.

Odds are it is not worth that much. Maybe what you paid still, doubtful.

You think so, even being a "recalled" book?

[agile30]

Interesting topic. Keep us posted on what happens

[Lunner]

http://tinyurl.com/yg679em

The truth is, most books, even recalled first edition ones in original packaging, aren't worth very much. It all comes down to their value as something of immense literary/social merit, or failing that something written by somebody really famous. Like, really famous, and not something easily obtained. And in either case it's gotta be a first print.

Basically, if it's not a first edition Walden or On the Road stashed away in your grandparent's trunk in an attic, I'd suggest cracking it open and enjoying a good read.

[mrsleeve]

not really the proof you were after but some prices for you to compare too

http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?ac=sl&st=sl&qi=1u7teKH1e0q7JjQSw.PAaLp,1a0_7964252205_1:381:874&bq=author%3Dpenn%2520jillette%2520and%2520teller%26title%3Dpenn%2520%2526%2520teller%27s%2520how%2520to%2520play%2520with%2520your%2520food

[Lunner]

Even with those prices to compare to, I wouldn't jump to assuming your copy is worth $50, or $150, or whatever else you see.

Well, 'worth' is the slippery term that I'm getting at here.

It's all a matter of to whom the book is worth anything. Who loves Penn and Teller, or that book, so much that they absolutely have to fork down more than the price of a used one (which looks to be about $5 shipped) to have a never opened copy?

Again, I like Penn and Teller, but they're no JD Salinger, and that ain't "Catcher in the Rye". It's a presumably amusing coffee table type book that was never opened.

Sure, it wouldn't hurt to try and sell it on eBay or something for $100, but I'd very surprised to hear that there's a serious buyer for rare Penn and Teller books.

Your best bet for that being worth anything more than what you paid for it is Penn or Teller discovering a cure for AIDS, or being discovered as serial killers. And even then I don't think it's value would go up, unless there's something in the book that hinted at their future serial killing exploits. Which could explain why it's 'dangerous'...

[StereoInstaller1]

When a signed copy is selling for under $140, this ain't worth shit, even sealed and recalled.

Now what I wanna know is how to get hold of Villiard, their email addresses bounce!

[Lunner]

Holy shit. You're lucky that:

a) I have a hard on for literary things, and free time on a Saturday afternoon.

b) Google continues to pwn the interwebs. I had no idea they even did this:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19921220&id=qpYtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mqUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3807,7107324

But anyway, that should answer all your questions. Just don't open that fake sugar packet. It's dangerous. ;)

[AndrewBird]

Why in the hell didn't they just use real sugar?

[StereoInstaller1]

Holy shit. You're lucky that:

a) I have a hard on for literary things, and free time on a Saturday afternoon.

b) Google continues to pwn the interwebs. I had no idea they even did this:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19921220&id=qpYtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mqUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3807,7107324

But anyway, that should answer all your questions. Just don't open that fake sugar packet. It's dangerous. ;)

Actually, that answers none of my questions: I read that article back in '93, plus I already knew all of that crap.

What I wanna know is how do I prove mine to be a real "pre-recall" book without opening it?

[JTapper]

Don't worry, we'll vouch for you.

[Lunner]

Actually, that answers none of my questions: I read that article back in '93, plus I already knew all of that crap.

What I wanna know is how do I prove mine to be a real "pre-recall" book without opening it?

Fair enough, if you already knew why it was dangerous why didn't you tell us? The vague nature of that intro made it sound like it taught you Cold War nuclear secrets or how to kill a man with the power of suggestion.

Near as I can tell that book was never reprinted. I'm assuming this based on the fact that there are no newer copies listed than "1992 Villard books".

Also, this book had an unusually high first print rate, (100,000 copies). Given the nature of the book, and the business of recalls, I can assume there wasn't demand enough to justify a second printing.

Based on all that, every copy of this book is a "pre-recall" book. I'd be willing to believe the publisher had that fake sugar packet replaced and then tried to re-sell the books, but that's pure speculation on my part.

What is pretty clear is that that book only had one print run. At best you have an extremely rare dangerous fake sugar packet.

[StereoInstaller1]

Dude, I'm sorry, I thought I made it clear I was already aware of the back story.

[Lunner]

Dude, I'm sorry, I thought I made it clear I was already aware of the back story.

Oh no worries, I was just explaining why I was so stoked to have found out the back story on my own. :o

Anyway, I've certainly typed enough in this thread to make me happy.

That is a pretty cool story though, if I had that book I'd keep it just for the conversation starter.

But good luck with whatever you wind up doing with that book.

-Brett