Some of you all may already know this but for those that don't, if you ever run across one of these get it. Doesn't even matter which printing it is. They all have value. The dust jacket makes all the difference though. Even mine that's all tattered. Buyer said he was going to have it restored. This sold for $711.01+ 9.95 shipping back in the spring of this year. It's the war time edition.
That is called the Circus Cover. "Big Books" were published in 1939 with red cloth binding and the Circus Cover. They're now bound in blue and and sometimes called Blue Books and sometimes sport repro Circus Covers.
That was a beauty. I have a few editions of these myself. Each represented a time in my life when I was giving my best attempt to become sober. Each time I read through the book I underlined passages first in pencil. The next time with green highlighter the next time with yellow highlighter, etc. Highlighting all those passages which provided me hope. My book includes dates noted to the inside of with what I prayed would "be the day", the last day, I would drink. These books represent so may hours spent with friends who shared their experience, strength and hope. Many lost the battle. I have not had to change the "last day" in my book for 10 years. The value of these books to some of us are priceless and I know many who are looking for first editions.
So I was basically right. I know AA has been the salvation of many and the strong human bonds are an essential part of it. It's still not easy. Congratulations to you and all wishes for a future of continued sobriety.
Thank you for sharing that with us, Piece Dove. Sounds like you worked very hard to get where you are and I wish you All the Best!
Piece Dove, Many Blessings and KUDOS to you!!! I know second hand what a battle you fight!!! And it's not an easy one! It's a way of life for oh so many and a wish that oh so many more could and would embrace! OK, I'm off my pony now!!! All the best to you!! BTW, DH has 39 years in now!!!!
Congratulations! On both accounts.....your sobriety and the sale of the book. My daughter's hubby lost the battle at a very young age, and left her with two beautiful twin daughters who were only 5 at the time. She lives but one house away, so I've been able to help her with raising the twins. They are 21 now.
Yes, it's true, these books are well loved and I really can't think of any other book that involved a community willing to share so much of their own personal history, no matter how dark. In the back of the first edition are 29 stories from members who trusted their stories would be kept anonymous and hoped might help someone else. The formula was (and remains) to tell "how it was, what it was like and what it's like now." No lectures. This ebay ad gives a lot of good information on editions and fun details like "The book can be authenticated as an original first printing by the double-printing of line 26 and line 27 on page 234 and the misspelling of aberations as "abberations" in line 29 of page 154." Thank you to all who were happy to share!
I was thinking, "Darn, now I'm always gonna want to spell it with two b's..." Something just wasn't looking right. Next time, try two r's! Just caught that, lol
