1920 "Tarzan the Untamed" First Edition
Watch
APPRAISER:
You brought in, obviously, a Tarzan book.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
Tell me about it. Where did you find it?
GUEST:
It was just an estate sale and I just liked it, so I bought it. I liked the cover, and it's interesting. I like books, so.
APPRAISER:
Do you read Tarzan in general or just...
GUEST:
(laughing) No. I have grandchildren, so I just picked it up on a whim.
APPRAISER:
When did you buy it?
GUEST:
I'm not sure, I'm thinking 2000?
APPRAISER:
About 15 years ago?
GUEST:
Yeah, yeah. You know, I think it's one of the early ones.
APPRAISER:
This book is done by a company called McClurg.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Who are actually the first publishers of the book. There was a reprint company called Grosset & Dunlap that did later printings of them. They did them very nicely. They actually can have some value because they also have very pretty dust jackets. And then there was a Burroughs publishing company, because after he started publishing, getting popular, he said, "Why do I have to pay a publisher? I'll have my own publishing company."
GUEST:
Oh, he did.
APPRAISER:
And so some of his later books are done by Burroughs Publishing, but let me show the title page here.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
It's Tarzan the Untamed. It was done in 1920, McClurg & Co. When you flip over the title page, it's 1920-- the copyright. So this is the first edition of this book.
GUEST:
Oh, good.
APPRAISER:
And one of the important parts about first editions is the dust jackets. Collectors who collect this kind of book, the jacket is almost everything. And one of the reasons for that is if you think about it, you get a book, it's well-read, people enjoy it...
GUEST:
Sure.
APPRAISER:
What falls apart first, what goes away first?
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
Sometimes what do people take off first? And the other thing about this is the first Tarzan book, which everybody knows, that was done in 1914. And one of the things that's sometimes very helpful if you're wondering where in the series this comes, well, you can open the dust jacket.
GUEST:
Ah!
APPRAISER:
And it very conveniently shows you that there were six before this, and this is the seventh in the series out of 24 that he did total on the Tarzan series. It's in good condition. There are a few little tiny nicks and tears, not the worst thing in the world. Now, you said you bought it at an estate or yard sale.
GUEST:
Yeah
APPRAISER:
Usually books aren't priced that high. Do you remember?
GUEST:
You know, I think I just handed her a dollar.
APPRAISER:
And she handed you the book.
GUEST:
(laughing) Right.
APPRAISER:
This book, an average, good retail value is $1,500.
GUEST:
(laughing) Really?
APPRAISER:
Really.
GUEST:
Cute. (laughs) I like it.
APPRAISER:
If you didn't have the dust jacket on this, maybe $100, maybe $75.
GUEST:
Oh, really?
APPRAISER:
Because the collectors who want it, they want that jacket. Even when you first said at the beginning, "Oh, it was colorful, it caught my eye."
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
It's the dust jacket. It's the dust jacket that caught your eye.
GUEST:
Great.
Appraisal Details
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.
