Andersen's Fairy Tales

This is a copy of the first US trade edition of Rackham's Andersen's Fairy Tales, published by David McKay & Co. using the sheets, printed in England, of the first UK trade -- that is, the editions are identical except that Harrap gilt-stamped 'David McKay' on the bottom spine. There have been innumerable small-format reprints of the book, generally missing some of its 12 full-page color plates and most of its charm, leaving a choice between a copy of this first trade edition or the deluxe limited vellum edition of 525 numbered copies which neither of us can afford. The only other decision to make is whether to go for one of the strangely numerous copies of this edition that still have their original dust jacket and (sometimes) original gift box. I don't know where all these jackets and gift boxes suddenly started coming from, but I'm not ready to say I'm suspicious yet. Those are also expensive, and this one isn't cheap, but at least the price won't give you a nosebleed. I may also have a cheaper, externally thrashed copy still for sale. | Quarto in red cloth, pictorial gilt stamp of Rackham art on front and spine. The full-page color plates come with printed tissue guards and pictorial end papers. Solid, tight, square binding. Bright gilt on front cover and gilt top, spine gilt bright but slightly faded. Some fading to spine cloth apparently in connection with a mostly removed water stain there. Top and bottom spine cloth is bumped, various small imperfections. Front board a-ok, endpapers are clean and unfaded. Interior VG+. All plates are present and pristine. Printed tissue guards are all present and straight, some with minor imperfections. Very little shelf wear. Owner's name is inked on second free endpaper. Tiny sticker hidden on the inner corner of the rear free endpaper, like those Brentano's stickers that one sees. (The Times Book Club was not actually a book club, but a bookseller owned by the London newspaper of that name.)