Pointing out a jacket impression vs. book impression mismatch in a listing is actually helpful, as those can be easily missed in an auction or dealer listing. Thanks! It is always good to point out sellers who post enough good quality photos that these things can be spotted, too. When thinking about buying UK impressions from the first edition, it is always a good idea to check the jacket impression if that matters to you.
As for being more than one impression apart... I think it unlikely, but not impossible, that this happened at the publisher. I don't think that's what Mr. Underhill was saying though when he said "Jackets get swapped, publishers used old stock, etc...". I'n my opinion, it is much more likely that someone lost the correct jacket, and replaced it with another (not noticing that the impressions no longer matched). There is absolutely no way to ever know, however, so I don't think further speculation will uncover any additional helpful information - but again, it is good to point out the mismatch, no matter how it happened.
On the other hand I have a 2nd and 4th impression Two Towers but with one good quality 3rd impression DJ between them, how did that happen
Does your 2nd Impression have the year on both the Title page and the copyright page, if not then it is a 3rd Impression and would match the DJ?
Yes Its the proper 'rarer' 1800 print second impression with the year etc
Just while we are on the subject of DJ, does this imply that if I went into a 50's or 60's bookshop and said I'd like a copy of FotR please the book and DJ would be sourced seperately from behind a counter , they wouldn't be on the display shelf with the DJ on it for me to pick up? Never quite sure how to interpret what people write on here and my memory of 60's bookshops isn't that good (I remember 70's onwards though )
As for being more than one impression apart... I think it unlikely, but not impossible, that this happened at the publisher. I don't think that's what Mr. Underhill was saying though when he said "Jackets get swapped, publishers used old stock, etc...". I'n my opinion, it is much more likely that someone lost the correct jacket, and replaced it with another (not noticing that the impressions no longer matched). There is absolutely no way to ever know, however, so I don't think further speculation will uncover any additional helpful information - but again, it is good to point out the mismatch, no matter how it happened.
Exactly what I was saying with that comment, thanks Urulókë
Just while we are on the subject of DJ, does this imply that if I went into a 50's or 60's bookshop and said I'd like a copy of FotR please the book and DJ would be sourced seperately from behind a counter , they wouldn't be on the display shelf with the DJ on it for me to pick up? Never quite sure how to interpret what people write on here and my memory of 60's bookshops isn't that good (I remember 70's onwards though )
I love your description, but no that's not what we are describing. New dealers/shops would receive books with jackets on them at that time, just as they do now. (I'm ignoring used bookshops/dealers for the purposes of this explanation)
The publisher would order a certain number of books from the "book printer", and a certain number of dust jackets from the "jacket printer" - which might be the same company, but it is different equipment, different paper, and different inks, so the distinction is important. When copies of the book run low, they would order another book print run - ditto for the jackets. Sometimes the numbers would not line up (damage, or a book club run, or a warehouse fire, or returns from a bookshop with resellable books but the jackets aren't new any more), so they would (for example) have in the warehouse a stack of jackets left over from the prior print run, and would use those up before they order more jackets.
Just while we are on the subject of DJ, does this imply that if I went into a 50's or 60's bookshop and said I'd like a copy of FotR please the book and DJ would be sourced seperately from behind a counter , they wouldn't be on the display shelf with the DJ on it for me to pick up? Never quite sure how to interpret what people write on here and my memory of 60's bookshops isn't that good (I remember 70's onwards though )
I love your description, but no that's not what we are describing. New dealers/shops would receive books with jackets on them at that time, just as they do now. (I'm ignoring used bookshops/dealers for the purposes of this explanation)
The publisher would order a certain number of books from the "book printer", and a certain number of dust jackets from the "jacket printer" - which might be the same company, but it is different equipment, different paper, and different inks, so the distinction is important. When copies of the book run low, they would order another book print run - ditto for the jackets. Sometimes the numbers would not line up (damage, or a book club run, or a warehouse fire, or returns from a bookshop with resellable books but the jackets aren't new any more), so they would (for example) have in the warehouse a stack of jackets left over from the prior print run, and would use those up before they order more jackets.
Ah right, I had been imagining some old bloke in overalls (bit like Arkwright from 'Open all Hours' if you are in the UK) shiftily moving jackets around on the books in his shop
Before the internet I did order specialist books from adverts that got picked over the counter which is what made me think that way
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