AROUND HOME : First Editions

IN THE PAST few years, strong interest has developed in the collecting of modern first editions. Given the high prices of first editions from the 19th Century and earlier, dealers often advise beginning collectors to focus on books written by important contemporary writers. A wealth of material is available in Southern California because many fine 20th-Century authors either lived here or wrote significant books about life in the state--particularly about Los Angeles, an endlessly fascinating subject for writers. A list of collectible authors includes John Steinbeck, William Saroyan, Nathanael West and Raymond Chandler, along with books that have California subjects, such as Norman Mailer’s “The Deer Park” or F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Last Tycoon.”

Prices for these first editions are still reasonable. Raymond Chandler’s “The Long Goodbye” is currently available for $175 (Morrison & Kline). The author’s own complimentary copy from the publisher is priced at $1,000 (Vagabond Books). Also worthy of consideration are more recent California writers such as Joan Didion, John Gregory Dunne, William Murray, Barnaby Conrad and perhaps Charles Bukowski--to name but a few.

John Fante, for example, is an excellent 20th-Century California writer, recently rediscovered and now very popular. Fante (1909-1983) produced many short stories for magazines in the 1930s, and for some years he wrote screenplays. He published several critically acclaimed novels in small editions: “Wait Until Spring, Bandini” (1938), “Ask the Dust” (1939) and “Dreams From Bunker Hill” (1982). Today, first editions of his novels are not particularly expensive, though they are not necessarily easy to find. The search is well worth it, however, for his books reveal a wonderfully evocative picture of certain aspects of Los Angeles in the late 1930s: Angel’s Flight and the seedy hotels, dusty palm trees and mean streets that have fascinated so many other writers.

One of the great bonuses involved in looking for first editions is the opportunity to visit some intriguing shops, so different from many of the chain bookstores in the Los Angeles area. Be prepared to browse--bibliomania is a passion, not a business.

First editions can be found at specialty book shops throughout the Southern California area, including Heritage Book Shop, Vagabond Books and Golden Legend (principally 19th Century), all in West Los Angeles; and Kenneth Karmiole and Morrison & Kline, both in Santa Monica.