Tuesday 22 February 2011

Rupert Bear Annuals

As all of the grownups that have children will have noticed it’s half term and on behalf of my children here is a children’s book post.
I started by just photographing the Rupert annuals in the bookshop, but was instructed to spread them out a bit, so that people can see the covers.
With older Rupert annuals this is the only coloured bit, so arguably the best bit, and apart from the first one that had a dust wrapper the very early ones have red spines without even part of the picture on them.
I expect many bloggers will be surprised to learn that people collect Rupert annuals and Rupert book collectors cover a large age range as do Rupert annuals.
Some Rupert annuals are expensive and some are not, if they are in nice condition prices start from about £4 and go up to very expensive indeed, but a lot of collectors do swaps with us and don’t use money at all, so that’s alright.
Nice condition is called fine by book collectors, it’s the best condition for books, it means like new and that no one has written their name in the book or cut the price off.
The next condition down is called very good and this means that it isn’t fine, the next one down is called good and that means, not very good.
As this is a children’s post I am going to tell you some of the ways to spot a very expensive Rupert annual without having to remember lots of difficult things.
Some Rupert annuals are worth more than £100 and quite a good way of spotting the more valuable ones is that they don’t have the date on them.
You have to look carefully though as some of the oldest ones were done again, this is called a facsimile and it looks like an old Rupert annual apart from on the very last page where it tells you it isn’t.
Some Rupert annuals had magic painting pictures on some of the pages, when you got these pages wet the pictures went coloured, the ones where the magic paintings haven’t been done are very expensive.
The first Rupert annual was published in 1936 and most of the ones published in the 1940s were published as big floppy paperbacks because of the paper shortage during the war.
Another way of telling the more expensive Rupert annuals is that the covers aren’t shiny.
Now some thoughts about buying Rupert books, first you can’t buy most of them in new bookshops, because they don’t make them anymore, so you might find them at boot fairs or in charity shops.

The main place you will find them is in secondhand bookshops, because Rupert annuals are collectable the older ones and the ones in fine condition probably won’t be out on the shelves, where you can see them.

It is a good idea to ask the shop assistant about collectable books like Rupert annuals, he or she will probably look to see if you have clean hands and if you have dirty hands then they will say they haven’t got any.

Lots of grownups make the big mistake of thinking that the shop assistants like me, in secondhand bookshops want to sell collectable books, it’s a big misunderstanding that causes all sorts of problems.
The people in new bookshops are called sales assistants and I think this is where the misunderstanding came from.

31 comments:

  1. I have got a few Rupert Annuals and a whole load of the old yellow ones I can say none of mine will be worth anything but I do have a special express newspapers employees editon my brother in law worked there and got it for me about 20 years ago.

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  2. Goodness me Don a whole load of old yellow ones, funny the children are always particularly interested in the value of children’s books that become collectable, the thing with the yellow ones. For anyone one not following this, there were a series of smaller yellow Rupert books called, The Little Bear Library, the older ones which are quite valuable and have line drawings on the front, the later ones which are not so valuable in monetary terms have coloured pictures on the front. Of course the value of a Rupert book in non monetary terms is harder to quantify, but I think probably relates to the proportion of your life that you have owned it for. I can’t help with the special employees edition, if this is a Rupert book I don’t know of it and would like to know more.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Micheal, not sure if you are still dealing in Rupert Bear books, but I have 10 starting at 1964 til 1973. Any advice on how I could get these values?

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  3. Hi Don,

    I'm a Rupert Bear Annual collector - would you by any chance be interested in selling your Express Newspapers Rupert annual?

    regards

    Jack (flashman7@hotmail.com)

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  4. Hello...

    I have one of the orginal brown Rupert Bear Books I would like to sell. I don't know whether you can help me with this?
    It's The New Rupert Bear Book 1946. It's slightly worn on the spine but apart from that it's in good condition. My Father took very good care of it when he was a young boy.

    Many Thanks,
    Jacqui.

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  5. hello i have a box full of rupert annuals from the 1980's in my parents attic they wnat room i wnat rid so if you or anyone else is interested please email me on

    lauriewitts@gmail.com

    i can give you an inventory of whats there no problems will be 10+

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  6. hello i have a box full of rupert annuals from the 1980's in my parents attic they wnat room i wnat rid so if you or anyone else is interested please email me on

    lauriewitts@gmail.com

    i can give you an inventory of whats there no problems will be 10+

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nice collection. Like yourself I also have the complete collection but also the rare 1925 rupert and the magic key and Brigands. Would u know the value of this annual ?. Regards Barrie barriefinch@talktalk.net

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  8. Nice collection. Like yourself I also have the complete collection but also the rare 1925 rupert and the magic key and Brigands. Would u know the value of this annual ?. Regards Barrie barriefinch@talktalk.net

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    Replies
    1. I think around the £400 mark, depending on the condition, I also thought it was published first in 1924, so that may effect the value.

      Delete
  9. Hi, I've come into possession of the 1952 & 1972 annuals. Both intact, but showing their age a bit. I'm looking to sell them, but would rather they went to a genuine collector. Do you know what they might be worth, & how I might contact collectors with further information?

    Regards,

    Mark ( markc2112@hotmail.co.uk)

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  10. Mark the collecting of collectable children’s annuals doesn’t work quite like that, most serious collectors aim to put together as many as they can in as good a condition as they can.

    Collecting involves both buying and selling to improve their collections, I would say if you put them on Ebay you have a reasonable chance of selling them to their final recipient, although it is likely that they would be sold again if and when a better and affordable copy came along.

    Price wise a nice clean copy with no noticeable damage, fading and without the name filled in or the price clipped off we would sell a 1972 one at about £5 and a 1952 at around the £100 mark.

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  11. Hi my parents have four rupert bear annuals and would like to know if they are of any value.
    All four are the daily express annuals with one to include a used magic painting picture. The annuals have worn spines one only the top of the spine is worn.
    There is one from 1967, 1973, 1974 and 1975. The pages inside are in good condition.
    Please email if anyone has information that could help to identify the value of these books and where we could sell them.
    ellentheboss@hotmail.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi I have found 4 Rupert annuals 1955,2x1959 an 1961,All good condition,but have names in.
    Could you give me an estimate on value Please .I also have lots more annuals,ie.Roy Rodgers 1956,
    Black Bob 1950,etc...
    thankyou
    chrisymarsden.0802@yahoo.com

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  13. Hi there.. i have rupert bear magic post a book..title..rupert finds a diamond..its about. 6 inches by 4..red cover..back cover is like a post card you could send..published in 1977. does any one know any thing/information. you could send me.. s60rly@hotmail.co.uk..thank you..stuart

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  14. hi i have an rupert annual (1972) signatured in black ink bestall- on the back cover of the book (at the bottom of it) and inside the book. it also has 50p at the bottom of the page. also rupert has a white face inside.

    can you tell me how much it is worth?


    nicolebrissett2@gmail.com

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  15. Hi all,

    I am interested in selling my Rupert Bear annuals which range from the late ninety 40's to date.

    If anyone is interested in buying, email me on janetprobets@gmail.com and I am happy to answer any questions and send pictures of the annuals.

    Thank you.

    Jan

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  16. I have a 1951 Rupert Bear Annual in good condition how much please

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Go onto ebay and put Rupert 1951 in the search box and then tick the box that says “sold listings” find the cheapest one in similar condition, we would price it for sale at around this price and pay about half that price if you sell it to us.

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  17. we have a large box of Rupert express annuals, 1961,1971,1972,1977,1973,19781974 and comics looks like most of 1984 also varying others i have a picture of the lot and they must go as one batch.
    Richard.winter13@gmail.com dover 0130483134

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  18. Hi I'm looking to sell a few rupert annuals but unsure how . Can someone that knows or maybe interested in buying them Contact me on
    Jennie3303@hotmail.co.uk
    Thanks in advance jennie xx

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  19. I have the 50th anniversary edition from 1985 - does anyone know if this has any value? ebay listings seem to range from £2 to £40!
    r.e.salter@outlook.com
    Thanks

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  20. We price this one at about £2.50 in fine condition

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  21. Hi im intrested in selling my ruppert annuals i have 1941 1950 1956 1938 1954 1959 1963 1965 1967 1968 1969 1970x2 1971x2 1972x2 1973 1974x3 1975 1976 1977 1978x3 1979 1980 1981x2 1983 1984 1985x2 1986 1987 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1998 1990 1999 please message me thank you tamibabi_65@hotmail.com

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  22. IM intrested in selling my ruppert books 1941 1938 1956 1950 1954 1959 1963 1965 1967 1968 19691970x2 1971 x2 1972x2 1973 1974x3 1975 1976 1977 1978x3 1979 1980 1981 x2 1983 1984 1985x2 1986 1987 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1998 1990 1999 email me im also going to put on ebay tamibabi_65@hotmail.com thank you

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  23. Hi I have various rupert annuals for sale diffirent years and a book about the life and works of Alfred Bestal illustrator of rupert bear

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  24. Very interesting comments from all and first class advice from Mr. Michael Child. As a 70 year old, I have a huge collection, dating from the 40' which I fell I am now ready to sell. This includes a few 'valuable' ones . Is anyone interested? Thanks you,
    Roy - Pembs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you let me know what you've got how much you want for it I will tell you if I want to buyit

      Delete
  25. Hi I have quite a few Rupert annuals to sell if anyone is interested

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  26. I have a Rupert bear has a birthday cloth book dose any know what it is worth please email at david72fuller@hotmail.com

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  27. I have the following annuals:

    1971, 75, 74 and 77. (all used)
    1980, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86 ,87 88 x2 (new)
    1990, 91 x2, 92, 94, 95x2, 96, 97, 98, 99x2 (new)
    2000x2, 01, 02x2, 03, 04x2, 05x2, 06x2, 07x2, 08x2 (new)
    20011x2, 2012x2 ,2013x2


    also
    2x 1939 reproduction facsimile
    1950 reproduction facsimile

    ReplyDelete

Comments, since I started writing this blog in 2007 the way the internet works has changed a lot, comments and dialogue here were once viable in an open and anonymous sense. Now if you comment here I will only allow the comment if it seems to make sense and be related to what the post is about. I link the majority of my posts to the main local Facebook groups and to my Facebook account, “Michael Child” I guess the main Ramsgate Facebook group is We Love Ramsgate. For the most part the comments and dialogue related to the posts here goes on there. As for the rest of it, well this blog handles images better than Facebook, which is why I don’t post directly to my Facebook account, although if I take a lot of photos I am so lazy that I paste them directly from my camera card to my bookshop website and put a link on this blog.