Winnie the Pooh is returning to the Hundred Acre Wood in a new authorised sequel, with his latest escapades expected to boost the value of the original series of books, published a century ago.
Winnie The Pooh began life as Edward Bear, a first birthday present from the author AA Milne to his son Christopher Robin in 1921. The bear became the inspiration for the 1926 book Winnie The Pooh with illustrator EH Shepard helping bring the magical world of Pooh and friends to life.
The first book cost seven shillings and six pence (37.5 pence). Today a first edition of this Methuen book in top condition can sell for £3,500 or more – ten thousand times its original price.
Christiaan Jonkers, owner of dealership Jonkers Rare Books in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, believes the new book, Tales From The Forest by Jane Riordan with illustrations by Mark Burgess, might increase demand for Milne’s classic stories.
He says: ‘The latest adventures are unlikely to become collectables. Yet there is something magic about the double act of AA Milne and EH Shepard that has a timeless appeal. It has steadily pushed values up as Pooh is discovered by a new generation. Collectors like buying first edition books.’
Inspiration: Winnie The Pooh began life as Edward Bear, a first birthday present from the author AA Milne to his son Christopher Robin in 1921
Jonkers says that, ideally, you want an edition with a dust jacket, as this can double the value. These were often thrown out on purchase or have fallen apart over time.
Book condition is critical for investors and the best copies are pristine and described by dealers ‘as new’. For Winnie The Pooh, even if the book is hardly touched it will only be described as ‘fine’. The lowest investment quality is ‘very good’, which means read with light wear. Anything ripped or scribbled on is rarely of investment quality – but can still be enjoyed.
You can pick up a ‘very good’ 1926 Winnie The Pooh for less than £1,000 without dust jacket and a ‘fine’ copy for £2,000 – or £3,500 with that all important dust jacket. Exceptional copies can fetch even more.
Grading means it is important to see the book first-hand if possible when buying, rather than trusting the description on an auction website or from an unknown buyer.
Lucas Boulding, a bookseller for dealership Adrian Harrington Rare Books in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, recommends checking that the trader is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association or Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association, as this is a sign of quality and should guarantee the grading is correct.
Though the 1926 classic provided the first starring role for Pooh, its 1928 sequel became another collectable: The House At Pooh Corner. But Jonkers believes expert guidance may be required for amateur collectors in not only working out if you have a first edition, but also what type of first edition.
First editions are sought after as they are the first run before the publisher has any idea of how well the author will sell – if at all – so there are usually fewer copies in the print run. The first print runs of Winnie The Pooh and The House At Pooh Corner saw 32,000 and 75,000 copies produced respectively.
Search for ‘first published’ and ‘first printed’ dates on the copyright page to see if the book has been published before.
Jonkers has a first edition of The House At Pooh Corner for sale at £35,000 – one of just 20 luxury oversized editions bound in vellum, signed by author and illustrator. He says: ‘Signed copies are especially valuable. Even a standard first edition Winnie The Pooh in top condition without dust jacket, usually worth £2,000, can fetch £5,000 if signed by author and illustrator.’
A 1976 Winnie The Pooh, published on the book’s 50th anniversary and signed by the author’s son Christopher Milne, might be worth £1,250.
Specialist book auction websites such as Amazon-owned AbeBooks, Biblio and ViaLibri offer guidance on prices as well as book sellers.
Boulding cites another great writer-illustrator pairing – Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake. He says: ‘When Puffin changed Dahl’s books this year to make them politically correct – taking out words such as ‘fat’ and ‘ugly’ – it created a boom in demand for earlier editions.’
Their biggest joint hit was The BFG published by Cape in 1982. A pristine first edition sells for £650 or £5,000 if signed by both Dahl and Blake. A 1964 first edition of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory illustrated by Joseph Schindelman in fine condition can fetch £4,000.
