Smoke From This Altar - Louis L'amour 1st question

I recently purchased (for a ridiculously low price) a signed/inscribed 1st
ed. copy of Louis L'amour's Smoke From This Altar.

I went to ABE to check pricing but there were only 4 copies listed there,
all seemingly different.

Two are in orange bindings; one listing says this is 2nd State, the other
says this is the "Preferred" version.

Another listing is for a "first state yellow binding."

The last is a gray binding "Presentation copy."

Well, the copy I bought is bound in green cloth. The FIRST EDITION statement
is there and all other points match up. It is inscribed to an Army buddy of
L'amour's.

On louislamour.com they have all but the yellow binding for sale. These
copies are apparently unsigned.

Can anyone tell me the story behind the different bindings and which is
actually preferred?

Thanks!

"Gary Phillips" wrote...
 > I recently purchased (for a ridiculously low price) a signed/inscribed 1st
 > ed. copy of Louis L'amour's Smoke From This Altar.
 >
 > I went to ABE to check pricing but there were only 4 copies listed there,
 > all seemingly different.
 >
 > Two are in orange bindings; one listing says this is 2nd State, the other
 > says this is the "Preferred" version.
 >
 > Another listing is for a "first state yellow binding."
 >
 > The last is a gray binding "Presentation copy."
 >
 > Well, the copy I bought is bound in green cloth. The FIRST EDITION
statement
 > is there and all other points match up. It is inscribed to an Army buddy
of
 > L'amour's.
 >
 > On louislamour.com they have all but the yellow binding for sale. These
 > copies are apparently unsigned.
 >
 > Can anyone tell me the story behind the different bindings and which is
 > actually preferred?

Do your ABE search using 1939 in the publisher slot, rather than the
publisher's name, and you'll turn up 8 copies.

Five of those copies are from various LA-area Book Barons (2 from Anaheim, 3
from the Long Beach eShop), with these bindings: 3rd issue gray, green,
second issue orange (a signed presentation copy), 1st state yellow, and
"preferred" orange (probably copped that adjective from the louislamour.com
description). The other 3 listings are for "gilt stamped green cloth,"
"Gilt-stamped green" again, and green. What seems odd here is that the
louislamour.com copy looks to be stamped in dark green on the front board.
How is your copy lettered? Is there gilt on the spine?

My guess on the "yellow" copy is that there is no yellow binding--it is an
orange, either badly faded or listed by someone with eccentric color
perception. The "second issue orange," though, is a puzzle.

The Ahearns' Collected Books gives priority (or at least pricing preference)
to the orange binding ahead of the green; the gray is not listed (in the '98
edition--I never bought the newer one).

Sorry I have only speculations and second-hand info to offer. But I hope
this helps you sort things out.


--
Jon Meyers
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