Before the time of Wendy, Tinker Bell and Captain Hook, before even Never-Never Land itself, Peter Pan was an ordinary baby.

All babies, having been birds before they were humans, were ‘a little wild during the first few weeks, and very itchy about the shoulders, where their wings used to be’. But, unlike other babies, Peter decided to escape and flew away over the rooftops back to Kensington Gardens. But it was by no means a simple matter for Peter to resume life as a bird and, as is pointed out to him early on by Solomon Caw, his destiny is to be a ‘Betwixt-and Between’. 

From being trapped on the island in the Serpentine and escaping in a boat made out of a bird’s nest, to learning the ways of the fairies – whose best trick is to pretend to be something else, usually a flower – Peter Pan’s adventures in the enchanted world of ‘the little people’ are where the legend began. 

Peter Pan was created by the novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie (1860–1937) to preserve the memory of a younger brother who had died as a child. After the phenomenal success of the stage version, in which Barrie introduced the characters and settings we know so well today, Hodder and Stoughton commissioned Arthur Rackham in 1905 to illustrate a special gift edition of the original stories. 

The twelve color plates in this facsimile edition, together with the black-and-white line drawings, are among Rackham’s finest and a reminder of why the Edwardian years were the golden age of book illustration. Brilliantly capturing the landscape of the gardens, with their broad tree-lined avenues, shimmering lakes and romantic glades, Rackham fills this Arcadia with a dazzling array of fairies and spirits, who dance on spiders’ webs, argue with the birds and make mischief with the park signs.

The pictures are exquisite and I have included a few more examples which pale in comparison to the real deal...

 

 

What makes this edition extra special is that the color images are tipped in plates! If you are not familiar with the term "tipped-in", this means that the picture is a separate piece of paper that has been affixed to the book with a small dab of adhesive on the tips so they can be easily removed for framing, or whatnot. Because they are a separate piece of art, they are far more vibrant than most books formats would allow, and they are of course, more valuable given each piece is, in fact, a work of art unto itself, suitable for framing should you be so inclined!

 Arguably one of the finest pressings of this masterpiece, offered here is this gorgeous rendition of Barrie's masterpiece, published by the Folio Society. Founded in 1947, The Folio Society applies the highest standards of design, binding, typography and illustration to commercially-produced books. Nearly sixty years on, they publish books that will stand the test of time, in handsome, imaginatively designed and beautifully made editions - a combination of quality and value that few publishers can match. 

Care and attention is devoted to every detail of the physical attributes of each book. Exacting standards require that every one has a proper sewn binding and comes in a protective slipcase. A wide range of binding materials are employed, from buckram, silk, leather and hand-marbled papers to traditional woven cloth. We choose from a selection of legible and elegant typefaces, seeking to preserve their character through a combination of modern and traditional printing techniques. 

• DESIGN - Above all, the feature that distinguishes folio books from most others produced today is the rich variety and sophistication of the binding designs. A wide range of traditional materials - such as buckram, cotton, silk or leather - is employed for the bindings. These costly fabrics are the foundation upon which the artists and designers produce their creations. Sometimes their designs are printed in ink, but more often they are blocked - that is to say, impressed with foil into the surface of the material; frequently the two processes are employed together. 

  

• BINDING - All books are sewn in 16-page sections: this gives strength to the book and enables the pages to be opened flat with ease. There are decorative head- and tailbands; also gilded or coloured top edges where we feel they are appropriate. The endpapers, in a wide array of colours, are often printed with maps, illustrations or other designs. Most important of all, the books are hardback-bound to the highest standard, so that they not only look well on the shelves but are always a pleasure to open and read. 
• PAPER & TYPOGRAPHY - In the typography of Folio books the traditional virtues of legibility and elegance are paramount. The selection of paper for a particular book will involve deciding on a shade and character which harmonises with the illustrations and binding materials. The papers for Folio Society books are produced by a small number of European mills, chosen for their ability to produce the highest quality papers with absolute consistency. Books printed on inferior stocks will go brown and brittle within a few years; all Folio books are printed on wood-free and acid-free paper, designed for reading and rereading over many generations. 
• THE SLIPCASE - A distinctive feature of Folio Society books which immediately strikes the eye is their presentation not in dust-jackets but in slipcases - the traditional protective covering for fine editions. The dustjacket evolved in the 20th century as a marketing device designed to catch the eye in a crowded bookshop. It does not, however, protect the book, and is itself easily damaged. With Folio books the design emphasis is on the binding itself, a permanent part of the book. Fine bindings need protection from dust and light, and this is furnished by the slipcase, which matches the binding materials and design of the book. 

Folio Society Books are a testament to an uncompromising dedication to the craft of bookmaking, a commitment to striving towards perfection which rises above mere commercial considerations.  If you are looking for a fine investment or phenomenal gift idea, consider this as a prime option.

For all other Folio Society Book I have available (which is usually a LOT!), CLICK HERE!

SPECIAL OFFER: This is one of MANY GIFT EDITIONS I am selling including special editions of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings books. If you buy any combination of 3, I will ship them all free of postage via media mail, anywhere in the USA!

To see all the gift editions that qualify, CLICK HERE or go to the ADVANCED SEARCH in eBay and copy and paste the word ALANSGIFTEDITIONS into the eBay search box, and then check the SEARCH TITLE AND DESCRIPTIONS box.

TO GET THE FREE SHIPPING, FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW! If you don't, I can't go back and fix it later!

For any of the other hundreds of items I have available use the link at the bottom of the page. And if you have any requests, by all means, send me an email; if I have it, I'll list it right away for you (no off eBay sales...)

ABOUT ME & THE ITEM ... 

I have been collecting books and music for over 35 years and have amassed an enormous collection with many duplicates. I do not subscribe to "grading" as it is so subjective and most of the "graders" truly have no clue! Therefore I'll simply describe things in normal English!

*This is a copy in excellent condition. It is unwrapped, but one look at it will tell you it has most likely never been read! I have mentioned that it is huge. In fact it measures roughly 11"x14"x1.5" and is slipcased. As you can see , it is lavishly adorned with gilt lettering and embellishments to the cover and spine and is a sight to behold. Bound in buckram, blocked with Arthur Rackham’s original design, the pictures in this huge book have been tipped in (as shown right), which means they are pieces of artwork that have been attached at the tips with removable adhesive, so they "could" be removed and framed if so desired, and believe me when I tell you that they are certainly nice enough to frame!

Sumptuously gorgeous, this is a spectacular offering, one that should be in every fine library!

For over a decade, I have sold tens of thousands of items on eBay and have only received a handful of complaints about the accuracy in my descriptions. Having met eBay standards for excellence in trading, you may bid with confidence knowing you will get what you THINK you are bidding on! Please check my feedback. It is a record I am very proud of...

I have LOTS of music items, and tons of books available for purchase. Please check my other offerings to see if there is anything else you might be interested in for combined shipping. There are links above and below and why not bookmark my site to make it easier to find at a later date!

PAYMENT TERMS: Pretty simple. Pay me, I send it, BUT ONLY TO A REGISTERED ADDRESS! Please do not ask to have it sent to an alternate location as I won't be able to comply per eBay policy. See below..

Why Are My Shipping & Handling Costs a Bit Higher than Other Sellers? Please Read on...

GUARANTEED DELIVERY OR YOUR MONEY BACK!
I really DO CARE about when and how your product gets to you. Because the post office is so incredibly inept, I ONLY SHIP domestic packages INSURED, which is AUTOMATICALLY INCLUDED in the shipping cost, and that is not free as the post office charges for it. If your parcel gets lost OR damaged in freight, your item will be replaced if one is available OR you will be completely refunded!

IMPORTANT MONEY SAVING TIP! If you are buying more than one of my items and would like to SAVE MONEY by COMBINING SHIPPING costs, I will be happy to do so, but eBay has now made it more difficult to get discounts by confusing people with "Buy it Now" and "Add to Cart" options on non-auction style pages. If you are buying one item from a seller use the Buy it Now. BUT IF YOU WANT COMBINED or FREE SHIPPING, DO NOT USE THE BUY IT NOW button! Instead, select ADD TO CART. Then use your BACK button on your browser and select the other items you want that qualify using ADD TO CART each time. When you are finished, look for the shopping cart icon at the top right corner of your eBay page and click on it. Find the blue button which reads COMMIT TO BUY & SEND REQUEST. Once done, the items will be held and I will create a single invoice with either combined or free shipping. NOTE: I cannot retroactively go back and combine items that are not purchased in this manner so PLEASE PAY ATTENTION.

Once you receive your invoice, payment is expected promptly! All of the payment info you need will be listed including multiple shipment options. 

Some states will require sales tax to be collected. Ebay will collect such as required. I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THIS!

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

I accept Credit Cards, eChecks and electronic transfers with .

Unfortunately, direct bank transfers are not offered due to cost and security concerns.

As I reside in the USA, all payments must be made in US Dollars & Cents.

SHIPPING ADDRESSES: IMPORTANT!! I can ONLY SHIP to the address as noted in PAYPAL'S "TRANSACTION DETAILS". If you want it shipped to an alternate location, you will need to register that address BEFORE paying or it will be shipped to the registered address.

SHIPPING COSTS: Shipping costs will be determined by weight & destination! You may click on the SHIPPING & PAYMENT tab found at the top of the page, just under the item's picture for all shipping options to all destinations both domestic and international. There you will find drop down boxes for your location and you can then use the shipping calculator to determine the correct cost for where you live.

REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT INFO ABOUT SHIPPING TIMES:

Media Mail (once known as 4th class mail) is a special class of postage for books, music, videos and other printed media available within the US and territories. It is far less expensive than Priority Mail, but - it ..... is ........... slooowwwww!!!! Despite USPS claims of 3-9 day delivery times, MEDIA MAIL CAN actually TAKE UP TO 3 WEEKS to arrive, and their tracking info is frequently not updated until it actually arrives, making that feature pretty useless! PLEASE remember this when you leave feedback scores as the choice is yours and not my fault if it takes a long time to get there! If you want it in a week or less, you are going to have to bite the bullet and pay for Priority Mail which will get it there in 2-3 working days, 99% of the time, but it is more expensive. Basically, the choice is yours, but if you choose media mail, please don't write to me in 5 days asking where your package is, because the post office will have it and most of the time, they don't have a clue!

International deliveries usually arrive within 1-2 weeks but CAN take up to a month! Faster shipping is available on request, but expensive.

Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. You can check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying.

Finally, we do not mark merchandise values below value or mark items as "gifts"; it is illegal and immoral.

Questions? Ask and I'll try to answer...

Please check out the other "lovely" items I have just waiting for you by

CLICKING HERE!

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Thanks so much for looking and bidding on my items ~Alan