Vintage Penguin / Classic Editions Book Lot – Angel Pavement, Pygmalion, The Professor, Public Faces + more – collectables
Subtitle (if eBay allows): Some early/first editions, worn but intact – for vintage / Penguin collectors
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Description: Up for sale is a lot of 6 vintage paperbacks / classic editions, likely mid-20th-century Penguin titles: • Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw • The Professor by Rex Warner • The Problem of India by K. S. Shelvankar • Public Faces by Harold Nicolson • The Rainbow by D. H. Lawrence • Those Barren Leaves by Aldous Huxley
Condition: All are used/vintage; signs of wear including spine creasing, chipping, edge damage, covers and corners scuffed, possible foxing/age brown on pages. Please see detailed photos. They remain readable and collectable, but not mint.
Chat gpt says Great collection — those are classic Penguin first editions with the iconic orange covers (fiction) and the red “Penguin Special” on The Problem of India. Values depend heavily on edition/printing, condition, and rarity. I’ll give you a rough guide for first Penguin printings in good condition: 1. Pygmalion – Bernard Shaw (Penguin No. 1, 1935) • This is the very first Penguin ever published. A true first edition in decent condition is highly collectible. • Value: £200–£1,000+ depending on condition (closer to £200–£400 for average worn copies, much more for fine copies). 2. The Professor – Rex Warner (Penguin 316, 1946) • Not especially rare. • Value: £5–£15. 3. The Problem of India – K. S. Shelvankar (Penguin Special S20, 1942) • Penguin Specials are quite collectible, especially wartime ones. • Value: £15–£40. 4. Public Faces – Harold Nicolson (Penguin 440, 1947) • More obscure author, but wartime/post-war Penguins can interest collectors. • Value: £5–£15. 5. The Rainbow – D. H. Lawrence (Penguin 186, 1943) • Lawrence is collectible, but Penguins were printed in large numbers. • Value: £10–£25. 6. Those Barren Leaves – Aldous Huxley (Penguin 64, 1939) • Huxley is a big name, and early Penguins are sought after. • Value: £15–£40.