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Fantascience Digest, v. 3, issue 1, whole no. 12, January-February 1940

Page 34

Page 34                     FANTASCIENCE DIGEST

gets lost?" "Is it insured?" "What if the binding cords come loose?" "Is it addressed properly?" This goes on for days, until the time arrives when the package should -- but doesn't. Then: "I've been gyped!" "It should have been here yesterday! No, yesterday was Sunday." "Oh, the horror of it all!" And so on, ad nausea, alka seltzer.

   The order generally does reach the collector, however. The crooked or gyp-dealers in scientifiction are so few they can probably be counted on the fingers of one hand. It is really remarkable how much trouble most of them will undergo to aid a luckless searcher in getting some wanted item. 

   A fellow in North Carlina, for example, once went to the immense task of making me a copy of a list containing all stories which have appeared in Munsey  publications since 1910, both alphabetically and by years and authors, just because there were a few stories I could get dated. Without the dates they were pretty hard to find.

   To supply you with a single [wanted?] issue of a magazine, many collectors will go to the trouble of listing their entire collections in order that you may check their lists for that particular copy. 

   Yes, collectors are a friendly bunch of fellow; every time one of them comes through with something I've long wanted, I have a wild urge to jump on a train and head for his hide-out in order to thank him personally for rendering me such a signal service.

   Before I end this article in a flurry of lefts and rights to the keys of the old Royal, let me give collectors a tip. It's this: the best way to get something you want, is to offer to sell something. There were quite a few stories I did not have complete at one time. I sent a little notice to the correspondence corner of AMAZING STORIES, stating that I had for sale practically all science fiction back to 1910. In a month I had received over fifty inquiries from fans, as well as offers to trade and long lists of articles they had to offer. So I repeat, try to sell your collection if you want to complete it! (Paranthetically, AMAZING STORIES deserves a big hand for the very real service they render in the department just mentioned.)

   If you have read this far, thank you! If not, I do not intend to weep and gnash my teeth in baffled rage. Instead, I shall load my shotgun and lay in wait for that OTHER collector who took away my PERFECT WORLD. The case will be long, but some day I will lay him by the heels. Only this accomplishment and the eventual republication of PALOS OF THE DOG-STAR PACK will make me a completely happy man, resting o my -- uh -- laurels.

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Join the Illini Fantasy Fictioneers and help promote the forthcoming Chicago World Science Fiction Convention -- Address R.I. Meyer, 3156 Cambridge Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Back Issues of FANTASCIENCE DIGEST: Volume One, numbers two, three, and four -- 15¢ each. Volume One, numbers five and six -- 10¢ each. Volume Two, numbers two, three, four, and five -- 15¢ each. Special Offer: The entire set of back issues for $1.10. Address; 333 E. Belgrade St., Phila., Pa.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Subscribe to the PSFS NEWS and be in on everything that happens in the Qua ker City. Jack Agnew,  2308 E. Belgrade, Philadelphia, Pa.

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Page 34 FANTASCIENCE DIGEST gets lost?" "Is it insured?" "What if the binding cords come loose?" "Is it addressed properly?" This goes on for days, until the time arrives when the package should -- but doesn't. Then: "I've been gyped!" "It should have been here yesterday! No, yesterday was Sunday." "Oh, the horror of it all!" And so on, ad nausea, alka seltzer. The order generally does reach the collector, however. The crooked or gyp-dealers in scientifiction are so few they can probably be counted on the fingers of one hand. It is really remarkable how much trouble most of them will undergo to aid a luckless searcher in getting some wanted item. A fellow in North Carlina, for example, once went to the immense task of making me a copy of a list containing all stories which have appeared in Munsey publications since 1910, both alphabetically and by years and authors, just because there were a few stories I could get dated. Without the dates they were pretty hard to find. To supply you with a single [wanted?] issue of a magazine, many collectors will go to the trouble of listing their entire collections in order that you may check their lists for that particular copy. Yes, collectors are a friendly bunch of fellow; every time one of them comes through with something I've long wanted, I have a wild urge to jump on a train and head for his hide-out in order to thank him personally for rendering me such a signal service. Before I end this article in a flurry of lefts and rights to the keys of the old Royal, let me give collectors a tip. It's this: the best way to get something you want, is to offer to sell something. There were quite a few stories I did not have complete at one time. I sent a little notice to the correspondence corner of AMAZING STORIES, stating that I had for sale practically all science fiction back to 1910. In a month I had received over fifty inquiries from fans, as well as offers to trade and long lists of articles they had to offer. So I repeat, try to sell your collection if you want to complete it! (Paranthetically, AMAZING STORIES deserves a big hand for the very real service they render in the department just mentioned.) If you have read this far, thank you! If not, I do not intend to weep and gnash my teeth in baffled rage. Instead, I shall load my shotgun and lay in wait for that OTHER collector who took away my PERFECT WORLD. The case will be long, but some day I will lay him by the heels. Only this accomplishment and the eventual republication of PALOS OF THE DOG-STAR PACK will make me a completely happy man, resting o my -- uh -- laurels. *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* Join the Illini Fantasy Fictioneers and help promote the forthcoming Chicago World Science Fiction Convention -- Address R.I. Meyer, 3156 Cambridge Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* Back Issues of FANTASCIENCE DIGEST: Volume One, numbers two, three, and four -- 15¢ each. Volume One, numbers five and six -- 10¢ each. Volume Two, numbers two, three, four, and five -- 15¢ each. Special Offer: The entire set of back issues for $1.10. Address; 333 E. Belgrade St., Phila., Pa. *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* Subscribe to the PSFS NEWS and be in on everything that happens in the Qua ker City. Jack Agnew, 2308 E. Belgrade, Philadelphia, Pa.