30,000 golf books !!!

[Niall C]

Being a techno numpty I've no idea if the link below will work but it (hopefully) should take you to a story on Alastair Johnston who is a native of Glasgow and senior figure at IMG who is donating his golf book collection to the R&A museum presumably with the idea that they will be accessible to researchers/historians and the like. Apparently he has 30,000 books in total including some very rare items. That should free up a bit of house space  [size=78%]  [/size]


https://www.scotsman.com/sport/golf/former-rangers-chairman-alastair-johnston-helps-create-world-s-biggest-golf-library-1-5073042


Niall

[Colin Macqueen]

Niall the numpty,


The link works just fine!


"..the latest edition of the bibliography, which he publishes annually, contains two volumes and amounts to more than 900 pages..."


Once one has checked out the bibliography you can settle down for a wee read!!


Cheers Col

[BCrosby]

Numpty (my favorite new word) -


The scope of the collection is staggering. Johnson had/has the resources to acquire anything that tickled his fancy. I would like to know more about how the collection will be housed and the extent to which it will be open to researchers.


Interesting is that digital newspaper and magazine archives now available offer another slice of the golf history pie. Daily, weekly and monthly arguments over this or that are only found there. All remarkably revealing about the specifics of what people were thinking in different eras. In terms of contributions to golf history, it seems to me possible that the digital slice will surpass the value of a traditional collection of books and ephemera. We'll see. 


Bob

[Ronald Montesano]

Numpty dumpty opened a book...

[Tom_Doak]

One of the weird things about having written a very collectible book with only 40 original copies is that it became a target of the collectors who must have everything -- first Joe Murdoch, and later Alistair Johnston. 


I did give Joe Murdoch a copy from the second batch of twenty, after he wrote me a nice letter.  I'm told Mr. Johnston had to look harder [and pay much more] to find one, even though in neither case did I see a dime out of it.  I learned a lot about the collector business from that -- and am keeping more things for my kids and grandkids because of it.

[Michael Wolf]

Tom,


Do you know the current provenances of the original 40 CD copies?


How about the limited edition version of the latest CD - are the buyers mostly book collectors or people you've built courses for, or?


Michael

[Tom_Doak]

Do you know the current provenances of the original 40 CD copies?

I'm not even positive who got the 40 originals.  It was on a spreadsheet, 30 years ago.  I am sure of 35-36.  A few of the recipients have passed away - Mr. Dye had copy #1 or 2 - and I do not know where those wound up, except for the one I gave my parents.  So, I have two copies - plus the master printout that was used to make the book.


PS.  An original came up for auction a couple of years ago, but it wasn't signed or numbered.  I assume it was a pirate copy with the original number and signature obscured, so it wouldn't be obvious as a duplicate.  I know there were a few people who claimed to have gotten a Xerox copy from a friend.  I never authorized anyone to do that, but it was much in demand once word of it got out.

[Sean_A]

Tom

How many editions of the first CF are there and can you run them down chronologically?

Ciao

[David_Tepper]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-golf-standrews-library/ra-gifted-worlds-biggest-collection-of-golf-books-idUSKBN1Z9190

[Tom_Doak]

Tom

How many editions of the first CF are there and can you run them down chronologically?

Original 40 copies were in 1987 or '88.
Twenty more, including updates, a year later.
Limited edition of 1000, for purchase, 1994.
Sleeping Bear Press edition w/photos, 1996.
Then the 5-volume set, still in progress.

[Sean_A]

Tom

How many editions of the first CF are there and can you run them down chronologically?

Original 40 copies were in 1987 or '88.
Twenty more, including updates, a year later.
Limited edition of 1000, for purchase, 1994.
Sleeping Bear Press edition w/photos, 1996.
Then the 5-volume set, still in progress.

Cheers. I forgot I have a copy of the limited edition version. I was even more surprised to find it was signed by you in 2008? I have no memory of purchasing the book. I do recall buying the photo edition, though much earlier than 2008. Any recall of how I came to have a signed copy?

Ciao

[Tom_Doak]

Cheers. I forgot I have a copy of the limited edition version. I was even more surprised to find it was signed by you in 2008? I have no memory of purchasing the book. I do recall buying the photo edition, though much earlier than 2008. Any recall of how I came to have a signed copy?

I only sold ~850 of the original 1000 books at the time (pre internet) and had the rest lying around the garage, so a few years ago I sold a bunch of those at the original $100 price and donated the proceeds to charity.


(Until someone violated the spirit of the deal by reselling a book online for much more.)

[Sean_A]

Cheers. I forgot I have a copy of the limited edition version. I was even more surprised to find it was signed by you in 2008? I have no memory of purchasing the book. I do recall buying the photo edition, though much earlier than 2008. Any recall of how I came to have a signed copy?

I only sold ~850 of the original 1000 books at the time (pre internet) and had the rest lying around the garage, so a few years ago I sold a bunch of those at the original $100 price and donated the proceeds to charity.

(Until someone violated the spirit of the deal by reselling a book online for much more.)

I think the book came from you as it is signed to me. It sucks when the memory goes!

Ciao

[Niall C]

Rest assured Mr Doak, I've still got my copy !!


Co-incidentally I was in probably the best second hand book shop in Glasgow on Saturday and got chatting to the long time owner. She recalled Alastair Johnston used to come in with his father to buy golf books over 30 years ago so in fairness he's been at it quite a while.


As to buying books to turn a profit, that's not why I buy books but at the same time I've sometimes thought about certain books that I bought when they were new that what if I'd bought a second one I could have sold it. The only problem with that that in most instances books don't appreciate in value, and as I say that's not why I buy them anyway.


Niall 

[Duncan Cheslett]

It sucks when the memory goes!

Don't forget you've still got my Cavendish history book! 

[Sean_A]

It sucks when the memory goes!

Don't forget you've still got my Cavendish history book! 

Isn't possession 9/10s of the law in England?  I could see my way to selling this wee gem to ya for a tenner.


Ciao

[jeffwarne]

30,000!
I thought I had a bad habit...and I only recntly discovered ebay (where I have a terrible habit of buying persimmon woods that were unavailable and uber expensive at the time of their popularity-now peanuts and they are so beautiful) Luckily this ebay habit hasn't spread to books....


lately I've found a used bookstore where they virtually giving the books away and I've picked up multiple books each time thinking I was going to spend $100 or so only to find out they are $1 each, complicating my carry on and checked luggage!


And Tom I've still got my 1994 CG's you sold me a second one after a broken pipe flood seemingly ruined the first, but it has recovered better than I thought it would with only the back cover and 10 pages or so damaged.

[Duncan Cheslett]

Isn't possession 9/10s of the law in England?  I could see my way to selling this wee gem to ya for a tenner.

You and your faltering memory!


I overpaid you by £6 on the BUDA deposit. Give me the book back and we'll call it quits! 

[Pete_Pittock]

Cheers. I forgot I have a copy of the limited edition version. I was even more surprised to find it was signed by you in 2008? I have no memory of purchasing the book. I do recall buying the photo edition, though much earlier than 2008. Any recall of how I came to have a signed copy?

I only sold ~850 of the original 1000 books at the time (pre internet) and had the rest lying around the garage, so a few years ago I sold a bunch of those at the original $100 price and donated the proceeds to charity.
(Until someone violated the spirit of the deal by reselling a book online for much more.)

That finding and selling of the 100 extra books happened in December of 2012. It's amusing that I have copy 1040 of a limited edition of 1000.

[Lou_Duran]

Can there be 30k golf books?  I wonder what percentage actually made money.


When the Boomers die off there might be an oversupply of books hitting the market.  From talking to a few collectors, their progeny have other interests.  In my case, I hope to arrange for a home before checking out as my kids have zero interest.  Perhaps Ran can find a volunteer curator to arrange for extra tomes from donated libraries find a suitable home with the proceeds used to fund continual technical improvements to the site.

[Tim_Cronin]

If I remember what I've read correctly, the 30,000 total includes both books and magazines and other publications, such as programs. The split might be 18,000 books and 12,000 magazines or something close to that.


The magazine run, housed in one of the four rooms, is as impressive, if not more so. Believe me, they pile up and up and up.

[Ryan Carey]

Tom, #28 of 40 from the 1988 1st edition came up for auction in 2016 (it was both signed and numbered). https://greenjacketauctions.com/bids/bidplace?itemid=17406


The unnumbered copy you're referring was from the 1989 "2nd" edition.


Though I do have a question for you. On the 1994 edition that is #'d out of 1000, what's with the copies that have numbers greater than 1,000? e.g. I've seen #1018 of 1,000, and one numbered "#1048? of 1,000".  (Yes, with the question mark written in).

Do you know the current provenances of the original 40 CD copies?

I'm not even positive who got the 40 originals.  It was on a spreadsheet, 30 years ago.  I am sure of 35-36.  A few of the recipients have passed away - Mr. Dye had copy #1 or 2 - and I do not know where those wound up, except for the one I gave my parents.  So, I have two copies - plus the master printout that was used to make the book.


PS.  An original came up for auction a couple of years ago, but it wasn't signed or numbered.  I assume it was a pirate copy with the original number and signature obscured, so it wouldn't be obvious as a duplicate.  I know there were a few people who claimed to have gotten a Xerox copy from a friend.  I never authorized anyone to do that, but it was much in demand once word of it got out.

[Niall C]

Bob


I get the impression that they are going to house it somewhere the public can get access by arrangement. At least that is my take on it. Certainly I don't think they have any room in the clubhouse given they have yet to figure out where to put the ladies !


Lou


I'd like to think I'm quite a few years away from having to make the decision as to what to do with my books, and there certainly isn't as many as 30K of them. I suspect they will go to my nephews in the full knowledge that they will simply sell on to hopefully a fellow enthusiast and a good home.


Niall


edit - I meant to say, I don't expect anything other than about a handful are worth very much.

[Pete_Pittock]

Tom, #28 of 40 from the 1988 1st edition came up for auction in 2016 (it was both signed and numbered). https://greenjacketauctions.com/bids/bidplace?itemid=17406
The unnumbered copy you're referring was from the 1989 "2nd" edition.
Though I do have a question for you. On the 1994 edition that is #'d out of 1000, what's with the copies that have numbers greater than 1,000? e.g. I've seen #1018 of 1,000, and one numbered "#1048? of 1,000".  (Yes, with the question mark written in).

Do you know the current provenances of the original 40 CD copies?

I'm not even positive who got the 40 originals.  It was on a spreadsheet, 30 years ago.  I am sure of 35-36.  A few of the recipients have passed away - Mr. Dye had copy #1 or 2 - and I do not know where those wound up, except for the one I gave my parents.  So, I have two copies - plus the master printout that was used to make the book.
PS.  An original came up for auction a couple of years ago, but it wasn't signed or numbered.  I assume it was a pirate copy with the original number and signature obscured, so it wouldn't be obvious as a duplicate.  I know there were a few people who claimed to have gotten a Xerox copy from a friend.  I never authorized anyone to do that, but it was much in demand once word of it got out.

Ryan,
This is the thread where extra copies were found https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,54115.0.html

[Ryan Carey]

Thanks Pete. Figured it had to be something like that.