UPDATE ON THE GUIDE BOOK TO THE GUIDE BOOK

PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE FULL ISSUE PREV FULL ISSUE

V13 2010 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 13, Number 16, April 18, 2010, Article 6

The "Book Bazarre" ad for the new Red Book (The E-Sylum v13#15, April 11, 2010), specifically the note that "Appendix B (�Collectible Red and Blue Books�) has been expanded with more details, including more pricing for early Blue Books," prompted me to write and ask how Frank J. Colletti's A Guide Book of the Official Red Book of United States Coins has been doing. I enjoyed it very much and I'd buy an updated second edition if one were to come out.

First, let me again thank Whitman Publishing for their support of The E-Sylum. I, too, wondered about Colletti's "Guide Book to the Guide Book" (GBGB) and forwarded Gary's question to Dennis Tucker of Whitman, whose response is below. -Editor

Frank Colletti's Guide Book of the Official Red Book of United States Coins --- whose in-house nickname is "The GBGB" (pronounced "jeebee-jeebee") --- has been popular with our readers. It gets a good amount of fan mail, queries, and offers of information for the next edition. This illustrates that there's something about the Red Book that really resonates with coin collectors. We see so much passion and nostalgia, and, interestingly, almost a sense of community ownership. People feel like "This is OUR book" (and even, in some cases, "This is MY book"!). It's a wonderful position for any publisher to be in, one we're grateful for, and one we don't take for granted.

Frank is constantly gathering information for the 2nd edition, and monitoring auctions and private-treaty sales of rare editions, errors, limited editions, Red Book-related collectibles, etc. Ken Bressett continues to serve as a sounding board and historical authority. If E-Sylum readers have anything new to share, we'll credit them in the next edition. They can contact me at dennis.tucker@whitmanbooks.com, or email Frank directly at Treashunt@optonline.net.

P.S. The leather-bound Limited Edition is almost sold out. I believe we have fewer than two dozen left in stock.

Wayne Homren, Editor