"Chums Annual” Now Vintage

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31974, 29 April 1969, Page 16

"Chums Annual” Now Vintage

Although vintage copies of the boys' adventure book, “Chums Annual." are reported as selling in Sydney at between s.’{ and $4, inquiries made in Christchurch yesterday show that copies of “Chums” only occasionally reach second-hand book shops here. When they do, they have been sold again for about 82. according to leading secondhand book dealers approached by “The Press" yesterday. Forty years ago. the old volumes containing some 800 pages, sold for 12s 6d “Chums Annual"—a bound compilation of a weekly boys’ adventure paper—was first published by Cassell and Company. Ltd. in 1893. under the editorship of Max Pem-

berton. and ran until 1941. when it became one of the publishing casualties of World War 11 Mr G. W. Hockley, of North New Brighton, was the possessor, until last year, of one of only about three or four complete sets of "Chums Annual" known to . exist. He sold his set to a collector in the North Island, i but still has a spare copy [ of the 1909 issue—“perhaps the best one ever brought out," Mr Hockley said yester- . day. Thumbing through its • pages, Mr Hockley pointed out • boys’ authors who were 1 household names in their day —Captain Frank Shaw, for i instance, and Samuel WalkJ ley Serial stories by the former in the 1909 "Chums" 1 are ’"The Vengeance of the Motherland"—a sequel to a ’ serial. “The Vengeance of the 1 Empire." in the 1908 annual, ’said Mr Hockley—and "The '• Secret of the Sargasso Sea."

A story by Samuel Walkley in the 1909 “Chums,” “Yoho for the Spanish Main,”! Mr Hockley described as “per-i haps the best buccaneer story ever written.” Samuel Walkley, said Mr 'Hockley, began life as a bank I clerk, and although he rose' to quite a high position in this bank continued to write ; stories for boys in his spare 'time. Moving forward several : :years, a 1925 “Chums Annual” 'contains such items as “The Sword of Tailifer Trueblade” H(a story set in the days of ’Judge Jeffreys), “The Weak t Spot.” by Charles Douthwaite (a story of public school box-1 ■jing). and “The Caves of Cui- ■ kerry.” by Gunby Hadath (a ■'school and adventure story). And who remembers' I “Cheroki's Last Throw.” by i Captain Reginald Glossop. a i story of how "justice was . meted out to the Redskin ‘ Bandit?" I But people who buy these:

• old copies of “Chums”—and j like publications, such as the ' “Boys’ Own Annual”—are not ■ always nostalgic old gentlemen. Such annuals often contained colour prints by fam- ’ ous printers, which to print ' collectors were of a value ' above that which they might 1 oay for the book, said Mr N. ' F. Oberg, a Christchurch sec- ' ond-hand bookseller, yesterday. “A collector may be I happy to pay 84 for a book which contains a colour print j worth 85,” he said. Publications such as “The ' Boys’ Own Annual” had also ‘ often contained colour prints ! of medals and awards, etc.. • which were welcomed by col- ■ lectors of these items as a ‘ source of reference, he said. Although conies of “Chums > Annual" and the “Boys' Own Annual" had usuallv sold at ' about 82 in Christchurch, he ‘ believed that volumes in first- ' class condition had been fetching £5 in Britain. Mr Oberg ‘isaid.