Agatha Christie Paperback Firsts - 1960s.

Collecting Agatha Christie paperback first editions is a more affordable and attainable endeavour than seeking to collect all her first hardback editions in dust wrappers. That said, paperback collectors will still have expensive and rare books to find should a complete collection of first paperbacks be sought.

In creating this collectors guide, I had to consider a variety of variables which led me to establish the structure and ground rules for how the list is compiled. For complete details on these please go to Part One of this series.

The articles for all prior decades can be viewed via these links:

Part One: 1930s Paperback Firsts: click here.

Part Two: 1940s Paperback Firsts: click here.

Part Three – 1950s Paperback Firsts: click here.

During the 1960s, 12 Agatha Christie books (novels and short story collections) were first published in the paperback format. All are discussed below.

1960.

No first paperbacks.

1961.

06/1961: Cat Among the Pigeons, Pocket Books, New York, USA. Series No. 6052.

First British paperback: 03/1962, Fontana, London. Series No. 627.

1962.

10/1962: Double Sin and Other Stories, Pocket Books, New York, USA. Series No. 6144.

Collecting note: There is no British equivalent of this short story collection.

1963.

10/1963: The Pale Horse, Pocket Books, New York, USA. Series No. 4654.

First British paperback: xx/1964: Fontana, London. Series No. 1000.

11/1963: The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding and a Selection of Other Entrees, Fontana, London, UK. Series No. 893.

Collecting note: Perhaps the longest title of any Christie collection! There was no American equivalent of this collection and thus no paperback.

1964.

12/1964: The Mirror Crack’d, Pocket Books, New York, USA. Series No. 50436.

First British paperback: xx/1965: The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side,  Fontana, London. Series No. 1077.

1965.

2/1965: Thirteen for Luck, Dell Books, New York, USA. Series No. 8753.

Collecting notes: All the stories had previously been published in the USA in other collections, so this is a ‘first thus’. Even though this book was issued in England (with a slightly different short story collection, one of which was its first book appearance), there appears to have been no British paperback of this collection.

09/1965: The Clocks, Pocket Books, New York, USA. Series No. 50442.

First British paperback: c.03/1966: Fontana, London. Series No. 1268.

1966.

c.08/1966:A Caribbean Mystery, Fontana, London, UK. Series No. 1418.

Collecting notes: The first Fontana is quite scarce as when it was reprinted the more familiar Tom Adams cover with Major Palgrave's head was used. Also, given how many American Pocket Book printings are actually firsts from this decade, there are likely collectors who will seek to collect these printings. The first American printing was in 10/1966, Pocket Books Series No. 50449.

1967.

c.03/1967: At Bertram’s Hotel, Fontana, London, UK. Series No. 1521.

Collecting note: The first American printing was in 10/1967, Pocket Books Series No. 50452.

1968.

07/1968: Third Girl, Pocket Books, New York, USA. Series No. 55351.

First British paperback: c.07/1968, Fontana, London. Series No. 1759.

Collecting notes: Both appear to have been first published in July so no precedent is clear. Also of note, is that the British paperback initially titled the book as ‘The Third Girl’, later correcting this error.

1969.

01/1969: Endless Night, Pocket Books, New York, USA. Series No. 55363.

First British published paperback: c.06/1969: Fontana, London & Glasgow, UK.  Fontana's Continental Edition, Series No. 1972.

First British market paperback: c.08/1970: Fontana, London. Series No. 2376.

Collecting notes: The Continental editions Fontana published were in English but were solely sold in continental Europe. Thus, while a first British published paperback, I've also listed the first paperback both published and sold in Britain. Also of note, the rear cover of the Fontana 2376 features a photograph of Agatha Christie in celebration of her 80th birthday - making this a fairly unique paperback.

08/1969: By the Pricking of my Thumbs, Pocket Books, New York, USA. Series No. 75419.

First British paperback: c.08/1971, Fontana, London. Series No. 2682.

Collecting notes: Oddly, there was no Fontana Continental edition for this title as there were for other books published in the. The First British paperback also features the photo of Agatha Christie that was used on Endless Night in 1970 to celebrate her 80th birthday. Why they chose to reuse it for this title is unclear. With regard to the cover by Adams, this is the only time the doll faces to the reader's left. On all future covers the whole cover image is reversed (and enlarged) so that the doll faces right. Again, unclear why but a little oddity to know!

Other Collecting Notes:

In the USA, Pocket Books published many of Christie’s novels as paperbacks during this decade. As noted in other articles, occasionally Pocket Books would cite two publication dates. When this occurs the ‘First Printing’ (cited in these articles) is often two months earlier than the stated ‘Pocket Book Edition’ publication date. However, this does not impact the appropriateness of citing them as the first global paperback, as in all cases either date would still qualify them as the first printing. Fortunately, this ended in 1963, after which only one date was provided.

Values:

All but one of the printings discussed above are valued at £15 ($20) or less for a ‘Very Good’ copy though several titles will be challenging in that condition. The incorrectly titled ‘The Third Girl’ paperback is scarce and the most valuable paperback from this era for collectors. If you can find a copy in ‘Very Good’ condition expect to pay up to £100 ($135). When sourcing any of these titles, be conscious that most were reprinted numerous times. If only a reading copy is sought, then don’t be concerned about the specific issue. However, if a collection is being assembled, then take the time to find the correct first version of the title. If in doubt about the printing you are buying, ask for an image of the copyright page, as well as the rear covers to be certain it is the correct state.

Corrections & Input.

I always welcome corrections, updates or edits. If you think anything should be changed in this article please email me at: collectchristie@gmail.com .

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