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When Steve and his wife, Charlotte, were expecting their first baby in the
early 1980s, he began picking up Little Golden Books at garage sales and flea
markets. “I had them when I was little, of course, but what really attracted me
most as an adult were the contributions by artists who’d gone on to become
famous, like Margaret Wise Brown, Richard Scarry, and Eloise Wilkin.”
After
assembling hundreds of titles, he called the publisher in search of a complete
list of titles. “Turns out I knew more about the history of their product than
the employees at the publishing house!” he recalls with a smile. That’s when he
got the idea to compile a definitive guide, which has reigned as the industry
“bible” ever since it came out in 1988.
Little Golden Books were illustrated by a Who’s Who of mid-century artists,
including Disney animators, (d) and (e), and photographer William P.
Gottlieb, (f), famous for documenting musicians in the jazz age.
Treasure Hunt
 Steve Santi says collectors need to do some homework before buying. Books
can range in price from less than $1 to more than $200.
Identifying marks
have changed over the years, and “just because the copyright says 1942, doesn’t
mean that’s when the book was printed,” he says. His guide is a good place to
start, or you can learn more at thesantis.com, randomhouse.com/golden/, or
goldenbook.com.
Warman’s Little Golden Books Identification and Price Guide
(2006, Krause Publications), is the sixth update of Steve’s reference
work.
Going for the Gold page
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