Dennis Wheatley - Rarity Ratings List
I am sometimes asked how rare an item is, and how valuable. The two questions may have different answers, because sometimes an item may be quite rare and yet have no great value (an only-known copy of an early DW paperback, for example), and on other occasions an item may have a value disproportionately high relative to its rarity (a pristine first edition of ‘The Devil Rides Out’ would be a good example). I have accordingly given separate ratings for each.
The money ratings are comparative rather than in absolute money terms because demand fluctuates. It should also be noted that there are plenty of exceptions to the relative values ascribed below - a wonderful association can make all the difference to value - but it is hoped that this will prove a useful, if broad, guide.
My thanks go to the excellent James Hallgate of Lucius Books and Jonathan Frost of Frost Rare Books for very kindly reviewing the list before it went live. While their comments have been invaluable, the opinions given below are of course ultimately mine, and as at this point in time.
Charles Beck
July 2023
| Rarity and comparative value for signed, jacketed (where issued) first editions in fine condition. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Publication Date | Rarity | Value | Comment | ||
| Highest = 6 | Highest = £££££ | |||||
| Lowest = 1 | Lowest = £ | |||||
| Wine Publications | ||||||
| Historic Brandies | 1926 | 6 | Only 1 copy known (DW's) | |||
| The Finest Ports | 1927 | 6 | Only 1 copy known (DW's) | |||
| The Wine Scroll | 1927 | 6 | Only 2 copies known (one DW's) | |||
| Catalogue for Clubs and Messes | nd | 6 | Only 1 copy known (DW's) | |||
| Anillo De Oro | nd | 6 | Only 1 copy known (DW's) | |||
| At The Sign Of The Flagon Of Gold | 1930 | 6 | 1,500 copies produced; only 4 copies known (one DW's) | |||
| Going, Going, Gone... | nd | 6 | Only 1 copy known (DW's) | |||
| We Move With The Times scroll | 1954 | 6 | Only 3 copies known (one DW's) | |||
| Books | ||||||
| The Forbidden Territory (illustrated endpapers) | 1933 | 5 | ££££ | 800 copies printed | ||
| The Forbidden Territory (blank endpapers) | 1933 | 6 | ££££ | Either 700 or 450 copies printed (DW's accounts varied) | ||
| Such Power is Dangerous | 1933 | 5 | £££ | Copies in complete dustjackets are quite rare | ||
| Old Rowley | 1933 | 3 | £££ | |||
| Old Rowley (limited edition) | 1933 | 6 | £££ | 26 lettered copies printed, each with a page of the original manuscript bound in; 9 copies known | ||
| Black August | 1934 | 5 | £££ | |||
| The Fabulous Valley | 1934 | 5 | £££ | |||
| The Devil Rides Out | 1934 | 5 | £££££ | Signed, jacketed copies currently reach extremely high prices | ||
| The Eunuch of Stamboul | 1935 | 5 | £££ | |||
| First Gift Box | ? 1935 | Gift box | 6 | £££ | Only 3 sets complete with box are known to survive; books coming from the sets are more common and can be identified inter alia by blue colouring to the top of the text block | |
| They Found Atlantis | 1936 | 5 | £££ | |||
| Contraband | 1936 | 5 | £££ | |||
| Contraband (variant dustjacket) | 1936 | 6 | ££££ | Only 2 copies of the variant dustjacket are known | ||
| The Secret War | 1937 | 4 | £££ | |||
| Red Eagle | 1937 | 5 | ££ | Copies in good condition dustjackets are rare | ||
| Second Gift Box | 1937 | Gift box | 6* | No copies of the Second Gift Box set are known to survive | ||
| Uncharted Seas | 1938 | 5 | £££ | |||
| The Golden Spaniard | 1938 | 5 | £££ | |||
| The Quest of Julian Day | 1939 | 5 | £££ | |||
| Sixty Days to Live | 1939 | 5 | £££ | Copies in good condition dustjackets are rare | ||
| Those Modern Musketeers | 1939 | omnibus | 6 | ££££ | Only 5 jacketed copies are currently known | |
| The Scarlet Impostor | 1940 | 4 | £££ | |||
| Three Inquisitive People | 1940 | 6 | £££ | Only 4 jacketed copies are currently known | ||
| Faked Passports | 1940 | 4 | ££ | |||
| The Black Baroness | 1940 | 5 | ££ | |||
| Strange Conflict | 1941 | 5 | £££ | Copies with fine dustjackets are uncommon | ||
| The Sword of Fate | 1941 | 4 | ££ | |||
| Total War | 1941 | 4 | ££ | Paperback; no jacket | ||
| V for Vengeance | 1942 | 4 | ££ | |||
| Mediterranean Nights | 1942 | 3 | ££ | |||
| Gunmen Gallants & Ghosts | 1943 | 4 | ££ | |||
| The Man Who Missed the War | 1945 | 1 | £ | |||
| Codeword Golden Fleece | 1946 | 2 | ££ | |||
| Come into my Parlour | 1946 | 1 | ££ | |||
| The Launching of Roger Brook | 1947 | 2 | ££ | Although not uncommon, copies have recently been commanding high prices | ||
| The Shadow of Tyburn Tree | 1948 | 1 | ££ | |||
| The Haunting of Toby Jugg | 1948 | 2 | £££ | |||
| The Seven Ages of Justerini’s | 1949 | 2 | £ | |||
| The Rising Storm | 1949 | 1 | ££ | |||
| The Second Seal | 1950 | 1 | ££ | |||
| The Early Adventures of Roger Brook | 1951 | omnibus | 2 | ££ | ||
| The Man Who Killed the King | 1951 | 1 | ££ | |||
| Star of Ill-Omen | 1952 | 1 | ££ | |||
| Worlds Far From Here | 1952 | omnibus | 2 | £ | ||
| To the Devil - a Daughter | 1953 | 1 | ££ | |||
| Curtain of Fear | 1953 | 1 | £ | |||
| Those Modern Musketeers 2 | 1954 | omnibus | 2 | £ | Not to be confused with the rarer, 1939 edition | |
| The Island Where Time Stands Still | 1954 | 1 | ££ | Dustjackets are often in poor condition | ||
| The Secret Missions of Gregory Sallust | 1955 | omnibus | 4 | £ | ||
| The Dark Secret of Josephine | 1955 | 1 | ££ | Dustjackets are often in poor condition | ||
| The Ka of Gifford Hillary | 1956 | 1 | £ | |||
| The Black Magic Omnibus | 1956 | omnibus | 2 | £ | Dustjackets for the 1st (1956) edition are often in poor condition | |
| The Prisoner in the Mask | 1957 | 1 | £ | |||
| Roger Brook in the French Revolution | 1957 | omnibus | 1 | £ | ||
| Traitors Gate | 1958 | 1 | £ | |||
| Death in the Sunshine | 1958 | omnibus | 1 | £ | ||
| Stranger than Fiction | 1959 | 1 | ££ | |||
| The Rape of Venice | 1959 | 1 | ££ | |||
| Plot & Counter Plot | 1959 | omnibus | 1 | £ | ||
| Into the Unknown | 1960 | omnibus | 1 | £ | ||
| The Satanist | 1960 | 1 | ££ | |||
| Saturdays with Bricks | 1961 | 1 | ££ | |||
| Vendetta in Spain | 1961 | 1 | ££ | |||
| Mayhem in Greece | 1962 | 1 | ££ | |||
| The Sultan's Daughter | 1963 | 1 | £ | |||
| Bill for the Use of a Body | 1964 | 1 | £ | |||
| They Used Dark Forces | 1964 | 1 | £ | |||
| The Eight Ages of Justerini’s | 1965 | 2 | £ | |||
| Dangerous Inheritance | 1965 | 1 | £ | |||
| The Wanton Princess | 1966 | 1 | £ | |||
| Unholy Crusade | 1967 | 1 | £ | |||
| The White Witch of the South Seas | 1968 | 1 | £ | |||
| Evil in a Mask | 1969 | 1 | £ | |||
| Gateway to Hell | 1970 | 1 | £ | |||
| The Ravishing of Lady Mary Ware | 1971 | 1 | £ | |||
| The Devil and All His Works | 1971 | 1 | £ | |||
| The Devil And All His Works (limited edition) | 1971 | 6 | £££ | 25 numbered copies printed; 6 copies known | ||
| The Strange Story of Linda Lee | 1972 | 1 | £ | Copies with un-faded jackets are however uncommon | ||
| The Irish Witch | 1973 | 1 | £ | |||
| Desperate Measures | 1974 | 1 | £ | |||
| The Young Man Said | 1977 | 1 | £ | |||
| Officer & Temporary Gentleman | 1978 | 1 | £ | |||
| Drink & Ink | 1979 | 1 | £ | |||
| The Deception Planners | 1980 | 1 | £ | |||
| The Nine Ages of Justerini’s | 1998 | 2 | ££ | |||
| Julie's Lovers | 2022 | 4 | ££ | 40 copies printed | ||
| Anthologies | ||||||
| Century of Horror | 1935 | 4 | £ | |||
| Century of Horror (Gift Binding) | 1935 | 6 | £ | Only 2 copies of the Gift Binding are known | ||
| Century of Spy Stories | 1938 | 4 | £ | |||
| Century of Spy Stories (Gift Binding) | 1938 | 6 | £ | Only 2 copies of Gift Binding 'A' and 1 copy of Gift Binding 'B' are known | ||
| DW's First Book Of Horror Stories | 1968 | 2 | £ | |||
| DW's Second Book Of Horror Stories | 1968 | 2 | £ | |||
| Crime Dossiers | ||||||
| Murder Off Miami | 1936 | 2 | £ | |||
| Who Killed Robert Prentice | 1937 | 2 | £ | |||
| The Malinsay Massacre | 1938 | 2 | £ | |||
| Herewith The Clues | 1939 | 2 | £ | |||
| Games | ||||||
| Invasion | 1938 | 2 | £ | |||
| Invasion (deluxe edition) | 1938 | 6 | ££ | Only 2 complete sets of the deluxe edition are known | ||
| Blockade | 1939 | 2 | £ | |||
| Alibi | 1953 | 2 | £ | |||
| Other | ||||||
| The Lymington Edition (boxed set of first 6 volumes) | 1961 | 6 | ££ | Of the limited box set cardboard presentation case that originally contained the first six volumes (with 'The Forbidden Territory' signed), only 1 complete example and 2 incomplete examples are known to survive | ||
| This page last updated Copyright © 2002-2006 Bob Rothwell. 2007-2024 Charles Beck. |
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