Pulp Fiction

Many years ago - long before I was born - maybe even going back to the 1800s (I can't remember, that really was before I was born) - Procter & Gamble began giving each of its employees a holiday basket at Christmas time.  I believe I heard the first ones included a turkey.  By the turn of the century (20th to 21st), the tradition had changed somewhat.  Each employee received a large box containing ham, or sausage, and fruit, as well as various P&G products for use around the home.

In 1958, West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (later known as Westvaco, and then MeadWestvaco) began giving their employees a slip-cased hardcover edition of a classic piece of literature.  The first book was Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  In the Foreword, it says "We are papermakers, whose pride in the historical evolution of both our industry and printing, is matched only by our interest in those present-day techniques which have enabled us to bring you this example of classic literature in a form which is authentically 1820 yet typically 1958."  Bradbury Thompson, a famous graphic designer, designed each book in the series.  Some designs were more intriguing than others.  The Red Badge of Courage, for example, has simulated bullet holes in the cover.  The story of the Lewis & Clark expedition includes a DVD.  By the time Westvaco stopped printing these gift books - the 50th book, a retrospective of the series which was distributed in 2008, was the last - the common slipcase had morphed into ornate boxes, CDs of music were often included, and booklets often provided ancillary information.

The first book, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, was issued in a print run of about 300, making it the most rare of the series.  By 2005, over 17,000 books were distributed each Christmas.  It's not unusual to see The Legend of Sleepy Hollow sell for $100-$600 on eBay (median price over $300).  I once saw a copy sell for $25 on eBay in a buy-it-now auction and kicked myself for not getting to it first.  Eventually I found a copy - sans slipcase - for which I paid about $80, and quite pleased with myself.

Today, at Half Price Books, I found a nice copy, with slipcase, for $60.  I had a coupon for 50% off, so I wound up only paying $30!  Now that's a bargain!