Looking for other Inconsistencies

[Michael G. B.]

Hey all, I have recently begun to further expand my information on my collections and have come across a few inconsistencies in more recent magazines that I am trying to clarify if anyone has the information.

For Example:
October 1970: One issue has the red banner advertising the NG Television program and one does not.

April 1971: One issue has the red banner advertising the NG Television program and one does not.

October 1974: One issue has the traditional 1970's red map notation on the front cover and spine for Close-Up USA: South Central United States, while another copy lacks the red notation of a map on the spine and front cover, but does has a notation of the American Indians (A reference to the book being offered that year for sale through the NGS)

I am sure that the first two examples I have noted here are probably a difference in location, where one was mailed in a TV market that was airing the show that week and another was not, but the lack of the close up map and notation in that month's magazine has perplexed me for some time. I am sure that there are other examples of this that I do not have and the seem to be centered around the 60's and 70's, if anyone knows way this was done, or if you have other example that could be used to create a master list, I would love to see the reply.

Mike

[Paul Crist]

Subscription copies mailed in advance of initial airing explains that, as ones printed for institutions and archives lack it. I do not have both examples of all issues with the red diagonal spilling onto spine, but have every reason to suspect that two versions exist for all of them. I do not know if any credit to them being "mailed in a TV market that was airing the show that week and another was not," is as much of an issue as both were carried nationwide and throughout Canada, and so far as I am aware all on the same day.

The third inquiry has me perplexed however, as I do not think I have seen any but the standard you list first. Is the other one book title centered where the map name should be (and is it also on spine with American Indians noted, as truly that would be a first). Is the spine and front cover otherwise also identical to the "standard."

Quite curios. For nearly fortry years, I have been collecting printing varieties (advertising -- especially in rear of issues -- varies regionally and sometimes very significantly. I do not have a master list or printing errata or deliberate varieties of the same issue (though it would be a good idea if somebody has the time). Several generic examples of varieties that recur separate from advertising changes are:

Higher quality paper stock for plates made to heavy for international mailing, so -- on the basis of four examples I have -- most issues with plates on good stock will have a "regular paper" set of plates in a somewhat thinner and noticeably lighter (especially if it is 32 pages, less so if only 8) than the standard mailed to American members. Earliest I think I have is 1916, latest I have seen is 1941.

Ads-less issues that are not necessarily in what Buxbaum/Nathan would call "reprints" but really either special school edition or authors' vanity copy. Not ads removed, bound originally without but otherwise identical. Earliest I have is March 1919 and examples extend at least through 1960s and I bet until at least the early 1980s.

Early issues that never had a map or pictorial pasted in. Again, I surmise an extra original print run for schools or other institutions that wanted the text and had no need of the supplement. Could also have been for overseas, but these are thin supplements not the monstrosities of the war years, so I think that is a less likely explanation. I have a set of about fifteen of these that were acquired mint. I have never bothered to inventory as to Vol and Issue, but would happily contribute that list to any comprehensive list.

I will try to repost a yahoo.group submission I made on printing varieites in NGS books as well.

Happy collecting

Paul Crist

[Michael G. B.]

Thanks for the info Paul, I had not thought about the time of mailing for the first two issues. Back to the third one however, on the traditional issue, I has the red lettering centered in the upper part of the cover boarder as always, and the sipine reads South Central States (in Red) Skylab Big Thicket Plankton Bhutan and ATKA. The second issue has the exact same cover but missing the red notation on the cover stating the title of the Close Up USA map. Also the spine reads Skylab Big Thicket Plankton Bhutan ATKA and American Indian (in italic).

[Scott T. Shier]

Hi Michael,

I do not have any specific issues to cite, but I too have seen (over time) some of what you are talking about. I recollect seeing an issue not having the TV banner, and another same issue copy with one...

...Also, I seem to remember that there has been a date/time discrepancy 'somewhere' between the cover TV banner, and the program listing time presented on the interior "pull-out" TV card - the small page torn out and folded in half to place by the TV set; this would have some photos on it, as well as a text summary, and affiliate networks printed on last page. I am sure you already know what I am talking about!

It was curious to me, and I just never thought about the mailing schedules affecting any misprints or deviations from the printing instructions (as Paul has suggested) - but makes very much sense though.

Anyway, I just wanted to say "hello".

~ Scott S.

[Paul Crist]

Having wasted an afternoon on the comparable value of Chris M's Taurg-child hologram misprint (which threads I would recommend to you), I will return here with two observations and an offer on your "American Indians" variant of October 1974 NGM. I have run across no one with this variant of the issue and have in fact looked quite frequently the last eight weeks of bookstore runs (only one of which was well organized chronologically, so how comprehensive I was is debatable). Lack of another exemplar or a reasonable explanation for the variation (as in TV-air date on red banners or subscription/invitation on books' LoC page) does not lead me to believe your variant is unique as the hologram error might well be. One early thought I had entertained is that the book-title variation was for foreign members who did not get the map, but both the German and Quebec collections I own and correspondence with European and one Brazilian collectors indicates all their mailed issues have the supplement and its title is centered on the spine in red just like ours.

As a deliberate printing change rather than a printing error, I suspect, and believe it objectively reasonable to, that there was a run with the book indicated on the spine and without the Close-Up title. Again, why absolutely mystifies me unless one article was being reprinted in larger number and unconnected to the Close-Up region and so the map was simply omitted and so spine title moved and book title substituted to make up space and avoid a void on the revised spine. Such is the best guess I can hazhard, but that gives no idea if we are discussing a run of several hundred, thousands, or maybe as few as a score for an author's vanity set. I have long collected both hard-bound and single vanity offprints, though I have never seen one where (if there is a spine with printing, which in this vintage was rare) it varies from the mailed issue's spine. One analogy is the National Parks' reprint from I think an early 1980s issue, every spine of a reprint I have seen is blank, and if any reprint had spine printing, I'd suspect it to either be exactly identical to mailed issue or to have just the reprint's title and NGM.

Hence, the offer on the assumption that your variant falls somewhere between a very limited vanity run and a major specialty-purpose reprinting or a foreign edition, I'd give $50 for it. NOTE, were it mine I would NOT take $50 (but maybe ten times that) to part with it, unless I really neded the money for some other purpose. And, unlike the hologram error, I would not separately itemize or even group schedule on insurance. I do have reprints and offprints I own collectively scheduled, but at a very low per title value for which my underwriter did not require much documentation besides a detailed inventory including condition. If you sell it to me, I would wait until I next group schedule changes to the various schedules my fine-arts rider requires, but would not specifically bother with. It is clearly worth more than the common variant, but not individually enough to bother with on insurance.

As with Chris M's hologram error, I hope you keep the "American Indians" variant and enjoy having something at least somewhat rare. I just thought I'd offer my thoughts.
Paul

[Michael G. B.]

Thanks for you imput Paul, it is one of those things that I have in my collection that I keep in my interesting pile as they stand apart from the norm as with the case of the member with the skull off-print (although I bet that it is no where near as rare as his) I think that I will hold onto it as well.

Mike

[Scott T. Shier]

Hello Michael,

I am putting together a list of the cover variations and alternate cover [photos issued in English]. I also have a file with photos (scans or screen shot copies) of the covers that deviate from the member's (mailed) editions. I can share this info. with you if you are interested.

I was wondering, have you discovered any other covers with differences, like the 1970's examples you talked about previously? If so I can add them to the list.

Unfortunately, we will not be able to get any further insights or info. from Paul Crist, as he has passed away on Feb. 22. See the link if you missed the posting on this site. It is very sad and I will regret the closed opportunity of getting to know him better, and speak about all things Nat Geo with him anymore.


best regards,

Scott S.

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Scott,

I have two copies of the Oct '74 Skylab w/o S. Central U.S. map, and six copies with the map. I acquired the two w/o the map from collections in the Connecticut area (if that means anything).

I have a Dec 1950 where pages 811-817 have been duplicated in the binding with other pages missing altogether.

And I have at least four different versions of October 1917. I sincerely believe two of them may be "reassembled," i.e. frauds, from parts of other magazines - but they are masterfully done if this is so. One version, however, I obtained directly from the NGS. It is the special Army and Navy edition printed on waterproof paper. The back cover replicates the front, e.g. turn it over and it looks like your looking at the front cover, but the binding is on the right side.

p.s. I saw your post, re: indexes, and wanted to tell you I've almost acquired all those I was searching for. Thanks for trying to help...Mel

[Michael G. B.]

Scott, I do not have any other examples at hand. I am still in the process of updating my list/condition information for my insurance company, but the push toward tenure is taking much of my time at the moment. I did see about Paul, and was sad to see he had passed.

[Scott T. Shier]

Michael,

Would you possibly be able to share a photo with me of the October 1970 and April 1971 issues without the TV banners on them?

When I search eBay the only copies I ever see are with the banner, so obviously the ones lacking the banner are much more rare.


- Scott S.

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Scott,

A point of contact for all things minutia (make sure you have a lot of time to listen) would be Carl F. Emde. He really enjoys this stuff and has been doing for many, many years. He recently moved from Maryland (about four years ago) out to California. His telephone number, as listed in the Dealer's Directory on the top left of the main page of this forum, is: 1-951-679-9058.

He "specializes" in publication anomalies!

Enjoy!

Mel

[stephen zamarin]

In regards to the 1960's-1970's issues that had the red banners over the bottom of the magazines announcing the national geographic specials apparently did not appear on copies sent out overseas. I've come across the February and April 1967 issues without the banner and without the tearouts. Also, I've come across the February and April 1971 issues without the banners but with the tearouts still in the magazines. The 1971 overseas issues also have different advertising pages and back cover ads. An example would be the February 1971 issue sent in the United States has a back ad for Mazola. The February 1971 issue sent overseas has an ad for Bank of America.