TheMilford wrote:Another feature that might be interesting to note is which printing(s) still have the sewn in bindings and which have the glued bindings.I remember Gary Gygax talking about this change and how the Blume's wanted to save money by eliminating the more expensive sewn bindings among other things.This could also possibly point out a change in printing houses.
SimperingToad wrote:Not necessarily. The white 4th may have been an original 5th, then part of the way through, the binding was changed along with the banner and product list. This could possibly be the change in printer.
SimperingToad wrote:Did Random House do the actual printing? Or, were they merely the distributor?
TheMilford wrote:[ Image ]7th top3rd bottom.The 7th has "stiching" but not the kind of heavy stitching I assume we are talking about here.Do we need to make a more clear distinction?
SimperingToad wrote:None of my three have the red/yellow stitching shown on the bottom. My 3rd print does. So this difference appears to have happened between the 3rd and 4th prints.
deimos3428 wrote:Ok, I see 'em now. The only remaining question I have at this point is: Are all "4th whites" like this, or is your copy another previously-unknown variant?
SimperingToad wrote:Plastic comb binding Ideal for business reports and the like, this method uses plastic teeth that insert into a series of tiny holes made in a stack of pages. Comb binding machines are pretty inexpensive and the spines can be removed and reattached as needed."
TheMilford wrote:This is the same method as Chainmail and other similar books... not a hardbound method.
TheMilford wrote:PHBs[ Image ]7th top3rd bottom.The 7th has "stitching" but not the kind of heavy stitching I assume we are talking about here.Do we need to make a more clear distinction?
deimos3428 wrote:*sigh* There goes my plans for this evening.
deimos3428 wrote:Bear with me, please. We need to be very precise about this, as changes to the established printing order are things that need to be handled with care. I'm of the opinion that if it says "Random House", it's a 5th printing, period. That's a considerable shift, that also corresponds with a change in the cover material. That being said, there may indeed be more than one variant of the 5th printing.To confirm, you're stating that your 4th print white-flyleaf has the following features, which the 5th does not:* No TM on Yellow Banner * No prices for Star Probe or Star Empires, but otherwise the product list resembles the pg. 111 of the 4th red-flyleaf, not the overhauled 5th-and-later listLike the 5ths, it also has:* Hydra is small* Cover material is smooth (and has high color saturation?)* Random House added on copyright pageIf I've got that right, this is quite an interesting discovery, as it pretty much forces a change to the printing order. As described, it cannot simply be a 4th cover/5th interior. (Though I highly doubt it will cause them to soar in demand/value.)I would submit that such a book should belong to the 5th family due to the last three points; the copyright page in particular being the "trump" in my opinion. However, the lack of a TM and the unique pg. 111 would distinguish it from a standard 5th, so perhaps it should be designated as a 5th minus. Please confirm/correct, and if others have such a book, please respond as well so we know it's not just a one-off. I don't have one like this, unfortunately. Scans would be appreciated, if possible!
