James Bond 1st editions: The case of the 'Law of Contagion'...

Research suggests that the value and importance of books can be impacted by whoever used to own them - but are some former owners more important than others?

Does the fact a first edition was owned by someone formerly very well know make a difference?

If you’ve ever wondered why people are prepared to pay what seem likes absurdly-high prices for items that are – well, quite ordinary – psychologists have the answer.

Apparently, it’s all down to what experts calls the ‘Law of Contagion’ (or, as it’s sometimes even more fantastically called, the Law of Magical Contagion).

It’s the belief that (either consciously or subconsciously), once an object that is ordinary in every other way has had either close contact with someone important, or was even owned by them – it somehow takes on some essence of them, or additional collector significance.

It explains why very common objects - those that are mass produced in their thousands (or even their millions - can subsequently command astronomical auction prices just because they once belonged-to (or were handled), by someone better known than the millions of ordinary owners/users of the same item.

It’s why a 1960s gold Rolex watch – still worth around £12,000 – sold for an eye watering £125,250 in 2022 – simply because it belonged to actor, Sir Michael Caine.

It’s also why UK comic, Eric Morecambe’s signature thick-rimmed glasses sold for an astonishing £20,000 last year (see pic left).

The sale was part of an auction of more than 800 of his personal possessions.

The effect of The Law of Contagion is so powerful, it’s even attracted academic study.

When Yale researchers George Newman and Paul Bloom analysed the pre-auction estimates with the final sale prices of items being sold from the estates of the likes of John K Kennedy and others, they found “a significant positive effect of physical contact on the final bids.”

In fact, the higher the degree of personal contact a person could be said to have had with their item, the higher the eventual selling price.

So-called ‘High-contact items’ sold for more significantly more than ‘low-contact items.’ [They even found that if items were cleaned/washed, prices actually fell – as that person’s ‘essence’ had been removed].

Bond items are no different. A pair of Rayban Wayfarer sunglasses – which cost around £3000 new – was sold for £25,000 because – you guessed it, they were Daniel Craig’s screen-used ones (even though it was an ordinary off-the-shelf pair that anyone could have bought).

Books and the law of contagion

When it comes to books (generally), The Law of Contagion appears to apply just as often.

Mass produced books – the same books that anyone could have bought at the time they came out – can be figuratively transformed in value because they were formerly owned by someone notable.

In 2023 the book collection of the late Rolling Stones band member (and prolific book collector), Charlie Watts, went under the hammer.

One of the star lots was a copy of The Great Gatsby - dedicated by Fitzgerald to MGM Screenwriter Harold Goldman (above) - as well as first editions by George Orwell, James Joyce, Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie.

Contagion theory was alive and well. Agatha Christie’s The Thirteen Problems, sold for more than £60,000, setting a new Christie record. His The Great Gatsby, sold for more than £226,000, while Sherlock Holmes tale The Hound of the Baskervilles, which sold for more than £165,000. 

Bond books and contagion theory

Contagion theory already suggests there is a pecking order of 'levels' of contagion.

1) The most ‘contagious’ Bond books, are of course, those that have been directly signed – where in addition to the prestige of owning the signature of Ian Fleming, collectors also delight in knowing that this was a book immutably and personally handled by the great man himself.

2) Next in the pecking order, I would suggest, are books that were gifted to people that Fleming knew and were also inscribed by him – of which there are lots of examples (see a previous blog here).

3) Thirdly, I would argue there are then inscription-less books, that have simply been owned by well-known people.

Above is an example of a first edition, first impression, formerly owned by British mystery and thriller novelist, Hammond Innes (a contemporary to Fleming).

With a price tag of $55,000 though, I’m not personally convinced this particular ownership is worth quite the premium that the seller is wanting to put on it.

Also currently up for sale is this (above), first edition, third impression of Casino Royale.

Its claim to fame is that it was formerly owned by renowned British actor, Sir John Mills. The price tag it has been given in respect of this is just over £9,000.

The seller is putting a £5-6k uplift on what a normal third impression. in this condition would expect to sell for. Again I'm not sure Mills's former ownership suddenly transforms this book and gives it the premium it has been given.

Is there a 4^th option?

As explained above, of these arguably ‘lesser’ former celebrity owners, I’m ever-so slightly dismissive of the strength of The Law of Contagion.

But is there a 4^th category that collectors should be aware of?

I think there is.

There is a category of book that is also not inscribed, and was formerly owned by interesting people.

But the key extra element these books have, is that these former owners 'do' have something about them - and that is that they have something directly in common with Fleming himself - either they were known close friends, well-known acquaintances, or people who he corresponded with, or even actually worked with. (Perhaps their copies were gifted to them, or bought through him, or via channels Fleming introduced them to).

To me these are former owners who have more ‘worth’ because they were actually ‘connected’ with Fleming in a meaningful way.

The people who owned these books were people who moved within his inner circle – or were those whom he took advice, or drew inspiration or knowledge from.

Let me explain this by showing you exactly what I mean.

Recently www.jamesbondfirsteditions.co.uk acquired the below example of The Man With The Golden Gun.

It’s a first impression (second state). But what distinguishes if from the other 82,000 that were printed is the fact that ‘this’ book - and only this book - once belonged to British journalist, Sefton Delmer.

Above: Sefton Delmer's copy of TMWTGG - complete with original Bonhams sale information

If it’s a name you don’t automatically know, you are excused. But Delmer is an important figure in the history of World War II. For he was responsible for what has since been called the ‘black propaganda operation’ of the war effort.

As head of special operations for the Political Warfare Executive he created dozens of fake radio stations that provided misinformation to German listeners.

Around 40% of German soldiers reportedly tuned into Delmer’s stations.

Delmer was incredibly close to Fleming. He first met Fleming in Moscow (when they were both fledgling reporters), during the 1930s, and became life-long friends.

By the time Delmer was creating his propaganda machine, Fleming was working alongside him. In fact they both were very nearly killed while dining together when Lincoln’s Inn was hit in a bombing raid. Delmer was entertaining Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Fleming and the daughter of the then Belgian Prime Minister Hubert Pierlot.

But what perhaps is most fascinating of all, is that Delmer left one particular mark on Fleming that we should all be grateful for. When Delmer’s son was born (Ian Fleming became his godfather), Delmer recalls a particular conversation, when he later wrote this:

‘I had known Ian for twenty-five years, had worked with him on some of his secret operations during the war and had received his help with my own. He was the godfather of my son. “Call him Felix” he had said. “There are too few Felix’s in this world! And he had followed his own advice by creating an American partner for James Bond whom he called Felix Leiter’.”

In other words, the name of Fleming’s famous CIA character, Felix Leiter, came from him initially suggesting the name Felix to one of his best friends.

To my mind, this book has a much clearer, and closer tie to Fleming.

It left an indelible literary - the name of his Felix Leiter character.

To me this is a fantastically important item. It is so new to me, that this book has not been listed yet – the above photos are its first showing.

If you are interested in this book, and would like to inquire about buying it, you can email me at enquiries@jamesbondfirsteditions.co.uk.

Others?

I’ve also recently acquired books that were formerly from the personal library of Otto Penzler (see picture below).

Penzler was an author and publisher in his own right, but is mostly known for being a huge spy fiction fan, who amassed hundreds of rare books.

Not only this, he was an early bibliographer of Fleming – and for this reason, he is often held in high regard by Bond collectors.

Of three books I had, two are now sold, but I have one left – this Otto Penzler-owned first US edition of The Man With The Golden Gun (above).

The pencil annotation inside is actually from fellow Ian Fleming bibliographer, Jon Gilbert, who was also a former owner - so that two well-known Fleming bibliographer owner's in one!

[The annotation details the famous Swan Auction sale in 2010, where Penzler's collection was sold and broken up].

It is also for sale, and you are welcome to message me about it.

With collectors always on the look out for books add to their collection by having a direct link to Fleming, association copies will always, I suspect, have some sort of interesting, and additional allure to standard copies.

Do they have a ‘contagion’ effect? Yes. I believe they do – but they need the right link to Fleming, not just ‘any’ link.

Happy hunting!