Books in a box
Hello Tribers! Here we are with a brand new corner devoted to collecting here on MadonnaTribe.com.
My name is Mario and I’ve been collecting Madonna items for a long time. I collect most anything, from vinyl records, cd and books to promotional items and rare and weird stuff and I’ll be sharing (twice a week) stories about items in my collection, info on their release and sometimes the strage ways I had to go through to get them. I hope this will be a nice walk down memory lane through
“Madonna eras” that MadonnaTribe readers will enjoy.
When it comes to the Madonna children books, aside from the books individually autographed by Madonna at
promotional events, the ultimate collector’s items are the two limited edition box sets respectively
released by Bergdorf Goodmanin 2005 and by Amazon.com in 2006.
In 2005 Callaway Editions prepares a limited edition of 1000 pieces for Bergdorf-Goodman’s of the ultimate
edition of Madonna’s children books including dustjacket first editions of all Madonna’s original
five stories: “The English Roses”, “Mr. Peabody’s Apples”, “Yakov and the Seven Thieves”, “The Adventures of Abdi”
and “Lotsa de Casha”.
The box cover, individually numbered, bears Madonna’s portrait by Jeffrey Fulvimari on it while her portrait by artist Loren Long
illustrator of “Mr. Peabody’s Apples” is presented as a signed Giclee digital print laid into a folder that
also contains the piece of resistance of this package, a hand signed letter from Madonna herself!
As you know Madonna was really into the children books project, she was so into it that she personally signed ALL the 1000 letters of this limited edition. The signatures on this edition are over all quite good ones, some are better than others but one can easily read her name.
A year later, when the sequel to successful English Roses box comes out, Callaway puts together a second boxed set to promote the release of the English Roses Too Good To Be True and it’s exclusive to online retailer Amazon.com. Similar in shape to the previous one, this time the box is pink coloured and features three of the English Roses girls on the cover which is individually numbered on the inner side. This time the box is limited to 1500 copies worldwide.
The real treats are a Giclee digital print on Somerset fine-milled paper singed by book illustrator Stacy Peterson and again a ‘Personally Autographed letter from Madonna’.
This time Madonna appeared to be more in a rush while signing these letters as what you get is more a scribble than a propper signature, still, it’s an amazing one of a kind collectable, as you are certain that that piece of paper has been indeed touched by the hands of the only and only Queen Of Pop!
This box was originally sold by Amazon at around $130, then for a limited time the price dropped it was sold at the promotional price of $40!!!! I got my first box at full price, cause I had to have it!! then when the price dropped I got another 3 copies and 3 more Madonna scribbles!!!
Both boxes are now being sold at big prices on the secondary market. The more expensive is of course the first blue one, as it was more limited and basically only US customers had main access to it.
Ok, Tribers, see next Saturday
xx
Mario