Posted by John Wilson on August 26, 2000 at 14:54:12 from wn-d182.actrix.co.nz:
Several contemporary English reviews give the original prices of the S&A books as 7s. 6d. ie 7/6! This was the original price of SA; did it last to GN? When did the price go up? I have looked at several reviews giving this price from 1933 to 1940 (for WH, BS and SW). The reviews were all part of batches of childrens’ Christmas books, and tended to be brief as no doubt ARs books were well known by then. Most children’s books cost less eg 3s 6d, 5s or 6s etc, although many of them would be shorter books for younger children. Only one cost more (8s 6d).
There were some other authors remembered today eg Hugh Lofting (Dr. Dolittle), L.A.G. Strong and Geoffrey Trease. PS: do I need to translate the price of 7s. 6d. (seven shillings and six pence) for Yankees, southern gentlemen and Canadians? A recent book here in New Zealand has gone from $49 to $59 (approx) in less than a year; the biography of author Janet Frame.