In 1988 Leon Lyons published a book called "Helmets of the Deep." I was an impressive book, coffee table size and about 1 & 1/2 inches thick. It is the content and the color pictures that made the book so desirable. A helmet on every page and the description was either in English, German or French.
The cost: $300.00 for the cloth bound with a dust jacket of which 900 were printed and $500.00 for the leather bound edition which 100 were printed.
As can be imagined these books have become very desireable collectors items in a very short time. Several were recently sold on E bay...
Examples:
October 3, 2006
#850-Presentation edition ---$3301.99
October 3, 2006
# not known-Presentation over run---$3750.00
October 11, 2006
#11-cloth bound---$4614.69
October 20,2006
#30-Leather bound- inscribed by Leon Lyons to J.Haliczen
sold for $5,747.99
Remember these books originally sold for $300.00 or $500.00--in 1988.
Yes I have a copy of Helmets of the deep.
#500 of 1000 books, a presentation edition, enscribed by Leon to me on 8-22-95, in two rather lenthly paragraphs.
In adition I knew all the living west coast helmet makers, Ratlief, Morgan, Kirby etc, so they also signed my book over their products.
I was also at that time a member of the founding Board of Directors of the HDS, so every member of the HDS BOD also enscribed my book.
It is a remarkable document and certainly one of a kind..
Is it for sale?--No but I suspect that some day it be sold and the proceeds will put my grand daugher through a year or two of college...
SO, there is money in good used books.
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