I could use some hgelp please! I have the edition marked 2, published in 1993 for cards 1930-1960. I was looking to get additionla of Mr. Benjamin's guides. Which is best to purchase. I see the first was published in 1981. Is that the best. I see another in 1983 and still one mor ein 1988?

I don't want to duplicate coverage here andit's difficult to see in the earlier bversions which periods are covered.
thanks!

I just read my initial post. It seems I need spell check and less urgency in writing!! Anyway, I hope you can understand my questions.

I think the red one -- #4 is the most recent. It was the one I used most frequently. I probably have an extra copy of it -- if you'd like to trade for one drop me a line.

Good luck.

Jon

The red one #4 (copyright 1992, ISBN 0-937424-57-9) is the latest edition for cards issued after 1960.

The white one lakewoods9 was referring to is the latest edition for cards from 1930 to 1960. It's copyright 1993 and ISBN 0-937424-66-8.

The first two editions of the Non-Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non-Sports Cards (1981/Orange and 1983/Blue Number 2) covered cards from the 1880s to the publication year. The "third" edition in 1987 (Green) was marked "Number 3 Part 2" and covers only cards from 1961-1987. No book for earlier cards was issued until the first edition for 1930-1960 (1991/Orange), I guess because the older cards hadn't been changing very much. Pretty clearly the book was going to have to split if it kept expanding.

All but the final volumes for 1961-up and 1930-1960 are co-authored by Christopher Benjamin and Dennis Eckes, while the final ones list only Chris as the author. I guess the latest Benjamin/Eckes volume dealing with cards issued before 1930 was the 1983 "Blue" edition.

As far as information content, the 1992 "Number 4" was a huge expansion. Page counts are as follows:
.. 1981 (1880s-1981) 316
.. 1983 (1880s-1983, Number 2) 344
.. 1987 (1961-1987, Number 3 Part 2) 416
.. 1992 (1961-1992, Number 4) 720
.. 1991 (1930-1960) 408
.. 1993 (1930-1960, "2" in oval) 448

So the 1992 Red edition is definitely "the best to purchase" for the 1960s and onward. But it does not overlap with the 1993 White edition and neither one covers the sets released before 1930, which I believe was a project that was ongoing during the early 1990s, perhaps interrupted because there was a little magazine to bring out at that time.

Incidentally, all of the *sports* -card entries for the Sport Americana Price Guides were authored or co-authored by Jim Beckett, and his name ended up taking over marquee space for the book titles.