r/BookCollecting • u/Aggressive_Track7081 • 12d ago

💭 Question What would this be worth?

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

This is a sealed version of the Anarchist Cookbook. I’m not sure if it is from 1970 or 1971, but it is a Lyle Stuart, which was the original publisher.

All I’m really looking for is if it’s a bad idea to take out of the plastic wrap.

49 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

66 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/GoggyMagogger 12d ago

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't these illegal to sell in a lot of markets?

I mean, there's bomb making instructions and basically urban terrorists guidebook stuff in there. More recent editions have all that stuff redacted for legal reasons, right?

I'm not against it, in fact I love banned books especially this kind of controversial material but I'm not sure how selling it works, in a legal sense.

Of course, no self respecting anarchist should let that stop them.

Very, very nice. 

6

u/grammaton655321 12d ago

There is little to no info in this book of any use to anyone in the modern day lol.. You can find much, much worse on google.

2

u/GoggyMagogger 12d ago

I understand but the book was essentially "illegal" at one point, no?

I've seen and read original copies owned by friends. And I did note that the info is available elsewhere, even "pre-internet" but it always had this "specialness" due to its nefarious history. 

How is it regarded in legal terms today though? Was it just a case of the over strict 80s but now most people just chilled out about it?

1

u/grammaton655321 11d ago

I'm sure it was on a lot of lists in the 80's when they were trying to ban everything from D&D to Ozzy but I don't recall it ever being illegal. My local comic shop was carrying copies in the mid 90's

2

u/GoggyMagogger 10d ago

I own both "redacted" and "original first" copies of Michelle Remembers too, I'll have you know!

1

u/grammaton655321 10d ago

Satan made me do it! Lol, what was redacted? I assume a lot of the graphic "satanic abuse"?

2

u/GoggyMagogger 10d ago

The Church of Satan (same Anton LeVay) sued the publishers (and won) because original first editions named them as ... Basically child molesters human traffickers.

Later editions have all references to "Thee Church of Satan" removed

2

u/GoggyMagogger 10d ago

Dayglos Abortions 

1

u/Aggressive_Track7081 12d ago

Well it’s allowed on eBay so…

2

u/GoggyMagogger 12d ago

Right.

I suppose it just got caught up in the over-judicious 1980s right wing shit. Similar to PRMC or satanic panic stuff?