Overview
This is an early 1920s edition of Edison Marshall's wilderness adventure novel 'Shepherds of the Wild', featuring its original illustrated cloth binding.
Identification
Edison Marshall, 'Shepherds of the Wild' (A. L. Burt Reprint Edition, c.1922)
Photo reference
3 uploaded photos
Story
Edison Marshall was a prolific American author known for his wilderness and adventure novels in the early to mid-20th century. The A. L. Burt Company was a major New York reprint house that specialized in acquiring the rights to popular novels and issuing affordable, mass-market hardcover editions shortly after their initial publication. Early 20th-century reprint editions of adventure fiction, particularly those published by A. L. Burt or Grosset & Dunlap, are highly common on the secondary market.
Maker / Origin
Unattributed
Condition & Value
The item is described as retaining its original illustrated cloth binding and frontispiece. In this low-value tier, minor wear (such as bumped corners or slight fraying) is expected and already priced into the $8-$12 range. Severe defects like detached pages or a broken spine would render it largely unsellable online.
Full Research
See what it's actually worth.
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Market Analysis
Early 20th-century reprint editions of adventure fiction, particularly those published by A. L. Burt or Grosset & Dunlap, are highly common on the secondary market. They generally hold low individual value unless accompanied by a rare, well-preserved dust jacket. Buyers typically consist of casual readers, interior decorators looking for vintage cloth bindings, or niche collectors of specific authors, and inventory tends to move slowly.
Value Drivers
▲ Original illustrated cloth binding provides modest appeal for vintage book decorators
▲ Presence of the illustrated frontispiece ensures the volume is complete
▲ Identical market comps establish a firm, reliable floor around $8-$9
Concerns
▼ Absence of the original dust jacket removes the primary premium for collectors of 1920s fiction
▼ Mass-market reprint status (A. L. Burt) inherently caps the ceiling compared to a true first edition
▼ High shipping costs relative to the item's baseline value can deter online buyers
Best Venue
Given the low individual value ($8-$12), listing this as a single item online may not be cost-effective once shipping and fees are considered. The most practical approach is to bundle it with other vintage adventure novels or similar cloth-bound reprints to create a thematic 'decorator lot' for platforms like eBay or Etsy.
Upside Potential
There is virtually no upside above the $12-$15 mark for a reprint edition in this condition. If the original illustrated dust jacket were miraculously present and in excellent condition, the value could shift into the $30-$50 range for niche collectors.
▾Also found — market-range context
Related comps outside the valuation band· 1 comp
Surfaced during research but not used to anchor the valuation — wrong form, species, era, or no published price. Shown so the market range around this item is visible.
Also found — market-range context
Related comps outside the valuation band· 1 comp
- AbeBooks / Clausen BooksShepherds of the Wild by Marshall, Edison: Good Illustrated Cloth (1922) First EditionLink could not be verified.$9