Trapping Booklets

Of all the trapping booklets out there I know some have more value then others. How can a person know if they are older or republished books more recently??

If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

I pick up a few now and then but just don't know if some I see are original publications or if somebody is reproducing them just like everything else. Is there a way to tell I guess is what I am wondering. Somebody on here should have a idea.?.?

You are experiencing what I experience on this forum when I ask a question about trapping paper, it seems no one wants to answer sometimes. I do not have the answer for you. I found it depends on what the book/booklet is. Sometimes it is easy as it may say if it is a first edition or printing and if not it gives the edition or printing number. If the document can be seen lots of times you can tell if it is a reproduction by the quality of the paper and if it appears aged or not. In most cases if it is a reproduction it will tell you so.

When i decided to sell my collection, it was mostly gone in 2 days ( i held back a shelf of favorites). I thought I had collected every trapping book that was available; it was quite extensive including magazines like FFG HTT Fur News, old Trappers World. Every piece I sold I had read. The education comes from the reading and the ads. The ads always listed lessons for sale etc. The common stuff will always be available; the problem is most do not not want to read anymore as: CD's, tapes, you tube the web has made it easier; the problem with that is most of it is all rehash. How many ways to make a pocket set or dirt hole. Collecting paper is like coin collecting, rarity, pedigree, type, condition and popularity. Whats hot and whats not. Spends some time looking for the more difficult stuff and you will get an education. If you want a challenge try to find Ray Blacks Evolution of a Beaver Trapper, E.F. Keith's Fox Trapping or Roy Kuykedals (spelling) Fur Harvester (coyote book), read the old magazines and find out when private lessons and methods were offered. Names like E Krepps, E N Woodcock, see E J Dailey as a skunk trapper and read about the wilderness with Raymond Thompson and Neil Lindsey. As far as price goes that depends on what the market will bear, e bay is a guide line just as the trapper shed is on the site. Don;t try to sell coyote material to a muskrat trapper. I now have more paper than when I started and i seem to sell material at the shows I attend and do a far amount of phone sales from people that are looking. Rule of thumb 3 to 5 on common paperbacks. Rae stuff another ball game. MAGS 50 cents to 35 dollars. Dont forget that some mags are favored due to the articles and authors.

One other item, as you handle old paper you will notice a difference in the quality of the actual paper (smoothness, course, print quality, color, dye) these items in the arena of trapping material will not be faked as it is to expensive. We are not dealing in first edition copies of a Tale of Two Cites. It would cost a lot of money to fake a first edition Harding Book based on paper, binding and print. We do not even bind books they way they did back in the 20's and 30's.. Anyway enjoy your hobby, get a copy of the Wilderness Trapper by Ray Thompson, or The River Trapper by Walter Chancellor or my favorite "50 years a Hunter Trapper" by Woodcock: and may your traps be full and yur dreams full of adventure.

This is the info I was looking for. Thanks a lot Nittany Lion and henpecked1 for your time. Right now I am getting started on some booklets and some literature. Its all enjoyable.

Backroadsearcher, please read.

Here is some additional insight that may help you. There is a difference between being a collector and a dealer, though both can be the same. To get the most enjoyment collect what you like. I started by wanting to read everything, with the goal of determining who came first and who built on their shoulders. Sometimes you will find the same story by 2 different authors, same goes for a method, next thing you find is that they were partners at one time or had a student mentor relationship. I found where OL Butcher and J Thorpe had some very similar language, methods and stories in the same time frame. Just as E F Keith and Pete Rickard were partners at one time. Raymond Spears was a great writer but then you learn he was an arm chair quarter back: but he still motivated many trappers and promoted the industry. You will find what makes a great trapper does not always make a good family man. Then you start to meet people and hear stories, good and bad, about outlaws, drunks and thieves while others paint a salt of the earth picture and life time friendships. A friend of mine knew Bill Nelson, but he was also was an O'Gorman student, I never knew this till I got a copy of one of Craig’s very first calaloges/folder that showed his smiling face under instructions. Those lessons explained his huge fox catches back in the mid 70’s in NY State. You will learn of rumors, stories, and lost knowledge. My dad had some french canadian iron workers from Tupper Lake over for a BBQ back in the 60's that knew E J Dailey: they did not have a good word to say about him: but when everyone is in a bottle who are they to judge. Find your own truth.

As far as rarity and collectible material,l you can never go wrong with by what was hot, what is hot and what will be hot. Start here.
1) All early O Gorman Material and any trappers he ever referenced
2) All early Carmen Material
3) John Ehn
4) James Mast
5) Gerold Weiland
6) EF Keith
7) Eckart
8) Ray Black
9) Roy Kuckeydal (spelling)
10) Hardback Harding books
11) 20’s and 30’s FFG
12) Early Trappers World from the 40’s
13) 20’s and 30’s FFG, HTT and Fur News/Outdoor Worls
14) First 10 years of HTT
15) I would look for early years VHS tapes, they were expensive back then and not many sold. LI have a copy of J Thorpes Mink Come (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) or High Water, very hard to come by
16) Lynch, Arnold, Cronk, Thompson, Nelson Lenon Griggs.............the list goes on.

Study the old material and look for articles in The Trapper from the 70’s, probably the easiest place to start.

I will list some other books later.

There seems to be alot more material coming on market, as we older collectors pass on and liquidate, a great time to be a collector.

Enjoy
v/r Jim

Backroadsearcher

To get you started try this punch list of collectibles

F.Q. Bunch Folder Mink & Raccoon trapping: his K-9 material is common but the water trapping material is harder to come by
V.E. Lynch 1928 Lynches Scientific Methods of Trapping (paper back, a lot of this material went into “Trails to Successful Trapping” Harding book
O.L. Butchers Trappers Guide, first couple of editions were of a fine paper like a magazine paper, the later versions the paper was rough and cheap.
Hawbaker’s Trapping North American Furbearers, the first 5 editions are slightly different than later editions, better paper better covers, the newer stuff is very common. His first book, which I have only seen one copy of was Trapping and Trailing: there were 3 books out, one each by Dailey, Butcher and Hawbaker, all three has similar titles, The Trapline and The Trail, Traplines and Trails and Trapline and Trailing, all 3 books evolved into three other books, The Trappers Partner, The Trappers Guide and T.N.A.F.B.: find some copes and review them.
1980’S Muskrat Harvesting Methods, author was from Utah, only ever seen two copies of this book
Furbearers and Their Glands by Glen Hanson
School Boy Trapper by Pat Sedlak, harder to find than you may think and the hardcover version is very difficult to find
The Eliminator Mink System by Johnny Thorpe 1985 7 pages one staple great drawings, not many out there
Real Indian Trapping Methods by Bob Hoffman 12 pagers 11 by 17 paper, mimeo graphed with hand drawings
Wolfer Man Craig O’ Gorman I think less than 1000 printed
The O’Gorman Style of Predator Trapping Craig O. I think less than 2,000 printed (I have owned 2 copies)
All of his early printed updates, probably less than 1000 printed
All O’Gorman material is collectible and it’s hard to find used copies
J.C Griggs Essence of Mink Trapping and Dry Sets for Mink: both are hard to find, his other books are more common
EF Keith Fox Book very rare
Eckert’s Fox Trapping very rare
Pete Rickards Fox Trapping (white pamphlet 4 pages) not the reprint wich is common
All Harding Hard Covered Books in good shape in particular The River Trapper (Chancellor) The Wilderness Trapper (Thompson), The Trapline and The Trail ( EJ Dailey), 50 Years a Hunter Trapper (Woodcock) and Steel Traps: all in hard cover.
All John Ehn material
All Bill Nelson Material
All Lennon Material
Any folder methods that were sent out by lure mfg of the 40’s thru the 60’s when you bought lure, most of this stuff was thrown away or was destroyed.
Original James Mast Material.
Early Arnold, Cronk and Lynch

There is other areas like folders and catalogues like Colvin, Judkins, Walker, (50’s and 60’s era)

There is alot more but this should help you some.

I will also post a list of material that seems to move every time I make it available.

Books that always seem to sell and have potential as collectibles


Predator Trapping Problems and Solutions
Bobcat Trapping Slim Pederson
Trapping with Wiley Carrol
Bobcat Trapping Mel Hersberger
Scientific Coyote Trapping Wiley Miles (the Miles Trigger explained)
Muskrat Trappers Guide Ricketts
Bobcat Trappers Guide Ricketts (great telemetry information)
Chronicles of a Long Liner Jepson
The Legendary Fox Rickard
Smtty’s Johnny Thorpe interview
55 Years of Trapping Adventure Morris Fenner
On The Line with Charlie Dobbins
50 A TRAPPER AND TREASURE HUNTER Thorpe
83 Years on the Trapline Ed Phetteplace
Neson System of Water Trapping
Seasonal Pro Lapinski
All O’ Gorman material

Enjoy your hobbies

Any information on either of thees would be appreciated. both are Old. If i remember correctly early 20s or 1918 ish.

I will check some old HTT and see what comes up.

Horn,
Please check out these links on Furbearing Animal Book, you might be impressed with what you have. I found one of their envelopes on ebay for $40.00. So you might have a real early GEM in your your collection, as far as who authored it that pretty early material; famous trappers back then were dfficult to determine.



http://worldcat.org/identities/nc-mcmillan%20fur%20&%20wool%20co%20minneapolis%20minn/

https://www.worldcat.org/title/pamphlets-relating-to-the-fur-trade-1923/oclc/465219109
https://www.google.com/search?q=mcmillan+fur+%26+wool+co+minneapolis&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS821US821&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=cXYUGVIh-ifMaM%253A%252C5OiruF-h-eDoEM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kRnXkKVUafOM0ed5LzzIGfN8BVL5w&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiq2LKWu8biAhUEVd8KHQqEDo4Q9QEwA3oECAYQBA#imgrc=6gLkhu-sHb39lM:&vet=1


https://www.google.com/search?q=mcmillan+fur+%26+wool+co+minneapolis&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS821US821&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=cXYUGVIh-ifMaM%253A%252C5OiruF-h-eDoEM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kRnXkKVUafOM0ed5LzzIGfN8BVL5w&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiq2LKWu8biAhUEVd8KHQqEDo4Q9QEwA3oECAYQBA#imgrc=uMT31BKEqsH2VM:&vet=1

https://www.google.com/search?q=mcmillan+fur+%26+wool+co+minneapolis&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS821US821&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=cXYUGVIh-ifMaM%253A%252C5OiruF-h-eDoEM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kRnXkKVUafOM0ed5LzzIGfN8BVL5w&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiq2LKWu8biAhUEVd8KHQqEDo4Q9QEwA3oECAYQBA#imgrc=oca-4ZSuP-m1YM:&vet=1

https://www.google.com/search?q=mcmillan+fur+%26+wool+co+minneapolis&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS821US821&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=cXYUGVIh-ifMaM%253A%252C5OiruF-h-eDoEM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kRnXkKVUafOM0ed5LzzIGfN8BVL5w&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiq2LKWu8biAhUEVd8KHQqEDo4Q9QEwA3oECAYQBA#imgrc=VqgMM3eHsJuchM:&vet=1

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323820385059

https://picclick.com/McMILLAN-FUR-AND-WOOL-Fur-Envelope-323426634901.html


https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085488/1900-07-07/ed-1/seq-5.pdf

https://books.google.com/books?id=-5mEAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA98&lpg=PA98&dq=mcmillan+fur+%26+wool+co+minneapolis&source=bl&ots=4Gutzl24H4&sig=ACfU3U0ReChisPj70SSnsWs72ZP_Drdg9A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiq2LKWu8biAhUEVd8KHQqEDo4Q6AEwDHoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=mcmillan%20fur%20%26%20wool%20co%20minneapolis&f=false

Thanks

Thank you for posting Henpecked, good stuff.

Nittany,
Thanks for the comment, the old material along with us older trappers still have a lot to offer. At least we can document it the best we can and keep the hobby alive. As far a s George I Fox, I thought that would be easier but instead it seem harder, Fox was still around in the mid 80's as we use to take coon directly into the fur district of NY City and sell in person. I think Fox was merged into another furrier maybe thats why its hard to track. Any will keep digging. One other item I scored an O Gorman Wyoming XX Big Iron over the weekend. Nice trap. Jim

Nittany,
Thanks for the comment, the old material along with us older trappers still have a lot to offer. At least we can document it the best we can and keep the hobby alive. As far a s George I Fox, I thought that would be easier but instead it seem harder, Fox was still around in the mid 80's as we use to take coon directly into the fur district of NY City and sell in person. I think Fox was merged into another furrier maybe thats why its hard to track. Any will keep digging. One other item I scored an O Gorman Wyoming XX Big Iron over the weekend. Nice trap. Jim

https://books.google.com/books?id=3...eo.%20I.%20Fox%20fur%20buyer&f=false

GEO.I.FOX add best so far.

https://www.furfishgame.com/featured_articles/Archived/2013/2013-06/antique_traps_06-2013.php


The above link was written by Tom Parr, and well wort reading as a bench mark for classic trapping books. Note Hawbaker's book is quite rare due to limited copies produced. Thanks to Tom Parr and Fur Fish Game for the link and article.

Henpecked, Thanks again, I saw another add in that link that is very interesting to me.

Willard furs, Marshalltown Iowa.

I have seen a few pieces form them but have not been fast enough to aquire them, I grew up 3 blocks from the location in the add which is also the current location. They no longer buy and tan fur but are a fashion store, I am not sure about the haberdashery.

If anyone had a piece from Willards that they are wanting to part with please contact me.

BTW the Fox book is copyright 1916.

The McMillan is 1918

I will keep mu eyes open, its been educational for all.

You mention Ray Blacks Evolution of a Beaver trapper,,,I have some where a set of methods from Ray black but I am pretty sure the title was The Education of a Beaver Trapper,,,did he sell a set of methods under that name,,,I can’t seem to find it right now but as I remember it,,it consisted of several mimeographed 8 1/2 X 11 pages ,,,it cost as I remember $10

Paul B, : Rays Book was white with a cover picture of him on the front with a couple of beaver and stacks of hides and a couple of beavers on the boards, the ads in FFG were Ray Black Education of a Beaver Trapper; maybe his early methods were mimeographed papers. The cost was a little pricey for in the 60's but there was not much beaver trapping material at the time and the 330 had just come out. Thanks for the input and yes it was Education not Evolution, my bad (oh Freud !!!) Thanks again Jim.

What I have are the mimeographed sheets,,,if and when I find it I will post a picture,,the cost as I remember was $10. And I think it was the early 60’s

PaulB, I would love to see it, I think other readers would like to see it also.

Thanks

I suspect all these are reprints, correct me if I'm wrong.

https://sterlingfur.com/books-dvds/?sort=featured&page=1

You've given us a link to Sterling's entire book inventory. I serious doubt all of them are reprints. Some of the newer titles may be on their second or third printing, but that hardly makes them reprints.

I believe all of the OL Butcher books ( for example) are reprints due to the fact you can order as many as you want and the price is very low.

The reprints have different paper. You can also look at the staples.

any info on a small magazine The Pennsylvania Trapper put out by Gard Stephens Curwensville Pa in 1935,How many issues or how long it was printed? thanks

Wow, Nittny Lion may be able to help on the PA stuff.

i found the set of methods i told you about it consists of 8 mimiographed pages, counting the cover page,,it is so faded i am not sure it will photo but i am trying,,,it is pretty fuzzzy but you might be able to make it out

Wow, thats pretty cool, you are very lucky to have that. Great share.

Sorry, I don't know anything about that one.

A lot of great information here from one paper collector to another

Can anyone add anything about these two booklets I found yesterday? Not sure what I want to do with them just yet.

Hawbakers Holy Grail. Looks like a real nice one too

It is a nice one traphound, it was a long and expensive search find it. The next four, all from Greencastle.

they all look to be in great shape, the 42-43 has eluded me also,very nice set