A little later (1995) Collins had several of the now highly sought-after titles listed together in a flier. They had obviously quite a few left unsold. I decided I might as well buy four.

Apart from from Freshwater Fishes, they were not titles which had tempted me when first published - it was the listing of them together which eventually attracted me. Off went my cheque and order to Collins Glasgow wharehouse. Back came three books on trendy American management techniques! (I did however receive Fishes). I eventually got my money back, but did not dare re-order. This experience put me off Harper Collins for a long time and I had the impression that with the extremely intermittent publication of new NN titles there was not much interest in the series.

The big gaps in publication and the complete lack of contact with other NN buyers meant my interest dwindled. I had in any case only bought those books I was actively interested in. Lack of funds meant I had to be extremely selective right from the start with my first schoolboy purchases/presents, beginning in the early fifties. 

John B

Shouldn't this be "Grundian"?

JB

We too are suffering your kind of temperatures.

John B

Thanks Jackbus. On reflection, what I find remarkable is that the title I actually did get "Freshwater Fish" was still available from Collins in hardback three years after publication and when the run was only 1,500 copies. I had sold my paperback copy to a fisheries colleague and decided to treat myself to an upgrade. One must however bear in mind that this was  pre-Marren (pM).

John B

I do like these 'Bargain' stories so keep them coming please! Most of us must have a story or two??

Happy New Year............Lee.

 Building up your collection should be relaxing, not stressful. Just try for the ones which you're most interested in and are financially accessible. Otherwise it can become an obsession. When I started out, I didn't regard it as a "must have" series and couldn't have afforded even the limited number of titles coming out in the fifties. So I appreciate your dilemma.

The sixties output didn't appeal, and in any case I had to concentrate on completing my education. Fortunately, there were only three seventies volumes which attracted me - Man and Birds, Finches and Hedges, which I got in exchange for Inheritance. Like you, I had two small children by that time and one's priorities change. I did later buy Thrushes, Tits, Farming and Wildlife, Mammals in the British Isles and Waders, all of which I later sold or swapped after I'd read them.

The same went for the Bloomsbury editions of Birds of Prey, Woodland Birds and Butterflies, which I appreciated reading despite their lack of colour illustrations. My earlier posts tell of my early 90's acquisitions (or lack of them!). Then in 1995 came Peter Marren's landmark volume, The New Naturalists.

From there on, Collins ought to have realised what a free boost he had given them, but the later 90s' output was meagre and included titles with a relatively limited appeal such as Pollination and Plant Diseases. The only one I bought was Ireland having just been working there.

It was not until the year 2000 that the rejuvenation of the series finally took off with the publication of the excellent Lichens and Amphibians and Reptiles. From then on there have been at least two titles a year. 

I have been buying a selection of NNs for almost 60 years. You don't need to acquire every title. It can be quite satisfying not having some of them. Some of those I got rid of I got tired of seeing on my book shelves. Displaying jewels is a very personal thing.

John B