Mark Shapiro (Baum collector)

Mark Shapiro of Huntington Beach, California is one of the worlds largest collectors of L. Frank Baum memorabilia including over 330 first EDition and first state books. First state books are extremely rare for they are the first books off the press during a first edition press run and they are hard to find. A first state book is one that has mistakes before the printer notices them and then makes the changes thus making a first edition a second state.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, written in 1899, is on abebooks.com and bookfinder.com and is priced at $100,000 thus being one of the most valued books. L Frank Baum, the author, is acknowledged as one of Americas best children book authors having written well over 75 books , of which a total of 14 was written for the Oz series alone. Baum, born in 1856, didn't write the book until in his forties and he died in 1919 and is buried in forest lawn, glendale, California.

Shapiros collection has been featured in orange county reigster newspaper and thorughout the country and also his collection has been featured at Freemans Auction House in philadelphia and also in PBA galleries in San Francisco, two prestigious auction houses. He also has been a featured speaker to various groups and recently was the featured speaker on Oz materials at the 2007 College of Appraisers Collectors Conference IV, held in Los Angeles. There is countless wizard of oz clubs throughout America and the world and they meet regularly at various locations yearly.

Shapiros first find was at a flea market where he found a Wonderful Wizard of Oz book, first edtition, second state for fifty cents. The book now is worth over $35,000 being a second state.

His collection has also been featured in the Orange County Home Magazine which is the largest in the area with a paid circulation of over 85,000.

Various universities do have L. Frank Baum collections but none as extensive as Shapiros. www.gazette.com/display.php?id=1328243

www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/local/amread/article_1374714.php - 64k www.mctdirect.com/topics/topical_books.htm?s=krtbook%26page=2 - 46k