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updated February 6, 2010

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Gold Medal Books From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gold Medal Books, launched by Fawcett Publications in 1950, is a U.S. book publisher known for introducing paperback originals, a publishing innovation at the time. Fawcett was also an independent newsstand distributor, and in 1949 the company negotiated a contract with New American Library to distribute their Mentor and Signet titles. This contract prohibited Fawcett from publishing their own paperback reprints.[citation needed] Roscoe Kent Fawcett wanted to establish a line of Fawcett paperbacks, and he felt original paperbacks would not be a violation of the contract. In order to test a loophole in the contract, Fawcett published two anthologies -- The Best of True Magazine and What Today's Woman Should Know About Marriage and Sex -- reprinting material from Fawcett magazines not previously published in books. When these books successfully sailed through the contract loophole, Fawcett announced Gold Medal Books, their line of paperback originals.[citation needed] It was a revolutionary turning point in paperback publishing. William Lengel was the Gold Medal editor, and the art director was Al Allard, who had been employed with Fawcett since 1928.[citation needed] Beginning their numbering system at 101, Gold Medal got underway with Alan Hynd's We Are the Public Enemies, the anthology Man Story and The Persian Cat by John Flagg. Writing about the demise of pulp magazines in The Dime Detectives, Ron Goulart observed, "Fawcett dealt another blow to the pulps when, in 1950, it introduced its Gold Medal line. What Gold Medal specialized in was original novels. Some were merely sleazy, but others were in a tough, hard-boiled style that seemed somehow more knowing and more contemporary than that of the surviving pulps. Early Gold Medal authors included John D. MacDonald, Charles Williams, and Richard S. Prather." Other 1950 Gold Medal originals included the Western Stretch Dawson by William R. Burnett, the first lesbian pulp novel Women's Barracks by Tereska Torres (later to be followed by Marijane Meaker's Spring Fire and Ann Bannon's Beebo Brinker Chronicles) and mystery-adventure novels -- Nude in Mink by Sax Rohmer and I'll Find You by Richard Himmel. After Donald E. Keyhoe's article "Flying Saucers Are Real" in True (January 1950) created a sold-out sensation, with True going back to press for another print run, Keyhoe expanded the article into a top-selling paperback, The Flying Saucers Are Real, published by Fawcett that same year. Fawcett editor Ralph Daigh commented, "In the past six months we have produced 9,020,645 books, and people seem to like them very well." However, hardcover publishers resented Roscoe Fawcett's innovation, as evidenced by Doubleday's LeBaron R. Barker, who claimed that paperback originals could "undermine the whole structure of publishing." With an increase from 35 titles in 1950 to 66 titles in 1951, Gold Medal's obvious success in issuing paperback originals revolutionized the industry. While MacDonald, Williams, Prather, Louis L'Amour, Richard Matheson, Bruno Fischer, and MacKinlay Kantor were joining Gold Medal's roster of writers, other paperback publishers were soon asking agents for original manuscripts. Literary agent Donald MacCampbell stated that one publisher "threatened to boycott my agency if it continued to negotiate contracts with original 25-cent firms."


All scans are of the actual book, not a stock photo
GOLD MEDAL press here for an order sheet that you may print out 

#123  HOUSE OF FLESH   Bruno Fischer  1st printing 1950  ................  Fine         5.00
#127  CASE OF THE VANISHING BEAUTY  Richard S Prather  1st edition 1950    VG           4.00
#136  SAVAGE BRIDE   Cornell Woolrich  1st printing 1950  rare...........  Fine        30.00
#138  STOLEN WOMAN  Wade Miller  1st edition 1950  ......................  Fine         7.50
#142  JEWEL OF THE JAVA SEA   Dan Cushman  1st printing 1951  ...........  Fine         5.00
GOLD MEDAL press here for an order sheet that you may print out 

#152  THE KILLER  Wade Miller  1st edition 1951  ........................  Fine        12.00
#172  LOST LADY  Octavius Roy Cohen  1st edition 1951  ..................  Fine        15.00
#173  THE TIGER'S WIFE  Wade Miller  1st edition 1951  ..................  Fine         4.50
GOLD MEDAL press here for an order sheet that you may print out 

#186  JUDGE ME NOT   John D MacDonald  1st edition 1951  (sharp) ........  Fine        75.00
#200  WEEP FOR ME   John D MacDonald  1st edition 1951   ................  Fine       125.00
#209  FOOLS WALK IN   Bruno Fischer 1st edition 1951   ..................  Fine        12.00
GOLD MEDAL press here for an order sheet that you may print out 

#257  BRANDED WOMAN  Wade Miller  1st edition 1952  .....................  Fine         5.00
#270  THE FAST BUCK   Bruno Fischer  1st edition 1952  ..................  Fine         4.00
#274  BEYOND DESIRE   Richard Himmel  1st edition 1952   ................  Very Good    8.00
GOLD MEDAL press here for an order sheet that you may print out 

#356  PARADISE MOTEL   Jack Sheridan  1st printing 1953  ................  VG           4.00
#389  RETREAT INTO NIGHT  Richard Glendinning  1st edition 1954            Fine        12.00
#399  A WOMAN FOR HENRY   Allen O'Quinn  1st edition 1954  ..............  Fine         5.00
#400  LUCINDA   Howard Rigsby  1st edition 1954   .......................  Fine         8.50
#415  RUNAWAY BLACK   Richard Marsten 1st edition 1954   ................  Fine        50.00
GOLD MEDAL press here for an order sheet that you may print out 

#437  SO WICKED MY LOVE   Bruno Fischer  1st printing 1954  .............  Fine         6.00
#438  WOMAN OF KALI  Gardner F Fox  1st edition 1954   ..................  Fine         6.00
#499  BLOOD ALLEY     A S Fleischmann  1st edition 1955   ...............  Fine         8.50
#508  STRIP FOR MURDER   Richard S Prather 1st edition 1955   ...........  Fine         7.50
GOLD MEDAL press here for an order sheet that you may print out 

#669  SO YOUNG, SO WICKED  Jonathan Craig  1st edition 1957   ...........  Fine         4.00
#678  IT'S MY FUNERAL   Peter Rabe  1st printing 1957  ..................  Fine        12.00
#691  FIRE IN THE FLESH  David Goodis  1st edition 1957  ................  Fine        55.00
#694  MURDER IN THE RAW   Bruno Fischer  1st edition 1957  ..............  Fine         6.00
#695  LOVELY AND LETHAL   Frank Castle  1st edition 1957   ..............  Fine         5.00
GOLD MEDAL press here for an order sheet that you may print out 

s801  THE MAN WHO SAID NO   Walt Grove  3rd printing 1958  ..............  Fine         3.00
s825  BLOOD ON THE DESERT  Peter Rabe  1st edition 1958  ................  Fine         8.00
s845  KITTEN WITH A WHIP  Wade Miller  1st edition 1959  ................  Fine        35.00
#872  CASE OF THE NERVOUS NUDE   Jonathan Craig  1st edition 1959  ......  Fine         7.50
#928  SECOND-HAND NUDE   Bruno Fischer  1st edition 1959   ..............  Fine         8.50
#960  THE EXTORTIONERS   Ovid Demaris 1st edition 1960   ................  Fine         4.50
GOLD MEDAL press here for an order sheet that you may print out 

s1040 ALWAYS LEAVE 'EM DYING  Richard S Prather 7th printing 1963  ......  Fine         2.00
#1043 THE STAR TRAP  Robert Colby  1st edition 1960   ...................  Fine         6.00
#1045 THE TURNCOAT  Hal G Evarts  1st edition 1960  .....................  Fine         7.50
s1046 THE COMFORTABLE COFFIN   Richard S Prather  ........... ...........  Fine         3.00
s1077 THE SLAVERS   Richard Telfair  1st edition 1961   .................  Fine         4.00
k1277 THE PEDDLER   Richard S Prather 1st edition 1963   ................  Fine         2.00
Are you looking for a Collectible Paperback Price Guide?

I have written a review of what I consider to be the most up to date and perhaps the best Collectible Price Guide ever printed. Read my review of this great paperback book now!

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COLLECTIBLES
FOR SALE
PLASTIC BAGS ARE BACK!
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    • PULP MAGAZINES
    Titles starting with letters:
  • A
  • B thru H
  • I thru R
  • S thru Z
    • PAPERBACK BOOKS
    SF and Fantasy books are listed by author.
    Ace Doubles listed by book number.
    NEW!!
    RARE PAPERBACK BOOKS
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  • Rare Paperbacks
    • SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY HARDCOVER BOOKS
    Authors starting with letters:
  • Science Fiction Bookclubs
    • Pulp Magazine Cover scans
    Over 5000 Hi-definition Pulp Magazine Cover scans
    are available on CD-rom or DVD
    The largest collection of hi-definition scans available anywhere. Buy this collection and see it all at once, or view it on this page- it will only take 15 years to see it all!
    POSTERS!!
    Beautiful hi-gloss pulp magazine cover posters
    suitable for framing- you will be proud to display these
    REFERENCE MATERIAL
    Here are some reference guides to help you understand and appreciate the Science Fiction world of books and pulps better

    PULP ARTICLES
    How to Collect Pulp Magazines
    Read Here
    Useful information if you are considering starting a collection
    Worlds Best Pulp Magazine Priceguide
    Read Here
    The bible of pulp magazine priceguides. Place a value on most any pulp, no matter how obscure
    Grading Pulp Magazines
    Read Here
    Accurate grading is essential in pricing Pulp Magazines
    Travels in Search of the Elusive Pulp Magazine
    Read Here
    A series of articles about traveling around the country in search of Pulp Magazine collections- the weird characters, the strange collections the odd homes and locales
    What will be the Treasured Collectibles of the Future
    Read Here
    to find which items lying about today may become the valuable collectibles of the future

    PAPERBACK ARTICLES
    Read our standards on
    PAPERBACK GRADING

    Read a useful article on
    COLLECTING PAPERBACKS
    to see what a pro thinks about the subject.

    Looking For a Great
    PAPERBACK PRICE GUIDE?
    Read a review of what I consider to be the most up to date and perhaps the best Collectible Price Guide ever printed.

    INTERESTING LINKS
    Visit our companion page
    Pulp Magazine Cover of the Day

    to view the daily updated Pulp Magazine Cover. You can purchase the CD or DVD above and enjoy all 5500 pulpcovers in high resolution glory, or you can see then in low resolution one at a time over the next 15 years!
    Here are links to previous Pulp Magazine of the Day Covers

    Visit our companian Paperback Cover page
    Slightly Sleazy Vintage Paperbacks

    to find a daily pulpish paperback cover from my collection
    SCIENCE FICTION DVD's
    Here I list my selection for the 10 most underrated Science Fiction Movies of all Time. Do you agree? Use the email link at the bottom of the page to add your favorites.

    Hangman