Hey everyone,
I feel a little out of place here as a copywriter, but I’m looking for some advice on buying a gift for my boyfriend, an art director. I know the 1912 and 1923 versions of the American Specimen Book of Type Styles are the real deal, the bibles of old font reference books. I’m just not sure I can swing $250-400 like I’m finding online. I’m keeping an eye on ebay, but I’m not sure if anything will get posted for a reasonable price.

I found someone selling both the 1934 and 1941 versions, each about 200 pages, and I was thinking about buying both. Does anyone know, (1) Are these two books different enough from each other to make them worth having both? And (2) Are these two books even remotely comparable to the real things (the 1912 and 1923 versions)? I don’t want to buy something that’s not cool and useful to a designer.

Sorry to interrupt your forum with my copywriter’s naivety. Thanks in advance for any help.

- L