How do I Find
Jack W. Thomas?
The most frequent question I am asked is, "How can I get my hands on a Jack W. Thomas novel?" Well, his books can be elusive and extremely expensive if you don't look in the right places.
First things first, you should never pay more than $5.00 for any mass-market paperback written after 1965. There are exceptions to this rule but for the most part, unless it's a renowned author writing under a pen name, $1.50 to $3.00 should cover the cost of any used 41/4" x 7" paperbound tome you happen across. Mass-market paperbacks are printed in exceedingly high volume and are designed to completely saturate all outlets from mall booksellers to mom and pop country grocers.
Jack W. Thomas books are no exception to the rule. Now, a few critics might argue, "Hey, it's got a James Bama cover - it's gotta be worth at least a Benjamin - plus, there were no malls back when Thomas' books were being published!" Well, if you come across an original James Bama oil painting and the price is less than a showroom Lexus, I say it would probably be a good investment but if you come across a sixth printing of Turn Me On with the James Bama cover (the only way it was ever published) and you pay more than $10, I may have some swamp land you'd be interested in. There may have been fewer malls back when Jack W. Thomas' books were being eagerly read, but the number of supermarkets and little corner stores far surpassed the total of now existing malls.
Unfortunately, any bumpkin with Internet access can unknowingly or misleadingly blast the value of our pop media history through the ceiling. Now, regularly unemployed cousin Billy Bob is making large profits by selling our grandfather's Zane Grey collection on Ebay. There's a saying amongst collectors, "An item's value equals any amount a consumer is willing to pay for it." Not true! Just because some fool, with too much money on his/her hands, spent ten times the value of an item does not dictate that item's worth.
On the Internet you can buy Jack W. Thomas books any where from $4.00 to $98.00 with the average price for any single edition hanging around $25. Though I love all Thomas' books, twenty-five dollars is an insane price to pay for any of them.
Average Internet Seller's price:
Turn
Me On = $35
(range: $12 - $98)
Reds
= $22 (range: $12 - $29)
The
Bikers = $10 (range: $4.40 - $27)
Girls
Farm = $45 (range: 4 @ $45)
The
Fear Dealers = $21 (range: $20 - $22.45)
Heavy
Number = $8 (range: $2.32 - $16)
High
School Pusher = $20 (range: 2 @ $20)
Burn
Out = $7 (range: $5.95 - $7.60)
Doing
It = $25 (range: 5 @ $25)
Head
On! = $6 (range: 1 @ $5.95)
Randy
= $30 (range: 1 @ $30)
The reason there is no structure to the above price list is that there isn't any. The Internet provides us with many ineffectual sellers making poor pricing judgments based on uneducated decisions. That's sad because it not only affects Jack W. Thomas collectors but every collector of pop culture. I've said it once and I'll say it again, "Do not pay more than $5.00 for any Jack W. Thomas novel." My entire collection was purchased for less than $20. How? Read on!
The best possible place to start or complete your Jack W. Thomas collection is by searching your local paperback book exchange. You know, the one located at the end of the dirt mall, the one run by the heavyset lady in the flower-patterned dress, the one that at first glance seems to only carry Harlequin and Danielle Steele. Yep, that's your goldmine. Now, the proprietor will probably look at you slack-jawed after you ask her where she shelves her Jack W. Thomas novels. She'll ask you, "What's he write?" Now, it's your turn to stand there slack-jawed. "How do I describe Thomas' books?" your mind will ponder as you search for a reasonable rejoinder, "General Fiction? Mystery? Young Adult?" It's best to not ask. More than once I have ended up on the receiving end of a lot of huffing and puffing after following a plump manager through endless sections of towering piles of disheveled books.
Take your time. If you can afford it, make a day of it. Write down all of the addresses of your local paperback book exchanges and have an adventure. Check each section carefully. Unbelievably, I've found Thomas' books in a Sci-Fi section before. Another tip: do not call the store. Many times I have unearthed a Jack Thomas book at a store that claimed they had none - these stores generally do not have their inventory computerized and they will do the minimum of searching. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.
Happy hunting!