Luca Cena, an expert in ancient books active on social networks, explains to Fanpage.it why the first editions of Geronimo Stilton could become precious collectible readings.
Interview with Luca Cena
Book and creator
“The book that we have almost all read as children and that could become a collector’s piece is Geronimo Stilton“.” The reference is to the popular series of children’s books, in particular at the first edition of “The mystery of the emerald eye”, published by Dami Editore in 1997, and at the first volume of the series The steamboat of Piemme, “The mysterious manuscript of Nostropus”, released in 2000 These titles could buy value in the coming years.
In one of his content, dinner tells the origins of the famous journalist mouse born from the imagination of Elisabetta Dami. With Geronimo Stilton, the Milanese writer accompanied generations of children in adventures full of mysteries, words games (just mention Topazia or the echo of the rodent) and educational values. A long -lived and culturally significant series, which today also begins to affect collectors and bibliophiles. Fanpage.it He spoke of this trend directly with Luca Cena.
Will Geronimo Stilton have greater value in the coming years “only” for a personal issue or do other factors play?
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The question of the future value of Collectibles It is always delicate, it is not possible to predict quotations exactly but the two fundamental elements for the market are clear: rarity And Market Demand. The more rare and requested object, the greater its value. From this assumption it can therefore be assumed that a first edition over the years will become increasingly difficult to find due to the lesser quantity of specimens issued in the first press and the physiological disappearance or deterioration of some of them. But will the market demand increase?
Would you say yes?
Likely. There are at least three generations who met Geronimo Stilton During your childhood, it can therefore be assumed that many readers are willing to have the first edition in the future and consequently the price is probably destined to increase.
This is regarding the first Italian edition, right? Instead for the foreign ones?
The same is more or less valid, we consider that Stilton has had an incredible success also in the rest of the worldtranslated into almost 50 languages and distributed in 150 countries.
In your video relating to Geronimo Stilton, talk about two peculiarities such as the choice of two fonts and illustrations. Do these help to give value to the work?
These elements certainly contributed substantially to the initial success of the work and its diffusion between the public. Its value today is a consequence of that success.
At the time of the first publication, what were the turning point that sanctioned the success of Geronimo Stilton?
In addition to the two elements we were talking about before, therefore graphic and visual, the stories told by the talented Elisabetta Dami were fundamental for create such a strong interest. His stories were welcomed by young and old with so much affected as to create a real link between the character and his readers. This sense of intimate connection with the stories has made it possible to establish a deep relationship And just that affection becomes the key to a lasting editorial story. In this it is possible to find an obvious similarity with the Altan Pimpaa character born fifty years ago but still beloved today.
You compare Geronton to Harry Potter in a certain sense. Can we therefore say that the work of Dami is in all respects crossing?
They can certainly be defined as Cross-Generational works But the comparison with Harry Potter is possible to conceive it only from the point of view of editorial success (600 million copies sold the first, almost 200 those sold by Stilton) while as regards its intrinsic and popular value I think it is very difficult to combine them on the same level. We also remember that the Rowling saga was also successful thanks to the film production while Geronimo has earned its recognition exclusively for the merit obtained on the printed paper.
Is there an Italian community still active today linked exclusively to Geronimo Stilton?
Certainly and indeed it is growing more and more. The first readers of the mouse are about 30 or 40 years old today, the age group in which we generally begin to try a little melancholy and that desire to regain possession of our past that pushes us to seek those objects that have been part of our childhood. Rogue nostalgia.
