I Married Wyatt Earp Value Guide

First published in 1976, I Married Wyatt Earp was originally marketed as the authentic memoirs of Josephine Sarah Marcus Earp, Wyatt's widow. It is highly collectible today not just for its influence on Western films like Tombstone, but for its status as one of the most famous literary controversies in historical publishing.

What Is I Married Wyatt Earp Worth?

The typical price range for I Married Wyatt Earp is $25 - $45 based on recent sales. However, values can vary depending on the item's condition, rarity, and other factors such as:

• Condition of the dust jacket, as tears or heavy fading significantly reduce the desirability for Western history collectors.
• Printing edition, with first printings from 1976 generally commanding the higher end of the $45 price spectrum.
• Presence of library markings; ex-library copies are common but worth substantially less than clean, private-collection copies.
• The book's notoriety as a 'fictionalized' memoir, which has created a niche market for those interested in historiography and literary hoaxes.

How to Identify I Married Wyatt Earp?

• Check for the University of Arizona Press logo on the spine and title page of the hardcover edition.
• Verify the editor is listed as Glenn G. Boyer, whose creative blending of facts led to the book's eventual withdrawal from publication.
• Look for the original dust jacket featuring a portrait of Josephine Earp, which is essential for the $25-$45 value range.
• Confirm the copyright date of 1976 to ensure it is an early printing before the authenticity of the text was widely discredited.

History of I Married Wyatt Earp

First published in 1976, this book was presented as the authentic recollections of Wyatt Earp's widow, Josephine. It became a significant source for Western historians and inspired movies like Tombstone. However, decades after its release, it became the center of a major literary controversy when researchers discovered that editor Glenn Boyer had blended authentic materials with fictional elements and 'imaginary' memoirs, leading the University of Arizona Press to eventually pull it from their catalog.