The Ghost Ship Value Guide

The Ghost Ship is a seminal 1912 collection of supernatural fiction published posthumously following Richard Middleton's tragic death at age 29. This volume is highly collectible for featuring the title story, widely considered a masterpiece of the genre, and an introduction by the legendary Arthur Machen.

What affects the value of The Ghost Ship?

• The physical condition of the leather binding, specifically looking for cracking or loss of gold leaf.
• The presence of any foxing or water damage on the internal paper pages.
• Provenance or markings that link the copy to notable literary collectors or libraries.
• The scarcity of the leather-bound variant compared to standard cloth-bound editions of the same year.

How to Identify The Ghost Ship?

• Verify the 1912 publication date on the title page to ensure it is a true first edition.
• Check for the presence of the original introduction written by Arthur Machen.
• Examine the binding for authentic period leather and gold leaf detailing on the spine or cover.
• Confirm the publisher's imprint, typically Fisher Unwin, consistent with the original UK release.

History of The Ghost Ship

Richard Middleton was a British poet and short-story writer who achieved most of his fame posthumously. This volume, published shortly after his tragic suicide in Brussels at age 29, contains his most famous work, the title story 'The Ghost Ship', which is widely regarded as one of the finest ghost stories in the English language. His works were championed by literary figures like Arthur Machen, who wrote the introduction to this specific collection.