Vintage paperbacks are collector hot, with juvenile delinquency titles leading the way. The Amboy Dukes, Jailbait Street, All Shook Up, et al., can bring top dollar.

Irving Shulman, Hal Ellson, Edward De Roo and Harlan Ellison are just some of the hot authors pursued by collectors of juvenile delinquency paperbacks. Featuring garish titles, slick cover art, outrageous blurbs and sizzling storylines, these paper gems were produced by such venerable publishers as Ace, Avon, Gold Medal, Monarch and Perma.

Brief Paperback History

The age of the modern American paperback began in 1938. In November of that year, Robert Fair deGraff (1895-1981) of newly-formed Pocket Books, Inc. issued The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. Produced in a test run of less than 3,000 copies, The Good Earth was offered for sale at Macy's Department Store in New York City only.

A number of other publishers followed Pocket Books' successful foray into the paperback market. They included American Penguin (1939), Avon (1941), Popular Library (1943), Dell (1943), Bart House (1944), Bantam (1945), Hillman (1948), Signet (1948), Gold Medal (1949), Pyramid (1949), Ace (1952), Ballantine (1952), Berkeley (1955), Crest (1955), Midwood (1957), Monarch (1958), Zenith (1958), Belmont (1960) and Regency (1961).

The Amboy Dukes

Juvenile delinquency paperbacks -- or JD, as they are called in the hobby -- were produced by an array of publishers. The storylines, coupled with gaudy cover art and enticing blurbs, hoped to capitalize on the public's fear and fascination of "youth gone wild."

One of the best-known titles in the field is Irving Shulman's The Amboy Dukes, first published in paperback form as Avon #169 in 1949. Produced in three different cover versions, The Amboy Dukes -- "A novel of wayward youth in Brooklyn" -- is a big favorite with collectors, who love the so-called "good girl art" adorning the cover.

Rumble at the Housing Project

Another big title in the field is Edward De Roo's Rumble at the Housing Project, published as Ace D-417 in 1960. Warning of "Old Terror in New Buildings," this JD paperback's cover is festooned with a buxom, pony-tailed Lolita accompanied by a gang of tough-looking hoods, including one leather-jacketed punk wielding a switchblade.

Other outstanding examples in the field include Burial of the Fruit by David Dortort (Avon #326. 1951), Gutter Girl by Leo Rifkin and Tony Norman (Beacon B306, 1961), Jailbait Street by Hal Ellson (Monarch #137, 1958), The Deadly Streets by Harlan Ellison (Ace D-312, 1958), Boy Crazy by Albert L. Quandt (Star Books #750, 1955), Hell to Pay by William R. Cox (Signet #1555, 1958) and Boy Gang by Mark Kennedy (Perma M3006, 1955).

Gold Medal Paperbacks

Fawcett Publications' Gold Medal series published several premier JD titles which collectors also find highly desirable. Among the offerings: Run, Chico, Run by Wenzell Brown (#292, 1953), Angels in the Gutter by Joseph Hilton (#475, 1955), The Hoods Take Over by Ovid Demaris (#680, 1957), The Hoods Come Calling by Nick Quany (#747, 1958) and The Thrill Kids by Vin Packer (#s903, 1959).

JD Movie Tie-Ins

Those JD titles which serve as tie-ins to motion pictures are also high on collector lists. One excellent example is Cry Baby Killer by Joseph Hilton, published as Avon T-230 in 1958. This paperback served as the tie-in for the Allied Artists movie of the same name, with star Jack Nicholson – in his rather dubious motion picture debut – gracing the cover as a mixed-up punk named Jimmy Wallace.

From the same publisher comes Juvenile Jungle by Firth Counsel, released as Avon T-219. This paperback served as the tie-in for the movie of the same name starring Corey Allen and Rebecca Welles.

One of the most successful "juvie" pictures of the 1950s was The Blackboard Jungle (1955) starring Glenn Ford. The movie tie-in paperback novel by Evan Hunter was released as Cardinal C-187 that same year.

Condition and Values

As with comic books, condition plays a major role in determining value. Paperbacks are generally graded using the following scale: Mint, Near Mint, Very Fine, Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor. The better the condition, the greater value.

One of the most valuable JD paperbacks in the field is the renowned Reform School Girl by Felice Swados, published in 1948 as Diversey Romance Novel #1. This title in fine or better condition can easily top the $1,000 mark.

Approximate values for other JD titles in fine or better include the following: The Little Caesars by Edward De Roo (Ace D-486, 1961) at $40, Rusty Desmond by Steve January (Avon #553, 1954) at $15, The Blackboard Jungle by Evan Hunter (Cardinal C-187, 1955) at $18, Rumble at the Housing Project by Edward De Roo (Ace D-417, 1960) at $45, Teen-Age Mobster by Benjamin Appel (Avon T-468, 1960) at $10, Hot Rod Fury by Robert Sidney Bowen (Monarch #374, 1963) at $12 and The Desire Years by Leonard Bishop (Gold Medal #k1247, 1962) at $20.

Do you know where your kids are?