Enjoy it! but don't get too excited about its street-value.

I don't know how many of those 1970s-era Columbo novels were printed, but a month's persistence on Ebay could probably get you most if not all of them, in the price-range you mention.

To make a comparison, it may not be that those older books were printed in way more copies than "The Columbo Phile" -- it's more that (as I think Mark Dawidziak himself recently said on the radio) "The Columbo Phile" has been kept and treasured by most of its owners, so that it's more rarely found on the market.

That being said, I think that the "Christmas Killing" book and the "Samurai" one are less often seen than the others. And, I am sure it is much more rare to find such a book in mint condition! All of mine look beat-to-hell and back, from previous owners. Happy reading!

Thanks Ted. I swear this book must have only had one owner, and someone who never cracked it open. It smells old and it's pages have yellowed a bit but otherwise it's still as firm as a new book.
I took a quick look on Ebay and it seems the books aren't really worth that much. This one did seem to be the most valuable- bidding was up to $35.

By the way, they had a couple of "Columbo Phile"s there and they were hovering around the $140 mark.

I'll let you know what "Christmas Killing" was like when I read it.

Thanks, Mark, I look forward to reading your impressions of the book. Ebay is fine, but I'm sure it was much more thrilling to find such an old "Columbo" book on a shelf, right in your neighborhood!

I found my christmas killing in an old book shop too - I remember being really excited when first reading it and can only remember the beginning with the characters in the store. I am re-reading the Hoffa book again - I think it is a bit naff but still better than nothing. I got my colombophile from amazon and I swear it was new -still in cellophane - it is one of greatest treasures and only cost about £40 - not sure what that is in dollars! It is worth looking there!!!!!!