Collecting Jim Carroll

This page is for those of us who enjoy the challenge of collecting all of those hard-to-find Jim Carroll items — like first editions, broadsides, translations, out-of-print albums and books, bootlegs, translations, ephemera, and memorabilia . . .

Definitely use this site to learn the identifying details!

I’ve found the best places to find such items are eBay and Bibliofind, which is now part of Amazon.com. I’m here in March 2025 updating links and stuff; I just cleaned up a few duds. I will add, as a non-specific aside, that most of the good stuff I have acquired has been from high-quality dealers in rare books and collectibles, although I have often found stuff on eBay. (Keep in mind that everyone’s collection is unique, so what works for me may not work for you.)

Be aware, when searching various sources for collectibles, that there are several Jim Carrolls. You will find lots of stuff by our Canadian friend Jim Carroll (who is a fan of our Jim Carroll), a novelist named James Carroll, a sports figure named Jim Carroll, a journalist named Jim Carroll, a priest named Jim Carroll, a jazz scholar named Jim Carroll, and a singer named Jimmy Carroll . . . among others. In general, if the item is not listed on this website, it’s probably one of these various other Jim Carrolls. When in doubt, ASK ME! A number of times, people have emailed to ask me about stuff, and I have checked it and discovered an item I didn’t know about. More often, however, I have saved people from buying fake autographs and questionable books and the like. Please, don’t BUY any questionable items until you ask me.

Sometimes people advertise stuff that is not what you hope it is. I’ve run across a lot of fake books, forged materials, fake autographs, etc. Sometimes it’s not easy to recognize these things. This site has a lot of examples of Jim Carroll’s signature (see galleries). You can use these examples to check what you’re thinking about buying, but, well, fakers can also use them to forge autographs. When in doubt, send an image of the item to me and I’ll do my best to advise you.

Here’s a brief overview of collectible items. Follow the links for details.

Collectibles

Books

All Carroll first edition books have collector value.

The rarest (and most valuable) collectible books I am aware of are (in order of most to “least” valuable):

I am not sure where The Petting Zoo falls in this range, but it should be jetting up in value. It was issued in hardcover followed by paperback, and it also has an audiobook version. I have a hardcover copy signed by everyone (except Jim Carroll) who made it possible for The Petting Zoo to be published: Rosemary Carroll, Paul Slovak (editor), Patti Smith (“Note to the Reader”), Lenny Kaye (consult on certain editorial changes), and me.

Books Gaining in Collector Value

Collectible Limited Editions & Broadsides

All Jim Carroll limited editions and broadsides have collector value. Examples are:

  • Organic Trains (Penny Press, 1967)
  • 4 Ups and 1 Down (Angel Hair, 1970)
  • A Poet Dies (Toothpaste Press, 1980)
  • From NYC Variations (West Coast Print Center, 1977)
  • Poem, Interview, Photographs (White Fields Press, 1994)
  • 8 Fragments for Kurt Cobain (White Fields Press, 1994)
  • “Cheered and Greeted” and “A Window in Cherry Valley” (Adventures in Poetry, 1973)
  • Valentine (1996)
  • River Jordan (2001)

Hard to Find Books

Translations

Carroll’s books have been translated into many languages. Check out the Translations section of this website for details.

Rare Recordings & Videos

Visit this page to learn about rare recordings and videos.
Here are some additional rarities to keep an eye out for:

Out of Print Albums

While they don’t yet have much collector value, out-of-print albums
are must-haves in the Jim Carroll fan’s collection. They include:

Hard-to-Find Films

Go here for an overview of Carroll’s films. Here are the hard-to-find ones.

  • Curtis’s Charm (John L’Ecuyer, 1995)
  • Poetry in Motion II (Ron Mann, 1995)
  • Listen to the City (Ron Mann, 1984)
  • Gang of Souls (Maria Beatty, nd)

Memorabilia & Ephemera

Collectible memorabilia includes t-shirts, buttons, posters, photographs, magazines and newspapers containing articles by/about Carroll, and so on. Ephemera includes stuff like concert/reading promotional flyers, ticket stubs, etc. Check out the Image Gallery for some examples.

A good source for memorabilia & ephemera is Wofgang’s Vault