February 2016 | Rebecca Rego Barry

Seinfeld Manuscripts for Sale at the CA Book Fair

101195.jpgWell, it is Hollywood after all (or close enough). One of the spotlight items at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena this weekend hails from James Cummins Bookseller in New York City: Jerry Seinfeld's full handwritten draft of the Seinfeld episode "The Pez Dispenser" (air-date January 15, 1992). The 42-page manuscript on yellow ruled legal paper is an early draft, with numerous revisions and dialogue that was obviously cut from the final script. It is priced at $25,000.

     Seinfeld appears just before Shakespeare in the Cummins fair catalogue, with not only this manuscript, but several others, including two one-page Seinfeld monologue manuscripts in Jerry's hand and a handwritten letter from Seinfeld to fellow comedian George Burns. Like Cummins, we have never seen a Seinfeld draft manuscript on the market. The Emmy Award-winning series, it should be noted, is widely considered one of the best television shows of all time.  

Image courtesy of James Cummins Bookseller.