This Place on Third Avenue

A collection of hilarious, poignant, and eternal stories by the acclaimed New Yorker writer captures the off-beat, quirky, and amusing characters that he encountered at Tim and Joe Costello's Irish Saloon, from cab drivers, horseplayers, and glamour girls, to has-beens, never-weres, and dreamers.

From 1937 until his death in 1956, John McNulty walked many beats for The New Yorker, but his favorite--and the one he made famous--was Tim and Joe Costello's a bustling Irish saloon at Third Avenue and Forty-fourth Street. The place is gone now, it was leveled and replaced by the lobby of a skyscraper in 1973, but it and its hard-drinking mid-century patrons live on in these funny, poignant, immortal sketches and stories.

McNulty's people are drawn from life, and draw the breath of life. "What a marvelous writer McNulty was!" said Brendan Gill when they tore down Costello's. "His stories will survive . . . and perhaps seem all the more remarkable to a later generation for the reason that both the time and the place they celebrated have disappeared without a trace--brick and stone as thoroughly ground to dust as man".

There is a short shelf of American classics born in the talk of ordinary folk--Mark Twain's sketches, Ring Lardner's baseball yarns, Studs Terkel's Chicago, and Joseph Mitchell's reports from the waterfront. With This Place on Third Avenue, that shelf grows one book longer.

Standard and Primary covers are widely available through general retailers. They often have higher print runs and can be cheaper, especially during sales.

In contrast, Direct Market (DM) and variant covers are primarily sold in comic shops. DM editions tend to have more limited availability and may be more valuable to collectors.

The main differences lie in artwork style, availability, price, and collector appeal. Ultimately, the choice between standard and variant covers depends on personal preference, budget, and individual collecting goals.

Comic book enthusiasts have various formats to choose from when collecting their favorite stories.
Here's a brief overview of the main types:

Omnibus

• Large, hardcover collections
• Usually contain complete runs or extensive story arcs
• Typically 800-1000+ pages
• Higher price point, often €100-€150

Oversized Hardcover (OHC)

• Similar dimensions to omnibus, but thinner
• Collect shorter runs or story arcs
• Usually 300-600 pages
• Priced between €30-€50

Hardcover (HC)

• Standard-sized hardcover books
• Collect 6-12 issues typically
• Similar dimensions to single issues, but with a hard cover
• Priced around €25-€35

Trade Paperback (TP)

• Softcover collections
• Standard comic book size
• Usually collect 4-6 issues
• Most affordable option, typically €15-€25

Other Formats

• Absolute Editions: Oversized, deluxe hardcovers (mainly DC Comics)
• Compendiums: Massive paperback collections
• Graphic Novels (OGN/GN): Original stories not previously released as single issues

The choice between these formats often depends on personal preference, budget, and collecting goals. Omnibus and OHC editions offer larger artwork and more content but at a higher price, while TPs provide a more affordable way to collect complete story arcs