Luftspring, Sammy – Call me Sammy.

Description

Luftspring, Sammy ‘Call me Sammy.’ 1975 1st ed. 195 pages. INSCRIBED “To my dear sister Pearl, This book is dedicated to a large and wonderful family we both once knew. Where have the years gone. Much love, Sammy, Oct. 1/75.” VG in good complete non-price clipped mylar protected dust jacket.

Book Description:
“Call Me Sammy” is the 195-page autobiography of legendary Jewish-Canadian boxing champion Sammy Luftspring, co-written with Brian Swarbrick and published by Prentice-Hall Inc. in 1975.

The book is an engaging first-hand historical account detailing:
• His Immigrant Roots: Growing up in poverty in Toronto’s tough immigrant neighborhoods (“The Ward” and Kensington Market), where his family ran bootlegging operations out of their kitchen to survive the Great Depression.
• The 1936 Berlin Olympics Boycott: His courageous and celebrated decision to boycott the Nazi-hosted Olympics in protest of Adolf Hitler’s regime and the persecution of Jewish people. Instead of Berlin, he famously traveled to Spain to participate in the alternative, anti-fascist People’s Olympiad in Barcelona.
• Boxing Success and Injury: Capturing the Canadian Welterweight Championship title in a historic 15-round bout, climbing to a top-10 world ranking, and his subsequent retirement after a tragic, blinding ring injury to his eye.
• Life After Boxing: His long career refereeing over 2,000 matches—landing him in the Guinness Book of World Records—and co-owning the popular Mercury Club nightclub in Toronto.

Valuation of Your Specific Copy:
A standard first edition copy of Call Me Sammy in Very Good condition with a solid dust jacket generally carries a retail value of $35 to $50 USD.
However, your copy features an extraordinary layer of association provenance. An inscription written by the author to a close family member on or very near the exact publication date (Oct. 1, 1975) elevates this piece significantly. It shifts the book from a standard autographed sports biography into an intimate family heirloom.
Estimated Value: $250 to $400+ USD.

Why the premium?
• Inscribed to Family: In the antiquarian book market, “association copies” inscribed to parents, spouses, or siblings are the most highly prized tier of signed books. The wording (“To my dear sister Pearl… dedicated to a large and wonderful family we both once knew…”) explicitly reinforces the deeply personal content regarding their shared childhood struggles described in the text.
• Flawless Jacket & Condition: Sports autobiographies from the mid-1970s often suffer from heavy chipping or clipped jackets. A Very Good hardcover with a clean, unclipped ($8.95) jacket protected in modern Mylar keeps the physical book at top tier premium condition.