From the serious to the ridiculous -- item 100 is Mister Ed and Me, by Alan Young (with Bill Burt). Young played the role of the talking horse's owner. Ed would speak to Young, but to no one else. Actually, Ed didn't speak at all. They fed him peanut butter, and as the horse tried to scrape it from his mouth with his tongue, it looked as if he was talking. Young also played in various other films and television programs, most notably H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine," and, ironically, later served as the voice for another talking "animal," Scrooge McDuck. However, he will always be best known as a horse's sidekick. This copy is signed by Young. $65.

Item 103 is an early biography of Marilyn Monroe, The Marilyn Monroe Story, by Joe Franklin and Laurie Palmer. It includes 39 glamorous photos of Miss Monroe, all from its publication date of 1953 or earlier. At the time, she was still just 27 years old. She had scored big with a couple of films such as "The Asphalt Jungle," but most of her hits were still ahead. New Yorkers may remember Franklin for his late night television talk show on Channel 9, often referred to as the first TV talk show. Franklin would come on at some hour when no one was still awake and talk about, as best I recall, nothing. New Yorkers liked him anyway. $1,750.

The website for James Pepper Rare Books is www.JamesPepperBooks.com, telephone 805-963-1025.