The Decline and Fall of Folio Society (or The End of An Era)

I never would have expected to do this, but thanks to the misguided efforts of Ms. Omnichannel / Ms. Readers Digest, I had to unsubscribe from the Folio marketing emails today. I am sick and tired of the 3 or 4 weekly emails that offer nothing newsworthy and simply clutter my inbox and remind me of all the things I dislike about the current edition of the Folio Society. While my frustration with current FS policy and practices is at an all-time high, I have not yet decided on a complete direct purchase boycott. But I am now closer than I've ever been, for the following reasons:

Strike 1 - loss of the membership model
Strike 2 - discontinuation of introductory discounts of 20% on new releases
Strike 3 - price increases generally for US customers and the continued stubborn insistence on using some inexplicable Forex rate rather than allowing direct purchase in GBP with actual shipping charges
Strike 4 - increased shipping costs ($11 for the first book???????) in the absence of the transparency in Strike 3 above
Strike 5- shifting away from publishing many worthy multi-volume sets. Now all we get are incomplete and/or unfinished series or seemingly related books published in random order with inconsistent design (covers, illustrators, etc.)
Strike 6 - discontinuation of payment plans for larger orders
Strike 7 - closing the London reading room
Strike 8 - terminating many long-standing, highly revered employees
Strike 9 - closely related to the above, outsourcing customer service to unknowledgeable order takers who are not even FS employees and who regularly promulgate inaccurate or misleading information
Strike 10 - retraction of previously announced intent to publish certain limited editions
Strike 11 - the unfair treatment of ROW customers in terms of pricing (though admittedly, it just puts the ROW in the same league as the long-beleaguered Australians)
Strike 12 - that the Board of Directors still retain the services of Ms. Omnichannel as demonstrable evidence of the complete abandonment of Charles Ede's original mission

While there are many other complaints I could list, I will stop at what is already 4x the normal ratio for a strike-out in American baseball and cultural parlance.

By opting out of marketing emails, I will, of course, be reliant on you good people to continue to make us aware of sale announcements, special codes and offers, and other order bonus items (such as the Folio Diary, Mystery books etc.).

Anyone feel I missed a major component in the decline and fall of our beloved Folio Society?

Oh goodness, how could I have forgotten about one of the most egregious elements in the FS Decline and Fall? The new website! Mercy me...

The new website is bad enough, but the fact that none of the most common complaints by long-term customers are being addressed just adds fuel to the fire.

I agree with almost all of the above and would add another criticism which is the move from having books printed in England.

Over the years, I have spent quite a few thousands of pounds with the Society, but I cannot see myself making any more high value orders.

The value of The Folio Society brand - and the high standards behind it - have been trashed.

It may became more commercially successful but its appeal might now be to well-off consumers … rather than to those who love fine books.

>1 UK_History_Fan:

There is, of course, an obvious alternative to becoming frustrated and angry - then exorcising the modern-day Folio Society demons from one's life and bookshelves. Open your minds and book collecting horizons and begin to explore other fine & private press books. The steady increase in FS prices now makes the book prices of a number of splendid private presses competitive with FS prices, and many of these books are far superior. The only remaining FS advantages are:

1. Its bibliography remains far-ranging, spanning a wide range of topics, genres and time periods. The FS publishes books that no other fine/private press does.

2. Because it is not a true private press that uses letterpress printing, the FS can publish substantial works requiring hundreds of pages.

Liberate your minds and checkbooks - there is a wonderful world of beautiful private press books awaiting you. That is, if some of the narrow-minded FS Devotees do not have a coronary event or a cerebrovascular accident at the suggestion of books that are worthy alternatives, i.e., in a similar price range, to current FS offerings.

The original Folio Society was a child of its time, post WW2 when just about everything was rationed and/or of poor quality. For a while, for example, the only ice-cream available was made by Walls from the rendered fat left over from its sausage-making operation, produced appropriately in a cylindrical mould. There was a rumour that the government was issuing toilet paper with the legend "owing to shortage of paper please use both sides." The paper used in wartime Penguins had a life expectancy of about five years.
Hardback publishing improved after the war, but lagged behind US standards in size and paper quality, and cloth bindings were replaced by the ersatz paper lookalike still common today.
There was therefore a ready market among older readers for books adhering to the prewar standards they remembered, a market at which Folio aimed. Their prices were equivalent to those charged by other publishers for newly published original works, but their production standards were much higher. They achieved this partly by publishing classics with little or no copyright fees, partly by a membership model which allowed them to predict before printing how many copies they would need, and partly by having a small staff more interested in producing fine work than in making fat profits.
It's slightly misleading to acknowledge that Folio prices were the same as other publishers'. Back then the publishing scene was quite different; not that many people were prepared to pay the price of a newly published book. Some popular authors (Shute, Bates, Alec Waugh, etc.) might have their work serialised in a weekly such as John Bull, but generally paperback editions didn't come on the market for two or three years. In the meantime a number of hardcover book clubs filled the reprint gap, the most successful being owned by Foyles. Some had been around since before the war, new ones sprang up during the fifties. Most had uniform formats to keep prices down, but some, such as Reader's Union, produced quality editions at a higher price.
Folio therefore benefitted from the general acceptance of the book club membership format, and could claim that their prices were reasonable in comparison with major publishers, but theirs was a niche market, which had to move with the times when book clubs lost out to the paperback market.
Perhaps the closest parallel to what Folio used to be is an outfit such as Slightly Foxed. Although it caters to a slightly more specialised market, it is still run by its hands-on founders, still uses best quality, still depends on its membership, which it treats with respect. One hopes that its steady expansion of interests will not lead it along Folio's path.

I really like the Slightly Foxed Editions. I have four and expect to buy more.

>4 dlphcoracl: When I joined FS (2009), books were mostly in the 18-30 GBP price range. Right now, they are (ROW) 30-55. You are correct in assuming that the price gap between fine press editions and FS editions is narrowing. That does not mean everyone feels comfortable paying that amount of money for a book - for me, the price range I can justify has been surpassed as is.

Guess the bank will be happy that I'm paying off my mortgage faster...

To play devil’s advocate, I believe the quality of books produced by the FS as far as production, design and variety of topics, is higher than it has ever been. Many books from the middle years of the FS lifespan were quite bland, although cloth bound and often letterpress, but now every book is designed around its subject (eg. Page by page horse motif of Black Beauty) and there is an enormous range of styles. They now publish about 80 titles a year, compared to about 15 for most of the FS membership years.
Yes, they are expensive, but they are still desireable.
If they improved the website, allowed a payment plan for large orders, and allowed open purchases in Sterling, most of the complaints above would evaporate.

>8 wcarter:
They now publish about 80 titles a year
Of which many are effectively just reprints, whilst others are rehashes. Probably still more 'new' books, but not quite as many as this might imply. What mystifies me somewhat is why, if there are so many books now being published, so few are ones I want to buy compared to those 'bland' middle years. Probably the target market has shifted.

I’ve only purchased from Folio for 5 years or so, but I’ve been pleased with the books. They are expensive, of course, but they are well made with attractive covers, easy-to-read print, and usually attractive illustrations. My only complaint is their international pricing. I would buy more books if we could pay with our credit cards and let the bank do the currency conversion like every other business I know.

At last! A Decline and Fall with plenty of footnotes.

Only discovered FS in 2017, so I missed out on the membership system. Often see people lamenting its loss. What was the appeal? Anything substantial?

>9 Willoyd:
They have published 52 completely new titles this year, and their topics are extraordinarily diverse - from The Anglo-Saxons to Starship Troopers, and Atlas Shrugged to How to See Fairies. There really should be something for everyone in their selection.
>12 adriano77:
The membership model made you feel you were part of a slightly exclusive club (with about 100,000 other people), there were member discounts and gifts for early renewal, presentation volumes that were free (and often the best produced book of the year), and there was the Members Room at Eagle Street, where friendly helpful staff assisted you with information about the books you were perusing while sometimes having tea and scones available.
I miss the presentation volume and the Members Room (although as an Australian, I only visited it three times), but otherwise I think the membership model was over-rated.
The FS still has appears to have 100,000+ customers, is financially stable according to its last annual report, and the few hundred active members of FSD are a tiny percentage of its customers.
On the other hand, we know that the "moll" does exist and the FS finds this forum an interesting one from which to glean ideas and gauge the attitude of the wider membership.
I believe that is what is happening is a Reformation (with all its associated teething problems), rather than a Decline, let alone a Fall.

As a relatively new devotee, this seems like it may the end of an era, but maybe not a ‘fall’. I’m a 35 year old Canadian that recently discovered Folio and I hope they continue to publish amazing books for many decades to come. Over the last year and a half I’ve worked myself into a bit of a frenzy trying to purchase my absolute must haves from the current offerings before they go out of print (while also taking advantages of the regular sales). I find the prices reasonable for the exceptional quality of the books. $245 CAD for Ulysses is certainly a lot of money, but that volume is spectacular! I’m so in love with it I just bought another copy for my brother. $125 CAD for the lovely editions of Lolita or The Sound and the Fury? Sounds good to me. I’m just now starting to turn more of my focus towards recent releases and I’m thrilled with the selection. Currently on their way to me are a variety of recent releases including The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay ($150), Persian Fire ($89), Brideshead Revisited ($69), The Golden Bough ($235), Maigret ($150), and the Snow Leopard ($73), plus some older items that had low counters like The Celts ($80). A ‘normal’ hardcover book costs me $40. For the exquisite work that goes into Folio editions I’m happy to pay at least twice what a regular edition would cost, and much more depending on how special it is. Thinking about the recent complaints over pricing made me realize that I’ve been paying $40 for a standard hardcover book for as long as I’ve been buying books for myself (the mid to late 90’s when I was a teenager). The cost hasn’t really increased at all, but when I Google ‘UK inflation 1998 to 2018’ I get ‘£100 in 1998 is worth £170.91 in 2018’. I’m not sure how accurate that is and I’m certainly not an economist, but my $40 hardcovers haven’t budged in price in those 20 years. I wonder how much Folio prices have risen relative to inflation?

The shipping to Canada also seems quite reasonable to me ($16 for one, $29 for many) considering that I’ve purchased 2 out of print Folio editions from eBay in the last few months and paid $20 for shipping a single book from within Canada, and $43 for one from the US.

And just to pile on the good cheer, I have no issues with the new website. I’ve placed several orders, happily populated and managed my new wish list, and find the whole experience to be superior to the old site (I use Firefox on a Mac and I know I’m fortunate to not have had any of the issues that have plagued others). I didn’t experience the membership model and I assume it was wonderful, but I’m more than happy with what Folio is doing these days. Maybe I represent the ‘target market’ because I hope they keep doing what they’re doing.

I agree that I wish they didn’t have books that are double the cost of most volumes and don’t seem to be better quality, but there are still a fair amount in the $70-80 range. I was briefly a member right before the member system ended. I guess I can see why people liked it, though personally I found that I didn’t always get sets/free books that I actually wanted in my library. And I think that the prices for books have gone up in general, at least for Canadians. I think FS has slightly changed their business model so that they also target customers who want one or two “gift editions” of popular books. I still think there are some good choices and something for everyone.
I still find their customer service to be pretty amazing and better than EP or LOA by far. Not to say FS is perfect, but I trust that I will receive a quality book and that they stand behind their books.
Again, price hikes really suck and I bought a few less books these past few months than I would have if I hadn’t really wanted Kavalier and Klay and Atlas Shrugged.
I’m a huge online shopper and I haven’t personally had many issues with the website. I couldn’t log in the first day of the new release, but could the second day so no big deal. I work in IT and understand website upgrades can be buggy and fixes are all about cost vs return on investment.

I bought my first book from them in March. I would never have placed an order if they still had the “Columbia House Records” approach where you are required to buy a certain number each year. I don’t want a membership obligation, I just want to buy what I want, whenever I feel like it.

I am pleased with the international shipping rates, and don’t mind paying $11 to have a package sent across the ocean when I’ve paid as much or more to have similar packages shipped domestically.

I’m pleased that they offer reprints for new customers like me, who missed out on earlier releases.

The average book is $50-60, which is about twice what I’d pay for a mass produced hardcover with cheap paper glued into a cover with no slipcase or newly commissioned illustrations. The prices are acceptable for what I’m getting. Some of the titles seems excessively high in price, but not all. These are high quality editions, and I’m pleased with the investment.

I’m very grateful that they offer a Paypal option on the new website. When I charge it to my Paypal credit account, I get no interest, and that’s nice.

Their customer service has been extremely helpful and prompt the few times that I’ve had to deal with them.

So, I’m a very happy new customer who will gladly step in and take the place of someone else who is disgruntled and has lost the joy of collecting. My wish list is already long, and I have a lot of shopping to do in the years to come.

Count me among the generally happy. I have only been an active customer for a few years and I understand the concerns of some long term customers about the changes in the Folio Society model. But I also recall discussions from a while back about the financial condition of Folio and annual losses that reached as high £3 million. If my memory is correct, clearly changes were necessary if Folio was to survive. And I want it to survive. Reading is one of life’s great pleasures. And that pleasure is only heightened for me when holding and reading a beautiful edition of a great book. While regretting what has been lost is a natural instinct, perhaps we also need a discussion that focuses on the path forward for Folio. If the “mole” is really out there maybe we can help shape a healthy future for the Foilo Society. Like most who post on this site, I’d miss it if it were gone.

>8 wcarter: They now publish about 80 titles a year, compared to about 15 for most of the FS membership years

To me, that looks more like one more sign of a decline. Trying to make a profit by flooding the market, while in reality it will probably turn out to publishing more and more books and selling less and less each year.

>8 wcarter: Yes, they are expensive, but they are still desireable.

I absolutely agree. I see elsewhere outside of FSD there are plenty of avid book readers who aren't collectors who still fawn over standard Folio editions. I think some of us around here have gotten too used to opulence and royal-treatment of old and have maybe lost sight of the fact the vast majority of readers out there are still mainly buying paper/hardbacks with cheap paper or even ebooks. To them Folio editions are a treat and not the bread and butter of their collections like for many of us and it might seem strange were they to read people here lamenting this supposed decline in Folio. I wouldn't necessarily say Folio's change in business model is necessarily a decline, while I do miss some of the perks of membership like a few others I didn't join Folio for perks I joined for the books, and I think they still are great books, both in design and selection; as a sci-fi fan I am loving the new titles they are have brought out of late.

>8 wcarter: Yes, they are expensive, but they are still desireable.

Exactly the sentiment that led me to join the Folio Society in 1973, when affording the four books necessary for membership each year was a real struggle and Folio weren't intent on making it any easier. When I wrote to them suggesting they might consider allowing credit cards as a means of payment I received an unencouraging response from John Letts, but promising to consider ways of easing the burden for "impecunious members."

But I stuck with them and I'm still here 45 years later, financial circumstances somewhat improved, still able and willing to buy new productions, though my parameters for purchase have narrowed somewhat in the last couple of years or so because of the relentless price increases.

>8 wcarter: we know that the "moll" does exist and the FS finds this forum an interesting one from which to glean ideas and gauge the attitude of the wider membership.

Is the moll a lady mole? ;) Just in case she's asleep, I've emailed Folio and drawn their attention to this particular thread, so now they have no excuses. If you think things could be better, this is the thread to flag up your concerns. Whether they'll choose to do anything about them is, of course, a matter for debate, as it was all those years ago when I received my letter from John Letts. Me? I'm in the definite Decline, and possible Fall, camp. I do hope they heed the warning signs.

Another strike is that the books are becoming more gimmicky. I just received an email from FS touting "our first glow-in-the-dark book"!

>21 overthemoon:

I got that e-mail as well, and it seemed so gimmicky that I didn't even open it. So I shall go through what's left of my life never knowing what literary gem might have glowed in the dark in my bookcase.

I get the general impression from this thread that quite a few older Folio members/customers miss the old membership model and maybe especially the Members' Room, whereas those who have discovered Folio recently don't miss w hat they never knew and are happy with Folio as it is (after all, that's presumably why they're buying).

I joined in 1973 and like many I miss the old ways. However, I suppose I have to recognize that nothing lasts for ever, and the new Folio system (like the omnipresence of mobile phones or the difficulty of finding a staffed checkout in a supermarket) is just something I'll have to adapt to. At least I can be grateful for having been a member of the old Folio Society for so long.

>13 wcarter:
They have published 52 completely new titles this year,
Thanks for doing the research. This confirms what I said: Probably still more 'new' books, but not quite as many as this might imply. Reprinting isn't necessarily a bad thing of course, as >16 Mr.Fox: says - reprints help those who haven't been long term members or who missed out first time round.

and their topics are extraordinarily diverse - from The Anglo-Saxons to Starship Troopers, and Atlas Shrugged to How to See Fairies. There really should be something for everyone in their selection.
I don't dispute this for a second, although I find their efforts with classic literature singularly disappointing - unimaginative and repetitive. The problem I've also found is that the vast majority of titles that I would have been interested in are now too expensive. So as much as they are publishing lots and are 'extraordinarily diverse' in their topics, I've not felt the desire to buy a new book for a year or two now, and have the smallest wishlist I've had in years.

But that's not to say I buy into the decline and fall scenario - decline perhaps (certainly a firm yes personally), fall I'm less certain about. As others have shown, there are happy customers, mostly those who are relatively recent, or so it feels. It may be that FS have decided that they need to risk their longer term base to attract others in order to survive (perhaps a bit like insurers etc seem to be prepared to sacrifice longer term customers). So be it, and I hope they succeed in surviving. I'm disappointed at the way that FS has gone, but am enjoying exploring the secondary market and other publishers all the more.

I joined about 6 years ago and while I enjoyed membership (and wouldn't have started buying from them without the incentives they had back then), things still worked for me without it until recently. But the ever-rising prices, the steep shipping fees for small orders (basically being pushed into making larger orders only or waste money), and above all the price hike for ROW customers have led me to buy as much as possible second hand and do completely without quite a few books that I would have bought in the past. I'd join those who say that prices should be the same whereever you live, payment in Pound, and realistic shipping fees. (And please pick a company that offers good value for the money you pay in this regard. At least with shipping in my region, FS tend to pick the most expensive option, and sometimes it's not even a particularly good one, which would justify that otherwise.)

To pick an example. A book like Starship Troopers would have been in the 30 Pound range just a few years ago. Now it's 50 Pounds for Brits, for me 55 Pounds, + shipping. (In a few months you can add another 7% for customs to that due to Brexit.) I suspect people from the US, Canada and Australia will pay even more for the exact same book. The illustrations I've seen on the website are pretty uninspired - nice enough, but nothing special. In recent years I've noted a tendency towards 'scribbling' or 'pretty' illustrations without a lot of depth. (There are exceptions, but far less so than before.) For that price I can do without the book, and that although Heinlein is one of my favourite authors. I plan on buying the van Sandwyk, another expensive book considering its size, but it's artistically rich and therefore worth it to me. (I've paid more for his self-made books.) But I can wait until I can make a larger order considering their shipping fees, maybe during a sale or something like that. Other books that I would have bought in the past because they looked good or sounded interesting are completely off the list. They're too expensive and I've lost all sympathy for FS, so while I would have bought a lot of books directly from them in the past to support them and tried out a lot of new things, I don't do so anymore. I must have bought about a dozen books on the secondary market (some of them still shrink wrapped) since the ROW price hike, when before I would have bought them all directly from FS. So definitely a decline for me, whether it will be a fall or whether they'll find enough people willing to buy at different high prices will be seen.

>1 UK_History_Fan: I agree with almost everything you have said. I have just placed what I believe will be my final order with them. It has become like a second job just to place an order. The website constantly logs me out while placing an order, and I have to rehearse my order before I call it in because I always end up getting the same very moody person in customer service. I have dealt with some that are very helpful and at times this person is, too, but if I call at the wrong time, make a mistake, or something is left off the order they become rude and condescending. This last order I had used my 10% voucher and didn't realize they had left it off until I had gotten my total, but I didn't even want to bring it up because I didn't want to have to stay on the line after I did because they were already in quite the mood and having to adjust the total would have sent them into a full on tantrum. I would have saved enough to buy two more books, but it wasn't worth dealing with after the already excruciating call. I also got someone else a few times when I would call at a convenient time in my time zone, since it does say "24 hour order line", that would always seem very put out by having to take my order and even once explained to me about time zones by telling me even though it's evening where I am it is very early morning there. I'm not sure if they were from the order line or customer service; I never got a name, but I have made it a point since I was given my lesson on time zones to get up extra early before work so I can place an order because I don't want to put anyone out by giving them all of my money while they should be sleeping. There are a few other things I could say as well, but I really just wanted to get the website and customer service/the order line off my chest. Hopefully the mole does read this and some changes are made to the business as well as some people's attitudes.Thank you, I'm done venting now and I'm feeling quite relieved thinking about my life going forward without the Folio Society in it; I'm going to have so much money and so many possibilities now that I have it.

>25 HermeticHermit:

I agree about customer service declining, too. While my experiences weren't on the phone, they were quite obvious by email, several of which plain and simply weren't answered, and the reply to the one that was was unacceptable.

>25 HermeticHermit:

There is absolutely no reason for anyone to put up with an attitude like that. Demand their name and email the manager.

I must say I do suspect I know who you are talking about; the only "moody" person I can think of in Customer Services. I wrote to the Managing Director and told her I refuse to speak with that person in the future. I have had no dealings with them (gender neutral) since, and that was several months ago. So long ago I thought/hoped they might have left. Maybe not.

>26 SF-72: they were quite obvious by email, several of which plain and simply weren't answered

Oh, yeah, unanswered emails. That's another story. Perhaps they imagine we won't notice ...

>26 SF-72: I was starting to think it was just me; it seems like a majority of my emails get ignored.

>25 HermeticHermit: just ask for Sally every time, or keep calling until you get her. She's been beyond fantastic every time I've dealt with her.

>30 chrisrsprague: Thank you, if I ever place another order I guess I need to. I have only ever dealt with her once through email and she was fantastic. I wasn't even sure if she was still there.

One thing that has improved is despatch time. My Wilfred Owen order was shipped to Canada 5 hours after it was placed. Never happened before.

>31 HermeticHermit:
Unless she quit in the last few days, she's still there. I exchanged emails with her very recently.

>33 elladan0891: Okay, that is good to know. Thank you

> 25

I am a little late in the game but just started collecting Folio Society after collecting Easton Press for years. I find the quality of Folio Society impeccable. I have since ordered multiple times and have had quite a few problems myself with technical aspect of the website. I am confident this will get fixed. They will not me as a customer due to bugs in their new website. I'm sure they will clean it up soon enough.

A hint for those whose emails are getting ignored: the address is customerservice@foliosociety.com, not customerservices@foliosociety.com. The latter, plural, version is not rejected, but not read either. Do check, if you find your temper shortening, as mine was - it is irritating when it's one's own fault, and worse still when Sally is so nice about it when you phone up in a rage.

>36 affle: the address is customerservice@foliosociety.com, not customerservices@foliosociety.com

I didn't know about the plurality issue, Alan, and your explanation makes sense. However, on checking, I find the correct version is the one saved in my email software so I remain convinced I'm being ignored on far too many occasions. The other factor is they're all sent to the same address. They reply to some (the majority) but don't seem too keen on anything containing an awkward question. It's a comparatively recent phenomenon, over the last year or so.

>37 folio_books:

It's the same with me, and it's not the email address that's causing this. They just avoid some issues.

I rarely post here, although have been a reader of the forum for years, as I seem barely to have time to keep across topics, let alone provide any considered comments.

I can’t help though but agree with the original sentiment
expressed to start the thread. I’ve been an FS “member” since the early 1990’s and have accumulated over 600 titles - the bulk direct from FS. However over the last 18 months I’ve made one purchase - Japan LE - from FS direct, over the same period I’ve increasingly purchased other fine press books or FS books on the secondary market.

From my perspective there’s a few reasons - as an Australian “member” I’m tired of being ripped off on prices and postage. The lack of an easy accessible payment system (I don’t want to call the UK at unsavoury hours to be insulted by basically call center dim wits). The prices of books direct from FS are increasingly hard to justify. I’ve had more FS emails in the last month than proceeding 20 years and just delete them now as they’re just crap. There is no sense of membership or engagement in anything worthwhile - no reason to be connected to the brand apart from the product - a critical move in the wrong direction in the modern consumer world.

I sincerely hope I’m wrong and there’s a masterplan at play. I still believe FS produce a fine product, just hope they retain enough direct consumers willing and able to pay the high retail price for it.

I can more or less understand the sentiment echoed about the loss of membership.
But, Decline and Fall seems overly dramatic.
Yes. They are expensive, more so than before, and I won't be able to buy as many as I used to.
However I believe it's an exciting time to be a Folio Society fan. There's a bigger variety of books published, and the illustrations along with the slipcases are top notch. The books have got more sophisticated and more beautiful too. (Look at The Alchemist, American Gods, The Little Prince, African Folktales, Morte, Chinese Fairy Tales etc, etc)

The Arts department seemed to have changed for the better and they clearly look to have made a leap into modernity. Maybe I'm enthusiastic about the future because I'm quite young at 24 and see the designs of the book more fitting to my time. I also know lots of people here, on blogs or on youtube who share the same feeling.

*And I actually don't mind the new website. I think it's more modern and aesthetically pleasing. Unlike on the older website, the beauty of the books and their illustrations is showcased in a much better way.

>40 Kainzow: Agree on everything except the website :)

I don't think it's a Fall - just that they are targeting new, younger readers and leaving long-time members disgruntled.

I run a lot of spreadsheets at work, so I ran one (at work) to see if Folio Society prices have indeed gotten out of hand. A lot of assumptions go into such a thing, but here's what I did.

Since the roster of books changes year to year, I chose one publication which I figured has been in print for a long time. I could have chosen Austen, or Dickens, but I chose The Lord of the Rings. I started with the price in 1980, and using inflation figures from the Office for National Statistics (since the wiki has prospectuses with prices in pounds, I used British inflation figures), I calculated what the price would be if the 1980 price had been increased annually at the rate of inflation. I then compared that figure to the actual quoted price (I was surprised to find many years in which the LOTR wasn't listed in the prospectus).

Here are the numbers, for anyone who wants to delve into it closely. I inflated the 1981 price (for example) by the 1981 inflation rate, which is a bit of a timing mismatch (the prospectuses didn't come out at year-end, after all), but it should be a reasonable approximation.

Price Inflation Inflated Price Difference
1980 32.5 32.5
1981 35 11.9% 36.37 -1.3675
1982 39.5 8.6% 39.50 0.004895
1983 42.5 4.6% 41.31 1.18812017
1984 47.5 5.0% 43.38 4.122526179
1985 47.5 6.1% 46.02 1.476500275
1986 N/A 3.4% 47.59
1987 N/A 4.2% 49.59
1988 N/A 4.9% 52.02
1989 N/A 7.8% 56.07
1990 N/A 9.5% 61.40
1991 67.5 5.9% 65.02 2.47621794
1992 75 3.7% 67.43 7.570338004
1993 79 1.6% 68.51 10.49146341
1994 79 2.4% 70.15 8.847258534
1995 79.95 3.5% 72.61 7.341912582
1996 N/A 2.4% 74.35
1997 N/A 3.1% 76.66
1998 N/A 3.4% 79.26
1999 N/A 1.5% 80.45
2000 N/A 3.0% 82.86
2001 N/A 1.8% 84.36
2002 N/A 1.7% 85.79
2003 87 2.9% 88.28 -1.277805889
2004 87 3.0% 90.93 -3.926140066
2005 87 2.8% 93.47 -6.472071988
2006 87 3.2% 96.46 -9.463178292
2007 87 4.3% 100.61 -13.61109496
2008 87 4.0% 104.64 -17.63553876
2009 N/A -0.5% 104.11
2010 N/A 4.6% 108.90
2011 N/A 5.2% 114.56
2012 N/A 3.2% 118.23
2013 95 3.0% 121.78 -26.77738442
2014 99.95 2.4% 124.70 -24.75004164
2015 99.95 1.0% 125.95 -25.99704206
2016 99.95 1.8% 128.21 -28.26408882
2017 104.95 3.6% 132.83 -27.87979602
2018 120 0.0% 132.83 -12.82979602

The conclusion is that the recent price increase is indeed steep, but it's not racing ahead of inflation. I fact, it still has a ways to go before it even catches up, primarily from two stretches (2003-2008, and 2013-2016) when FS didn't inflate their prices. This is just one item, of course, so maybe it's not valid to draw overall conclusions from it by itself. But it's a start.

I spent a lot of time lining those columns up, and then it didn't carry through to the posting itself. Sorry about that.

>22 TabbyTom:
'I got that e-mail as well, and it seemed so gimmicky that I didn't even open it. So I shall go through what's left of my life never knowing what literary gem might have glowed in the dark in my bookcase.'

I opened it and read it and am none the wiser so I don't think you're losing out there.

They've not lost me yet but they're getting close with nonsense like that.

Edit: The reason I'm none the wiser is that I followed all the internet security people's advice and didn't click on the link in the email.

Don't do it, folks.

>45 Cat_of_Ulthar: well, for those who want to know....

it is the book of children's poetry (which I found out by looking at the website).

Ah, nothing like good old FSD whining. Folks have been moaning about shipping costs and, especially, price hikes since times immemorial. I joined LT in the fall of 2014 and left shortly after for a few months precisely because of the exactly the same whining and moaning. Many of those folks are still here 4 years later :)

"Strike 5- shifting away from publishing many worthy multi-volume sets. Now all we get are incomplete and/or unfinished series or seemingly related books published in random order with inconsistent design"
Right. They couldn't even finish Douglas Adams or Jane Austen series! And why have they stopped publishing Bond, Tey, and Mary Renault? And is it that hard to publish sets? Say, Hornblower novels? And couldn't they continue some old series? Adding a new volume to the Ancient Empires series would have been nice; I'd do Anglo-Saxons. And why have they published Paul Brickhills with inconsistent designs? Oh, wait... :)

To be fair though - website upgrade was a shameful disaster, and inflexible email advertising is silly. It shouldn't be all or nothing email subscription. You should be able to unsubscribe from the constant stream of emails that simply advertise every single book from every new collection, but still be subscribed for sale notifications/surveys.

Anyway, I think life's too short to waste it on whining and being unhappy. Not happy with pricing? Either do something about it (save, rearrange your spendings, shift to sales, make more money, rob a bank, murder that old rich aunt), or forget about it. I'd like to own some Arion Press books, but even though I could afford them, I think they're too overpriced generally. I do think that Andrew Hoyem is insane sitting on piles of 20-year-old inventory, but hey, it's his problem. And I think his website is bad. It doesn't matter if you write a whole essay on the book and its creation if you don't bother putting up nice pictures showcasing your main selling points - book design and quality of materials and typesetting. But again, if he's not interested actually selling his books - it's his problem. I won't waste my time complaining over and over again on the Fine Press forum or whatever. And Andrew Hoyem's ways won't change my opinion of his books one way or another. If I like a book - it's desirable. If I'm not willing to pay his prices, I'll wait till something pops up on the secondary market for a more reasonable price or till I acquire hundreds of other more reasonably prices books from my wish list.

Personally, I like FS because they publish nice editions of books I want to own. I love FS, but I'm not married to it. If there is choice, I might pick something else. E.g. I chose to buy Bradbury-signed LECs as my copies of Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles. But when it comes to more modern literature, and especially topics I'm particularly interested in - history, archaeology, travel, memoirs, etc. - Folio is usually in a league of its own.

>16 Mr.Fox: "I would never have placed an order if they still had the “Columbia House Records” approach where you are required to buy a certain number each year"

Hear, hear! I can't imagine any sane person under 40 liking this old gimmicky model. There is a good reason the model pretty much died out in the early 2000s elsewhere. Membership needed to go to keep up with times; the only problem I see is that FS didn't manage the transition well, and they failed to introduce a simple loyalty program as a replacement.

Myself, I first stumbled upon Folio in the late 90s or early 2000s when I saw their ads in some archaeological magazines I was subscribed to. I think they were offering their Ancient Empires sets as initial offerings, and they looked very good, but the membership model where you had to commit to buying was an instant turn-off. Only after walking into the thankfully dis-membered by then Eagle Street shop in 2014 was I hooked. So in my case Folio lost a full decade purely because of the membership scheme.

>21 overthemoon: How is a glow-in-the-dark book for little kids gimmicky??? I know it sounds crazy, but children books sometimes do manage to reach their target audience, i.e. children :)

>48 elladan0891: when I made that comment, I didn't know which book it was, because the email didn't tell me. But glow-in-the-dark, holograms, cut-outs and all the other recent additions to adult books seem gimmicky to me. But I am an old curmudgeon.

>47 elladan0891: "Many of those folks are still here 4 years later :)" And many more (who had been here considerably longer) have left, and I can think of more than one who did so after stating that the Folio Society had lost its appeal to them for many of the reasons reiterated above.

>48 elladan0891: "I can't imagine any sane person under 40 liking this old gimmicky model." Well I hope for Folio's sake that there are plenty of 'sane' under 40's in overseas markets queuing up to buy their books, as we are constantly being told that that age bracket in the UK have no cash, as the crusties hoarded it all.

>47 elladan0891: "I do think that Andrew Hoyem is insane sitting on piles of 20-year-old inventory, but hey, it's his problem. And I think his website is bad. It doesn't matter if you write a whole essay on the book and its creation if you don't bother putting up nice pictures showcasing your main selling points - book design and quality of materials and typesetting. But again, if he's not interested actually selling his books - it's his problem. I won't waste my time complaining over and over again on the Fine Press forum or whatever."

Should you start that thread in the Fine Press Forums you will not be alone I assure you! Still trying to find a picture of Eugene Onegin.

Back on topic...

The fall of FS is greatly exaggerated. I think they are necessarily expanding into new literary genres in order to survive. Some of the work has been some of the best work they've ever done. Some has been mediocre. All in all however the books themselves are as good as they've ever been even if I'm not buying as many of them now. The price increases suck. But I just have to plan for it and possibly make an order with one less book to adjust. I don't begrudge them the price increases because of the cost increases I've seen in my business over the last 7 years or so. They were probably well overdue. I'd rather pay a little more and FS survive.

The marketing emails are annoying and I've unsubscribed from them. The new website is visually appealing but it's functionality is poorly conceived and extremely poorly executed. I've personally found customer service to still be excellent but that's something that can really only be judged on a case by case basis.

FS must adapt to survive . We all want it to survive. We just happen to be around during the transition time and transitions always suck.

>21 overthemoon: I was looking through the catalogue with my girls last night and my nine year old was so excited when she saw that the Children's Book of Poetry has a glow in the dark cover and begged me to buy it for her. So, for the target audience it works. Really well. Perhaps FS has figured out that their target market and future target market are not all near-retirement or retired librarians(tongue in cheek).

It may be worth while pointing out that under the membership model the Folio Society had 140,000 members - I wonder how many 'customers' it has these days; and profit was capped with the excess going to charity.

The saddest thing, for me, is that the printed book market is beginning to flourish again, and Folio were uniquely well positioned to take advantage of that, but by aggressively targeting new markets without equally aggressively seeking to keep the loyalty of those already on board, they will have failed to maximise their potential.

>43 coynedj:

Thank you for the 38 year history. I appreciated it. Actual Price vs. Inflation Projected Price is interesting to me as well. I do something similar for my property tax bill, broken down into City / County / Education categories.

The starting point is arbitrary, and this shows how one can pick a starting point to support whichever side of an argument one wants to take. I am not suggesting you are doing anything of the like, just running with the data.

So if one compares the 2018 price to the 1980 price it appears to have not kept pace with inflation.

However if one just looks at the last two years, the price increased 5% from 2016-2017. Then it increased 14.3% from 2017-2018. As the increase compounds this book has increased in price 20.1% in the past two years. (120.00 - 99.95) / 99.95 = 20.06 .

(As an aside, my property tax bill has increaed 29% in the past four years, yet my wages are stagnant, but that is another story)

I think much of the woes from people seem to be based on this fairly recent rise in price which has far outstripped inflation.

Perhaps they were under-priced before, and this was required to put the company on stable footing, but the price rise is still felt by the customer.

>43 coynedj:
Very interesting statistics. Similar figures were done a few years ago on a broader base, giving similar results (http://www.librarything.com/topic/179221).

>49 overthemoon:
I see; my apologies, then! The moment I saw glow-in-the-dark, my first thought was "nursery rhymes", but probably that's because I'm a parent whose child would have enjoyed a glow-in-the-dark book just a year or so ago.

>52 HuxleyTheCat: "but by aggressively targeting new markets without equally aggressively seeking to keep the loyalty of those already on board, they will have failed to maximise their potential"

I do agree with you.

>53 sdawson: - I did pick the starting point almost randomly - it was going to be either 1970 or 1980, and I wasn't sure I'd have the time as it was, so I chose the date that would require less time. Like I said, it's just one book and not a comprehensive analysis, but I think it's indicative at the least.

I've been a member/customer for around 25 years now... and consider this a golden age for the Folio Society. When I started under the old member model there were several years I signed up for the four cheapest volumes. When I first joined LT and found this forum around 2007 it was a revelation that I could call/wait and request a different presentation volume - oh joy!

As others have noted, the quality and variety of editions has never been better.

The variety at least has arguably never been greater: whether it's better... well, we'll each have our own answers for that.

I find I've just lost interest and am become an ex-Devotee, with vague thoughts of perhaps buying Love is Enough or the Wilfred Owen selection if either is ever heavily discounted, but with little or no interest in anything else from the current catalogue that I don't already have. No whining or sorrow, I'm buying probably as many books as I ever have, but they're mostly old ones that the FS would never touch, occasionally approaching fine press standards, but mainly just the books I want to read in whatever editions exist. And Folio... well, I joined 20 years ago, valuing it largely for luring me into owning and reading books that, while "everyone" had read them, I, as a rambling autodidact in literary terms, hadn't. Partly I've caught up now, partly I just tend to find that the books nobody reads any more are generally more rewarding. The new website's a vexation, email marketing an irritant, and my glances into the new directions the publishing programme is taking have been enough to inform me that there's nothing for me there.

Result, one contented former Devotee, if he was ever much of a devotee at all, with a vague residual interest in the continuing evolution of the FS. It's not about prices, I bought some of the largest LEs while an unwaged carer: I'm pretty frugal in most things and there must have been several years when Folio purchases took something more than 10% of my gross income. Not sure really whether Folio has left me behind or I've left it behind, but there it is: one way or another, the feeling's gone. And something's just come through the letterbox, I expect it will be the Wilfred Owen mailing, so I'll just go and take a look...

>53 sdawson:

The ROW members can add 10% to those 20.1%.

>50 HuxleyTheCat: that age bracket in the UK have no cash, as the crusties hoarded it all

But soon enough they'll start moving into the next bracket and inheriting crusties' loot.

>59 terebinth: I find I've just lost interest and am become an ex-Devotee

Very sad, Paul. I've missed your contributions in recent months and I'd hate to think you were leaving us, though I do understand your reasoning. The Owen (book, as opposed to the flyer) arrived this morning and it is really beautiful. It might be the last of the "real" LEs (those Joe has had a big hairy hand in) so perhaps worth thinking about just for that?

Edited for omission.

>62 folio_books: FYI: The new LE director's name, according to the mailing, is James Rose.

Edit: His title is stated as Limited Editions Editor.

>62 folio_books:

Your kind words of appreciation are much appreciated, and, oh, it's in with a chance. I can't myself believe that it's at all likely to sell out quickly, so I'm (probably) consigning it to the back burner as we enter the most frantic couple of months of moving from a house near Durham to a first floor flat in Norfolk. Fortunately the flat is bigger than the house, and has a 15' square "master bedroom" which, though it doesn't know it yet, is to be a library. Not very much thought, then, of acquiring further books until the existing 3500 or so are all safely housed in there, and I'm open to the possibility of changed priorities once settled into what may prove a somewhat different life.

>61 elladan0891: Never heard of equity release? Care homes start at about £1000 a week.

I joined FS in 2010 and have usually put in 2 to 3 orders a year until this year. I appreciate the much greater diversity of FS's offerings nowadays but I just could not convince myself to pay such premiums for a couple of (based on my budget) admittedly very well-made books.

Since my last complain (whine) about the price hike a couple of months back, I have (subconsciously?) refrained from coming here because I do not wish to be reminded of the books that I will now not be buying. The 3 books (Hangman's Holiday, Starship Trooper & The Complete Poems for Christopher Robin) that I wanted to buy would have cost me about £160 (in ROW including shipping) now.

Meanwhile, a couple of Book Depository orders have just reached me and guess what, I feel much better. In fact I just about forgot about FS totally. My orders:

1) Robotic Exploration of the Solar System: Part 3 / David Harland and Paolo Ulivi / Springer Praxis paperback (£36)
2) Killing Commendatore / Haruki Murakami / Knopf hardcover (£19)
3) Don't Look Now And Other Stories / Daphne du Maurier / Virago hardcover (£8)
4) Tales from the Inner City / Shaun Tan / Arthur Levine hardcover (£19)
5) The Books of Earthsea : The Complete Illustrated Edition recently released by Saga Press (£58)

Total cost including free shipping: £140

So with Book Depository's help, I may survive dismemberment. I wonder if I'm the only (ex-)FSD behaving this way. 8-)

>65 HuxleyTheCat:
Ouch. They're controlled in Ontario, and start at about $2000 a month. An average cost for a decent place with privacy would be $4000 p.m. Even that would eat up your equity if you survived the regimen for a few years.

>64 terebinth: moving from a house near Durham to a first floor flat in Norfolk

Good luck with the move. That's a long way away. I hope it wasn't something I said ... ;)

My estimation is it's unlikely to sell out before next summer, so good luck with that as well.

>66 tkerod: I wonder if I'm the only (ex-)FSD behaving this way. 8-)

No, you're not. My Book Depository purchases have rised significantly since the FS ROW price rise. My last order was for Vietnam by Max Hastings, Erebus by Michael Palin, The British in India by David Gilmour, Step by Step by Simon Reeve and Living with the Gods by Neil MacGregor. All for a grand total of just over £90, including international postage and packing. Very much looking forward to reading all of those. As I noted in another thread, I also recently ordered CP's The Woman in Black for $95, this for a book with original illustrations, signed by the author and limited to just 300 copies. By way of contrast, Folio's new Middlemarch is priced at £82.95 ($106 at today's exchange rate), for a book with some slightly mediocre-looking illustrations and, significantly, no rights to pay. I've no idea how they can justify such prices.

The ROW price hike has been a turning point for me. It was ill-judged and badly rolled-out. Even a simple apologetic email to ROW customers explaining their reasoning would have gone a long way to reduce bad feelings. As it is, I won't be buying any more FS LEs or full price books. I'll keep my eye on the sales but that's it.

>43 coynedj: Thanks for that. As well as the comparison with inflation an interesting further study - if anyone has the data - would be between the standard trade hardback vs the FS edition over the years. Without looking in detail, my feeling is that books have not risen with inflation, at least since mid-late 90s. As an example, I just picked out A.N.Wilson's The Victorians from my shelf - RRP of £25 back in 2002. This is still more or less what's asked for an equivalent hardback today, ignoring discounting etc. I'm not sure why this is the case, but it may go some way to explain why the recent FS rises are disgruntling many - the gap between FS volumes and mass market hardbacks is ever increasing.

>66 tkerod:
I wonder if I'm the only (ex-)FSD behaving this way. 8-)

No, that's very similar to what I'm doing when buying books nowadays. Also, I recently joined the Leeds Library (the subscription one) which has better stocks of the sorts of books I read than our local libraries manage, which is helping too, not least in shelf space! They have a good run of LOA books for starters!

>66 tkerod:

This must be another kind of MeToo movement. I feel insulted by the FS pricing for the US market which was shown to be about 1/3 of their customer base. It is uncalled for.

I have been purchasing more elsewhere.

>69 Levin40:
>70 Willoyd:
>71 Forthwith:

When I saw the price of my FS carts (yes I went as far as that), I couldn't help shaking my head in disbelief. I used to be able to buy 5 to 6 books with that kind of money...

I suppose newer members who joined in the last year would not feel this pinch but I certainly do. I still want FS to succeed but I'm afraid I won't be one of the stalwarts anymore. For every FS creation that I fancy, I see 2, 3 or even 4 other books that I want to and would rather buy.

I'll still come here because of the camaraderie, excellent book discussions and maybe sales announcements. The last is rather tentative because I feel that the good old days of value-for-money sales may be over if the last couple of them are any indication. I hope I'm wrong though!

>47 elladan0891:

I have been reading this forum for the past 8 years or so. I recall the occasional whine by individuals but not extended posts on price hikes the likes of what we see now. I think this is indicative of the prevailing sentiment among a significant number of devotees. Long-time devotees may be able to shed more light on this?

>73 tkerod:

Aside from the general increase in the price of standard FS books (the average price of an FS book on the U.S.A. website is approximately $60 USD), as many have noted the cost is significantly higher for purchases outside of the U.K. Example:

1. The cost of the new FS LE of Wilfred Owens poetry on the website in Great Britain is 195 GBP. At present currency conversion rates, that equals $250 US dollars.

2. To purchase this book from the U.S.A. on their FS website the price being charged is not $250 - it is $330 dollars !! This is inexplicable and unnecessary. I purchase private press books from several of the top fine & rare booksellers in Great Britain, e.g., Peter Harrington, Ltd., Sophie Schneideman, Henry Sotheran Ltd., Collinge & Clark, Adrian Harrington Ltd., and it is a simple, straightforward matter. Over the telephone I place my order and give them my VISA credit card information. The purchase is made in GBP and the credit card does the conversion into US dollars at (or very close to) the current conversion rate between GBP and US dollars.

If British booksellers followed the Folio Society practice of overcharging its ROW customers they would lose most of their business from the States and that is precisely what is happening to the FS. Toss in an additional $35 to $40 packing and shipping charge and the cost of the new Wilfred Owens book is about $400 = 310 GBP and it becomes uncompetitive with what that money will purchase from true private presses printing and publishing books that are far superior. Don't believe me? Take a look at what 310 GBP will purchase from the Old Stile Press or the Whittington Press for superb letterpress books with outstanding illustrations, usually woodcuts or wood-engravings.

The icing on this stale cake? The U.S. customers get a relative bargain compared to the prices FS charges its customers in Canada and Australia, which are even higher.

>70 Willoyd:

I have indeed been using the local library more often. And I have an app on my cell phone (overdrive) which allows me to check out ebooks and audio books easily (I still carry a physical book with me wherever I go)

I have just received my order of 2018 Christmas books - Tales of the Greek Heroes, the Alchemist and Middlemarch and (FWIW) my thoughts on this topic are quite similar to >8 wcarter: and >51 Sorion::

The books are quite attractive, published to a high standard, and the quality is better than it has ever been. The small, quaint volumes of yesteryear with occasional letterpress printing and hand-coloured illustrations remain attractive and collectible in their own right but they are not in the same league as current offerings. The FS continues to do two things especially well:

1. Publish fine press editions of books that no other fine or private press will publish, with a far-ranging selection of interesting books second to none.

2. Highlight their books with beautiful illustrations commissioned from numerous promising young illustrators and artists. The attractive illustrations in FS books set them apart from run-of-the-mill fare.

The major FS problems have been thoroughly discussed:

1. A clunky, user-unfriendly website.

2. Absurd pricing for customers outside of the U.K. I cannot understand why the FS cannot do what every other fine & private press bookseller in the U.K. does - take an order priced in GBP with a major credit card, then let the credit cards do the straightforward conversion from GBP to foreign currency at (or very near) current foreign exchange rates.

3. Regarding the steady increase in prices - to some extent it is indeed a reflection of inflation and increase in cost of labor and materials. It eliminates the impulse purchases and one now has to think a bit about the value proposition compared to other fine & private press alternatives. In my recent order:

Tales of the Greek Heroes - slightly overpriced.
The Alchemist - very overpriced.
Middlemarch - worth the premium price for an exceptionally attractive book.

In the case of the new ROW price hike, they do accept payment in Pounds, still charge an added 10%, and in the one email reply I actually received in recent months justified that with the exchange rate fluctuations that play no role whatsoever in this, in addition to all the extra work and expense they have to service us non-Brits. They're the only company I know who don't just have one price for their books, then charge whatever they need to not make a loss on shipping as such, as opposed to charging higher book prices. They needn't be surprised that people are angry and stop buying directly from them under these circumstances. It feels like a rip-off, and one that could be easily avoided.

>76 dlphcoracl: re The Alchemist - very overpriced.

Maybe they have to cover royalties to the author.

>76 dlphcoracl:
Middlemarch - worth the premium price for an exceptionally attractive book.

This interests me. I was up for a new FS edition of Middlemarch, the most recent not being that attractive to me (I had a copy along with the rest of the set, but have sold the set), but this looked well overpriced and (in that green) not overly attractive. I went for an earlier, obviously cheaper (£15), alternative which I'm very happy with.

So, what makes it worth the premium price for you, because £75 plus postage is surely very premium? Genuinely interested, and know that we will to some extent at least differ on the aesthetics.

>79 Willoyd:

A picture is worth one thousand words..........

When purchased from the United States The Alchemist costs $76.95 whereas Middlemarch costs $115. No comparison.

To respond to your question "What makes it worth the premium price for you?" I can best answer it in one word:

"Everything."

The book is substantial and it is full quarto size measuring 11 x 7.25 inches. For me, the binding design is quite attractive and unique. The cloth is very fine with a luminous, subtly shimmering quality and the blocked designs on the front cover and spine of the binding and front panel of the slipcase are attractive. The powder blue and silver vertically striped pastedowns and end pages have a distinct Victorian feel. The type is clear and unfussy, the page layout has wide margins and sentences are well spaced for fluid reading. Pierre Mornet's frontispiece and 14 illustrations are exceptional and entirely keeping with the book. What you cannot see is that the book itself is carefully crafted by L.E.G.O. of Italy, one of my preferred printers and binders. The spine of the binding has a subtle curvature and the binding appears to be sewn, lying flat against the curved spine, important in a book this large and heavy. Workmanship is excellent throughout. For many, the stumbling block will be the Spring Green color but, for me, it works and I find it quite attractive.

Simply put, the book design and attention to detail combine to create a book that is very much "of its time" with a look that brings one back to the height of the Victorian Era as one reads it. This is one of the essential elements of fine book design and it greatly enhances my Middlemarch reading experience, making it well worth the price.

Additional photographs of the book follow to help FSD-ers decide for themselves.

Middlemarch.

Middlemarch

Middlemarch. Frontispiece.

Middlemarch.

Middlemarch illustration #1.

Middlemarch illustration #2.

>80 dlphcoracl:
To respond to your question "What makes it worth the premium price for you?" I can best answer it in one word: "Everything."

Thank you for your detailed response; I'm delighted that you are so pleased with Middlemarch (one of my favourite books). From this distance, I can certainly understand why you find it better value than The Alchemist! Thank you so much also for the photographs which do help give more insight. From what you have showed us, and what is available on the website, this edition certainly appears a distinct improvement on the last edition, even with the green (although, TBH, it didn't have to do a lot to be better!). Good as it is, though, I still find the price overheavy.

>I wonder if I'm the only (ex-)FSD behaving this way. 8-)

You're not. My wife and I met in this group in 2012, and we both bought Folio books several times a year (we have probably 150 Folio volumes, including 5 or 6 Limited Editions). I alone placed 14 orders between 2012 and 2014, not counting whatever my wife bought in that time. We also have a nice collection of LEC, Heritage Press, and other assorted fine press volumes, and have a total library of about 1,800 books. As for our average yearly expenditure on books, I'd rather not know!!!

All that said, we haven't bought more than 3 or 4 books from Folio in the last 2 years, while our total spend on books in general continues to increase. But the price-gouging of US customers has soured us considerably. I would like to add The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay to our library, but I can't justify spending $115 + shipping for a book that should cost me $96, and would have cost $75 if FS published it four years ago. I'd rather put that money toward one of Centipede Press's upcoming volumes, like The Haunting of Hill House, many of which are truly special one-of-a-kind releases.

So yes, it does feel like a "decline" for these devotees, who find themselves getting more for their book dollar elsewhere these days.

I feel like the decline is felt more sharply by non-UK customers and especially ROW customers. >76 dlphcoracl: (third point) and >77 SF-72: put the finger on the sore spot for me. I feel like as a customer, the recent ROW changes have had a lack of motivation from FS itself and therefore feel unfair. I simply cannot understand why a customer in Fiji is treated the same as a customer on the other side of the pond for postage and for 'operating costs'.

In previous collections, I bought a few books because I thought they looked promising/well made. Now, I'll be looking to only order new parts in a series I collect (there are 2 Bonds on my wishlist, as well as Elegant Universe), personal favourites and perhaps a decently discounted book. I'm planning a trip to the UK in February in hopes that a hotel/B&B offers to accept a package on behalf of a customer, and will import the books myself, also enjoying a nice holiday for a few days in Brexit-land.

>80 dlphcoracl:

When purchased from the United States The Alchemist costs $76.95 whereas Middlemarch costs $115. No comparison.

Yeah, but every FS book becomes cheap when compared to their ridiculously overpriced The Alchemist.
For a $115 book that is new, I find that the quality of the binding lacks in a few points, based on your pictures. Or their QC was a little bit too permissive.

>66 tkerod:
So you're basically saying that Hangman's Holiday for £38.95 is too expensive, so you bought some paperback for £36 instead?
/scratches head/
I'm also not sure if 4 regular hardbacks and a paperback is a better value-for-money option than 3 "admittedly very well-made books".

I can certainly understand when prices of some Folios raise eyebrows. Take Kavalier and Clay - a standard looking Folio for a price in the Fine editions territory. I've never read K&C and was interested to check it out, but not $115-interested. So I can understand pricing complaints, I'm just genuinely puzzled by the example above.

... & The Complete Poems for Christopher Robin
Quite honestly, I think it rarely makes sense to buy reprints direct at full price. A few months before FS reissued the first Pooh book, I purchased a still shrink-wrapped 3-volume set for $120 USD including shipping on ebay. Although generally $40 per book is a high price for Folios on the secondary market, it's reasonable for the Poohs, and still cheaper than $61.95 + shipping FS charges for recent reprints. I think whenever FS brings back a book, it's always a good idea to check the secondary market and see if buying the reprint direct makes sense.

>73 tkerod:
Then I'm not sure how you managed to avoid all the whining, moaning, and - I'll happily admit - fully justified complaining (like price discrimination for certain regions), that have been going on for years :)
And not just people complaining about price hikes - there are threads just like this one talking about FS demise etc.

New web site and the ROW

I have been a member of the FS for over 40 years, and the only trouble I have had has been in the last year or two.
(i.e. since this new commercially oriented management took over.)
I have a primary residence address in the UK and other addresses in the USA and Mexico. The FS has for some reason re-allocated me to the ROW, but this disastrous new web site cannot register my billing address as in England because the UK does not appear in the list of countries.

I took this up with Andrew Wagstaff at the FS and got the following:


Is it really so difficult to have a billing address in the UK and a delivery address in Mexico or the USA?
What a way to do business!

Time to part company ?

>92 Ron_Catterall:
You should be receiving invitations to do a Trustpilot review of any Folio purchase, supposed to be made public whether good or bad. It might be useful to make a complaint more widely accessible than on this website.

>91 elladan0891: I'm just genuinely puzzled by the example above.

The point I was driving at was that I could buy a lot more non-FS books for the same amount of money. It may not be an apple-to-apple comparison and it wasn't meant to be. To some people, a $20 imported melon is worth the money and cannot be compared to a locally-grown $5 variety. Each side will find reasons to support their choice. Ultimately I guess it boils down to my perception of how much FS quality is worth. Maybe I am also more a reader than a collector?

When I received my Book Depository parcel (£140), I was really excited. No other emotions.

If I were to receive my box of 3 FS books (£160), I imagine I will be excited but I will also feel that I've paid a lot for the books. There may be guilt and perhaps even regrets that I have not reined in my impulse.

That £36 paperback is a pseudo-technical publication (with low sales and print run I'd imagine) by an academic press. Its price is not uncommon for such a book.

>91 elladan0891: Then I'm not sure how you managed to avoid all the whining, moaning...

Ahh I now recall (at least) our Aussie devotees' complains. I really feel for them now. It's like what Harry Truman once said about recession. =)

>94 tkerod: "Ultimately I guess it boils down to my perception of how much FS quality is worth."

Exactly this. As a book purchaser in the UK, and hence not subject to the pricing iniquities affecting others here, I am increasingly taking the decision that an individual FS book is 'not' worth the premium being charged, and this is categorically not simply down to individual finances, as I am fortunate enough to have a substantial monthly book budget.

>95 HuxleyTheCat:

Ditto.

EP offers a similar example with their DLEs, too. DLE quality is generally the same as their standard product but the pricing is comical. For my part, Folio has benefited greatly from this but their price increases have started to eliminate arbitrary and whimsical purchases. Of course, the new website has stopped all other purchases; I plan on mailing an order eventually. Folio can sweat it out in the mean time.

>80 dlphcoracl: The side-by-side picture of Middlemarch and The Alchemist reflects that the former is significantly larger. However, the website gives the same dimensions for both books (11” x 7-1/4”). I’m very interested in Middlemarch but if it is taller than 11” it will not fit on my bookshelf. If anyone has the book and can provide me with the actual measurements, I’d be grateful.

>95 HuxleyTheCat: >96 treereader:

Exactly!

>97 Redshirt:

The book has quite a stout slipcase and is 288mm tall, including the case. The book itself is 280mm, almost exactly 11".

Redshirt could could always cut off a strip at the top of each page so the book does fit his bookshelves...

>99 affle: Thanks

As a relative newcomer, I consider the end of the membership model and the generally high quality of presentation for extant volumes to be quite positive developments.

The thing that really irks me is the shipping (cost and service) here in the UK. Firstly, £8 to deliver two books by the most budget service available is outrageous. Secondly, waiting a week for your merchandise to arrive is like something out of the last century. I guess I should be grateful because these two factors have saved me from many an impulse buy. But I really think on online book merchant selling a premium product ought to be able to offer reasonably priced (or free) shipping and get stock out to customers in two or three days max.

I guess the current system works well for those who order a dozen books at a time, but the majority of FS's customers would surely be better served by a small price increase in each book and a free delivery option.

>102 ubiquitousuk:

I generally have the impression that they're not doing well when it comes to finding / using shipping carriers that offer good prices and (in the case of their non-courier shipping) good speed. And as someone who certainly has a lot of packages to ship, I would expect them to getter better prices than much smaller UK sellers I've bought from and who did manage to get good prices and speed, albeit definitely not using Royal Mail and DHL. It's interesting to hear that even their UK options aren't that satisfying.

I'm probably showing my age here but I remember the days when 'allow 28 days for delivery' was state of the art.

When did the marketing people persuade us that we had to have everything 'next day'?*

And why?

Is it worth the way that some companies treat their employees? Is the fabled 'Emma' suffering for our impatience?

Is it an attempt to make up for the fact that noone can afford a house any more?

Patience used to be a virtue, or so we were once told.

It's nice to get stuff quickly but do you actually have to have it 'now'?

Maybe we could all be a little more 'Zen' about it?

signed: Canute (irony, guys, irony, I know Canute knew about tides, just chill :-))

*(In Sherlock Holmes' day you could get things by 'return of post' but things were rather different then - plus ca change.)

I have not recieved any new e-mails after the new era, neither have i had any real interest following up on the new website, i love FS and will always do, but what has always been `we` is now `me and them` - just a ROW customer, i hope and think this is just a phase, and will balance itself after some time, the price raise make me be A LOT more careful with what i use my money on, there is a fact i will not spend that much on FS books any longer, besides on interesting sales of course, or a much wanted something. I will give them time to find their new voice though

I am really glad i splurged on FS books when i did, it was a crazy and great time, to sound positive or maybe naive i choose to be slightly enthusiastic about the future, i can say that, as i`m merely a customer, there are probably a meaning about it all and i hope they know what they are doing as they are curing many previous members of FAD, myself included. I don`t want to be cured, i want to be high.

I don`t have a pesimistic view though, i`m not created that way, thus my conclusion will be: `they probably know what they are doing`

I am squarely in the "we are still in the Golden Era" camp. I firmly believe that the books issued in the last few years are leagues ahead of what came before. As I write this I have a pile of 1990s Folios to my left and a pile of 2010s Folios to my right, and it is clear to my mind that the quality of the books has come on in leaps and bounds in that time. And I regard the 1990s as the start of the Golden Age (there was a lengthy thread in this forum on that subject a year or two ago, incidentally).

OTOH, I do understand the irriration being expressed about the disparity in UK pricing vs overseas pricing. It strikes me that there is a gap in the market for a middleman or middlewoman to step into - someone in the UK who would order books from the FS direct (at UK prices) and ship them to overseas customers, with the difference in price being split between them (so a profit for the middleperson, and a saving for the end customer). The middleperson would be taking on some commitment and risk (there are questions regarding what happens if the book is imperfect or damaged in transit, for example), but for the more expensive books there might be enough of a margin for a UK bookseller to provide this service. A number of overseas members have commented in this forum that they already deal with certain UK dealers - why not contact them direct if you are considering purchasing one or more expensive FS items?

>106 TheEconomist:
I have tried this from Australia with the existing book forwarding agencies. It works cost wise for very expensive limited editions, but you need an order of at least £400 to make it work as there are two postage costs and handling fees which amount to about 15% of the book cost as the agency must make the purchase for you in their name (the FS does not allow foreigners to order and deliver to a UK address). A lot of hassle and slows down delivery, and as you mention, returning a defective expensive book would be very difficult. I have decided not to use this option any more for these reasons.

>107 wcarter: I still think a VPN would be able to work around the 'foreigners ordering to the UK' prevention. I guess I'll see soon enough, as I'm planning to order to a UK address next time I'm on holiday there.

If it was really just about the extra expense for and supposed hassle of shipping abroad, then they shouldn't have a problem delivering at UK prices to UK addresses, no matter where the customer happens to live at the time. Which makes me even more irate about the whole ROW rip-off.

>108 Fierylunar: Currently anyone, anywhere, can look at any of the FS sites (it's simply a matter of adding an '/row' or '/usa' to the url). So isn't the simplest solution just to open a second account with a uk address via the UK site. Admittedly I haven't tried to do that yet but I find it hard to believe it would be blocked based on ip. You might even get new member benefits as well :-)

>102 ubiquitousuk:
Secondly, waiting a week for your merchandise to arrive is like something out of the last century.
Well, the only book seller I know who beats that regularly is Amazon, and then only if you are a Prime member or prepared to pay a premium. Book Depository and Wordery regularly take far longer. Individual book shops occasionally beat this, but it's not the norm. Personally, at least here in the UK, this is one area where I do think the FS has improved, and is as good as anybody.

Anyway, what's the rush? Do you need to read that book instantly? Within the week seems quite reasonable to me.

>89 Fierylunar: I don't know if they will let you buy books through the UK website with you account, but the idea is quite good. I was in London this February and will be there next February as well. I didn't order any books to my Airbnb, but I went to some used book shops and the Taschen store (they had their sale the weekend I was there) and bought quite a lot. I went home with 20kg worth of books (I was going by train as I anticipated buying a lot). I think it was worth it as there are not that used books shops here that sell english language books.

Interesting discussion. I began my association with FS back in the 1970's as a member. I've long since severed any special relationship with them as I have become quite disappointed in their production. Cover designs run from garish to hideous, for one thing. They have become, in my opinion, naught more than a trade publisher of expensive books. I grant that their facsimiles and limited editions are worthy of attenton, however.

Love Folio. Hate their management. Love their customer service folks.

Sums up everything I feel!

>114 bookaroo:
Agree, plus ......
Love their books, hate their website.

Agree, though I'll add that I'm starting to hate their prices, too. I've started collecting more LECs - they're more affordable!

>116 chrisrsprague:: Oh yes oh yes. Looks like there's no new release under 38.95 anymore!

>115 wcarter: The new website is awful!

I’ve committed before, but their website doesn’t bother me at all. The only thing I would like is an option to easily search for low stock items.

>119 Mooch360:

What about categories that are more descriptive than fiction and non-fiction?

I can accept they raise the price , but why charge ROW differently, another brexit mentality ?

the new website is , too much decoration and white space and bugs, and big latency, I go there to browse and search for book, the old website is good enough, everything in one page, but now I spend so much time clicking and scrolling and looking for what used to be display in one page and often one or two mouse click away.

Hold on, kafkachen, the UK is still in the EU and will be for a minimum of three months. You cannot blame Brexit!

Selling overseas brings higher credit card fees, much higher delivery costs and more customer issues to deal with as even more dim delivery staff have the opportunity to damage FS books.

I feel really lucky that I found Folio when I did about 7 years ago. If I would have stumbled across them today there is no chance with the recent changes in membership model, sales and increase in price that I would have been able to afford as many FS volumes that I own today.

I predict that these changes over the last years have cut my purchases by at least 50%.

That being said I do own many of the books I want from Folio, but now I am unsure what to do, it is like me and FS are slipping apart from one another.

>120 treereader: There are lots of categories on the Canadian website.

>123 WinterGloaming: Exactly my thoughts! Like lovers drifting apart, slowly but inexorably ...

>chawton,

You are right on the damage reason. other reason are moot. we pay more on shipping .
Our Australian friends here has been raising this issue for the past 10 or 20 years , to the extend that people nearly flag them, and FS never heed it. ROW is the last to join them .
I don't think our opinion will have any effect.

Now I only buy when they offer a 30%+ discount.

>122 Chawton:

I agree with kafkachen that this seems likely to be connected to Brexit. I found it very ironic that FS suddenly started adding customs stickers to their packages to Germany right after the Brexit referendum, when they clearly were unnecessary because the UK was still in the EU so no customs formalities were needed. And in an email they told me that part of the reason for the price raise was the expense for taking care of customs paperwork etc. So from their point of view, this really seems to be connected to Brexit, only they went at it before it even took place.

I am sure that Brexit had nothing to do with these Customs stickers, and I worked in tax for many years. A more likely cause was the following which I copy from the website of a specialist firm in this area:

UK Customs ‘asleep’ as illegal Chinese imports avoid VAT

UK Customs has been accused of being “asleep at the wheel”, by allowing imports of illegal goods from China without paying VAT.

Several executives involved in imports into the UK, have noted the scale of the problem, particularly in regards to cross-border e-commerce. The UK government could face a £1.7bn fine.
“France, Germany, Spain and Italy are estimated to have lost a combined €3.2bn from 2013 to 2016 in VAT revenue as a result of British failures in handling imports at its ports,” notes The Guardian.
With the UK looking to leave the Customs Union, politicians have expressed concern that its import customs officials have failed to take action against the frauds.

One MP said: “The UK border force is asleep at the wheel, and it’s going to cost the taxpayer billions.’

So I suggest that The Folio Society were trying to stop the Customs authorities of other EU members opening their orders in case they were suspected to be Chinese imports on which the UK should have levied taxes.

>128 Chawton:

None of my orders from the UK (apart from the Channel islands) were ever opened or checked by customs. And their using customs stickers started right after the Brexit referendum. As I said, FS stated that the raised their prices for ROW partly due to the cost of dealing with customs paperwork. You're free to develop your own theories, naturally and they could theoretically be correct. They don't fit in with my experience in this regard, though. Quite frankly, it seemed like an overeager reaction to the referendum long before any of the changes FS made were actually necessary. Other changes made also point at a preparation for Brexit, like moving their printing from the EU to China for many of their more recent books. It makes sense since there are likely to be considerable changes that will affect any business between the UK and the EU. I know that German businesses have been looking for alternatives to UK suppliers because buying from there when it's outside the EU will increase costs and hassle, including delays due to customs, considerably. Whether or not FS will actually profit from raising prices for buyers outside the UK is another question. I for my part switched from buying from them to buying on the secondary market as much as possible as a result, and that will certainly increase once German customs fees are added to FS's steep prices.

116: LECs are amongst my favorite books. They are "fine press" -ALL letterpress (and there is a HUGE difference between letterpress and books you get by the Folio Society, or Easton Press) with amazing illustrations. The more pricey LECs which start to run into a few hundred dollars are also completely worth it. Do you have a favorite in your collection?

>126 kafkachen:

You could write a book about the shenanigans, but personally, I didn't get involved in any of the debate. ;-)

>LesMiserables

We should have stood behind you , didn't know the fire could reach here ;-)

My biggest issue with the current Folio management: they have converted Folio into just another publisher of expensive books.

The loyalty that I felt as a member of the Folio Society is long gone. Today, I am happy today to diversify my collecting portfolio to include other publishers.

>1 UK_History_Fan:

Interesting OP

To use your original 13...

Strike 1 - loss of the membership model Agree, it has always irritated me, at the revolution, when the FS attempted to stress the importance of members, whilst simultaneously moving to a non-membership model. Orwellian.
Strike 2 - discontinuation of introductory discounts of 20% on new releases This would only bother me if the membership model was intact.
Strike 3 - price increases generally for US customers and the continued stubborn insistence on using some inexplicable Forex rate rather than allowing direct purchase in GBP with actual shipping charges Perhaps you could rephrase this as...'The transition of US prices towards the Australian model
Strike 4 - increased shipping costs ($11 for the first book???????) in the absence of the transparency in Strike 3 above It was once worse. The FS have made it somewhat easier to ship to Australia but have lately tightened the screws
Strike 5- shifting away from publishing many worthy multi-volume sets. Now all we get are incomplete and/or unfinished series or seemingly related books published in random order with inconsistent design (covers, illustrators, etc.) I suppose that in potentially longer running sets they have wagered a each way bet. There is, some... dare I say it, moral something or other, in my honest opinion, to see sets through, even if it means small runs. But you can look at the likes of Sir Walter Scott and just write off any thoughts of a collectors set. Then again, dare I mention Dickens?
Strike 6 - discontinuation of payment plans for larger orders Silly in my opinion. I would perhaps qualify larger payment plan orders with a history of loyalty and purchase history, but not trash it. Dare I mention a membership of some sort? 😊
Strike 7 - closing the London reading room Cost cutting perhaps to stay afloat. A short term measure. Again, something that could be tied into membership, even with a cost involved, but FS have decided to leave calm rather backward corporate waters where only pilchards can be harvested, to hunt in the deep shark infested seas of big business.
Strike 8 - terminating many long-standing, highly revered employees See Strike 7
Strike 9 - closely related to the above, outsourcing customer service to unknowledgeable order takers who are not even FS employees and who regularly promulgate inaccurate or misleading information I have no knowledge of this, but saddens me nonetheless. On this point, my ignorance is symptomatic of someone who has largely been turned off by FS for years and who only goes fishing when the salmon are running. For reasons look at answers to Strikes 1, 3, 5, 11 and 12
Strike 10 - retraction of previously announced intent to publish certain limited editions Doesn't engender confidence
Strike 11 - the unfair treatment of ROW customers in terms of pricing (though admittedly, it just puts the ROW in the same league as the long-beleaguered Australians) There have been fairly heated discussions (and sadly vicious ad hominem attacks) over the years on whether 'fair' should even be discussed. I was one of the defenders of an ethical model, and I recall much nimbyism at play from Albion, though I must stress that was not the only sentiment. Anyway, the model remains, despite much hand-wringing from the likes of me.
Strike 12 - that the Board of Directors still retain the services of Ms. Omnichannel as demonstrable evidence of the complete abandonment of Charles Ede's original mission Nail on the head
Strike 13 - The new website is bad enough, but the fact that none of the most common complaints by long-term customers are being addressed just adds fuel to the fire. Yes, I.T. and F.S. have never seen eye-to-eye.

Furthermore, I think the biggest betrayal for some folk in recent years has been the Limited Edition sales, whilst simultaneously bringing joy to others. Many had paid top dollar for their Limited Editions and had never foreseen deeply discounted LE volumes being sold and more than likely making their way onto the used market, diminishing the resale value of their LEs.

>1 UK_History_Fan: "the unfair treatment of ROW customers in terms of pricing (though admittedly, it just puts the ROW in the same league as the long-beleaguered Australians)"

This is the last straw! In another few months, I will stop buying Folio Books!

Trying to pick up some more books before the sales end , but what the … Folio website is so painfully slow , each scrolling and clicking take a few seconds to proceed and I am on a i7 SSD hd box ! I miss the old straight forward website which really provide good user experience.

I agree. The older website was much more useful and efficient.

>136 kafkachen:, >137 sdawson:
I too agree. I hate the new website and still cannot get it to work on my iPad.

>136 kafkachen: >137 sdawson: >138 wcarter:

The new website doesn’t work for me on any of my devices. The scrolling doesn’t flow smoothly; stop, start, fraction by faction, line by line; so incredibly slow that I couldn’t browse the entire Folio collection in a month. I don’t go there anymore, relying on mailings and what is reported here.

Anyone making their first visit to the website and having a similar experience would never, ever return, of that I am certain.

>138 wcarter: >139 bookfair_e: Ditto for iPad. FS clearly expects us to run around and find a web-compatible or other means of purchasing. Well, I don’t see why I should so no purchases since this debacle began. My threshold for buying has shot up - it would now have to be something truly exceptional before I would even consider buying from them again. Unless of course they fixed things along with an appropriate apology - to my knowledge no apology has yet been issued but, of course, to be meaningful that would require a promise to fix things. What is the expectation of that?

Their website doesn't even reliably work on real web browsers. Whoever designed it doesn't know what a cookie is because it still takes me to the UK site and asks me if I want the USA site every time. Navigating to find or just browse books is simply a miserable experience because of the layout and organization. I haven't ordered anything since before the changeover. I tried ordering over the phone once but I couldn't get a stable connection. They've successfully stalled the rate of growth of my TBR pile.

>141 treereader: It does the same to me. It is a minor annoyance, but a repeated one, and something that should be easily fixable on their end. I don't understand how their website is still so buggy after all these months. Obviously it wasn't tested enough before roll out, but there's been ample time to fix it.

They seem to be publishing works targeting a younger audience, but the vast majority of those buyers are going to prefer ordering online to ordering by phone or mail, so you would think having a great website would be a priority. I really don't get it.

>142 wdripp:

Yes, it's a minor annoyance. I forgot to add, though, that despite it being a minor annoyance, given its prominence (i.e., it's the first order of business upon opening the site), it suggests an overall quality level of the website, which in turn is an overall reflection of the company. When I run into such a trivial error on each and every visit after several months, plus add in all the other complaints in this thread, it becomes clear that Folio has little (zero?) interest giving its customers a decent website or online shopping experience. In fact, given that the previous website worked better than its replacement (PayPal functionality being the only exception I'm aware of), it suggests that the bottom line cost of website maintenance is the only thing of importance to Folio.

The I.T. clunkiness is part and parcel of dealing with the FS.

Maybe it's nostalgia on my part, but I've continued to order from Folio by snail mail. Judging by the comments about the website, I think I'm making the right choice.

Oddly, the web site seems to work fine for me on my iPad, except for consistently requiring me separately to choose the US site. As for the interface, it's not great but neither was the previous iteration. If I recall correctly, there wasn't much love for the old site on this board. As LesMiserables states, I.T. quirks seem to be part of the FS package.

I was quite happy with the old web site, even before being smacked in the face with the new one.

Both websites were abysmal, but the previous one was fast, functional and abysmal. The new version? Yikes.

>130 astropi: Absolutely. My favorite volumes by far are my matching set of the 1934 Canterbury Tales and the 1939 Troilus and Cressida.

>149 chrisrsprague: >130 astropi:
I have a few LECs too, but I’m a contrarian when it comes to letterpress. I don’t care how it was printed, or where, or by whom, as long as the font is easy to read. The LEC interiors have held up well over the decades, but their cloth bindings have faded badly, especially the spines. Folio Society and Easton Press books are fine with me except for a few of EP’s poorly done reproductions with flea-size or broken fonts.

>150 jroger1: The first time I was able to compare the illustrations in an original LEC vs the EP reproduction, my jaw hit the floor (it was Heart of Darkness). It really turned me off to EP. In the present year - heck, the present century - such poor quality reproductions of the illustrations is inexcusable.

EP:


LEC:

>151 chrisrsprague:

Now you've made me interested in looking into LECs--Holy smokes what a contrast.

>151 chrisrsprague:

I had the impression that their facsimiles often leave something to be desired, but that's really extreme!

What I have been happy with are some of their originals, to be exact the recent Gilgamesh and Beowulf editions, which have some really good and well-printed illustrations.

It just goes to show the lack of respect EP and MBI have for its customers. They see us as collectors from which they can milk a profit, not readers and appreciators of art who choose to purchase quality books.