Enablement: Good Deals on Private Press Books

Bromer Booksellers in Boston has acquired a large and impressive private press book collection from someone who was particularly interested in Arion Press and Allen Press books. Nearly all of these books that have already been listed on their website are in fine condition. I will do the heavy lifting for you (this time) and cherrypick what I believe to be the listings with excellent prices for selected books.

Note: I have no affiliation or relationship with Bromer Booksellers.

1. La Porte de Maletroit by R.L. Stevenson, Allen Press (1952) - $200.

2. Michelangelo: His Sonnets. Allen Press (1991) - $250.

3. Don Quixote (2 vols.) by Miguel de Cervantes, Arion Press (2009-2010) - $2,750. One of the high
points of the Arion Press over the past two decades and the only private press edition with the
outstanding modern translation by Edith Grossman.

4. Dubliners by James Joyce, Limited Editions Club (1986) - $375.

5. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Limited Editions Club (1984) - $100.

6. Tears and Wine by Elio Vittorini, Yolla Bolly Press (2001) - $350. This was the final YB
publication following the sudden death of founder James Robertson. Surprisingly scarce.

7. The Splendour of a Morning by C.P. Cavafy, Barbarian Press (2016). A generous collection
of Cavafy's poetry. $350.

8. The Nachman Stories by Leonard Michaels, Arion Press (2009). $300.

9. My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir, Yolla Bolly Press (1988) - $800. One of the high
points of the YB bibliography and extremely scarce.

10. Dard Hunter & Son by Dard Hunter II & Dard Hunter III, Bird & Bull Press (1998) - $650. A
superb book filled with numerous tipped-in specimens honoring the man who made historic
contributions to the history of handmade papermaking around the world over many
centuries.

11. Mirrour of the World by William Caxton, Allen Press (1964) - $400. A major Allen Press
book.

12. The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol, Officina Bodoni (1975) - $450. One of the OB books printed
by Giovanni (Hans ) Mardersteig on the hand press. Gorgeous and very well-priced. If you
are unfamiliar with the high end Officina Bodoni books this is a wonderful introduction.

13. The Captivity Narrative of Hannah Duston, Arion Press (1987) - $350.

14. Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot, Rampant Lions Press (1996) - $550. Folio-sized book with
superb handmade paper and flawless letterpress printing by Sebastian Carter. Gorgeous.

15. Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell, Arion Press (2009) - $300. An overlooked gem of American
literature from the late 1950's illustrated with 68 very innovative and appropriate
photocollages by renowned photographer Laurie Simmons.

16. Ecclesiastes, in the King James Translation of the Bible. With Drawings by Ben Shahn,
engraved in wood by Stefan Martin. Calligraphy by David Soshensky. Spiral Press (1965).
$200.

17. Stone from Delphi by Seamus Heaney, Arion Press (2012) - $600. A collection of classically-
themed poetry by Heaney with well-matched classical illustrations by Wendy Artin.
Beautiful book that is exceptionally well priced.

18. Flight by John Steinbeck, Yolla Bolly Press (1984) - $200.

19. Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen, Arion Press (2017) - $500.

20. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, Arion Press (2012) - $400.

21. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett, Arion Press (1983) - $500. Slipcase label has
minor flaws but book is in fine condition and is very well priced.

22. Call It Sleep by Henry Roth, Arion Press (1995) - $450.

23. Tono Bungay by H.G. Wells, Arion Press (2008) - $400.

24. The Works of Shakespeare. The text of the First Folio with Quarto variants and a
selection of modern readings: edited by Herbert Farajon. 1929-1933. Seven octavo
volumes. $1,250. One of the most beautifully printed and bound sets of the complete
works of Shakespeare in the modern private press movement. The text is highly readable
with considerable scholarship in its modernization. Printed at the Cambridge University
Press at its peak and bound in full tan niger morocco by A.W. Bain. If you have ever
wanted a truly outstanding edition of the complete works of Shakespeare, look no further. I
own this set and it is my go-to reading copy.

>1 dlphcoracl: Looking at their whole catalogue I’d also add the Arion Gatsby and Tristram Shandy are both nicely priced as well. The Gatsby especially at 950 dollars. If I didn’t hate that book so very very much I would purchase it myself.

The Quixote is tempting me, as does the Rampart Lions Eliot (I don't know much about this press, but the more I see the more I like). As for the rest, I own Tears and Wine, Dubliners and Metamorphosis, all of which are very worthy additions to one's library.

Thanks for pointing these listings out, >1 dlphcoracl:.

>3 gmacaree:

I am traveling today and cannot take and post photos. I own a copy of the Rampant Lions Press 'Four Quartets' and it is an exceptional edition. Sebastian Carter, his father, and the Rampant Lions Press did some of the finest presswork in the U.K. and Europe throughout most of the twentieth century. This edition is folio-sized measuring 38 x 29 cm with 1/4 cloth and paste paper over boards binding. Paper is a thick handmade and the presswork and typography are flawless.

May I suggest calling Philip Salmon directly at Bromer Booksellers (T: + 1 617 247 2818, where + = 00 in Europe), having him send photos of both binding and text pages, and putting the book on hold until you can review the photos. IIRC, you already own a copy of the Rampant Lions edition of the Psalms of David. If so, this is quite comparable.

I would also add Sampler, by Arion Press. It is a superb edition of Emily Dickinson’s poetry in an apropos binding, printed on handmade paper from the Twinrocker mill in Indiana. One of the best books Arion Press has ever done.

Bromer has it listed at the subscriber-equivalent cost of $950.

>5 johnaba:

The illustrations in the Arion Press ‘Sampler’ are especially noteworthy.

>1 dlphcoracl:
Question about Allen Press. Some time ago I was looking at their La Porte de Maletroit, and decided I wasn't interested because typesetting was amateurish at best. Spacing between words and letters was just all over the place. One line would have no spacing between words at all in the fashion of medieval writing, looking like one huge word, another line would have a space after one comma and no space after another, etc. etc. Quite embarrassing, really. I doubt my 5-year-old would do much worse. However, looking at pics of some of their late works it's clear they mastered typesetting later on. So was La Porte pretty much a one-off, their first and butchered attempt, or was it more of a case of work in progress, taking them some time and several books to nail typesetting? If the latter, how long did it take for them?

>7 elladan0891:

There is definitely an upward progression. I think Allen Press very often tried to experiment and most experiments fail so...there you go. A lot of their books are a mixed bag but at their best....

>7 elladan0891: And there are way cheaper copies out there, without knowing the trustworthiness of the sellers though.

Any opinions on their Four Stories of Pushkin?
Along with Youth, Creatures Moralised, and Persian Stories it is the most appealing to me.

>7 elladan0891:
>8 MobyRichard:

The best deal, in my opinion, is their 'Temptation of Saint Anthony.' Perpetually underpriced. I hear Poeticon Astronomicon is also rated highly but I have no idea what happened to the price. I remember seeing a couple of copies go for for like $200 at auction. All of a sudden it's going for $700 - $1000, with a copy around $1700 on Ebay. Makes no sense to me.

Anyways, back on topic. I actually spotted the new Bromer listings early and picked up the deluxe quarter-goatskin edition of 'Physicke Against Fortune' from Foolscap press. Only issue is that now I have an extra (standard) copy.

If anyone wants to take it off my hands for around 15% off the published price, PM me.

>9 SebRinelli:

The Four Stories of Pushkin was published by the Allens in late 1987 towards the end of their careers, as the Allens approached their eighties. It is a small (10 3/4 x 7 1/2 inches), elegant book of 98 pages with flawless printing and use of exceptional materials. The four stories included are: The Squire's Daughter, The Queen of Spades, The Blizzard , and The Shot. The binding is an exceptionally fine nineteenth-century brown patterned floral fabric made by the silkscreen process in Switzerland. The all-rag paper was made to order by the Richard de Bas Mill, established 1326 in France, with the watermark of the Allen Press. This is arguably the finest handmade paper in the world, perhaps rivaled only by the papers from the Hayle Mill made by J. Barcham Green. The printing was done with an Albion handpress made in 1880 in Scotland and printing was done on dampened paper. The Allens would publish only three more books after this, retiring and closing their private press in their early eighties.

Bottom line: a lovely, elegant book and a joy to hold and read.

>10 MobyRichard:

The Poeticon Astronomicon is a book that has taken on a life of its own where the price no longer reflects the intrinsic worth of the book itself. Aside from Four Poems of the Occult, the Allen Press magnum opus, this is now the most expensive Allen Press book on the market. Another book with similar other-worldly pricing that comes to mind is the Arion Press 'The Physiology of Taste' (1994) with a famous set of illustrations by Wayne Thiebaud. This is now selling for between $7,000 to $10,000 from fine & rare booksellers - go figure.

>7 elladan0891:

Le Porte de Maletroit (1952) is indeed an uneven affair, printed early in their careers when they were doing commission work for the Book Club of California and, thus, printing these editions in limitations of 300 to 400 copies. Additionally, this book was produced in unfamiliar circumstances on unfamiliar equipment. The Allens were spending a year abroad living in France to study typography and the art of letterpress printing throughout Europe for one year. They had to scramble to find a handpress for this Book of California commission, eventually settling upon a French clam action handpress. The saving grace of this edition is that it was printed on Richard de Bas paper, which makes almost any book worth owning.

This book is not at all typical of their later work, which really took off in 1959 after they returned from their second sabbatical year abroad in France and Europe. From 1959 onward there is a quantum leap in the quality of their work on the handpress and the quality of the books, materials, and book designs. I will elaborate upon this further in the next day or two with specific recommendations with regard to where to focus your Allen Press book collecting. Trust me, it gets better - MUCH better - than what you see in your copy of Le Porte de Maletroit.

>14 dlphcoracl: Thank you for the detailed description. That sounds very tempting. Looking forward to your recommendations!

>13 dlphcoracl:

'The Physiology of Taste' at least started out expensive. I would never pay more than a few hundred for an Arion press book though. I've owned a few and sold them all out of (mild) disappointment.

>16 MobyRichard:

If this is so, then your are focusing on the wrong Arion Press books.

>14 dlphcoracl: I will elaborate upon this further in the next day or two with specific recommendations with regard to where to focus your Allen Press book collecting

Thank you, I would very much appreciate it!
And thank you for sharing the news of this collection's sale. I browsed through the listings yesterday and ordered a Fine copy of Yolla Bolly's The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze for $125, which I thought was a very good price.

>18 elladan0891:

In the meantime, this article that I wrote for the Books and Vines website in 2011 will give you a bit of background information on the Lewis & Dorothy Allen Press (The Allen Press).

https://booksandvines.com/2011/09/21/allen-press-of-lewis-and-dorothy-allen/

>3 gmacaree:

FYI: Photos below.

Four Quartets (Rampant Lions Press)

>15 SebRinelli:

FYI: photos below.

>21 dlphcoracl: Thanks so much. I'll have to give this one some serious consideration, it's stunning.

>29 gmacaree:

Trust the dlphcoracl.

He sees all, knows all..........

>17 dlphcoracl:

I have nothing against them. I just think for the same price you can get better books from other publishers or private presses. Arion Press has produced some lovely books, but I've never looked at their published price and said "That's a good bargain," only "I guess if I had unlimited funds it would be nice to buy that." The AP books I've bought in the past were all heavily discounted.

>18 elladan0891:

The Allen Press is best approached by recognizing that there are three distinct phases in a career which spans slightly over a half century, from 1939 to 1992:

1. The Early Years (1939-1958): Twenty-two books were published in this period. Lewis and Dorothy Allen founded the Allen Press in 1939 at the ages of 31 (both were born in 1908) and their first book ' A Trail of Beauty', a collection of wise and wonderful sayings, was written Lewis Allen's father, Harris Stearns Allen. It was a small, thin volume measuring 8 3/4 x 5 1/2 inches and the next twenty-one books would follow in a similar vein, varying between slim octavo and small quarto editions. Seven of these books were commissions for the Book Club of California and several were quirky books relating to the history of the State of California in the 19th century. This period was interrupted by one year of living abroad in Cagnes-sur-Mer on the Côte d'Azur, France, in 1951 to conduct research into typography and fine printing in Europe. All of the books were printed on a handpress and entirely handmade. Cumulatively, these books were modest affairs with a few high points suggestive of greater things to come.

2. The Great Folio Years (1959-1981): After publication of their twenty-first book, The Duchow Journal, restlessness once again reared its head calling the Allens back to the south of France in 1958-1959. They sold their home in California and embarked with their son on a French freighter in San Francisco, settling in Antibes on the Côte d'Azur. As before, they spent an intensive year traveling across Europe, visiting the finest private presses and paper mills, learning as much as possible about types and typography, handpress and letterpress printing, and the qualities of and differences between the finest European paper mills. Their twenty-second book, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, was published in a haphazard manner during this sabbatical year abroad and the Allens would then return to California in early 1959.

At this point in their careers, the Allens made a momentous and life-changing decision - they would give up their day jobs (other careers which had been financially necessary - Dorothy taught in grammar schools and Lewis was a commercial printer), no longer accept commissions, and devote all of their time and effort toward their own private press. They also decided their books going forward would have the following characteristics:

1. Printing done on a 19th century handpress with hand-set type on dampened handmade papers.

2. Use of the finest handmade papers available. In particular, the Allens featured papers from the ancient Richard de Bas paper mill in France, founded in 1326, which produces the finest papers in the world.

3. All of their books would be illustrated and contain at least one color (other than black and white) on every page.

4. Books would be entirely handmade with hand-sewn bindings using silk thread.

5. Uncompromising quality of materials, especially rare and costly fabrics for their binding covers.

Following their return from their second one-year sabbatical in France, the Allens published their 23rd book, Youth by Joseph Conrad, and it was a stunning departure from anything they had previously done. It was their first folio-sized book (15 1/2 x 10 1/4 inches) printed on made to order handmade paper with their watermark from the medieval Richard de Bas mill in France. It was illustrated with eight wood engravings by Blair Hughes-Stanton, printed in nine colors requiring multiple impressions. This remains one of the greatest and most sought after books from the Allen Press. For the next twenty-two years the Allens published folio-sized books that were of exceptional quality, culminating in their Allen Press Bibliography in 1981. These twenty-four books are the heart of the Allen Press bibliography and they represent one of the great private press achievements in the twentieth century. All of these books are worth acquiring.

3. The Final Years (1982-1992): At the ages of seventy-three, the rigors and physical demands of printing and publishing folio-sized books on the handpress caught up to the Allens and they began publishing smaller, slimmer volumes. They relinquished their colossal Columbian handpress and began using a smaller 1882 Albion handpress. The Allens would publish an additional eleven books, culminating in Giovanni Boccaccio's 'The Life of Dante' in 1992. Remarkably, at the ages of seventy-seven years, they summoned enough strength and concentration of effort to produce one final folio-size book, the magnificent Poeticon Astronomicon in 1985. Following 'The Life of Dante' the Allens decided to retire from printing and publishing private press books at eighty-four years of age.

In my copy of The Life of Dante I have a moving letter from Lewis Allen (see photo below), written to a long-standing collector of the Allen Press books, who procrastinated and placed his order for 'Dante' after it had been fully subscribed. Lewis Allen regretfully informs him that copies are no longer available and at the bottom of the typewritten letter he announces that this will be his final book and that he and Dorothy are retiring. The typos, the incorrect dating of the letter (it is actually 1992, not 1982) and the slightly shaky handwriting betray the advanced age of the Lewises, making their achievement as a husband-and-wife team publishing entirely handmade books utilizing the handpress for over a half-century all the more remarkable. Lewis Allen would pass away six years later in 1998 at ninety years of age and Dorothy Allen would live an additional eight years, passing away in 2006 at the age of ninety-eight after truly remarkable careers.

In approximate but not rigid order, my Top Ten Allen Press books are listed below, with their numbers in the bibliography given in parentheses:

1. Four Poems of the Occult (25) - 1962. The only livres d'artiste book the Allens published which includes original work from Ferdnand
Leger, Pablo Picasso, Yves Tanguy, and Jean Arp.

2. Persian Stories from the Arabian Nights (41) - 1980.

3. The Book of Genesis (35) - 1970. Uncompromising use of the finest materials, illustrated with powerful monochromatic wood engravings
by Blair Hughes-Stanton.

4. The Allen Press Bibliography (46) - 1981. The original edition, not the later edition published years later in an edition of 1000 copies. The
Allens' heartfelt story of their vocation and careers - challenges and triumphs over forty-two years of publishing.

5. The Poeticon Astronomicon by Gaius Julius Hyginus (51) - 1985. With reproductions of a remarkable set of medieval woodcut
illustrations produced by Erhard Radtolt in Venice, 1482.

6. A Venetian Story by Lord Byron (27) -1963. A giant folio-sized book (13 x 19 inches) containing thirty-five magnificent reproductions
of 18th century copperplate engravings of Venice, selected by Prof. Philip Hofer at Harvard from three rare volumes in his personal
collection.

7. Youth by Joseph Conrad (23) - 1959. The beginning of Lewis and Dorothy Allen's extraordinary body of work that would occupy the
prime of their lives and careers. A tour-de-force of fine private press printing requiring extraordinary patience and skill.

8. The Mirrour of the World by William Caxton (28) - 1964.

9. Dialogues of Creatures Moralised (31) - 1967. A book originally produced in Latin by Gerard Leeu, Holland, in 1480, with wonderful
medieval woodcuts of the "creatures".

10. The Orestian Trilogy (48 & 49), a two-volume set - 1982/1983. Simply beautiful.

Lewis Allen's letter to a subscriber announcing the Allens' retirement at ages 84 y.o.:

>39 dlphcoracl: outstanding!

>39 dlphcoracl: As usual, thank you for all the great information. My small (15 books) collection from the Allen Press starts in 1952 with the La Porte de Maletroit and ends in 1991 with Rappaccini's Daughter. Though I love all my Allen Press books, I haven't rated any on my early volumes with five stars on LT while I've rated all of my later volumes starting with The Splendid Idle Forties (my first Allen Press book) with the max.

That 1982 retirement letter threw me at first since I read your last posts out of order.

>42 kdweber:

For reasons I have yet to understand, aside from a handful of titles the vast majority of Allen Press books remain severely undervalued on the secondary market and are one of the few remaining bargains for collectors. To produce books on a handpress one page at a time on dampened paper is extremely time-intensive. Combined with use of the finest handmade papers, e.g., Richard de Bas, Barcham Green, etc., and costly fabrics the Allens routinely used in their bindings and slipcases, the cost of producing these books in the 21st century would be prohibitive. Additionally, these books were published in small limitations of between 100 to 120 copies. Comparing one of their folio-sized books that typically sell for $300 to $500 with current private press books in that price range will emphasize this point. Astute collectors of modern private press books should be acquiring as many of these titles as they can afford.

Opted against the Eliot but for the Mirrour of the World. >1 dlphcoracl: consider me enabled. Again.

>44 gmacaree:

A classic win-win situation. Here's why (additional photos below):

Seems like there has been a run on the Pushkin. All three copies on abe were gone within a few days. I was lucky enough to get one of them!

>39 dlphcoracl:
Thank you very much, very informative, and exactly what I needed. I checked their work in the period starting with Youth, and I am drooling. My wallet just hid in a far dark corner in horror, though. Time to prioritize!

Question - I see the Allens were fond of uncials. They sure look pretty and very apropos for medieval works, but they also used them for Ancient Greek works like the Oresteian Trilogy. How easy is the script on the modern eyes? I don't have a problem reading a page sample on my laptop, but wondering how the reading experience will be in real life. It probably varies person to person, but I'm curious about your experience anyway.

>54 elladan0891:

I am not a fan of the uncial typefaces and find them tiring on the eyes. The Anvil Press, a small American private press in the mid-20th century which printed on the handpress, also favored this type with slight modification which they called American Uncial and I find it equally problematic. For very specific Allen Press books the uncial type is in perfect harmony with the overall theme / book design and I can overlook it - specifically, in their edition of The Book of Genesis.

>54 elladan0891: >55 dlphcoracl: The Allens' eccentric typeface selection is why I don't own the Oresteian Trilogy (yet). I still want a copy, but had it been in more readable type I would be moving heaven and earth to acquire it. IIRC, Donne's All For Love suffers from this dubious choice as well, which makes it tedious and confusing to read.

>55 dlphcoracl:

All For Love does use an uncial typeface as does two of their final books, Egypt by Herodotus (1989) and Barlaam and Josephat; A Christian Legend of the Buddha by William Caxton (1986).

What is your opinion of the Arion Press Psalms of David and Others?

>58 Flaubie:

It is absolutely flawless.

It is a folio-sized book measuring 13 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches and the choice of Goudy New Style with Trajan capitals for the type is perfect. The letterpress printing was done on dampened mould-made paper by T. Edmonds (British, I think) and the paper is top quality. The printing makes a distinct tactile impression into the dampened paper and it is razor-sharp, very reminiscent of the Doves Press (to my eye) There are five hand-illuminated capital letters - one each at the opening of the five books - done by Thomas Ingmire in colours and gold leaf. In addition to the Book of Psalms there is also a scholarly companion volume with an introduction, notes on the translation and glossary by Prof. R.G. Barnes, Professor of English at Pomona College in California.

Unfortunately, the only copy available on the secondary market from Bromer Booksellers is not especially well priced at $850. With patience, I believe it will appear over the next 1-2 years at a more favorable price. If you wish to acquire an outstanding edition of the Psalms of David and cannot wait, an exceptional edition is still available directly from Sebastian Carter and his Rampant Lions Press in the U.K. It is priced at 175 GBP and it is an extraordinary bargain at this price. It uses the Miles Coverdale translation as used in the Book of Common Prayer - still the most widely used translation in churches throughout the U.K. - and it is a folio-sized book (34 x 23 cm) with binding of one-quarter vellum and beautiful patterned olive paper over boards, printed on J. Barcham Green mould-made paper (one of the world's finest papers) using the Eric Gill Golden Cockerel roman type. Link is given below.

This is a classic win-win situation as both editions are outstanding.

http://www.rampantlionspress.com/Rampant_Lions_Press/Available_stock.html

>57 dlphcoracl:
I have sold my copy of All for Love by Allen Press, because I found it absolutely difficult to read. In my opinion, this is a book that is mostly an art and much less a book.

Thank you! That was my thinking about price as well. Thank you also for the link to the Rampant Lions production--I will definitely have a look!

>60 booksforreading:

Frankly, I cannot blame you.

The use of the Menhart Unciala type in 6-7 of their books was one of the very few faux pas the Allen's made in their illustrious careers. They sacrificed clarity and legibility in favor of style and overall book design. T.J. Cobden-Sanderson (Doves Press) would not have approved.

>61 Flaubie:

I had forgotten - after I recommended the Rampant Lions Press edition of 'The Psalms of David' to Chris Adamson, he was so impressed that he featured it in one of his Books and Vines articles with an excellent set of photos. And remember: if you left-click over a photo with your mouse the photo will enlarge. If you then left-click over the enlarged photo a second time it will enlarge further, giving you a macro photo view. This will show the details of the letterpress printing and J. Barcham Green paper to excellent advantage. Link below.

https://booksandvines.com/2014/10/07/the-psalms-of-david-rampant-lions-press-197...

>63 dlphcoracl: I cannot second this recommendation strongly enough. The book is a marvel of truly flawless typography and pressmanship.

Thank you both--I have sent a message to Sebastian Carter.

>40 dlphcoracl: Well, you inspired me to pick up the Allen's last book The Life of Dante. As a fan Dante and Boccaccio it was an easy decision. It is both rewarding and sad to see that this title can be picked up in mint condition at roughly its release price in 1992 more than a quarter century ago.

>66 kdweber:

It isn't sad - it is a gift.

When Mr. Market fails to recognize the quality of an item and severely undervalues it - pricing it well below private press books of lesser quality - you should not bemoan or lament it. Rather, you should celebrate because your ability to separate the aesthetic wheat from the chaff and your knowledge of the secondary market will enable you to scoop these books on the cheap, before the remainder of private press book collectors catch on. The vast majority of Allen Press titles, excluding about a half-dozen titles, remain a steal and they should be acquired aggressively.

Beautifully designed books, well-chosen topics that are excellent reads, superb handpress printing, and the finest materials (binding cloths and handmade papers) that were obtainable - which would cost a fortune nowadays, e.g., Fortuny fabrics, Richard de Bas and J. Barcham Green papers, etc. What more can I say?

While the Allens' folio-sized books are magnificent, my personal taste runs to smaller, handier formats. The only folio productions that tempt me these days are Poeticon Astronomicon and Youth, but they're currently a bit pricey for my wallet.

My own collection includes the Allen Press editions of Dialogue of the Dogs (Cervantes), The Transposed Heads (Mann), Four Stories (Pushkin), Rappaccini's Daughter (Hawthorne), Murders in the Rue Morgue (Poe), Romeo & Juliet (Shakespeare) and La Porte de Maletroit (Stevenson).

Actually, I have 2 copies of Romeo & Juliet and La Porte de Maletroit, if anyone is interested.

The Four Stories (Pushkin) arrived this weekend and it's magnificent!
Thank you >26 dlphcoracl: for enabling.

>68 kermaier:
How's the Rappuccini's Daughter? I've read mixed statements about printing quality. Is really that bad?

I still have Thornwillow's Inferno (half-leather), if anybody is interested.

>69 SebRinelli:
As for Rappaccini’s daughter, the presswork, paper and binding are excellent, as usual, but there are many typographical errors, some of them truly puzzling as to how they were missed.

>68 kermaier:

Their Essays of Montaigne is also 8vo. Less ambitious than their other projects, but still a gem.

>71 MobyRichard:
Yes, true, but the text itself isn't as attractive for me in the Montaigne (same for Life of Dante).

Does anyone have a list of all the Allen Press Titles? I have a copy of The Allen Press Bibliography (facsimile) but it only goes up to the 50th book and 1984. What was the total number of books printed?

>73 kdweber:

The Allen Press Bibliography was published in 1981 and the Updated Part I section ended with book number 51: the Poeticon Astronomicon. The following books were then pubished from 1982 until 1992, in chronological order:

52: Barlaam and Josephat

53: Pushkin: Four Stories

54: Romeo and Juliet

55: Egypt by Herodotus

56: Rappaccini's Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

57: Michelangelo: Sonnets

58: Life of Dante by Giovanni Boccaccio

>74 dlphcoracl: Thank you. My updated part I has slightly different results:

47: Pictures from Italy by Charles Dickens (1982)
48/49: The Oresteian Trilogy - 2 volume set (1982/1983)
50: Jonah Judith Ruth (1984)
51: the Poeticon Astronomicon (1985)

My copy of Jonah Judith Ruth does mention that it is the 50th production of the press while my copy of The Oresteian Trilogy is dated but doesn't mention the book number (I'm missing the prospectus). I have ordered a copy of Pictures from Italy but it hasn't arrived yet. My copies of Rappaccini's Daughter and the Life of Dante do not mention the book number.

>75 kdweber:

You are correct - I have amended my post above.

Briefly, the Poeticon Astronomicon is the last book mentioned in the Allen Press Bibliography (Update) and it is their 51st publication. From 1982 to 1992 the Allens published seven additional books in the chronological order given, as listed above. The books are not numbered but I have used the date of publication for each of these seven books.

>74 dlphcoracl:
>75 kdweber:
The prospectus for Pushkin describes it as their "fifty-third limited edition", and the title page of the book gives the publication year of 1987.
The prospectus for Rappaccini mentions the publication as marking "the fifty-second year of The Allen Press", as well as noting 1991 as the year of printing. The book itself makes no mention, that I can find, of publication year.

>76 dlphcoracl: >77 kermaier: That's great, thank you both for your help.

I wonder if I could ask a VERY novice question to the experienced users of this forum. I have recently received two books from the Allen Press. I am very new to buying fine press books and was surprised to see a ...waviness?...in the paper which I would usually think was due to poor or damp storage conditions in a “normal” or folio society hardback book. But is this to be expected when the book has been printed onto damp paper? Or is is an inherent quality of certain types of paper as they age? I am curious!

>79 leboucher::

It is normal when a page is dampened before being printed letterpress or on a handpress, which the Allens used exclusively.

>79 leboucher: as >80 dlphcoracl: says, nothing to worry about. Congratulations on your new books; an Allen Press collection of any kind will always be a special one :)

>79 leboucher:

A change in humidity often does that. Paper will usually settle down after a few weeks.

>79 leboucher:
Welcome to the club! The Allen Press books are some of the nicest I have and, has been noted elsewhere, often quite reasonably priced for what they represent.
And, yes, handmade paper, printed while damp, will show some waviness when looking at the page edges -- totally normal, and characteristic of my Allen Press and Grabhorn Press volumes, among others.

Great, thanks all! I was inspired by the discussion above to buy both the Michelangelo and the Pushkin from Bromer booksellers. They are beautiful books and I thought this paper effect was probably intrinsic, especially given the reputable source, but wanted to check that I wasn’t misleading my husband... 😊 (well perhaps slightly about cost).

>84 leboucher:

Bromer Booksellers is indeed a reputable bookseller and they have been in the business for a half-century. They are very accurate and honest in their description of book condition and if it were a flaw in book condition it would have been mentioned. You will rapidly learn which booksellers have similar reputations and are noted for carrying inventory in highly collectible condition.

So sad all the pictures by dlphcoracl are gone...

>86 Lukas1990:
I was really looking forward to a good deal when I saw this topic revived!

I don’t have a good deal to call out, but wanted to offer my congratulations to whoever snagged the Chester River Press Heart of Darkness that popped up on eBay this morning. Looks like it sold for 1500 USD.

>88 const-char-star: I saw that as well and definitely considered it as that is at the very top of my want list. It sold very quickly.

>88 const-char-star:
Was that $1500 for the standard edition or the deluxe?

Edit: Never mind, found it — standard edition, with worn slipcase. Quite a premium over original publication price!

>90 kermaier: But seems to be the current price on the market. This year, another copy went on abe for $1500, too

Not sure if these will be bargains per se since they are at auction, but a couple of Thornwillow titles are on the block. Apparently these don't become available often, at least according to Thornwillow themselves.

The Bill of Rights: America's Guarantee of Human Rights, the World's Example of Freedom by Warren E. Burger - https://doyle.com/auctions/22sc02-selections-private-collection-barbara-and-ira-...

Monticello and the Legacy of Thomas Jefferson by Wendell D. Garrett - https://doyle.com/auctions/22sc02-selections-private-collection-barbara-and-ira-...

Anyone have experience with the Doyle auction house?

>92 Shadekeep: If these sell for the estimate, or double or triple, they'd be extraordinarily good deals.

Monticello is probably Thornwillow's greatest edition, and The Bill of Rights is a historically significant one (by and signed by the Chief Justice, and TWP's first of its Czech era).

Possible decent deal, don't know the market rate, but Oak Knoll has just put a copy of PAGES FROM PRESSES VOLUME II ('C' Edition) on offer:

https://www.oakknoll.com/pages/books/138475/david-butcher/pages-from-presses-vol...

>94 Shadekeep:

Pages from Presses volume 2 appears to still be available from Nomad Letterpress at the pre-publication price of GBP 445 = USD 530. The post-publication price is GBP 600 = USD 715. So USD 750 does not look a good deal at present. It might become a good deal if you are in the US and Nomad raise the price.

>95 tim_rylance: Oh, is it? My bad, I thought it was one of the volumes no longer available direct. Not a bargain then, agreed.

>96 Shadekeep:

Pat Randle's view on when the full price comes into effect appears to be very generous to the customer. I bought 2020 Vision at the pre-publication price long after I would have expected to pay the full price. I get the impression that 'C' copies of Pages from Presses volume 2 are still being shipped, and nobody on LT has said they have received a 'B' or 'A' yet.

>97 tim_rylance: your impression is correct, I just got my C copy of Pages from Presses yesterday

What is the general consensus on Nonesuch Press books from the 1940s? I know that many earlier titles from them are fine press exemplars, but what about these? I've got a chance at a small lot in admirable condition and would appreciate opinions.

>99 Shadekeep:

Two thoughts:

1. I cannot think of a notable Nonesuch Press edition published in the 1940's.

2. The Nonesuch Press was founded by Francis Meynell in 1922 with the same intent as George Macy's LEC founded in 1929 - namely, to make high quality editions available to a wider audience at affordable prices. It was NOT intended to rival the GCP, the Shakespeare Head Press, the Gregynog Press, etc. There are probably 6-7 truly distinctive Nonesuch Press publications but they are the exception, not the rule.

>99 Shadekeep: I can't speak from personal experience, but my recently acquired copy of Pages From Presses II wasn't too complementary about that period of Nonesuch publishing; it doesn't really identify any book of the 40s as being of notable quality.

In the late 1930s the Nonesuch Press' founder, Meynell, sold the press to George Macy of LEC fame. During this period it seems like the press lost what claim it had to being a noteworthy private press. Others may disagree with this take.

Some of their earlier publications are quite well designed and put together though.

>99 Shadekeep: I d/m'd you, but in general, yes...nothing of note in this period. You do have the Heritage/Nonesuch issues and some nice trade editions of Blake, Morris, Donne, etc., but nothing really to get excited about.

Well, there IS the Nonesuch Dickens, however.

>101 ubiquitousuk:

Your comment regarding the Nonesuch Press after its sale to George Macy is accurate. The Nonesuch Press Dickens (complete set) published in 1937-1938 is the last notable edition from this press.

>102 Glacierman:

The Nonesuch Dickens was published in 1937-1938, not the 1940's.

>100 dlphcoracl: This prompts another question. What are your thoughts on the 10 volume Shakespeare Head Press Shakespeare's Works? Is it comparable to the Nonesuch?

>100 dlphcoracl: >101 ubiquitousuk: >102 Glacierman:

Thank you all, very useful information (as always from the wise heads of the forum). I looked for an example of one of the volumes on Abe and found this:

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31151635695

I see from this listing it's a Nonesuch/Heritage combo book. The one I'm thinking of purchasing says it's letterpress and hand-coloured. Is that true of all this series, or only certain editions? Or am I being sold a bill of goods?

>104 L.Bloom:

Both are excellent.

>100 dlphcoracl:
The press was founded in 1922, seven years earlier than the LEC…

>107 originaux:

Noted. Correction made in >100 dlphcoracl:.

I went ahead and ordered the Nonesuch/Heritage books, as they were an absolute bargain in my reckoning. They are all titles from the series discussed here: https://georgemacyimagery.wordpress.com/2014/05/15/of-interest-the-history-of-th...

It sounds like all except the first volume are ones produced in the US phase of publishing, the titles being:

- Candide
- The Princess of Cleves
- A Woman’s Life
- Mademoiselle de Maupin

Each near fine and less than $10.

The Book of Jonah (Clover Hill Editions). Illustrated from original David Jones' woodblocks. Ebay auction. Starting price 250$.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/355179917457?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-...

UPDATE: Based on personal experience, I cannot recommend the seller listed below. That being said, your own experience may differ.

Ran across a nice slate of great presses in the offerings from James and Mary Laurie Booksellers. Among the presses listed are Pentagram, Midnight Paper Sales, Bird & Bull, Perishable, Limited Editions Club, Bieler, Cummington, Sutton Hoo, Abattoir, Red Ozier, and Stone Wall. Just about everything is half-off, in some cases making for a substantial discount, in other cases more just putting the price in line with other sellers. Here's the current list sorted from lowest price upwards:

https://www.lauriebooks.com/searchResults.php?action=browse&cat_conj=or&...

I've not ordered from them before, but I've placed one now for the below. The paucity of photos makes their valuations something of an unknown quantity, so we'll see how they stack up when the books arrive.

Donner Miscellany – Book Club of California
The Pentagram Press Commonplace Book – Pentagram Press
Potterwoman (Barbara Moraff) – Pentagram Press
Moorhen (William Logan) – Abattoir Editions
The Village Schoolmaster (Joanne Hart) – Bieler Press
The Salt Lesson (Carol Frost) – Graywolf Press
Nigh (Cid Corman) – Elizabeth Press

From the same folks, here's a commissioned work by Peter Koch at the Black Stone Press: A Trumpet Of Our Own; Yellow Bird's Essays On The North American Indian.

The Grabhorn Press also published one of Rollins' works, Joaquin Murieta: the Brigand Chief of California (1932) as part of their Rare Americana Series, reprinted from the 1859 first edition.

The Isle of Pines by Henry Neville (printed by The Wayzgoose Press, which was already discussed in this forum). Number 39 of a limited edition of 55 copies, signed by the printers, beautiful linocut illustrations by Mike Hudson. Quality stuff.

Originally published in pamphlet form in 1668, The Isle of Pines is perhaps the earliest work of fiction to use Terra Australis Incognita as its setting.

There are a couple copies for sale above 1000 USD. This copy is described as in new condition and costs 512 USD.

https://www.biblio.com/book/isle-pines-neville-henry/d/1548317298

Photos of another copy:
https://www.kaycraddock.com/pages/books/134526/henry-neville/the-isle-of-pines

>114 Lukas1990: That's beautiful! My kind of book, will have to see if I give in to temptation or not.

Following up on >111 Shadekeep: above, I cannot recommend James and Mary Laurie Booksellers. My order has remained open for over a month with no email contact apart from the original confirmation. I called them and was assured things were underway, but only silence afterwards despite further emails seeking an update. I've had to turn them over to PayPal arbitration now, something I loathe resorting to.

>116 Shadekeep: Consider editing or deleting your original thread - would be very easy for someone to miss post 116 after reading post 111. My $.02.

>116 Shadekeep: I bought a 60 year old Icelandic trade book about Ásgrímur Jónsson from James and Mary Laurie through Abe and the transaction was entirely satisfactory. Ordered 2nd Oct 2019 and arrived in the UK on 22nd Oct. Bookseller graded it VG, I think many would have graded it NF. This is only one data point, but so is yours.

Looking at their website and facebook page, they were established in 1969. Which makes them at least 75 years old, and judging from their photos they are somewhat older than that. Elderly booksellers tend to go offline from time to time due to health problems. It might be kind to show a little patience?

>118 tim_rylance: while I share your sentiment in general, given that many platforms or payment systems require customers to open cases within limited timeframes in the case of trouble, I'm not sure such patience is reasonable.

Elderly or not, no follow up within a month seems entirely unacceptable unless one has a personal relationship with a merchant.

Very nice people are not always good business people. They do seem like very nice people.

>119 abysswalker: Yes, the Abe complaint window is annoyingly only 23 days. But >116 Shadekeep: is using PayPal, who allow 180 days to open a dispute.

>117 LBShoreBook: Good idea, I've added a disclaimer at top. Let me know if it seems sufficient, otherwise happy to expand further.

>118 tim_rylance: I don't doubt people have had positive experiences, the sellers wouldn't have been around this long if so. That being said, your own was a few years ago now. Also, I spoke directly with Mary on the phone a few weeks after the order went in. The conversation was pleasant enough and I asked her if everyone was doing okay, as I realise that health is a frequent issue for everyone these days, particularly in the Winter months. She assured me things were good and that they were still looking for some books, and that she would be emailing me shortly, as well as issuing a credit for the ones which they don't have. A few weeks later and nothing.

>119 abysswalker: Exactly. There is a limited time in which to pursue arbitration, so I had to act. I would have been fine waiting had there been at least one follow-up, but at this point I am not comfortable with the protracted silence.

Any other time and circumstance I would have approached this differently. But after recently being burned by other booksellers in rapid succession, my charity is somewhat exhausted. Had this been someone I'd dealt with before, like Rulon-Miller or Locus Solus, I'd be content to let it play out.

>121 tim_rylance: They do, but my bank doesn't. If PayPal decides it's not covered by their refund policy, I've also lost the interval in which to challenge it with my bank.

> 116
>118 tim_rylance:
I've been a customer off and on of the Laurie's since the early 1980's and have visited their shop (in its various locations over the years), though most of my transactions have been through their website as well as Abebooks, with the most recent transaction being last month. I personally have never had a problem with any of the transactions over that time. I realize that things can go wrong with any bookseller.

>122 Shadekeep: I highly doubt you'll meet any resistance at all to getting your order refunded. Even if it were received and you simply changed your mind on some books, they have a generous return policy. It sounds like there was a fulfilment issue specific to your books and that the crux of the issue might be trying to communicate via email.

Totally understandable to file a claim just in case, but I think that there being a fulfillment delay due to a larger order with some items unavailable, and that they were responsive on the phone are important context to other potential buyers.

>125 NathanOv: Thanks, and I bear no animosity against the shop or the sellers. I'm simply trying to resolve this. It sounds like I've merely been unlucky enough to have an unfortunate purchase experience, one made worse by coming on the heels of a few others.

EDIT: Oh, and for clarification, the PayPal arbitration process does not stipulate a refund as the first step. Rather, it is meant to get a dialogue going between the buyer and seller, with a refund being the final outcome if no other agreement can be met. So it's not as though I'm dragging them before the magistrate and demanding my money. I am asking for an intermediary to see if they can facilitate the transaction to some kind of conclusion, since my own attempts have borne little fruit. The sellers still have all their options open.

>126 Shadekeep: Buying press books should be an unmitigated pleasure, so maybe your actions will allow them to make adjustments for future buyers and sellers as well.

>127 SuttonHooPress: That would be nice. I'd like to be the grit which cultivates a pearl, though fear I'm more likely the grain which merely irritates.

Not sure if it's been mentioned before but Petrarch Press Gospel According to Philip marked down around 60%

https://www.petrarchpress.com/philip-gospel/

>129 MobyRichard: Excellent buy at full price; bargain at the sale price. I love my copy!!!

>129 MobyRichard: Thank you for highlighting this. My second Petrarch Press offering is now on its way!

>129 MobyRichard: and it’s out of stock. It certainly looks lovely

The Lay of the Love and Death of Cornet Christoph Rilke (Arion Press) for 150$. Spine a bit sunned but otherwise looks OK.

https://www.biblio.com/book/lay-love-death-cornet-christophe-rilke/d/1583245486

>133 Lukas1990: Gone! I wish I could have nabbed it.

A number of items on sale at Riverrun Books & Manuscripts. I ordered a batch of Kahoe titles from them, plus Letters from a Portuguese Nun (Whittington Press), both at very respectable discounts. Many of the sale items are art books, but there are fine press titles interspersed. Here are some choice selections:

The Seven Deadly Sins (Gehenna Press)
Calls, Sounds & Merchandise of the Peking Street Peddlers (Bird & Bull Press)
The Guest (Janus Press)
Printer of Principle (Midnight Paper Sales)
BR (Bruce Rogers) Today (Grolier Club)
The Hovering Fly & Other Essays (Cummington Press)
Jugline. A Fish Tale and a Portfolio of Prints (Hoopsnake Press)
Pursuits & Verdicts (Tragara Press)
A Memorial Keepsake (Typophiles)
Panoply of Paper: on Collecting Decorated Papers (Whittington Press)
A Voyage to Cythera (Cummington Press)

>135 Shadekeep: I notice a couple of these have sold now. Hopefully to lurkers here who enjoy them!

>136 Shadekeep: I picked up the Peking Street Peddlers book. Thanks for the tip.

>138 ultrarightist: Good deal, I was rather tempted by that one myself.

I doubt everyone will agree it's a good deal, but a deluxe copy of Nawakum / Mixolydian's Cascadia was just listed on Abe for $3k.

>140 NathanOv: I believe that was the original list price.

>135 Shadekeep: Would love to see the woodcuts from The Hovering Fly

>142 SuttonHooPress: I too. Did find this delicious teaser from an Abe listing.

>143 Shadekeep: Oh, I thought you bought it. . . . that's astounding!

>144 SuttonHooPress: Ah, t'were that I had! It does tempt me, and I do enjoy the Cummington printing style even in books without illustrations, so I'm sure it's a gem. If I bought it though I'd want to have it rebound, and that would probably be 3x the price of the book itself.

>145 Shadekeep: I'm tempted. . . .

Not sure this counts as a “good deal”, but it’s definitely not something you see on eBay every day….
https://www.ebay.com/itm/386757305539

I picked up a copy of _The Hovering Fly..._ from Moe's Books in Berkeley and it's CHOCK full of illustrations. Lovely. Thanks for the lead.

(Tried uploading the images from my gallery, but I seem to not be doing something right.)

>148 abgreens: Fab, congratulations! I've tried relinking your images below, thanks for posting them. It is indeed an attractive looking book!

>148 abgreens: Shadekeep
That's awesome...thanks for the help...and for all the posts in general!

>147 kermaier: That's probably not a terrible deal, unless someone expects another one to come up for auction.

>148 abgreens: That's awesome! The illustrations by Williams are great, and seeing Duncan's handset prose is a highlight. I could never pull the trigger on one of the few copies that are truly fine. But I might get a cheap one someday!

I contacted Paul W. Nash at Strawberry Press about acquiring his book The role of line in art. He has a few copies in stock and is looking to clear them out, so he offered me a very attractive reduction with shipping to the US. I told him I would post about it here if anyone else desires a copy, so this could be a good chance for similarly interested collectors to get a nice bargain. Below is the summary of the book from the website.

---

The role of line in art, an essay by Wyndham Lewis, hand-printed in an edition 160 copies.
40 pages plus twelve plates (six in colour).
Imperial octavo (275 × 200 mm).
150 copies on Zerkall mould-made paper, bound in full cloth, in a slip case, price £90.00;
ten special copies on Indian hand-made paper, bound in full red morocco, in a box (out of print).

The role of line in art. This essay, in which Wyndham Lewis champions draughtsmanship as the first principle of art, was originally written for the Corvinus Press in the late 1930s. The book was never issued, however, as the sheets and plates were destroyed by bombing in May 1941. Only one copy of the original edition survived. With the kind permission of the heirs of the author, and of the original printer, the Strawberry Press has now reprinted the complete essay, and the illustrations Lewis chose for it, with an historical introduction by Paul W. Nash. The plates reproducing Lewis's drawings were printed by J. W. Northend of Sheffield for the Press.

>152 Shadekeep:
Speaking of Wyndham Lewis I found this alluring:

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/_18B46F88CD

(The Cube Press does not register any hits on this forum, and perhaps this is due to the unfineness of its output.)

>153 GusLogan: That is very cool!

>153 GusLogan: Wow, that's great! Vorticism had such a brief span it's wonderful to find anything like this. Thanks!

>153 GusLogan: Thanks for pointing it out. Below video provides a short overview.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wKSobnkTbyU

The True History of Lucian the Samosatenian for 563$ and best offer available! Wow!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/285784526201?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-...

>157 Lukas1990: Wow indeed. This was sure not to stay around for long so I jumped on it. It's been an expensive but lucky week for me. A few days ago I found a copy of Vita di Santa Chiara Virgine from the Ashendene Press listed on Oxfam for £500. Now the True Historie for under £500. I think I need to hit pause for a while.

>158 ubiquitousuk: Congratulations! And it's only Wednesday! 😈

>158 ubiquitousuk: ah, too good to be true. The seller cancelled the GCP order saying the book was out of stock.

>158 ubiquitousuk: nice to see mention of the good stuff being picked up! Great bargain on that Ashendene!!!

>160 ubiquitousuk: Better luck next time. The seller could be quicker in removing sold items from stock. BTW, a copy of True Historie has just been sold for 1200 GBP (hammer price) on Forum Auctions!

>162 Lukas1990: yeah, I was watching the Forum Auctions sale and find it a bit puzzling given that there are other copies on the market for slightly over £1k. I didn't see anything about the auctioned copy that seemed to merit an extra £500 once the buyer's premium is factored in. I want a copy, but not at £1500!

This seller has a copy of Britten's Aldeburgh for £200. These days copies are often listed at £300+.

If you are curious, you can see my review of the book here.

I struggle to make up my mind which is my favourite Whittington Press publication, but this is one of three or four books in the running.

>164 ubiquitousuk: Gone. Almost immediately after you posted it! That seemed like a great deal. I love the look of this book and have added it to my wishlist. Do you feel that the text is interesting enough for someone who isn't very familiar with the area?

On another subject: I have no idea if this is a good deal (I think $550 was the original price?), but I noticed a copy of Bartleby the Scrivener from Indulgence Press (1995) appeared on Abe. The first copy I've seen for sale for a little while:

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31837123110&searchurl=pn%3...

>165 GardenOfForkingPaths: I am not at all familiar with the area but still enjoyed the text a lot. I thought the text and engravings work together well to create a real sense of being out on a pleasant Sunday walk around the tree-shaded lanes and haggard beaches of the wind-blasted English coast. In fact, I thought it was to my advantage to not know the place because I felt a bit like I was exploring it along with Craig.

The same can be said for his later book, Venice, as well as another Whittington Press favourite, Ebble Valley.

>166 ubiquitousuk: I was hoping you would say that! Thank you.

>165 GardenOfForkingPaths: Thanks for sharing the Bartleby link, I nabbed this for my small but growing Melville collection.

>168 LBShoreBook: Congratulations!

>168 LBShoreBook: Good acquisition. Some early work of Chip Schilling, who now runs the American Academy of Bookbinding in Telluride, CO.

Arion Press - Animal Farm for 550$. Described as in new condition, no photos.

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?utm_source=vialibri&utm_mediu...

>171 Lukas1990: Looks suspicious, they joined a month ago and have a $300 audiobook version of a parenting book. If someone from here purchased it, would be interesting to know if it ever arrives.

>171 Lukas1990:

Caveat emptor. Avoid.

>171 Lukas1990:
Well no longer available, sold or removed by seller or Abe.

Hope it's not a scam. Didn't pay attention to the sellers' profile.

A copy of the numbered (roman numeral) edition of Hand & Eye's Wind in the Willows for $250/£200 from a seller in Canada:

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31860117398&searchurl=bi%3...

Note: it looks like there are marks or smudges on the colophon page, but I think those might be on the camera lens as you can kind of see them on the first photo too. It's described as Fine.

>176 GardenOfForkingPaths: looks like it's gone. I have this edition and love it, someone got an absolute bargain in my opinion!

>177 EdmundRodriguez: It seemed like a bargain to me too! I have the standard edition, which I really like and have no complaints about, but was very tempted to order that numbered copy for the nicer paper and hand colouring. I hope whoever ordered it enjoys it.

I'm really looking forward to Hand & Eye's forthcoming edition of The Woman in White.

A River Runs Throught It (Pennyroyal Press) for 1500$. Best offer available.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235583166956?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-...

EDIT: seller increased the price to 2000$. Probably realised it was too cheap :D

Aeneas in the World of the Dead Aeneidos VI. 637-901
Kelly Winterton Press (1990)
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31847609466

Might want to ask if it includes the slipcase, which is marbled and substantial. Unclear from the listing.

(No connection to seller apart from having been a satisfied customer in the past.)

The Oxfam Bookshop on St Giles in Oxford has a copy of Napoleon's Memoirs (GCP, reviewed here) in the window for £120. Spines look a little rubbed, but I think this is a good price. It's not currently on their website, but you might also be able to call the shop and ask them to send it.

Robinson Crusoe (Basilisk Press) for 326$.

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?utm_source=vialibri&utm_mediu...

Hi everyone,
Underground Books has a very impressive selection of Arion, Barbarian and Heavenly Monkey books in their new catalog, at fair prices. Some of the books/sets on offer are incredibly uncommon on the market (Barbarian Pericles special, Barbarian Endgrain deluxe set, HM Colours set—I’ve never seen any of these before). I already placed my order, but haven’t received my books yet so can’t vouch for packing/condition/etc…but their communication is excellent. Keeping my fingers crossed!

http://www.undergroundbooks.net/images/upload/catalogue-two-fine-press.pdf

>183 newdigate: so many great editions in that catalogue!

>183 newdigate: Thanks for sharing. Reading catalogues is a great way to learn more about different fine presses and fine press in general. Judging from some descriptions of the books it looks like the seller acquired a collection from a gentleman who loved good cigars :D

>183 newdigate:

Newdigate brought an exceptional collection of high-end private press books to our attention yesterday (>183 newdigate: from booksellers not usually known for this fare. The proprietors made every effort to price these books fairly. This often proved difficult because many of these books rarely, if ever, appear in the secondary market and have no reference point regarding pricing.

IMHO, the following books in their Catalogue No. 2 are excellent private press books at excellent prices and are worth a second look. They are referenced by their number in the Catalogue.

No. 4: Invisible Cities, Arion Press. $1,200.
No. 24: The Nachman Stories, Arion Press. $175.
No. 34. The Age of Innocence, Arion Press. $525.

>186 dlphcoracl: Agreed. For instance, the next highest copy of Invisible Cities on Abe's is $500 more than theirs. I should also say, I enquired about the HM The Shadow over Innsmouth, and it went for about $400. Whoever acquired that one got quite the deal.

>187 What_What: Yes, they did get quite a deal. I paid $700 for my copies a few years ago.

>186 dlphcoracl: I pruned my AP collection from about 18 books to 3. Nachman Stories is one of the three I retained. Really fantastic stories aside from the production itself. Age of Innocence is one of the books I unloaded - couldn't get past that cheap cardboard slipcase - you can literally see the cardboard on the interior.

>189 LBShoreBook: I'm intrigued to know the other 2 you retained, if you wouldn't mind sharing?

>190 GardenOfForkingPaths: None of their "wow" books (I unloaded Don Quixote, Paradise Lost, Sea of Cortez, for example), I retained ones that resonate with me. Other publishers produce the "wow" books I'd rather own. I retained Nachman, American Buffalo and Melville Poems. The last one is my favorite of the three by far, as Melville is my favorite author and the hand-made paper from M-D publication is probably as close as I'll get to the larger one (aside from my 1981 U of Cal limited edition repro).

>191 LBShoreBook: Thanks. Makes perfect sense. One of the nice things about book collecting - each person's collection is a unique reflection of their own tastes, which evolve over time. The Melville Poems volume looks great. I have my eye on it for the future.

>183 newdigate: Barbarian "Pericles" special is no longer listed.

>186 dlphcoracl: In addition to these titles, I'll submit that the Arion Press "Paradise Lost" is reasonably priced. I recall that a number of FPF collectors were on the prowl for a copy. For the money, I think this is one of Hoyem's better titles. I hope someone here is able to acquire it.

I can't promise that this will culminate in good deals, especially with any added attention, but two of the Shakespeare Head Press's finest productions are on the auction block at attractive starting prices:

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/185396054_shakespeare-head-press

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/185395866_spenser-edmund-the-works-8-vol-on...

Buona fortuna to the hunters. :)

Well, the system is blocking my posts in the Fleece Press thread and the moderators are out for days, so I'll try sharing the info here.

Simon is offering most of the Fleece Press back catalogue on the Offers page. These are copies he held back for this day. A great chance to pick up a title new!

>195 Shadekeep: I do second this. I think that the Fleece press is fantastic. Whilst known for engravings (and there are a number of highest states currently available on the website) almost every book in every topic is a great read. For anyone unfamiliar with the press this is a golden opportunity to get acquainted with Simon’s work.

Tindley and Everett in the UK have a copy of Nomad Letterpress' 2020 vision for £250. A very good price for an excellent book in my view:

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31986134456

Here's my video review if you need enablement:
https://youtu.be/ryLxz6UTBIw

>197 ubiquitousuk: That’s a no-brainer of a purchase!

>198 ChestnutPress: Agreed. It is one of my “often open” books. The price is about the same as it would have cost when in print.

RIT Press is having a sale on a selection of their design books. This includes books on typography and fine presses, and at least one book which is itself letterpress (Manuale Calligraphicum).

https://press.rit.edu/design-sale-2024/

Bromer appears to have their entire inventory discounted 50%.

www.bromer.com

>201 zachp: thanks for the heads up. Anne Bromer sent a heartfelt email about a week ago saying she is winding down the shop and hopes to close by the end of the year, though I didn’t notice any discount on the site at the time. I picked up Officina Bodoni’s edition of The Tempest tonight though.

>202 ChampagneSVP: I was tempted by that one too!
Someone purchased the Essex House edition of Shakespeare’s poems while it was still in my cart, alas. I consoled myself with a chapbook on the 4 main dialects of pig Latin. :-)

Sad to hear, I did pick up a couple books that I was on the fence about getting. Looks like a good chunk of books are already sold or delisted.

>203 kermaier: That someone was I

>205 ultrarightist: Congrats, it looked line a very nice copy.

Perhaps not good deals in a financial sense, but for the deep-pocketed among us there are some very fine titles in The Kelmscott Bookshop's Catalog 21. Including some books from the vanishingly small runs put out by Éditions Verdigris.

>207 Shadekeep: I'd get Speculum Mundi. Ur-text volume ii (Berkeley: Peter Koch Printers) and Golden Thread (Intima Press)... if I had deep pockets haha.

>208 Lukas1990: Absolutely agree on Intima Press, and I'd jump at the Éditions Verdigris Neruda volume too, had I the spare change.

Kelmscott Bookshop also seems to have a copy of the Janus Press The Circus of Doctor Lao -- not an easy volume to find!

>210 kermaier: is this different from the same title printed by the Janus Press for the LEC?

>211 BorisG:

Very different.

>211 BorisG: same artwork and typefaces, but completely different levels of production.

Comparison here: https://booksandvines.com/2014/09/09/the-circus-of-dr-lao-by-charles-finney-janu...

Also the price is different by a factor of 30. :-)

>213 kermaier:, >212 dlphcoracl: oh, this is stunning… I have the LEC (which is thoroughly attractive, and a steal for $70), but was not aware of the “proper” Janus Press publication.

I would personally still prioritize acquiring a copy of the Janus Press “King Lear” before this – if only there were copies to be acquired!

>214 BorisG: Interestingly, the LEC edition was published 2 years before the Janus Press edition.

The Janus Press “Lear” shows up far more frequently (if that word even remotely applies) - on the order of once every couple of years, so far as I can tell.

>215 kermaier: I saw one online last year, but when I inquired, it had already sold… will keep looking.

>216 BorisG: I think one sold at auction earlier this year.
I bought my copy a few years ago on eBay, surprisingly.

>207 Shadekeep: I picked up the Allen Press Persian Stories. I like that they’re still sending out paper catalogs.

>210 kermaier: Highly recommend Kelmscott (no affil. etc.). Eclectic selection in excellent condition. Circus of Dr. Lao is probably Van Vliet's magnum opus, and it is opulent and a joy. I like the LEC for what it is, but the Janus one is in a different league altogether. CVV is one of the masters of inserts!

>214 BorisG: There are several titles from Janus Press that rarely appear for long: Circulus Sapientiae was one I almost bought. It's surprising to me that there are currently at least two copies of Aunt Sallie's Lament, which is brilliant work that is both artist's book and celebration of book arts.

>218 kdweber: Good pick! And I like the physical catalogue option as well. @Glacierman recently sent me a couple vintage catalogues and they are great for finding presses and volumes one might otherwise not discover.

For about 7 hours there was an Ashendene Press Thucydides printed on vellum for sale on Ebay! Sold for 15 000 USD.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/167073451118?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-...

>221 Lukas1990:

Did someone make an offer and interrupt the auction? It says 1 bid, $999.99....

>222 MobyRichard: Exactly! I made an offer and later got an email from Ebay that the book was sold for 15k.

>221 Lukas1990: Wow! I've never seen pictures of the vellum before.

I couldn't find any historic auction listings for the vellum. Is $15k a 'good' price?

>224 GardenOfForkingPaths:

I've seen auctions for other fine press books printed on vellum, seems like a reasonable multiplier depending on how many vellum copies there were.

>225 MobyRichard: I’m surprised, if I saw an auction starting at $1k offering $15k seems excessive, I would have expected that they would accept something smaller

The only copy I’ve seen at auction in the past 15 years was for $22,000, including commission. It’s in the same ballpark as the Ecclesiasticus and the Apuleius, which have sold between $20-25K. The Daphnis and Chloe has ranged from $14-22K

So $15K seems like a pretty fair price, all things considered.

Some interesting books coming up for auction at Dreweatts.
Ashendene, Eragny, Kelmscott and my favourite the Dove's Keats, the binding is something else. Also an Byrne Euclid in there...

https://www.forumauctions.co.uk/Fine-Books-Manuscripts-and-Works-on-Paper/21-11-...

Let me know if this link works, if not try www.forumauctions.co.uk

>224 GardenOfForkingPaths: The Ashendene Thucydides is a shocking steal at that price, if the interior is intact. There are several collectors (private and institutional) who would pay well north of $75k for that book, especially as it has steadily increased in desirability over the past two decades and is now considered a highlight of the Press. For comparison, a vellum copy of "A Treatyse of Fysshynge Wyth an Angle" is being offered by Sophie Schneideman for 22,000GBP or about $28,380 at this weekend's Boston book fair. A copy of Hornby's "Vita di Santa Chiara Vergine" on vellum sold for 45,000GBP ($58,050 at the current exchange rate) at the 2023 NYIABF. That 2023 copy's original red vellum binding was faded to a light orange along the spine.

Someone did not understand what they had.

>228 TudorBlackPress: Some beautiful bindings in there....

>229 Sport1963:

Hmm, $75k might be a bit high. I've seen that price at retail for a subscriber's edition of Seven Pillars of Wisdom, maybe $100,000+ for a Kelmsmcott Chaucer, etc.

I don't think the Ashendene Thucydides has quite achieved those celestial heights yet, vellum or not. Not that it really matters to me. All wildly out of my price range.

>231 MobyRichard: Only 20 vellum copies of the Thucydides were printed. It's supply and demand; as a rule of thumb Ashendene vellum copies start at 10x what their paper brethren sell for. I stand firmly behind the numbers in my post. Someone scored an unbelievable deal for 15k and there are several private collectors and institutions that would pay more than 5x that amount to add that book to their collection.

>228 TudorBlackPress: Good stuff, thanks Hugh! The Workes of Armorie is lovely, and I really dig the Late Medieval amulet against malefaction. The leaves from the Office of the Dead are great, too.

There were a couple Ashendene books on vellum auctioned a couple years ago by Forum: Ecclesiasticus and Songs from the OT. They went for ~$19k and $25k, respectively, both of which were at least double their estimates. Both looked to be in fine condition or better. The latter was the only one on vellum I remember ever seeing for sale. (It might be worth noting that a lot of books in that sale went way over the estimate.)

AP's printing on vellum was highly esteemed by their contemporaries, so they have always commanded quite a premium over their paper counterparts. Their Thucydides is one of their most revered publications, so I think a retail price north of $50k is quite conceivable. These things just don't come up very often at all.

Janus Press King Lear. Rare title.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/276741843631?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-...

Riverrun Books & Manuscripts is having a sale on many titles. Some nice stuff scattered throughout there, including an Ashendene, a Bird & Bull, a few Japanese vellum William Morris titles from Thomas B. Mosher, and choices pieces from Janus (Claire Van Vliet).

Not sure if this is a deal but this thread seemed appropriate. Correct me if I am wrong but this looks like the same rebound copy of 1930 Cresset Press Gulliver's Travels reviewed on the B&V website here: https://booksandvines.com/2015/10/26/the-great-illustrated-private-press-books-p...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/326046846407

>236 Lukas1990: how’s the asking price, would you say? The fact it’s still available make me think it’s not a steal?

>239 BorisG: Honestly, I don't think it's a bargain. I posted it because it is a rare title to find, not because the price is good.

>239 BorisG: I believe a copy sold in the $1,500 - $2,000 USD range last year, which is a rather good deal. However, this may well be the finest artisanal edition of King Lear—and if one feels that way, then the price of this particular copy shouldn't be the primary deterrent.

It is also worth contacting the proprietor directly. I have found that in the fine press market, eBay-seller usernames often point to the actual name of the business. Negotiating a deal personally is of mutual benefit as the middleman fee is avoided. I often add to my library this way; savings start at 10%.

>241 a.friend: I’m pretty sure the seller is a private individual, and one well known on this fine press forum.

Also, ‘King Lear’? The link shows Gulliver’s Travels??

>242 ChestnutPress:
239 refers to 236.

Lol, you're flagging my message? Half the messages I see here are just people lecturing other members like they are idiots or attacking each other. This group has gone way downhill. Time to bounce.

>243 GusLogan: Ah, I see! Cheers!!

>241 a.friend: A copy sold on eBay in November of this year for $1,600. Two auctions for $1,100 before premium in the past two years. The second link is from the collection of Robin Williams and his ex-wife. King Lear is my favorite Shakespeare play and I'd love to have this book but $2,250 is too much.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/169664701_literature-shakespeare-william-th...
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/161277925_van-vliet-s-tragedie-of-king-lear...

>246 PBB: Great information for prospective buyers to use as a bargaining chip.

>242 ChestnutPress: >243 GusLogan: >245 ChestnutPress: Thanks for clarifying, GusLogan. The Cresset Press Gulliver is a handsome work. :)

>247 a.friend: That King Lear looks magnificent! But then Claire Van Vliet is an extraordinary bookmaker.

>246 PBB: thanks, very helpful!

I doubt there are many deals to be had, but Bonhams is about to auction off a pretty impressive collection of Kelmscott and related fine press works:

https://www.bonhams.com/auction/31214/the-complete-kelmscott-press-collection-of...

Two copies of the same Kelmscott Press title for sale. The price is not exceptional but I just wanted to share that amazing description by the seller. Wow!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/286242679953?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-...

>252 dlphcoracl:

I will have to respectfully disagree with you on this one, and I note the following:

1. First and foremost, both books are in wretched condition. They are not collectible.

2. The description is eBay at its worst - a flowery, over-the top description that is primarily hyperbole. There is very little that is actually informative, certainly not to a Kelmscott Press book collector.

3. The Kelmscott Press 'Gothic Architecture: A Lecture for the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society' is one of the least desirable books in the Kelmscott Press bibliography, even amongst the Wm. Morris / Kelmscott Press "little books" which were issued in holland bindings. This is evident by the consistently poor prices it fetches at auction, even if it is in NF or fine condition. Owning these two copies will not convince anyone that you are "steeped in superior taste" and will not enable you "to outshine your fellow collectors".

In reality, this listing and description is unintentionally comical in a vaudevillian sort of way.

>252 dlphcoracl: Irony sometimes does not work well in written language but I think >251 Lukas1990: shares your assessment that “In reality, this listing and description is unintentionally comical in a vaudevillian sort of way.”

>251 Lukas1990:
>253 SebRinelli:

I believe you are correct and I missed it the first time around. My apology to Lukas1990 for taking it seriously and not as irony.

>250 jsg1976:

Here is a follow-up to the Bonhams NYC auction of the complete Kelmscott Press collection of Joseph Mark Van Horn on December 17, 2024.

Not only were there few (if any) "deals to be had", but the vast majority of prices realized (hammer price + 25% Buyer's Premium) were well above what a knowledgeable Kelmscott Press collector would or should pay. Out of curiosity, I followed this auction to gain insight into current prices for Kelmscott Press books but this auction was not helpful or instructive. Here's why:

1. Two internet bidders dominated this auction, bidding on nearly every lot. One of the two actually won the bidding on slightly over 1/3 of the 62 lots with a Kelmscott Press book. They amused themselves by engaging in bidding wars against each other with neither bidder having a clue as to what they were doing. Not only did they bid well above what these books had sold for in relatively recent auctions, they bid well above what many of these books are currently being offered at by fine & rare booksellers.

2. The bidder who won 1/3 of the lots must have been trying to assemble an instant Kelmscott Press collection in one sitting, as if he were a newbie trying to make up for lost time. Under no circumstance was he to be outbid on any lot he decided to enter - and he wasn't. He clearly had very deep pockets and very shallow sense as a private press collector.

The crowning irony in all of this? The majority of books in this collection were NOT in particularly good shape, sometimes marginal. Collector Deep Pockets wildly overspent to acquire inferior copies of Kelmscott Press books.

Why do I bother mentioning this? To emphasize to fellow LT Fine Press Forum collectors the importance of doing your homework prior to bidding at auction. This includes:

1. Knowing what the recent auction price for a given lot was in relatively recent auctions held over the past 2-3 years.

2. Knowing what experienced, reputable booksellers are currently offering these titles for.

3. Knowing what the typical book condition is for a given lot or private press book to determine if it belongs in your collection.

4. To emphasize the importance of having bidding discipline. Determine what your top limit (including the 25% BP) is BEFORE the auction and stick with it to avoid getting involved in bidding wars.

This is of little concern (or less concern) if you are bidding on inexpensive books but if you are bidding on Kelmscott Press or Ashendene Press books, not doing your due diligence and basic research will result in very costly mistakes. Perhaps even worse, you will suffer the pangs of Buyer's Remorse when you see these editions appear in finer condition and sell at much lower prices in future auctions over the next several years.

Caveat emptor.

>255 dlphcoracl: Excellent advice! Especially important is setting a limit that you absolutely will not exceed. Good advice in any auction, really. That is how I handled stamp auctions all those years ago.

>255 dlphcoracl: Very interesting, especially the part about the two bidders. I followed that auction too and from very early on got the impression that the hammer prices were too high. Not so sure about the final prices of vellum copies though...

And yeah, the Ebay listing is a joke :)

>257 Lukas1990:

FWIW, I knew that these were two distinct bidders because their bidding numbers were being identified with each of their bids on the Bonhams NYC live bidding platform. Within the first 10 lots, I knew this was an auction I did not want to participate in.

Again, my apology. I still have a bit of a hangover from New Year's Eve and was not thinking clearly. 🤪

A slew of great new arrivals at The Kelmscott Bookshop. I almost wonder if it's the collection of one of our own members. It's chock-a-block with Arion Press titles in great condition (personally wish I could justify the Sappho and/or Heaney volume financially), plus a vellum-bound Doves, a nice Venus and Adonis, and some choice items from other presses. About a third of the lot is artist books.

I did secure a couple picks for myself, both of them my first acquisition from each press - A Moral Fable-Talk from Arion Press and Cawdor from Yolla Bolly Press. Hope you find similar treasures!

>259 Shadekeep: That is quite a trove! Not seeing any bargains, price-wise, though...

>260 kermaier: Aye, few of them are notably cheap, but some are a bit hard to come by. I did pick up one additional title that seemed genuinely well-priced, but I'm no great shakes at knowing what books generally go for. I figured it was more important to point these out in case folks are looking for certain titles. For example, The Travels of Sir John Mandeville and Phisicke Against Fortune from Foolscap are both in the listing, and I've seen people here looking for copies of these in fine condition.

>261 Shadekeep: Yes, that's true -- some hard-to-find titles. I was looking at things like $2400 (?!) for the Arion Gatsby....

>261 Shadekeep: That's quite a high ask for the standard state of the Foolscap Phisicke, and they've got an error in the listing -- it's bound in quarter red Japanese book cloth over cream paper boards -- maybe they've mistakenly priced it for the deluxe?

>262 kermaier: Indeed, that's a kicker! Though Arion prices seem highly variable for in the market for reasons I've yet to discern. Even when sold initially by the press I'm often unable to guess why they choose a particular price, especially relative to other titles. Happily some other Arion titles listed here are closer to reasonable, like The Sundial for $450, which is actually below the selling price of $500 and looks practically new.

>263 kermaier: Possibly so. That's more than I paid for mine a few years ago. Though it's also the only one on Abe and Biblio at the moment, so maybe it's scarcity priced?

>263 kermaier: If it is copy #120 as stated in the listing, it is a standard edition. The deluxe editions are numbered 1-40.

>263 kermaier: Even better, they have two copies of Brief Loves that Live Forever at $1,500 while Foolscap still has unsold inventory at $1,100. I guess the right to buy from Kelmscott warrants a premium.

>267 LBShoreBook:

Caveat emptor.

>267 LBShoreBook: I would assume the markup is to generate profit based on what they paid, which may have been near the asking price. Or so is my guess anyway. For all I know it could be wildly optimistic inflation on something they got free. Ultimately it's down to the buyer to do the due diligence of price checking on whether they get a fair deal. I do feel that I did get a deal on the titles I picked up from them today, but obviously there are other items that I don't consider a steal, or even competitively priced.

>266 Dr.Fiddy: Yes, that was my observation as well (the copy number), but the binding description of quarter leather over Japanese cloth (albeit with incorrect colors) conflicts with that. So something’s amiss, with the description, the pricing or both.

Small selection of markdowns on Collinge & Clark. Not familiar enough with the particular titles to know if any are truly standout deals, but may be some of interest.

A gem from Rollin Milroy and Heavenly Monkey:

https://heavenlymonkeybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Frank%20L.%20Stockton

http://www.heavenlymonkey.com/Stockton.html

When first announced in 2022, this was offered at $750.00 with a -20% pre-publication discount (price $600). It has an ultra-small limitation of 30 copies and, predictably, it sold out in a few weeks as is usually the case with HM editions. A copy is currently being offered by The Veatchs at $750.00 (see link).

https://www.veatchs.com/pages/books/18940/frank-l-stockton/the-lady-or-the-tiger

dlphcoracl

>272 dlphcoracl: Congrats to the buyer! I’m somewhat partial to the miniature version of the same story that can be found here: https://resabi.net/rebecca-press-minibooks/the-lady-or-the-tiger/

Very well done, feels larger in a sense compared to its actual dimensions.

Pennyroyal Press' - Timing Devices for 122$. Described as fine, no photos.

https://www.biblio.com/details.php?dcx=1667466055&aid=vialibri&utm_sourc...

Wuthering Heights, Limited Editions Club (Sidney Shiff), 1993.

This is one of the finest Sidney Shiff LEC books and it is also a livres d'artiste edition illustrated with 15 illustrations (drawings) by Balthus. It is offered on eBay and described to be in mint condition, with numerous photos to back this up. It is offered at $2,600 or Best Offer and it is highly likely the seller will accept an offer or $2,300 or $2,400, in my opinion. This is an exceptional price for this edition with professional booksellers usually asking between $4,500 to $5,000 in similar fine condition. Note that it is a folio sized book 16 1/2 x 12 inches (420 x 315 mm).

It is a steal and a stunning book. Trust the dlphcoracl on this one. Link below.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/204962142874?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26...

The LEC Wuthering Heights is the only fine press edition I know of. Personally, never been a fan of the illustrations, although to be fair, I've never seen any in person. I have hopes that either CTP or Suntup or Lyra one day decide to tackle this :)

>276 astropi: While not fine press, there is the Books Illustrated version - it's not letterpress and it is edited and abridged.

>277 A.Nobody:
But the Books Illustrated Wuthering Heights is almost unreadable as the book is in landscape format and the lines are so long and the print so small I kept scanning back to the wrong line all the time and gave up. LEC edition is far better.

There is another edition of Wuthering heights which might be considered fine or fine-ish press, printed by the Fraser press in the 1970s. They printed a few books in runs similar to LEC, (~1500 copies) and often did some quite nice but simple bindings. The Brontë is printed on Zerkall in 11pt Bell and bound in a dark green leather, a slightly cheaper edition in marbled paper and cloth is available too.

>277 A.Nobody: >278 wcarter: Thank you, that's unfortunate that it's not readable, those illustrations are nice.

>279 sanvito: Thank you, I couldn't find much information on the book nor press. I assume it's not letterpress?

>280 astropi:

Unsure about the letterpress credentials. By default I assume some sort of electrotype, hopefully someone else might know. Here is the colophon for the Brontë:



Lowkey, well made and fairly tastefully, I’d say up a notch from folio society, and somewhere among the mid level LECs

>281 sanvito: Thank you. Any illustrations.

>282 astropi:
My illustrated catalogue entry is at https://flic.kr/p/2p2ftpD

>275 dlphcoracl: I hope a FPF member was able to acquire this book (Bronte's "Wuthering Heights"). I echo all that the dlphcoracl says about the edition and the relative bargain the listing represented.

>281 sanvito: W & J Mackay were a very high quality trade printer (as you note, of the caliber that would have worked on LEC books), and that book will likely be printed from metal type rather than electrotype plates.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/316192953130

The Folio Society's letterpress edition of Sappho which was just discussed in the "Poetry" thread -- it's brand new and sealed, and the seller is asking below retail! What a deal!

Oak Knoll has a copy of SJPP Animal Farm. I got a copy recently and think it is wonderful. On one of the other threads some did not care for the artwork but I think it is a well balanced and interesting addition to the fine press Animal Farm list.

https://www.abebooks.com/signed/ANIMAL-FARM-Orwell-George-James-Park/32129674492...

>288 chase.donaldson: If that is considered a good deal, I clearly let mine go for a song. 😂

>288 chase.donaldson: It's the most beautiful edition of Animal Farm I have ever seen, by far. I think the Suntup edition is also lovely, but the SJPP edition is truly something unique.

>289 LBShoreBook: you have a 1984 you would be willing to part with? Would pay handsomely....

>288 chase.donaldson:
>289 LBShoreBook:

The SJPP edition of Animal Farm was meant to be a scaled down version that paid homage to the paperback Penguin's Books version, retaining the same small size and the softcover treatment. Penguin Books were important in bringing George Orwell's work to a much wider audience. However, I greatly prefer the Arion Press edition with illustrations by Jonathan Hammer. This is one of Arion Press's better efforts and it can occasionally be found at about half the price of the Oak Knoll SJPP edition.

If anyone on LT FPF is looking for a superb copy of this classic, Jeff Hirsch Books is offering a fine copy of the Arion Press edition at an exceptional price of $850, which is what it typically sells for at auction. Highly recommended - don't sit too long on this one because this is the one you should be looking for (imho). Link below.

https://www.jhbooks.com/pages/books/204144/george-orwell-jonathan-hammer/animal-...

dlphcoracl

>292 dlphcoracl: I nabbed it as part of a 4 Arion book auction....$500......

https://bid.michaans.com/lots/view/4-DSGUMS/four-arion-press-books-including-orw...

>292 dlphcoracl:

You hit a grand slam with that one!!

>288 chase.donaldson: More than triple the original sales price.

>293 chase.donaldson: Congrats, great deal!

>290 astropi: Agreed. I have both Animal Farm editions and the SJPP is sui generis. Personally enjoy the art style very much, though am also a fan of the art of Omar Rayyan (he did a great job on The Wind In The Willows too).

>293 chase.donaldson: Kudos on the Arion group buy, that's a solid bargain!

After working for and with Anne and David Bromer (Bromer Booksellers) for several decades, Philip Salmon has recently opened his own bookshop, a continuation (of sorts) of Bromer Booksellers and he is starting to assemble his inventory. The following is an exceptional edition at an exceptional price:

A Comedy of Terence by Andria, Officina Bodoni, 1971.

This edition features 27 woodcut illustrations carved by Fritz Kredel, working from the original blocks which were drawn (but never carved) by a young Albrecht Dürer. The wooden blocks were taken from a collection of 132 blocks Dürer had drawn for this edition which were loaned by the Kunstmuseum of Basil and they are predictably stunning. Of course they were expertly printed directly from the blocks by Giovanni (Hans) Mardersteig. This is a major Officina Bodoni edition.

Philip Salmon is offering a copy in strong NF condition for $750 which is a bargain. Phil is both knowledgeable and reliable. Do not let this one slip through your fingers. Link below.

https://www.salmonrarebooks.com/artworks/categories/1/182-terence-a-comedy-calle...

dlphcoracl

>298 dlphcoracl: That one didn't last long--already sold!

>288 chase.donaldson: The Oak Knoll on Abe shows a quantity of 5 SJPP Animal Farm available. Does anyone know if it's common for a newer book in a relatively small limitation (140) to have so many copies being resold on Oak Knoll?

I guess the quantity of copies they have makes this more accessible in a way, but I also suppose that conversely the price sort of makes it affordable to fewer people.

I'm curious for thoughts.

>300 Tuna_Melon:

Perhaps more unusual, the Oak Knoll Press listing for the SJPP facsimile edition of 'An Albion in the Antarctic' states that 10 copies are available, from a limitation of 92 numbered copies. However, there is no indication of multiple copies available directly on the Oak Knoll website.

James Freemantle is keenly aware of the demand for his books as they almost always sell out (OOP) rapidly within a few weeks of their announcement. The demand for his editions always exceeds the available limitation and he is quite careful with regard to fulfillment and distribution of his books. Almost certainly, he would not sell multiple copies to Oak Knoll Books and, in the case of Animal Farm, then watch them triple the original offering price of $450.

I believe the listing of multiple copies of these SJPP on Abebooks is in error, a glitch on the Abebooks listings.

A Miscellany of Type from The Whittington Press for £95.

https://www.minstergatebooks.co.uk/book/39415/complied-by-whittington/a-miscella...

Andy Geer (Tony Geer's brother - Conversation Tree Press) is selling a standard copy of the Barbarian Press 'Endgrain: Contemporary Wood Engravings in North America (1994) for $1,695.00. on the Facebook Fine Press Books Buy/Sell/Trade website. This is one of the most important of the early Barbarian Press editions, containing 120 wood engravings expertly printed directly from the blocks by Jan Crispin onto an exceptional Zerkall mould-made white wove and ivory laid paper. The asking price is well below what other booksellers are currently listing it for and anything under $2,000. is an excellent price. Link below.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/finepressbst/

The Works of Edmund Spenser (Shakespeare Head Press) for 1095$. Only a couple of photos but looks good for the price.

https://www.biblio.com/details.php?dcx=1668425881&aid=vialibri&utm_sourc...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/276898823997

1975 Tideline press book 20$ starting bid, has been reposted a few times so seller would likely take a buyout offer in the 20-60 range. Nice printing and poetry. A lot of work from this era, seems to be sold to art forward rather than book forward people, so the condition isn’t super unusual.

Edit: The blue is really nice in person for the woodcut(?) on the inner title page

>306 ensuen: Thanks, I am looking to get something from Tideline to flesh out the collection, and that's a nice price. I really cringe at those sun-bleached covers though where you can tell another book was sitting on top of it for years...

Oak Knoll has Bird & Bull Press' On Improvements in Marbling the Edges of Books and Paper: A Nineteenth Century Marbling Account Explained and Illustrated with Fourteen Original Marbled Samples for 50% off.

A seller in the UK (whom I have no association with and haven't previously bought from) has a copy of 'Shaw Gives Himself Away' by the Gregynog press at £285, but they are accepting offers. The price for this has been falling in the past few years, but I think that this looks an excellent price, as the pictures show the book in a very good condition:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226155034198?_skw=gregynog&itmmeta=01JTK0KR08NCDD...

>308 A.Nobody: Thanks for the heads-up, some nice stuff in the Bibliography sale. Picked up three titles for less than $30 total.

The numbered edition (#65/ 100) of In The Beginning: Creation Stories From Around the World by Virginia Hamilton featuring watercolour illustrations by Barry Moser; for $135 with 'Make Offer' enabled: https://www.ebay.com/itm/176076918009

Not strictly fine/ private press but reviewed on B&V here: https://booksandvines.com/2012/07/10/affordable-treasures-and-pleasures-2-in-the...

No connection to seller.

William Reese has a huge sale with discounts up to 70%. Lots of books to choose from.

Oak Knoll is running a 50% off general bibliography titles, and there's a good one from Bird and Bull in the mix!

This will be gone soon. Physiologus (Book Club of California) for 150 USD.

https://ebay.us/m/xn2mRe

>314 Lukas1990: Excellent find, love the linocuts.

>315 ensuen: Here is my short review with lots of photos: https://www.librarything.com/topic/341965

>317 LT79: Gone!

Blackwell's Rare Books have a couple of copies of the Libanus Press Symposium (1986). I'm not sure about the going rate for these, but they are fantastic books. Discussion here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/335503

The standard clothbound edition for £105 (described as having one incredibly faint spot to the fore-edge)

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/Symposium-Translated-Introduction-Tom-Griffith-Engrav...

The 1/4 leather state for £210 (described as fine with what sounds like a near-fine slipcase).

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/Symposium-Translated-Introduction-Tom-Griffith-Engrav...

Apart from the binding, I'm not if there is any difference between the cloth and 1/4 leather. I have a faint memory of seeing a prospectus, which might have mentioned a slightly heavier weight of paper in the higher states. If so, that blows my mind considering how thick the paper is in the clothbound edition!

The enablement is strong today (3 books!) – got the regular edition. Seems superb value…

>320 GardenOfForkingPaths: I have a copy of the 1/4 leather binding by Smith Settle. It’s a very nice edition. I only paid a little less than their current offering. I don’t believe the cloth edition comes with a slipcase.

>321 BorisG: Congrats! I hope you enjoy it.

>322 kdweber: That's true, no slipcase for the standard, or at least I have never seen one.

>323 GardenOfForkingPaths: The cloth bound state was issued with a dust jacket.

A couple nice deals in the current Oak Knoll Americana sale:

Captivity Narrative of Hannah Duston: Related by Cotton Mather, John Greenleaf Whittier, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry David Thoreau, four versions of events in 1697, interspersed with thirty-five wood-block prints by Richard Bosman (Arion Press) - Signed edition, $375.00 (from $750.00)

Christopher Columbus (Stone House Press) - With 6 engravings by John Depol and six engravings from works in the John Carter Brown Library, $25.00 (from $50.00)

>325 Shadekeep: To anyone considering Hannah Duston, please consider my copy :)

>1 dlphcoracl: I apologize for disturbing a six year old post, but I was interested in looking at the Bromer Bookseller online since you mentioned it is in Boston. Supposedly it is permanently closed? That's a shame. I have been looking for specialty book stores like this in the Northeast that would be interesting to travel to since I live in PA. Does anybody know of any in the region?

>327 Zoopa: Anne Bromer retired, but the General Manager for Bromer, Phil Salmon has opened his own shop and has been building up inventory. I've known Phil for years and he is knowledgeable, fair, and ethical. Take a look here:

https://www.salmonrarebooks.com/

>327 Zoopa: I am not sure how much has changed, but after Anne Bromer retired it was renamed to Phillip Salmon & Company Rare Books (https://www.salmonrarebooks.com/). The Salmons co-owned with the Bromers, so I assume it's essentially the same operation.

>329 NathanOv: They are using the good old practise of buying on auctions and reselling for two-three times the price they paid. It is hard to compete with booksellers. Sometimes they give up bidding when they realise there won't be much profit but still it means no bargains for ordinary collectors who aren't J. P. Morgan.

>330 Lukas1990: Oof. When I briefly assisted with rare book acquisitions at another shop, the owner was only looking to take a 20% profit on each volume. I don't recall if they had any other overhead factored in, but I only ever saw double or triple prices to bring particularly low-cost acquisitions up to fair market values, never above them. That was nearly two decades ago, though.

>330 Lukas1990: My understanding is they also do some more typical acquisitions too. They are occasionally flexible on price if something has been in stock for a while.

They are probably one of my favorite sellers though in terms of descriptions and care taken with shipping.

>331 NathanOv: Here is an example.
Sold for 460 GBP hammer price: https://www.forumauctions.co.uk/component/com_bidding/id,148031/layout,details/v...

Selling for 1850 USD https://www.salmonrarebooks.com/artworks/1554-valenti-angelo-the-begynning-of-th...

Don't get me wrong, it is completely normal. Still I wish I wouldn't have to compete with those who want to make profit...

>333 Lukas1990:
But if they’ve got the right idea of market value you could potentially have outbid them at a third of market value? Sounds like a good deal!

>332 ensuen: When Phil was the buyer for the Bromers, I sold them some books. He has a very good sense for what things were worth. He also had pretty strict standards; if it wasn't clearly in fine condition, he didn't want it. Having purchased quite a few books from the Bromers over the years, I thought they represented their works accurately, as I assume Salmon et al. will continue to do.

>333 Lukas1990: I hear you. Though I'd rather bid against a dealer than a rabid collector (like myself)!

>334 GusLogan: Quite right! While there are certainly chances for "steals" at auction, I tend to think of it as paying a reasonable discount on retail.

>333 Lukas1990: … meanwhile the dealers (at least of the older generation) bemoan the loss of the good old days when collectors, in general, either weren’t aware of auctions or disdained them. It strikes both ways! :)

>336 BillWoodbridge: Haha, good point!

>332 ensuen: One other note on Salmon (and Bromer before): in my experience they are the best American dealer in Fine Press insofar as actually following up on “wants” or “wish lists” you leave with them, especially for specific titles/editions within their remit. With other dealers I’ve had occasional follow ups but usually with (at best) tangentially related items.

For anyone who missed Moving by Nomad Letterpress, Blackwell's Rare Books has a copy for £310, which seems a fair price (the post publication price was £345, and I think the preorder price was £295).

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/Moving-Collection-Thirty-Five-Wood-Engravings-Preface...

>339 GardenOfForkingPaths: A good deal indeed and eminently worth it.

>339 GardenOfForkingPaths: Managed to grab this, thank you! Had it on my wishlist ever since it came out, but it sold out a bit too quickly at the time.

>341 AdPacem: Congrats! It's a lovely book, and, as >340 Shadekeep: says, a very reasonable price for the quality of work on display.

I'm looking forward to Nomad's upcoming Paul Kershaw Skye book too.

>342 GardenOfForkingPaths: I'm looking forward to Nomad's upcoming Paul Kershaw Skye book too.

Likewise, the previews for this one look brilliant.

The Book Club of California is having a sale on their publications right now, seems to be 10%-50% discounts. I know many have written about "From California" by Dana Gioia and Richard Wagner (only 10% off of that one). I have a copy and it is one of my favorites.
https://bookclubofca.square.site/

>344 blinks112: 10% off of either of the Wagener-engraved volumes makes both even more extraordinary value for money. Like you, I love the Dana Gioia volume and would humbly suggest it’s a no-brainer of a book to pick up!

>344 blinks112: Enabled! Though it didn't take much... I'm trying to downsize a bit. As much as I love genre fiction, it is the poetry, philosophy, and classics that I turn back to again and again. So, I will be putting up a few genre books for sale this weekend.

>344 blinks112: I enjoyed The Woods Were Never Quiet, it's a solid deal at half off.

>347 Shadekeep: That is good to hear as it is what I ordered for myself! I was tempted by the Sierra Nevada suite but waited too long and it looks to be sold out.

>348 blinks112: Excellent! The stories reward consideration, and I feel there's an underlying element connecting them (apart from the obvious geographic commonality). Hope you enjoy!

>348 blinks112: same thing happened to me. I did pick up the Mallette Dean book though

>348 blinks112: I’m surprised Sierra Nevada Suite was still available. I picked it up with the membership discount at the release party where Richard Wagener gave a nice talk about the book. That along with its companion volume California in Relief are two of my favorite BCoC books.

>350 jsg1976: The Mallette Dean book is really nice as well and a great price. Highly recommended; although, I did have to make a slipcase for it.

The BCOC website is flagged by Malwarebytes for a possibility of "phishing", by the way, but it might be a false positive.

It seems they don't ship to Sweden. Anyone from Europe who could order something?

>352 JanPospisilCZ: Probably so. If you go to the main site and navigate to the store link, it does open up the same URL (https://bookclubofca.square.site). I suspect it may trigger some flags simply by being a Square site, which have some fiddling configuration requirements.

Y'all may be enabling me on the Mallette Dean book, it does look a treat. Also interested in The Thunderbolt & the Monk, does anyone have an opinion on that one? If I place an order I'll likely grab some of those discounted keepsakes as well.

>351 kdweber: I’d had my eye on it in the sales the last couple years at 30% off but hadn’t pulled the trigger, but at 50% off this time around I couldn’t say no any longer

It looks like the BCC Malette Dean deluxe edition gets a nicer binding and one(!) original woodblock print? Am I missing anything else? There are probably a dozen Grabhorn press books that provide original woodblock prints for a fraction of the price differential for the BCC book. Can't tell if I'm missing something that warrants the difference.

>356 LBShoreBook: That is how I understand it too.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/388077954983

This is a criminally low price for this volume (which is generally cheaply available for what it is anyway). Someone here needs to snap it up!

One of the finest books from Officina Bodoni for a very good price (this is the Italian version of Holy Gospels):

https://ebay.us/m/ZL6CWT

The Cresset Press Apocrypha:

www.ebay.com/itm/257007000345

Three listing popped up on my radar recently. If prices reflected craft quality, each of these should cost four times as much as is being asked:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/167696472751?_skw=greenboathouse+press&itmmeta=01K3...

https://www.abebooks.com/signed-first-edition/Alphababel-Illustrated-Tower-Langu...

https://www.abebooks.com/signed-first-edition/Lady-Who-Clean-Rest-Rooms-Chronicl...

>361 grifgon: Enabled for Alphababel, Thanks Griffin!

A tranche of late Allen Press titles popped up. These are usually hard to find because at the end of their career the Allens reduced their edition sizes. They aren't peak Allen, but they're certainly great deals at the offered price and increasingly rare:

https://www.abebooks.com/EGYPT-HERODOTUS-Allen-Press-Greenbrae/32229281770/bd

https://www.abebooks.com/LIFE-DANTE-Boccaccio-Giovanni-Revised-translation/32227...

https://www.abebooks.com/RAPPACCINIS-DAUGHTER-Reflections-Hawthorne-Edgar-Allen/...

https://www.abebooks.com/MICHELANGELO-Sonnets-Produced-Hand-Allen-Press/32226399...

>363 grifgon: These have been for sale for quite some time now. There might be an even cheaper copy of Rappaccinis Daughter at the moment on Ebay if memory serves me well.

In a post dated August 24 at 3:24 AM on the Facebook Fine Press Books Buy/Sell/Trade site, Eric Saites is selling a copy of the Foolscap Press 'The Travels of Sir John Mandeville' for $4,000. This is NOT a bargain but it is fair value and reflects current market price. It will cost anywhere between $4,000 to $5,000 from a professional bookseller. I have mentioned it because it is highly sought after by several LT FPF members and it has become extremely scarce in the secondary market.

>365 dlphcoracl: Jumped on that one, thank you!

>365 dlphcoracl:
Expensive and rare because there were only 90 copies, and cost US$1200 new.
Reviewed at https://www.librarything.com/topic/317756

>367 wcarter:

"Expensive" because Larry van Velzer and Peggy Gotthold vastly underpriced this edition at $1,200 when it should have been offered at $2,000 to $2,200, especially when one compares it to Nawakum Press editions, the Lettered editions from Conversation Tree Press/Suntup Editions/Curious King, the Deep Wood Press TWITW, etc.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/214116421_melville-herman-moby-dick-or-the-...

The UC Press LE Moby-Dick—a relatively faithful facsimile of the landmark Arion Press edition (it is smaller and, I believe, uses less two-color printing)—is on the auction block. Encountering an aftermarket copy is not a common occurrence, so this may be a compelling opportunity for those in pursuit.

Remember to factor the auctioneer's premium into your walk-away number. Good luck!

>369 a.friend: RIP my hopes to buy this at good price.

It is somewhat uncommon to find it available for sale, but the standout feature of this volume is the condition. Everything looks square and tight, in contrast to many other copies I’ve seen in poor condition.

CTP - William Hope Hodgson - House on the Borderland - Deluxe
https://www.ebay.com/itm/136271021812
Heck of a deal!

usual disclaimer: I am not affiliated in any way/shape with the seller and know nothing about them.

>372 astropi: Is it though ? I wouldn’t call it a deal, even less so a heck of a deal.

It’s more expensive than the majority that were sold on the FB group.

>373 Nerevarine: That was my thought, too.

>373 Nerevarine: about at market price according to Collectible Book Vault, which tends to be pretty good at tracking sales from the various FB groups (it is run by someone who frequents that set of groups). I believe there's a way to view the full sales history there as well, but I'm not finding it on my phone at the moment.

https://www.collectiblebookvault.com/conversation-tree-press/the-house-on-the-bo...

One could probably find a better price with patience, but this seems neither a fantastic deal nor particularly overpriced, especially given the platform cut.

>375 abysswalker: Yup, exactly. It’s about market price. That’s not a deal.

The Case of the Wolfman (Arion Press) for 595 USD (best offer available). https://ebay.us/m/197GJh

>373 Nerevarine: It is! Look, go to abe or somewhere else and you won't find a single copy for sale. This seller is asking a little bit more than retail, but not that much all things considered. If I was looking for a copy, I would jump on this. Sure, people are always welcome to wait -- but nota bene -- I've seen it happen many a time, when a few years later the book is 2-3 times more expensive if you can even find a copy.

>376 Nerevarine: Market price assumes there are multiple copies for sale. When it's down to one copy, there truly is no "market price".

>375 abysswalker: Also, this is my opinion, people are welcome to disagree of course -- I think CBV can be useful, but very often low-balls actual value. I was at one point selling some CP books which I know were rare. People messaged me, "well, CBV value is basically $500-600 so will you sell it to me for $400?" -- I knew there was a lot of demand, so I just listed the books on ebay and had them sell for far more (even after taxes and ebay fees). Again, there's really no such thing as "market value" when there are just a few copies on the market, let alone one single copy.

>378 astropi: This book has been listed for many, many weeks on eBay and still hasn’t sold yet.
Will it sell eventually ? Sure
Is it a heck of a deal, or even a deal at this moment in time (when recent sales are mostly lower or at least around the same price) ? No

Edit : It seems like there is another copy not listed as sold on the FB group at a lower price than the one on eBay.

I sold a copy in the last two weeks for $650 via Facebook and have let Maurice at CBV know. It isn't showing yet. However, I was selling it for the acquisition of 2 books that on Ebay were $7000 and I got for $4600. So, my experience is that Facebook is lower than Ebay.

>379 Nerevarine: Sure, people on the FB group will typically sell for lower than ebay -- otherwise why would someone purchase from them? At any rate, I still think it's a great deal even if you do not agree. Again, there may (or may not) be a listing for less on the FB marketplace, but otherwise, in the hundred+ other second-hand sites there's not a single copy.

>381 astropi: FB Groups for these kind of genre publishers are often one of the main, if not the main platform to buy/sell books.

I’m sure 80%+ of listings for CTP books for example happens on eBay and the FB Group alone. The hundreds of other second-hand sites are way less relevant than those 2 platforms.

Yet it seems like you discard the FB group as some second-tier place to buy, when in fact it’s probably the primary place to sell/buy, or if not the next one right after eBay.

The correct question you should be asking imo, instead of the one in your post, is why buy a more expensive book on eBay, when you can most likely find one cheaper on a FB Group ? Especially in the context of this very thread. Those are the places where the majority of the real deals happens (again, I’m talking about Suntup / CK / CTP / etc FB Groups).

Ultimately, we’ll disagree about wheter it is a deal or not, and it doesn’t matter in the slightest. I just have a hard time understanding how you can say it’s a heck of a deal when most recent sales were below or around that price, and when there’s another copy selling for less elsewhere sitting unsold. That’s all :)

>382 Nerevarine: I just have a hard time understanding how you can say it’s a heck of a deal when most recent sales were below or around that price

I think that's a fair point, so here's my reasoning --

1)This is the ONLY copy I could find for sale. Yeah, there was one a few weeks ago on the FB group (I am a member) and it sold quickly (is the seller you're thinking of Daniel?) and also I'd add, that was truly a great price, I think the seller really needed the money. That said, currently, the one on ebay is the only one I could find anywhere.

2)It's not much above retail - a bit to be sure, but not much (probably the amount above retail is to cover fees).

So those are my reasons. If I could easily find a few copies for a hundred dollars less, sure I'd say the seller is asking above market cost. But, with the caveats I noted, I think it's a great price. And one thing that was not mentioned, is of course just how badly someone wants the book. If this is at the top of someone's wish list, I would encourage them to jump on this -- I really suspect that what will happen, as is often the case, eventually the second-hand market will dry up, and more copies will be posted but for far higher prices. Anyway, no offense intended to anyone, I just thought and still would argue it's a great deal :)

>383 astropi: I understand better your reasoning, thanks for explanation. :)

The one that seems available for cheaper on FB is from a certain Mr Clay.

Anyhow, my plan wasn’t to argue for the sake of it, so I hope it doesn’t seem this way. I still think the price on the eBay one is okayish, and not really a deal, but I totally agree with you that it is a fine buy if someone truly wants it. They wouldn’t overpay in that regard. But if someone is looking for a deal, I’m sure there is (or will be) a better one on the FB Group. But the savings wouldn’t be in the $100s, I agree.

>383 astropi: A book being the only copy currently for sale sale does not make it a good deal.

The idea that the price is about to skyrocket is speculation, FOMO.

A good deal is when the price is lower than typical price in recent history.

>385 rogerthat2: A book being the only copy currently for sale sale does not make it a good deal.
Agreed. But, it does make it the only viable option. That said, if there is only one book for sale, and it's at least relatively in-demand, and the price is close to retail, I would call that a good deal.

The idea that the price is about to skyrocket is speculation, FOMO.
I never said "skyrocket" I said "far higher prices" which is basically what always happens to popular books once the market dries up, so I wouldn't call it "FOMO" but just plain reality.

A good deal is when the price is lower than typical price in recent history.
If that's your definition that's fine, I view it differently.

>386 astropi: Your idea of a good deal is very unique, as evidenced by nobody buying the book for weeks.

Books tend to go DOWN in value over time, not up. But if you disagree, you should but this book and resell it for a profit. Easy money for you, right? Lol. Or maybe you already own it and are trying to fool someone here into buying it....

>378 astropi: "Market price assumes there are multiple copies for sale"

Minor tangent warning!

Leaving aside for the moment the fact that economic theory fits only imperfectly a market where the objects of trade are often sui generis, even in the common case (that is, not fungible commodities), a single item for sale does not mean the market price is undefined. Assuming it's a comparable ("fine condition") copy, an unsold single copy puts an upper bound on the true market price (which must be lower, since that copy hasn't sold, even with nontrivial free connoisseur advertising in this conversation). Assuming one has properly factored in all the secondary components of true cost (transaction costs, international commerce risk, impatience, and so forth).

Even if there are no copies for sale "on the market" information channels exist that could still imply the existence of a latent market price (one can post an "in search of" message on the FB group that would almost be certain to generate seller bids or invitations to solicit buyer bids).

>387 rogerthat2: Books tend to go DOWN in value over time, not up.
Not the books I purchase! Maybe the books you purchase, but I'm willing to bet the majority of collector's here have seen appreciation for their books. If not all books, probably the majority. Just take a look at retail price for many Suntup, Curious King, CTP, etc. all have gone up in value, some greatly.

Your idea of a good deal is very unique, as evidenced by nobody buying the book for weeks.
Just because something is a good deal does not mean it's not expensive and does not mean someone will purchase it within a few weeks after it's posted. Especially if it's part of a set, many people probably want to have the same limitation number.

Lol. Or maybe you already own it and are trying to fool someone here into buying it....
While your conspiracy theory is, let's just say "entertaining", I admit that I definitely own one copy and don't plan to sell it -- absolutely fabulous book and it will be a most amazing set to a most amazing genre.

>388 abysswalker: That's a very fair point. Economic theory while in general fairly trustworthy, is far from perfect. I would tend to argue, as you noted, that there is always some "market price" but that doesn't mean it's accurate. Again, as an example, when I sold a couple of the Masters of the Weird Tale the past year, the market value was around $500 or so, but it ended up going for far more.

>389 astropi: Our monetary supply is rapidly inflating. Once you factor that in, most books are certainly losing value.

If you happen to have picked very trendy books that are holding their value, give it a few decades and they'll probably fall out of style.

The odd book will actually beat inflation over the coming decades and century, but it's a fools errand to try to pick them.

>391 rogerthat2: That's a really good point, I've bought a few books that have the prospectus laid in, with the advertised price being less than I actually paid for the item. For example 50 dollars for an item priced for 75 dollars in 1980 (inflation adjusted ~275 depending on what you think of the CPI inflation calculator).

The economic literature on the book market seems fairly immature so it's sort of hard to model market prices out in a rational way.

---

This is a tangent, but in my head, I have each sort of actor modeled into different pricing behaviors.

For sellers there's a few different profiles in my head:
Private sellers (FB/LT): generally priced for a quicker sale, this tends to be on the lower side of the spread, occasionally some discounting.

Private sellers (eBay): generally on the slightly higher side, occasional drastic mispricing, patient.

Bookseller (patient): Tends to be on the high side of the spread, very occasional discounting. Seems to be fine holding books forever.

Bookseller (ambitious): Pricing seems to be at a premium, unusual discounting behaviors. As a case study imagine a book listed for 1k, my thought is that I would try rotating it through a series of discounts over period of time (FP/10%/FP/20%/etc), or gradually reduce the price over time. But the price is discounted by 50% or so as part of a sale, without any real price discovery going on.

Let me add my two bits to the "value" chat: 'value' and 'price' are not the same thing.

The price of a book may go up over time, but after you figure in inflation, the value may not have changed much, if at all.

And you must also figure in the intangibles, such as 'faddishness,' as an author/title/genre may be popular now only to fade into obscurity with resulting lack of demand and resulting drop in price AND value in the future.

Overall, books make lousy investments, with a few exceptions, as @rogerthat2 noted above.

Extremely popular in his day, no one today collects the works of E. P. Roe, assuming, of course, that they've even heard of him.

>391 rogerthat2: I don't purchase books as an investment, like most everyone here, I purchase them because I love them. But, for various reasons, quite a number of fine press books especially from newer publishers -- Lyra, Curious King, Suntup, etc. have appreciated greatly in value over the past few years. I honestly don't believe they will fall out of style and depreciate -- especially since many of the books being printed are science fiction and fantasy, genres greatly overlooked by the fine press community.

>393 Glacierman: Again, I would not encourage people to invest in books. That said, here's a counter-example: Chuck Palahniuk. Probably most of us have at least heard of him and his most famous work "Fight Club" which was on very few people's radars until the movie was released and became an international hit. Philip K. Dick is just about a household name now, thanks to the movie "Blade Runner". My point being that an author can also turn from obscure to popular just like that. Edward Payson Roe (I have heard of him and know a little bit) was an evangelist, and I certainly won't argue that he was very popular in his day and mostly forgotten now. But, I have also heard people argue he is much more like popular writers today, such as Stephenie Meyer (Twilight) -- in other words he appeals to the masses with out really expressing universal appeal, emotional truth, compelling narrative, etc. but I haven't read any of this works -- curious if you have :)

>394 astropi: ....but I haven't read any of this works -- curious if you have :)

No, but I once got stuck with a complete set of his works. Couldn't unload them in any fashion. They ended up in the landfill. Fortunately, I hadn't paid very much for them, which should have been my first clue.....

Maybe this discussion could be taken to some other thread. Might also help if at some point everyone agreed to disagree, particularly in instances where an individual keeps rebutting with the same position over and over again.

Not a good deal by any means but if anyone wants the Prospectus for Pericles from Barbarian Press it is up for sale on eBay for 250
https://ebay.us/m/hC9xj8

>397 chase.donaldson: That’s a disgraceful price!! Pure, unnecessary greed.

Saying that, I wouldn’t argue if someone wanted to pay me 500 for my two copies 🤣

>397 chase.donaldson: Gone!

>399 Lukas1990: Glad I could be of service. If someone (maybe yourself?) is lucky enough to have a copy of Pericles, I could understand why they might be very eager to also have the prospectus. Plus if you had the coin to pay for the Pericles, 250 for the prospectus is probably inconsequential....

>400 chase.donaldson: Agreed on all points. $250 isn’t that much to “complete” the package.

I've paid close to that much for a prospectus for a book I already had. As >401 What_What: points out, it's a comparatively small price to pay to complete the package.

Should I be selling my 1984 prospectus??

>399 Lukas1990: Blimey! Someone actually paid that much for it!? I might have to put one of mine up if they fetch that with such ease!

>403 BorisG: No but you should be selling your 1984....to me :)

>397 chase.donaldson: Really interesting selection from that seller. Sorted by highest price to lowest you start with Kelmscott Chaucer, Gutenberg leaf, then a train????

>406 PBB:. That is a nice looking caboose.

>405 chase.donaldson: Must. Resist.

But seriously, I’m not selling it unless life circumstances change in a massive way. That book is a heirloom.

>408 BorisG: no joke I had a nightmare last night where I came to the Buy/Sell/Trade thread to find someone selling a deluxe 1984 only to find the next horrifying comment by someone else "PMed". Literally woke up from the dream. I think my comment on here put that in my subconscious for the night. Haha

>408 BorisG: no joke I had a nightmare last night where I came to the Buy/Sell/Trade thread to find someone selling a deluxe 1984 only to find the next horrifying comment by someone else "PMed". Literally woke up from the dream. I think my comment on here put that in my subconscious for the night. Haha

An extra-bound copy of a Florin Press book being offered by UK's OJ Books seems very reasonably priced. No idea what the contents look like, but Florin typically does good work. Am sharing so the temptation will be removed.

https://ebay.us/m/lgL04G

This seller is offering an assortment of high-end private press productions in German with minimal starting bids and apparently no reserve.

Darn fine deal on a lovely volume from Florin Press:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/146266996357

>413 ChestnutPress: Yoink!

>414 gmacaree: Assuming you purchased it, it’s a lovely item that I think you’ll be very pleased with.

>415 ChestnutPress: I certainly hope so — when I opened the listing I was thoroughly charmed. The colophon's description of the paper as "somewhat wayward" pleased me especially.

>416 gmacaree: I shouldn’t admit it, but I rather like the Laura Ashley cloth binding!

There’s nothing particularly ‘wayward’ about the paper, visually — I expect Graham was referring to its printability. It is a nice paper though!

Not really a deal, more a purchasing opportunity at roughly market price - but Woodbridge Rare Books has a copy of the incline press In "Praise of Patterned Papers" and "Harvesting Colour" at £650 each. Both really good books.

>418 ensuen: Many thanks for the mention, and please excuse a post on a commercial matter, but only in order to say that Harvesting Colour is now sold.

Grapho Editions Gathering for sale. Rare title.

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?utm_source=vialibri&utm_mediu...

>420 Lukas1990: I might be mistaken, bus isn't Gathering still available directly from Grapho Editions?

I only ask because the price is still listed on the book's page:
https://www.plkershaw.co.uk/Gathering/gathering-grapho-editions-2025.html

Unlike previous editions which are all marked as no longer available or sold out.

>421 AdPacem: No idea.

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?utm_source=vialibri&utm_mediu...

One more copy of Libanus Press Symposium. Standart copy for a good price.

Edit: GONE IN A SECOND!

>423 Lukas1990: Do you remember the price this sold for? It’s on my radar for a while but no idea what the asking prices are.

>424 bacchus.: Something around 143 USD.

>425 Lukas1990: Thank you. Cheaper than I expected.

>426 bacchus.: Yeah, I consider it a very good price and that is why I posted it here. I got the quarter-leather edition. Still need to clear customs.

"If the Winds Come" by Jason Dewinetz, Greenboathouse Press 2023.

Offered by Oak Knolls Books at $375, well below original price. Greenboathouse Press books are scarce and this is one of the better ones.

https://www.oakknoll.com/pages/books/141903/jason-dewinetz/if-the-winds-come

Currently in the Oak Koll Books inventory and on sale (-20%):

An Albion in the Antarctic by James Freemantle, facsimile edition (2022). $600.

All of the editions from James Freemantle's St. James Park Press are scarce and, aside from his Magnum Opus edition of 1984, this is the finest work James published at a very reasonable price.

Robert The Devil (Windhover Press) for 199.99 USD.

https://ebay.us/m/k6winU

A nice copy of Divina Commedia, Tallone, 1939.

https://www.ebay.it/itm/286875659209

>431 Transfixed: Thanks, I bought it. Now, please, boost my confidence in this purchase! :D

>430 Lukas1990: Well, I got this copy of Robert The Devil for $160, offer accepted. Thanks!

>432 Lukas1990: I have La Commedia. Secondo l'antica vulgata, issued by Tallone in 1967-68. They are different text editions, both quite respectable.

Hamlet, printed by Tallone in 1978. It's not one of the 160 copies on Amatruda handmade paper (80 of those were issued with a nice lithograph by Fabrizio Clerici).

Still, it's one of the total of only 525 copies of one of the best editions of Hamlet ever.

Starting bid $99.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/257180442246

Arbre Patriarche, Raïssa Maritain, Stanbrook Abbey Press, 1965.

From an eBay seller located in California, you can buy it now, for quite a good price of $109.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/257208602421.

The slipcase is in good only condition, but then I hate the paper the nuns used to make it. The paper is leaving pieces of reddish dirt similar to rotting leather. The book itself is a pearl, I have it in my library.

>435 Transfixed: Wow, what a beatiful book. I'd buy it but shipping is $80 to Norway!

>436 7om: 99.06 USD to Lithuania :D Ebay shipping costs are getting extreme.

>435 Transfixed: enabled, thanks!

>435 Transfixed: Yes, the red Mingei paper is very fragile - not a good choice for a slipcase at all!

The tough black cloth used for the slipcases of the last 50 copies (by Weatherby Woolnough, in 1979) is much more practical.

>438 BorisG: Nice buy. Congratulations!

I did not look in depth so there may not be any true good deals but James Cummins is having a sale. Link to their private press category but the sale is site wide.
https://www.jamescumminsbookseller.com/searchSaleResults.php?orderBy=saleprice2&...

So which of you buggers snapped up the Barbarian Press Pericles for 6K today on ebay?

Well, it wasn't me! 🤣

>442 chase.donaldson: OMG!!!

Bargain!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/286740547783

Ridiculous bargain:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390880276588

>445 ChestnutPress:, >446 ChestnutPress: All gone!

>442 chase.donaldson: Probably the same person that purchased Lyra's Stardust some months ago fro $7000 -- that was the Numbered by the way, NOT the lettered :O

>448 astropi: It could be. If so, the later purchase being a bit of a bargain helped offset the vast overpayment for the earlier one.

>447 Lukas1990: rightly so!

Somebody here needs to swiftly scoop this up. It’s the first book printed by the great Bram de Does and it’s a jewel of pure typography.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/317574009717

>451 ChestnutPress: I'm taking a shot at it.....

Let's see if i'm successful.

Thanks.

>452 Glacierman: Good man! And good luck!!

>452 Glacierman: >453 ChestnutPress:

Nope. It's up to $75 now. Outta my league. Didn't really think I stood a snowball's chance in Hell, but what the heck?

>455 Glacierman: It was worth a try. Still a good purchase at that price, but you are commended on having, and sticking, to your cutoff point.

>456 ChestnutPress: I learned long ago how to deal with auctions!

>457 Glacierman: There have been occasions where I have purposefully allowed myself a way-over-the-top figure for an item simply because I have had to have it. Thankfully, this is a great rarity!

>458 ChestnutPress: I've done that, too, and equally rarely!

Nice-looking copy of the Grabhorn Press “Joan the Maid of Orleans”:
https://ebay.us/m/phGMAy

>460 kermaier: Nice find! Highly recommended. More photos here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/352777#8202603

>460 kermaier: Enabled. Thanks!

>461 Lukas1990: Thanks for the handy photos! Without them I wouldn't be so quick.

>462 Transfixed: Looks like the book is in nice condition. Enjoy! :)

>462 Transfixed: Glad to be of service! :-)

No need for me to buy another Bacon, but this seems to be a reasonable offer:

The Essayes or Counsels Civill and Morall of Francis Lord Verulam Viscount St Alban, Cresset Press. Buy it now for $349.99 plus postage. Vellum binding in good only condition as usual, but the condition seems to me quite good. Consider for yourself.

>465 Transfixed: The same copy is cheaper on ABE.

>466 ChestnutPress: Sorry, I forgot to put the correct link. Corrected now.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/257231022159

>467 Transfixed: Here is an ABE link to another cheapish copy:
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/Essayes-Counsels-Civill-Morall-Francis-Lord/321818683...

Pity about the strange blackening around the titling…

I think the binding on the eBay copy could be cleaned up a bit. I have had a little success in cleaning an old vellum binding in the past

>468 ChestnutPress: Yes, the blackening around the title on that copy is awful.

This copy on eBay looks much better and definitely comes from some well-tended collection.

>470 Transfixed: The Cresset Press Bacon binding is the one that really does keep giving: more often than not it displays the usual full-vellum faults of general grubbiness and warped boards due to its tremendous pulling power as temperature and humidity change, plus the weird ‘black attack’ on the gilt lettering which seems peculiar to this book.

Caveat emptor – there are some good (ie Near Fine or even Fine) copies around, and they’re worth waiting for since they're still going to be incredible value for the quality of the book.

>471 BillWoodbridge: Good notice. Thanks!

>469 ChestnutPress: I wish I could visit you in lihuania

>473 Lukas1990: You just want to rob my copy of that book! 🤣

>471 BillWoodbridge: It certainly is worth waiting. I did so and have a very fine copy that didn’t cost me the earth as a result. But it is also the case that fine copies are scarce, with nearly all copies I have seen suffering from some level of binding issue. Even a flawed copy is a beautiful thing to own and I think the copy on eBay actually looks pretty reasonable.

>466 ChestnutPress: my experience is cheaper "sticker price" on Abe is rarely actually cheaper, as the bookseller will almost always ask for additional shipping fees based on the size of the book, so it ends up being a wash or even more expensive. Sometimes reaching out first to get a firm shipping quote can mitigate this/allow you to negotiate, but that requires extra time and effort.

https://www.oakknoll.com/pages/books/46731/william-shakespeare/songs-from-shakes...

$350 for Song's From Shakespeare's Plays Officina Bodoni 1974.
Missing the plain clear jacket but for comparison:

https://www.vialibri.net/searches?title=SONGS+FROM+SHAKESPEARE%27S+PLAYS&pub...

https://www.forumauctions.co.uk/69157/Officina-Bodoni.-Shakespeare-William-Songs...

https://www.swanngalleries.com/auction-lot/officina-bodoni.-shakespeare-william....

>477 PBB: Today I have been charged and received confirmation from the Oak Knoll for my order of yesterday. So it seems I bought this copy.

Thanks for the tip! It's a nice complement to the Sonnets.

I have been really tempted by this Giambattista Bodoni's first quarto edition of Anacreon's Odes, which is one of the best examples of Bodoni's art.

But I don't need Anacreon, so here's a tip for somebody: www.ebay.com/itm/257219921489. Yes, it is the quarto of 1785.

>479 Transfixed: If I had a spare £500 I would happily snap that up. While I am not the biggest fan of Bodoni’s types, that book is a particularly fine example of his work.

>480 ChestnutPress: Yes, it is.

But I like the Johannine Corpus (and even Catullus) more then Anacreon.

And I like more the Greek types made & used by John Baskerville for his quarto edition of Η Καινη Διαθηκη: Novum Testamentum in 1763, which I have the luck to enjoy, one of 500 copies. After all, Bodoni was inspired by Baskerville, among others.

Someone's selling No Reply Press's The Second Meditation at not too much above list price:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/187669209011?_skw=no+reply+press&itmmeta=01KBZK55KS...

>482 Shotcaller: From the description: "This hardcover book is signed by the author Marcus Aurelius"

>483 PBB: No!!!

>483 PBB: Lemme tell you, it was a doozy to accomplish.

>483 PBB: I bet it was the inscribed copy I've seen before, which has on the title page "To Seneca, Stay Rad!"

>483 PBB:

I'll bet Marcus was quite stoical and waited patiently for nearly two thousand years to fulfill his obligations and sign those copies.

>483 PBB: He signed it TO HIMSELF!

>482 Shotcaller: And it's gone!

Not precisely fine press, but of possible interest to folks here is the M. Moleiro art book sale:

https://www.moleiro.com/en/art-books.htm

The "modern medieval codex" Beato de Liébana is among those discounted, and I'm particularly tempted by Splendor Solis.

>490 Shadekeep: I very much recommend the not discounted luxury editions of Javier Alcaíns' books. They very much merit the luxury binding. I have all three of them and they are excellent!

And I absolutely consider them fine press, unlike Moleiro's facsimiles.

There's a large book 33cm x 24cm with five original Leonard Baskin etchings for anyone who collects his work. The only other copies are in the US for four times the price in similar condition.

https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/a-tradition-of-conscience-proposals-for-journali...

>482 Shotcaller: Same seller has NRP “Rapunzel” and “Hansel & Gretel”.

Also there’s a copy of NRP’s “Ethics of Ambiguity” on eBay (!) though not cheap….

>495 kermaier: Thanks!

Letters from Titanic from The History Press is being sold by Books Etc on Amazon UK and eBay for £88/£90.

Even though it says RRP £200, I think this was originally £300 from the publisher. Stock control from resellers who sell through multiple channels can often be a bit funky, so order at your own risk, but I bought a copy via eBay last week and it arrived yesterday, still sealed in the publisher's packaging and presentation box. It was out of stock after that, but there seem to be copies available again.

Even though The History Press is a trade publisher, this book is a fine press edition, typeset and cast by Gloucester Typesetting Services, designed by Rooksmoor Press, and letterpress printed at the Stonehouse Fine Press on mould made paper. Hand bound in cloth.

Discussion of the book here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/340218

It's an attractive, well printed book. I don't know why it is being sold at this price. I guess this is what happens when fine press books enter large distribution channels.

>498 GardenOfForkingPaths:

A marvelous find. Consider me enabled.

>499 dlphcoracl: I think you will be pleased!

>498 GardenOfForkingPaths: Sounds really good! I would go for it but a) don't have shelf-space b) bought too many expensive books this month c) am saving for restoration of my antique books... argh...

>500 GardenOfForkingPaths:

I agree.

The irony is that when it was first announced I straddled the fence and procrastinated, eventually deciding upon other books on my Wants List. It still came across as a very interesting book and it remained a title I was considering throughout this year.

>498 GardenOfForkingPaths: Thank you! That sounds like excellent value.

Initially Letters from Titanic was £300.

Also on Amazon is the 007 diaries reduced from £350 (they state £250?) to £112

This sounds like a good deal (please lmk if I’m wrong)

Fire to Fire by Sutton Hoo Press for $375 ($620 original price)

https://www.abebooks.com/Fire-Mark-Doty-Sutton-Hoo-Press/30967852305/bd

>504 greenwald1: Good price, great book.

>505 Glacierman: coincidentally I just received my own copy after winning an auction a few weeks ago and agree it is a stunning edition

>505 Glacierman: Agreed, a fine pick at that price.

A nice copy of Nonesuch Herodotus for 550 GBP.

https://ebay.us/m/CZpXXY

>508 Lukas1990: Gone! You are welcome!

Folio Society facsimile of Book of Jonah for 80 GBP.

https://ebay.us/m/czaRai

>510 Lukas1990: Last year, I found that one in fine condition and in a fine box for 72 GBP. That was indeed a steal.

Speaking about Jonah, I also happened to find The Books of Jonah and An Alphabet for Jonah, two very nice chapbooks from the Incline Press, together for 12 GBP.

>511 Transfixed: Oh, the box is damaged in my link. Explains the price.

Nice condition Bacon's Essays (Cresset press) for 417 USD.

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=32359632896&ref_=vhr_1_rvi...

>513 Lukas1990:
Nice. Tempted.

>514 GusLogan: Gone. Hope it is you! :)

>515 Lukas1990:
Not this time - I know you like feedback when your much-appreciated tips make things happen!

>515 Lukas1990: Sorry GusLogan, I snagged it. I’ve been looking for that one for awhile and appreciate Lukas1990’s tip.

>517 Chemren: That looks a great copy. I like Bow Windows — they often have good stuff

>518 ChestnutPress: I wouldn't want to go back to them, but I miss the days (pre-internet) when a collection was built principally from the dealer's catalogues that popped through the door, and one never knew what each week would bring. The mention of Bow Windows stirs memories of many an order; as well as from the likes of Claude Cox, Niall Devitt, Myril Stephenson and the wood engraver Geri Waddington, who all kept attractive stocks of press books. One had to choose from what was available (rather than hunting a specific quarry that the internet facilitates) and so it grew eclectic collections.

>519 duncjl: The collecting landscape has certainly changed hugely since the 1990s. I too miss the days of catalogues and the different joy that came from that avenue of discovery. The rare occasion that I still receive a book catalogue remains a fine opportunity for acquisition and learning. But the internet has certainly made things much better and I am hugely grateful for the way more extensive opportunities it has opened up for the collector.

The Veatchs are offering their stock at 30% off through the 15th. Someone already snagged the Janus Press "Circus of Dr. Lao," but there are still two of Leonard Baskin's two great purely typographical works: Cancelleresca Bastarda Displayed and the deluxe version of Flosculi Sententiarum.

>521 DenimDan: Oh wow! I'm guessing they are finally retiring for good. I enjoyed looking at their inventory after their auction a few years ago to see what "small" books made their shortlist for keeping around. Picked up a deluxe ed. of Nedim Sönmez's marbling, to go on the shelf of other miniature books of his.

>521 DenimDan: Thanks, just purchased Flosculi Sententiarum; I am expanding my Gehenna collection and this is a great one to add.

>521 DenimDan: Thanks for the info. Tempted by Seasons from Nicholas Breton's 'The Twelve Moneths', especially in the Christopher Shaw binding, but the post-hols finances are a bit of a wreck at the moment. ^_^

>524 Shadekeep: Oh, that is lovely. Alas, I have the same problem as you...

>524 Shadekeep: Following that link was a real surprise. I have 3 books from Sandy Connors' press dating from the early 2000s. They are charming but very modest miniatures, only 50 x 42mm, patterned-paper wrappers, with between just one and three boxwood engravings each. I had never considered the press would have subsequently developed to produce something like that splendid Breton.

>521 DenimDan: Any idea what "Dr. Lao" went for? (Not that I could afford it even at 30% off...)
I'm drooling over the Grolier "Of the Just Shaping of Letters".

>521 DenimDan: et al.:

Collector's Tip: Amongst the remaining books in the Veatch's sale, the masterpiece - from an Arts of the Book point of view - is:

https://www.veatchs.com/pages/books/18159/bible-officina-bodoni/the-holy-gospel-...

The stumbling block, of course, is the overtly religious matter which many collectors avoid. That said, this appears to be an exceptional copy without the fading of the spine this edition is prone to and without the soiling and fraying of the decorative and important cloth-covered slipcase. At $1,785 it is very well priced and, in some ways, it surpasses the more famous GCP The Holy Gospels with Eric Gill wood engravings also being offered in this sale for $8,750.

This book is simply jaw-dropping.

dlphcoracl

If I were buying right now, I'd be sorely tempted by the unique variant of the Wayzgoose Press' "The Terrific Days of Summer," one of the highlights from that most unusual of presses from down under!

>527 kermaier: $3,500 with the discount. Outside of an auction, that's probably the lowest anyone is going to pay retail for that book going forward. It's widely held to be the best book from a highly regarded press.

>528 dlphcoracl: No argument here!

>525 Lukas1990: >526 duncjl: Looks like someone went for it, so I'm glad it found a good home. A rather singular work.

Someone NEEDS to bag this bargain:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/336372131192?_skw=%22kat+ran+press%22&itmmeta=01K...

It’s an astonishingly beautiful book from Michael Russem at the top of his fine press game which goes for about 4-5 times this amount.

So good to see that someone nabbed it sharpish. Who’s the lucky purchaser?

It’s difficult to know whether this is a real bargain as nothing is said about condition, but if the below is in a good state then the asking price is a snip! Guess it would be worth reaching out to the seller for more info or photos:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/197716671329?_skw=%22rampant+lions+press%22&itmme...

>533 ChestnutPress: I would personally proceed cautiously: the seller has recent feedback indicating that they never shipped books that were purchased and several of their other listings include watermarked photographs taken from the Oak Knoll website.

>533 ChestnutPress: Thank you for sharing so many listings. Do you just have saved searches you browse occasionally?

>534 symbolstream: Doesn’t sound promising. I hope whoever purchased it does get a great copy though.

>535 What_What: I just share what I come across when searching eBay for goodies!

Here’s a bargain — the large-format, limited edition of Testament of Beauty, beautifully printed on handmade paper:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/336379610452?_skw=robert+bridges+poems&itmmeta=01...

Found some interesting titles from this ebay seller (no relation). Have ordered four myself now, so I will be able to judge the quality. A lot of stuff to trawl through, though searching for the word "press" does narrow the results to more a manageable size.

Here are some items of note that might be of interest to the typophiles here:

Series Concerning Typographic Curiosities Hill & Dale Press 1963-80
Goudy’s Companion Reincarnated
A Comp’s-Eye View Of Type
The Fell Types
A Catfish In The Bodoni

They also have a number of items from George Sas's Marble Hill Press / Spuyten Duyvil.

>539 Shadekeep: I see also there some books finely printed by Thomas Rae at his Black Pennell Press. It was buying a collection of these many moons ago that started me down this rabbit hole.

>540 duncjl: They must be fine works indeed to have launched you on this course!

>541 Shadekeep: Check out this title-page spread from his most substantial publication:

>542 duncjl: That is fine indeed, and wonderfully period. Thanks for sharing!

An eBay auction at half of the former price: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/358131794579. This auction price, £275, is less then the original price £395 in 2004.

The seller mentions "an embossed stamp to the lower corner of the green end paper".

Joys: Passages from the Works of Thomas Traherne, The Old Stile Press, 2004, ed. & artist Angela Lemaire, letter X of 26 copies of the Special Edition (+ 200 of the Main Edition), signed by the artist, 44 pp, printed on Zerkall special made paper in Truesdell type, 9 wood engravings (in dark blue) & 5 woodcuts (in burnt sienna), all with hand-colouring by the artist, linocut borders (in sage), all printed from the original blocks, bound by The Fine Bindery in quarter-leather with the artist's printed paper sides, housed in a drop-back box covered with linen-weave cloth and with a deep blue velvety lining, the woodcut recessed into the front of the box has also been hand-coloured.

Cf. the publisher's information. This Special Edition is a very nice production, see photos here.

Not fine press directly (though some have letterpress contents), but the coupon code 32WINTER will knock 30% off an order from RIT Press. Here are some of their titles which may interest folks:

Alphabet Stories by Hermann Zapf
What Is Reading For? by Robert Bringhurst
The Printer's Manual - Classic Texts on Printing from the Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and Nineteenth Centuries
Tempting the Palette - A Survey of Color Printing Processes
Edges of Books - Specimens of Edge Decoration from RIT's Cary Graphic Arts Collection
A Specimen Portfolio of Wood Type
Melbert B. Cary, Jr. and the Press of the Woolly Whale
The Aries Press of Eden, New York

>545 Shadekeep: I bought Alphabet Stories in last year's sale. It is a good read.

>546 Chemren: Nice! I have What Is Reading For?, it's a recommended title as well.

For those on the other side of the pond, this seller has 45 titles on auction with about 15 hours to go. International tracked shipping also appears to be enabled for all listings.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/worthydownbooks

Here is some of their inventory:
Grabhorn Press (7), LEC (7), Nonesuch Press (6), Golden Cockerel Press (3), Ballantyne Press, Gregynog Press, Marion Press, Anvil Press, Fleece Press, Folio Society (yes!) and several other private press examples.

No connection to seller.

>548 mr.philistine: Grabhorn Esope, tasty! Some good stuff on offer.

And is it just me that hates seeing fingers in book photos? I really prefer if they use brass page holders or put on some damn gloves.

>548 mr.philistine: Saw these auctions 9 days ago. Managed to get Mirandola's Oration On The Dignity Of Man for 69 pounds. Shipping is 19.50 pounds and I will also pay additional 9 percent for customs. One of Anvil press masterpieces, included in the Century for Century list. Will probably rebind it and change the blank leaves with hundreds of previous owner's stamps hahaha. Good deal.

>550 Lukas1990: Excellent book. Was tempted myself, but had my eyes on other things. Intrigued how you're planning to rebind it?

>548 mr.philistine: Thank you - I placed a winning bid on the 1930 LEC Shakespeare Head Press edition of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater thanks to your message. I paid a small amount given its limited print run and large size.

>551 sanvito: Which ones? :)

It will probably look like this:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/371425

>553 Lukas1990: Which ones? :) ---

I was hoping for the Grabhorn Esope, but had too much ambivalence about the binding condition to commit - perhaps a mistake since rebind was an option, who knows. Ended up with several others, probably the Vale Cellini I'm most happy with.

The rebinding of the Haggadah is perfect, and given the classical simplicity of the Anvil Mirandola, such a binding looks spot on.