Most Delusional Folio Society Sellers You've Seen/Encountered

As someone who looks on Ebay from time to time for Folio Society books (since you never quite know when a good bargain might show up), over that time I've seen quite a few sellers who appear to vastly overestimate what they could possibly get for their books their selling. Often I expect these sellers are people who have come into Folio Society books (as gifts, or inheritance, etc) and so are not at all familiar with the buying and selling market for such things.

For me the sale I saw that inspired me to make this post was one for the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Same edition as what is still currently for sale from Folio Society, probably printed in 2003/2004. No slipcase, definitely quite worn out, inscription written in one (which is how I know it must've been published in 2003/2004 because the date is listed on said inscription), and then claiming in the description that the book was really published in 1977. All that for a starting bid of $110USD, of which I'm not including shipping in that price.

So, what about you everyone, any examples you'd care to share? I'm very eager to hear about them.

>1 GreatPretender: I am currently trying to move on a Shakespeare Letterpress Othello with no nibbles at $300 and see the same book on ebay for over $900. I would say optimistic at best.

>2 LBShoreBook: could be an anchoring strategy too.

Super annoying though. That batch has been cluttering up my search results for literally years, whenever I forget to put price caps on my queries.

It’s more expensive to buy dracula used on ebay right now than a new copy directly from the folio society…

>4 Dropkickerbob:
I feel like a lot of those resellers are hoping someone not well informed comes along. Who will just see the book, want it, and buy it on an impulse rather than doing any kind of research into it.

$110 USD is a solid price for a 2003/2004 printing of Lord of the Rings, inscription or no; it's a higher quality than the current printing and sought after.

Yes, the last couple of years has seen way more of these listings.

Bubbles like this are fascinating, aren't they? I remember getting the whole Bronte collection for AU$34 (including postage!) about 12 years ago.

On eBay today, someone listed Lord of the Flies for $210 ono. I mean, certainly one of the better productions, and OOP, but it's still a lot.

It will return to 'normal' at some point.

>7 Jeremy53: I'm not so sure. Sales have been at an all time high, most limited editions sell out quickly compared with years of the beautiful editions of old, and Folio's biannual sale is no longer the bargain it once was. For the hard to find desirable books I suspect they'll always be high now. I was fortunate enough to buy most of my titles years ago before the craze but it I've never seen Folio this popular and I have given up on ebay to find a deal since they are snatched up within minutes.

Obsessive with obtaining the Moby Dick LE at a reasonable price, I nominate all eBay listings for that book over the past year. This is the current one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Folio-Society-Limited-Numbered-MOBY-DICK-or-The-Whale-H...

They started to show up around $1k USD, now this.

>9 simbae: Per the US Federal Reserve, it is merely transitory :-)

Around £2,000 for the full set of Fairy Books isn't particularly crazy-sounding... until you realise that none of them have their slipcases!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234401247945

>9 simbae: I remember feeling terribly guilty about spending ~$500 on the Moby Dick LE in 2014. Now I'm eternally grateful I did!

>11 CLWggg:

. . . and they're gone!

>11 CLWggg: >13 boldface: Inexperienced and/or eager buyers form the vanguard to this madness. Sellers are only capitalizing on the ride.

Yes, that’s the market. It’s one thing to ask these prices and another to sell at them, but the latter is happening. I’ve certainly had my jaw drop at some of the asking prices (Lord of the Flies was a freebie giveaway once!), but if the market is supporting these prices, then congrats to the sellers. We might have a correction. We might not and this is the new normal, crazy as we might think it is. I still regret missing the Milton when it was on offer in a sale, as well as not buying an investment case of Macallan 25 a decade ago, but prices had been stable for years at that point. As Folio has stated that technology changes mean they can’t easily reprint books from just a few years ago, the back catalogue availability is limited.

>8 Joshbooks1:

What he said.

>16 dlphcoracl: agreed that hard to find are snapped instantly. I was so excited to find a copy of The Wander LE for $500. Never see it that inexpensive...purchased it instantly, and then the next day it got refunded since it sold on another site prior to my buy.

Yes I have to agree with all that...

It's interesting to see the rapid (and almost total) demise of CDs and DVDs - you can pick up job lots for next to nothing these days. (Maybe except for hard-to-find ones). And I have a feeling mass production books are starting a serious decline after a covid reprieve.

Then there's Folio and other fine press still enjoying a resurgence. Perhaps most people (who still like/love books) are limiting how many they're collecting/storing in their house, I know I am. It's not about having a widely eclectic home library any more. It's about well presented editions that are meant to be read/re-read.

I've also learned not to dilly-dally for an instant when a rare Folio comes up at a cheaper price. Recent 'as new' regrets: Master & Margarita (AU$35), The Leopard ($45), Midnight's Children ($50).

What do you think of Trollope's 'The Way We Live Now' for $AU50 inc. postage? (He asks, dilly-dallying...)*

*edited to add joke

I see on Abe just now you can get various copies of Ulysses: the 2004 LE in a range from £328 to £663; the new LE is available at £950; and the Vernon Lord fine edition is on sale in a range from £605 to £1009. Wild.

I am wondering if the prices will drop…it seems that the recent addition of more and more people who have just „discovered“ FS want to stack up on editions and that drives the price even higher. That will not ebb up very soon I think.
Especially people now trying to rip off other people by selling the still in print books for double or triple…That is terrible. I guess they try to exploit the fact that due to Brexit not all countries are on the shipping list anymore.

Not long ago I saw a listing of 20,000 Leagues under the Sea for £600…

I know that the forum here is not a sales forum, but I still think it would be highly beneficial to the members, if we might one day diverge from that a bit.
I am a member in a fountain pen forum and we have a section where members can offer their pens, which is a godsend, because you can trust the members to have a decent idea of price and I have always had the best experience, the same might go for here I think.

But that is just my opinion and I know others don’t like the idea of being able to sell or buy here and I totally respect that ;)

>20 woodstock8786: Inflation in the UK is starting to pick up so I would expect The Folio Society to look to increase prices further. They may follow the market and publish more books that will go down well with those who have money (you expect those working in finance and IT to be doing well) so we may perhaps see more modern novels, science fiction etc.

Librarything frown on their site being used for buying and selling books and I am fully behind that policy. This is a wonderful site where those who like books can freely discuss book matters without having their conversations interrupted by hustlers. Long may it remain so.

>20 woodstock8786: It is difficult because a buying/selling could be useful. However if this meant it attracted professionals then this would soon resemble the Facebook group, which isn’t desirable. A benefit of not allowing buying or selling is that opinions can be trusted more. If I try and update a thread declaring that the Folio Malay Archipelago is their best work, and am also trying to sell a copy at the same time, would you really trust my view?

There seems to be surging interest which is driving the prices up? The Folio company report was also rosy with 20% increased revenue from the US if I read those comments right. More interest and limited books, and prices go up. Who knows how sustained the buying pressure will be, but I gotta say taking chances on new books is easier when the resale value is high on average.
I don't mean to fleece anyone, mind. Just getting half back on a dud is a save.

The astronomical prices on some copies just give me more headaches wondering how much I love keeping them in my library versus offloading them to fund new purchases.

>20 woodstock8786: It might be the northern in me, but even some of the prices on the Facebook B/S/T group can be a little extravagant!

Maybe it is hard to compare with another forum, and I totally understand the problem about not wanting to sell here. That is completely alright.

Due to so many people buying editions now there might also be more on the secondary market in a few years and hopefully for better prices?

Increasing prices due to inflation on Folio Society‘s side is maybe comprehensible, but in Germany we have had a huge increase in energy prices and petrol. I work in the IT business, not really earning a huge salary and the last raise was three years ago.

I couldn’t afford higher prices anymore and now we get back to the topic, secondary market prices are not of help 😂

The fairy book set wasn’t such a bad deal. In fact, it was pretty good - the slipcases are rather plain - there are no adornments at all, and some of the colours chosen just make you scratch your head. New slipcases could probably be procured over time and the buyer would likely end up with a set that’s improved over the originals.

I also know of multiple members of this community taking advantage of increased prices over the last year or more by selling gems from their collections at prices which are usually decried here. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Just pointing out that the rising tide has risen all boats.

>26 What_What:

File me under that heading. I picked up some of the now very hard to find fairy books when they were on a modest sale through FS several years ago. I got them because they were pretty and I like to read a fairy tale every so often. I've sent a couple off to be sold through a friend who does such things for a living and they've bought more FS books and a fair few other niceties around the house. I don't feel guilty about it a bit. FS books are pretty much the definition of a luxury item and if someone wants to give me 10 or 15 times what I paid for them, that's fine with me.

>27 Jason461: Agree on all accounts! It’s just the hypocrisy can be breathtaking.

As a regular seller of various items on Ebay (but not my Folios!), I have to say that the ridiculous listings phenomenon isn't limited to our favorite bookseller. I frequently research what price to ask for something and see, for example, 50 of them for sale for $30 or so, and one offered for $600. Seems a waste of time, to me.

I understand people are free to sell at whatever price they choose, but personally, I cannot bring myself to splash on a book I know was selling for way less.

Fahrenheit 451 and Lord of the Flies, for over £100 each? Beloved reaching $250? Even if I can buy them, I would rather turn to the current catalogue and buy some great books from there. At the end of the day, books are books. They are meant to be read... no matter the edition.

It's super easy to get carried away and want this or that book at all cost, but that's not something I want to happen to me. So, I always try to keep myself in check.

>30 Kainzow: But it's all personal preference. Would I spend $2500 for an Alice and Wonderland LE. Nope. For $500? Probably not. But for people who love the book and edition it makes sense for the premium. I usually try to find deals but occasionally I buy books for more than their original price because they have meaning to me and it's worth it. To each their own.

To me it looks the vast majority of sellers on Ebay are delusional. I do not purchase much second hand, but often times I see very high prices, including for books which are cheaper purchased directly from Folio and still in stock.

>32 capiri:

This is correct.

The vast majority of eBay sellers are mom and pop sellers who acquire their material from local estate auctions and rummage sales, not experienced or professional booksellers. For many, this is an important supplement to their income and their pie-in-the-sky pricing reflects this. They are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle and have their books purchased by newbies and unknowing buyers.

>31 Joshbooks1: Completely agree. Some books I'll buy as FS editions if I can get them cheaper second-hand as it's nice to have a decent copy but not massively fussed. For example I managed to pick up She Wolves recently for £9 as it was basically brand new.

Other titles mean more to me and therefore I'll happily pay RRP. And a subset of these, where they are no longer available directly from FS, I'm willing to pay higher on the second-hand market, well within reason!

For those who missed out on the Book of the New Sun LE, here's your opportunity:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/304347168405?hash=item46dc813e95:g:VugAAOSwRlph~5hb

Bidding starts at £2400.

>35 folio_books: While in dreaming he might as well buy a Nikon to replace the Nokia he used for pics.

>36 bacchus.:

Yes, terrible set of pics. He's perhaps working on the assumption that anyone loaded enough to buy the books won't care at all about how they actually look.

When will this madness end?

It was only a matter of time... but a confident reseller has taken to YouTube to share how she is going to 'make a killing back' selling Folio Society volumes :/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLoPdnuwjCY

A quick search through eBay Australia revealed this listing https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/284603649344

Edited to add: All 3 Folio listings from this seller: A Traveller's Christmas (sealed), Fahrenheit 451 and The Rise & Fall of the House of Medici (sold); match the last frame 00:59 of her walking out of the shop in the above video!

And another seller managed to sell a standard edition of 2001 A Space Odyssey for £332.18 (US $449.99) by advertising it as a 'Collector's LIMITED Edition' https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133797521247

>38 ironjaw: When will this madness end?

As madness continues to unfold all around us, I am reminded of this quote:
“In a mad world, only the mad are sane.” ― Akira Kurosawa

Edited to add:
For only US $25.40, you can be the proud owner of a Limited Edition of 'If This is a Man' by Primo Levi :)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/194816109433

>39 mr.philistine: seems Space Odyssey already sold…

Still on the lookout for Agatha Christie from time to time and I found some, but 400€ for Death in the Nile and 425€ for Murder on the Orient Express?

I am getting a bit angry. Well maybe not angry, but probably frustrated

>40 woodstock8786: I wouldn't lose hope on the Agatha Christies. There was a Murder on the Orient Express on Abebooks yesterday for about £50. It went quickly but they still do pop up from time to time at reasonable enough prices.

>40 woodstock8786: Perhaps worth writing to The Folio Society suggesting a reprint of the Christies?

>42 English-bookseller:
I was also thinking about asking, a lot of people are expecting that Death on the Nile might get a reprint because of the movie. That would be nice.
The thing is when you ask Folio about a reprint, they mostly give you an ominous answer ;)

I have discovered some of the Harper Collins special editions, not even in the vicinity of Folio‘s quality, but they are pleasing to look at:
https://beautifulbooks.info/illustratedbibliographies/illustrators-and-authors/a...

>40 woodstock8786: If they're actually selling for these prices I feel like a fool not taking advantage myself. I mean for God's sake Thornwillow Press does a Death on the Nile in letterpress, the half cloth bound edition is 225USD.

>39 mr.philistine: Never seen a scalper priding online. They are usually isolated and shy creatures.

>45 bacchus.: They are usually isolated and shy creatures.

This one does not look one bit shy from this video; maybe isolated, but most likely keen to get the ball rolling enroute to monetization on YouTube :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdL5JdW67yg

I honestly don't mind people pricing their Folios on the higher end, because professional sellers like aldersley tend to do the very same. I don't know why the behaviour ought to be condemned in private sellers and simply accepted in the professional ones. I would rather that my money go to fellow Folio fans, who then will purchase even more FS books with their profits.

My bigger grudge comes from certain sellers who try to con me. I have had private people contact me, since they know that I collect Folio Society books, and offer outrageous prices. Some examples:
▪︎€400 for Gormenghast Trilogy
▪︎€150 for Phantom at the Opera
▪︎€350 for Blue Fairy Book (damaged)

The worst is when they try to convince me that these, in fact, are the correct prices, when I know that to be untrue. Just because they think I might not be aware of the real pricing structure.

At that point I simply walk away.

>43 woodstock8786: I too looked high and low for Agatha Christies and finally gave up and bought them for substantial amounts. They are just beautiful and the quality is stellar (only Five Little Pigs falls short a bit). I tried to find good, illustrated ones in several languages but was unsuccessful.

As for these ones I the link, I wouldn't buy them. They have that weird cover material which gets rubbed off really easily, especially the corners. The type which is on the Discworld set too. No matter how careful one is, the books start looking really old.

I also don't think FS will re-release Death on the Nile any time soon, since there is an email mentioning the film and talking about other Mystery novels in their catalogue) that went out today. It would have been the perfect opportunity to mention a re-release.

All I can hope for is to have them release more Agatha Christie novels and reprint at least some like Mysterious Affair at the Styles one, since it is out of copyright now.

I’m sure with the movie Death in the Nile they would reprint some Christie novels. It makes financial sense to capitalise on it.

>47 sekhmet0108:
I might have to go on looking for the Agatha Christies…€450 for one is too steep for me.

Yes exactly! I was on the edge of my seat when I got that email! So that also totally crashed all my hopes for a reprint, but you never know.

>50 What_What: Personal attacks are out of bounds on LT.

>51 NLNils:
What he said.

>50 What_What: I don't see it this way. There are scalpers and professional sellers. The latter is held responsible for its brand - if Mr. Ardis put up the video above it would obviously hurt his business. The former is an anonymous stalker; a lazy opportunist who roams the land looking for things to sell for fast and extreme profit margins to desperate or (in the case above) unaware customers.

"Business is business" never sits right with me - being a person with integrity will somehow cost you money. As a customer I'm advocating for sellers with integrity and I'm for exposing the ones who don't have any. The game takes two to play.

>50 What_What: You must have a lot of spare time, and quite the mean streak, to shame someone... if they ever sold their find for a profit, you’ll be there to judge and bully them as well.

Spare time, yes. Shame, judge and bully someone? I wonder if you have read the title or understand the premise of this thread. If you are upset that I managed to identify a seller from their YouTube video, let me remind you that anything posted in the public domain can be freely shared and discussed, subject to the rules of the forum of course, and I enjoy connecting the dots. Furthermore, her blatant remarks of 'making a killing' selling Folio Society books are exactly the kind of delusion I wish to highlight.

FYI, I have also listed sellers who have arbitrarily created 'limited editions' out of thin air, once again to highlight this burgeoning delusion.

As you must be aware, openly selling is prohibited on this site and forum - with some exceptions, and while there must be many devotees who sell online for high profits; the majority of the discussions and threads on this forum revolve around appreciation and ownership from a buyer's perspective.

Thanks to some more spare time, here is another link to an article on abc - she is famous. I will not mention any names but allow this article to inform your opinion about this seller. https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/100580130

As with all things inherently opposed to each other - a buyer like myself who is constantly trying to acquire used FS books cheaply, I refuse to be 'hustled' and will make aware like-minded persons about aforementioned 'hustling'!

>50 What_What: If people bought things and sold them back for the same price, they wouldn’t stay in business very long would they?

Once again, buyer's perspective is what I am concerned about; not being 'turned over'.
Perhaps you could start a thread on delusional buyers who wish to get bottom dollar and see how that goes ;)

>50 What_What: I imagine you’ll also be posting a warning in the Second Hand Finds thread to warn anyone that if they ever sold their find for a profit, you’ll be there to judge and bully them as well.

The 'Secondhand Finds' thread is designed to share recently acquired items or deals with fellow devotees. I do not envisage warning, judging or bullying someone against an item they have received :)

If you refer to the 'Enablement: Good Deals on FS books' or 'Enablement: Hard to find Folio Society books' threads; I have seen suggestions against deals that are not beneficial or items that can be acquired cheaper and I intend to do the same if I have any knowledge on the matter.

PS: Sorry for my detailed response, but it takes a lot less to throw stones than it does to defend against it. Look forward to clearing any more delusions, subject to spare time of course :)

>54 mr.philistine: Bravo :)

>54 mr.philistine:
No on the contrary, thank you for the detailed response. Mean streak…I had to laugh at that. This is a forum for people who are bibliophiles, we all love good quality books, to read and we love literature. We are a small part of the book readers out there and I think what we all don’t like about the current situation, concerning price, is that there are people out there trying to exploit people‘s love for books and make a quick dollar.

I bet no one would begrudge a serious seller a good price, and I also bet anyone of us has paid premium for a Folio book once or twice and was still happy about getting the book. But if you have a seller who knows the community or books in general, and is interested, that is different.
This here is the buyer‘s point of view and I just get a bit angry if you have some people who care nothing about books, they just want to take advantage and make quick money and couldn’t tell the difference between Tolstoi and Tolkien.
We cannot do anything about it, but we don’t have to like it either.

(Sorry for my long rant)

>50 What_What:
>53 bacchus.:
>54 mr.philistine:

I don't think the ebay seller is at fault here, she clearly is simply looking for items being sold which she thinks can be sold for a profit, exploiting the difference between the price the op store (charity store in UK, thrift store in the US?), and what someone is willing to pay on ebay. She describes it as a side hustle. Further she emphasizes that the key to successful selling is pricing realistically, describing items honestly and accurately, and dealing with customers in an open honest way.
I suppose it is no surprise that charity shops (which I assume get their stock mostly from donations) have difficulty in pricing, although some recently seem to have woken up to the extraordinary market in some Folio Society books (Oxfam UK for example).
If someone is willing to pay the sorts of prices we are seeing, you cannot blame these sellers.

I think delusional pricing is something different.
Some sellers are clearly working a more targeted strategy - identifying potential high demand items, and buying them direct, then offering at inflated prices once sold out, or overstating the value in other ways ("special editions", "collectors editions", "fine editions", shrink wrapped, first edition nonsense etc.). Then we get anchoring going on, and even I suspect fake sales (buying overpriced items from another account to feed the price spiral)

It does not help that there are also a lot of lazy sellers who don't actually try very hard, just chancing their luck.

Like the ebay seller I also physically browse charity shops, but I am simply looking for books to read and enjoy, and simply pass over anything tatty, overpriced or uninteresting. I must have bought hundreds of Folio and other books from charity shops over the years, none at anywhere near the kind of prices some are quoting, but also I'm not probably the target market for the high value stuff. For example I was delighted to get A Month in the Country in perfect condition for £5 from a local Oxfam recently, and would never pay a lot more. In contrast I have bought from Ebay and Abebooks rarely.

Ultimately it's a market with demand and supply governing prices.

Perhaps What_What expressed themselves poorly and there is no need to be aggressive, but I think their point is fair.

>56 woodstock8786: My point exactly!!

>54 mr.philistine: it is also worth pointing out that there is a big difference between honestly describing an item while listing it at a high price and misleadingly describing an item to trick less knowledgeable buyers into paying an above market price.

I haven't clicked through to read any of the source material, but describing the Folio Society 2001 as a "Collector's LIMITED Edition" (>39 mr.philistine:) is pretty low given the relevant connotations and likely associations in the minds of buyers, though a sophist could defend the literal meaning of each of those words. Collector's... all Folio Society books are for Collectors! LIMITED... no book edition has an infinite supply. And so forth.

>57 ranbarnes: one point on the other hand is that side hustle has come to have in this context a mostly positive meaning. Any passion project side business is a side hustle. That wording in particular doesn't imply unethical business. But describing products or services in a way to be knowingly misleading is more than just reading the market and pricing according to high demand. She does not seem to live up to the paraphrase or quote you include ("the key to successful selling is pricing realistically, describing items honestly and accurately"), at least from what I can see.

>59 abysswalker:
Oh I think she does, based on her listings for Farenheit 451. It mentions marks on the back cover, seen in the photos. Her price might be high, but she has not sold it yet, and it has the offer button. The 2001 you mention is someone else.

>60 ranbarnes: thanks for the correction. In that case, my criticism doesn't apply to that seller.

>39 mr.philistine:

I'm late to the conversation but what's the problem with the lady buying secondhand books for bargain prices and reselling them at market rate? Granted, the "I'm going to make a killing!" in the video isn't the most tasteful but it doesn't seem like she's trying to con anyone, she's not misrepresenting the books like some unscrupulous sellers out there who claim every Folio is a limited edition, and she's honestly sharing with the public what she's doing. Not sure what's delusional about it, and it seems especially unnecessary to equate her to "a lazy opportunist who roams the land looking for things to sell for fast and extreme profit margins to desperate or unaware customers." She's not price gouging on actual necessities, she's reselling a luxury edition of a book that no one is forced to buy from her eBay shop unless he wants to.

My instinct is that people who are resellers need that income just as much as any other person working any other job so why not be kind to them? Somehow it's wrong because she's not a licensed bookseller? Even Ardis' prices are up there these days, not to mention that his business practices are becoming a little unsavory. He canceled and refunded an order of mine last week and when I enquired, he told me he hadn't researched the market and needed to price it higher (it was already more than double Folio's original price). He then doubled his price and relisted it and it still hasn't sold but it certainly left a bad taste in my mouth.

Back to the reseller, I think maybe there's a subconscious jealousy -- "she took that deal away from someone who would have bought the book to read himself!" or "I wish I had found that deal!", and maybe that's normal, I know I've missed out on good deals on books before and then seen the same book (identifiable by limitation number) being resold right away at market price or higher and I've felt disappointed that the deal didn't go to me when I wanted it as an "end-reader" but no more so than when I miss out on a lot of books at private auction and later see them being resold by a professional bookseller.

In the past I made quite a few bargains on eBay. The Chekhov set sealed for £66, the Andersen set sealed for £40, One Hundred Years of Solitude sealed for £48, or Things Fall Apart sealed for £20.

However I don't think I'll turn to the secondhand market anymore. If it's gone, it's gone. There'll be plenty of new releases on the site.

Personally, my main issue is those crazy prices sort of detract from the joy of being a Folio Book collector. I don't know, I can't help but think there are a lot of people out there who are buying books just to resell them for way more once said books are OOP. I mean, it's increasingly being seen as a way to make some quick bucks, and more and more people are aware of it. Had the situation been the same in the past, I would have never owned those books I mentioned above. Prior to that price increase on the secondhand market, everybody was in with a chance. Now, that's no longer the case.

And yes, I know. It's the market price, and nobody is forcing me to buy. Just letting out an opinion though...

>62 ChampagneSVP: Complete agree with you on Ardis. Not sure why this forum gives Ardis preferential treatment while shaming individual 'resellers'. I posted about Ardis flipping a Don Quixote LE for double a year ago: pretty sure they bought on eBay USA and then relisted on eBay UK in a matter of 3 days. Not to mention, Ardis always likes to push prices higher and higher. IMO, canceling and relisting at a higher price is bad faith. Isn't it his job to research prices? Bemusing.

>62 ChampagneSVP:
No need for the subconscious to get involved; all opinions here are very consciously subjective. Some people are affected, some more, some not. It's obvious that as of late LT forums are constantly scanned for similar "kills" and the "POW!" attitude of the seller above just so happens to make for a fitting personification of how such people might view potential buyers. It was a harsh comment to target an individual with, I agree - when there's a witch hunt one always ends up finding a witch :/

My point about Ardis is that he was here before and he'll be here after. When the hype dies he'll still be selling books - the seller above will merrily move on. The definition: "a lazy opportunist who roams the land looking for things to sell for fast and extreme profit margins to desperate or unaware customers." might be on the aggressive side but sadly these days is often closer to reality than "decent people out for making some extra money".

>63 Kainzow: Prices are coming down for some works on eBay which is good news for buyers. Gormenghast was listed at a buy it now price of £99 a few days ago (which is better than it has been), whilst I was able to pick up Pliny’s Natural History for £150 yesterday. Most works aren’t cheap, but they seem to have calmed down from a year ago

>66 DMulvee:
Beowulf seems to be turning up at slightly more reasonable price points, too.

I too have become detracted from buying folio books due to the craziness aforementioned. Where before it was possible to buy a folio secondhand, if you had missed it buying direct, that opportunity has become more limited, where I keep thinking that “if I don’t buy now I will regret it later.” And that’s too much pondering on my part, along with my fictitious heavy drinking and cigars. As an example I have been looking at the 3 volume Shackleton set for £195. Now if I pass that one how much will it go in the secondhand market? Double? Triple? Do I let it go? Is it wise? Or do I buy it immediately and lessen my buyer’s remorse? I know that times change and the past is the past, but it was very enjoyable to be a folio collector back then. Now I’m afraid to even ask a specific question here on the forum in the fear that it might (as in the Facebook group) create a frenzy from lurkers to go and snatch up all existing copies of a particular volume I’m interested in. I’ve seen many examples, and one would be Bewick’s Birds that tripled in price as soon as Dr Carter posted a review. Another is We by the Russian novelist which my memory eludes me with the designer slipcase.

I have a copy of We with a slanted spine. Happy to send it out to anyone who wants it and will pay the shipping costs. Located in Canada.

>69 RRCBS: That is very generous of you! Though I am in Canada, I already have a copy, so good luck to whoever messages you first.

>68 ironjaw: Completely agree and I don't see any end in sight with the popularity of Folio and the fanatics on the Facebook group(s). Limited Editions sell out within days to weeks (and personally they are almost all inferior to the Limited Editions of old which took months to years including large sales,) the biannual Folio sale is average at best, and Folio has turned to other genres that do not interest me. At least you're in England; if/when Shackleton is on the last chance to buy it ends up being around $350 USD with shipping and taxes, and for one order that's too rich for my tastes. But I have had many times when I question if I should buy it before it sells out due to large markup once sold out. In the past I was enabled with other promotions and sales but now the extra fees are a bit too much and I have found other presses in the US and Canada which I enjoy as much if not more than Folio. I'm glad Folio is doing well but if people are willing to buy The Shining for $300-350, a book I bought twice from the sale at half off (I forget - was it $30?,) I'm a happy seller and would rather get other books either from Folio or another publisher. On a positive note the prices have helped me organize my library and sell quite a few books which if they maintained value or depreciated I would likely keep but for 4-5x the retail price there are many Folio books I do not find worth it, but others do and good for them.

>69 RRCBS: I’d be happy to pay the shipping for your slanted spine copy of We, if it’s not already spoken for. Very kind of you to offer.

I’m in London, Ontario

Thanks to all who messaged. I’ll be sending the copy of We to the devotee who asked first. Glad to see interest, will keep this in mind for any other flawed books I have.

I hadn't been aware of FS publishing We. Looks like a nice edition that is hard to find and selling for north of $300 right now on eBay, which is a bit insane for a 2018 edition that was sold for 37 pounds originally. Perhaps people are just holding onto their copies and not selling them, inflating the cost for the few books being sold.

One thing I have noticed on eBay is the premium being attached to slipcases. Last year when most prices were very high I managed to get From Dawn to Decadence for £27 and more recently The Scramble for Africa for £22 because neither had slipcases. I like slipcases and would pay a tiny premium for them, but when a slipcase means the works cost 3 or 4 times as much it seems to imply that collectors are buying the books rather than readers

Make sure that you double check your copy of Dawn to Decadence since there were some printing errors to volume 1. Hence I am very weary to buy any single volume sets. I actually went ahead and bought the first edition hardback. I don’t remember correctly what the issues were but there is a thread here on LT explaining it. Members were then sent replacement copies and the discarded or donated the affected volume.

>76 ironjaw: the referencing system (vital to the book, imo) had page numbers incorrect in one of the volumes

>77 gmacaree: thanks. I don’t have the folio volume so didn’t know what the issue was.

>76 ironjaw: I read it and didn’t spot anything amiss so *think* I got away with it

>47 sekhmet0108: Hi, I have looked for a set of Christie's for a very long time, not Folios but something rather complete. I recently found a set of 39 volumes at what I feel is a fair price, published by Heron books in faux red leather with two novels in each volume. As I said, not Folio, but very nice and with lots of illustrations.

>75 DMulvee: I have noticed that same thing, and have benefited from it. I personally don't like slipcases very much, and sometimes discard them if they lack a compelling design. But since most buyers value them, I sometimes can get fine condition slipcase-less books at low prices.

But that's the only area in which I consider myself lucky: in general, the price of fine books on both the primary and secondary markets seems only to increase. I would call it irrational, except in the sense that we say markets have a built-in rationality.

>81 Eumnestes: Apparently books from the Limited Editions Club can also be had for great prices if they’re missing the slipcases. And since the slipcases in most cases weren’t anything to write home about, it’s a great deal for collectors.

>82 What_What: The slipcases are just part of the 'complete set' quality in the item. It's the same with the Sandglass editors note that may be missing and that drives the cost down - also true but to a lesser extent for the reprints in Heritage Press. Franklin Library similarly had notes from the editor.
I'm not a stickler for completeness myself and will grab a deal on missing slipcases or books with slight imperfections - but it's something to consider if you're ever a seller yourself. Each notch has a collector's premium. The best FS condition is of course sealed from the publisher, but a lot of people cheat this with after market sealing. Cutthroat business.

Well, we have a new winner! Or rather, nothing more than an optimistic flipper. See the current eBay listing for the special edition Brideshead. Now in Cleveland, USA, a week or two ago bought off eBay in Cheshire and now asking double the original, more correct market price. Sotheran’s had one a few years back at £375 or so, which was a higher-end retail price then. It’s the bare-faced cheek of the attempted instant flip that strikes me. Long may it languish.

I’ve been advocating for letting the market set the prices, but this one has made my jaw drop in it’s bare-faced cheek. We have a new winner! Perhaps we’ll name them Flipper, for that is shamelessly what they are. Check the current eBay listing for the numbered special edition Brideshead, last available two weeks ago on eBay(!) in Cheshire, now stateside in Cleveland, from a rather starry-eyed SciFi seller who has decided it’s worth double. Perhaps he doesn’t know his auction price points or what was charged just a few years ago at Sotheran’s, that well-known bargain basement, or is just plain greedy? We’ll wait and see how long it sits there to find out. If it does sell for this, would anyone like some tulips?

To be honest, I don't think there's much of a killing to be made at present on ebay at all! There may be a market for a fairly limited set of titles, but generally, I haven't seen much interest at all. It's not just bids - the number of views on several books I've been selling off (at decent starting bids I hasten to add - teens and single digits: not higher price titles, but not ones that are normally cheapies either) has been massively down compared to any time last year.

Yup saw that one when it was originally offered. Only a few bids. Chose not to participate because not interested in the title and for that amount I can buy so much more.

I forego eBay entirely nowadays (with the caveat that all my buys through the bay are international. International shipping alone makes it a headache; costs and taxes aggravate the situation). I started to look elsewhere, mainly Dutch booksites and close by European listings on Abe, Biblio, elsewhere... I also diverted my attention to the publishers and buy more direct. And less books, as I started reading a lot more and I'm quietely enjoying the backlog.

>86 cwl: I saw that and mentioned it in whatever thread the original auction was mentioned it. It got reposted very very quickly. Crazy.

>87 Willoyd: I received a FS book via eBay today & the seller had torn the covers off a vintage hardback & taped them around the FS book to protect it, then crumpled up the torn out pages of the same book & used them for padding in the box - made me feel quite sad !

>91 antinous_in_london:
Ouch! What a desperate waste when there's so much spare paper, cardboard and pre-used bubble wrap around in this world. FWIW, I generally wrap mine in paper, then bubble wrap (sometimes tape layers of cardboard), then either use a book wrap, or for larger ones pack in a box with newspaper. Only some of the bookwraps are not recycled, but reckon they're all well protected. Being an FS fan myself, I'd absolutely hate somebody to receive a damaged book!

>89 NLNils:
I forego eBay entirely nowadays (with the caveat that all my buys through the bay are international. International shipping alone makes it a headache; costs and taxes aggravate the situation)
I do a fair amount through eBay (at least just as much through abebooks etc), and am rarely disappointed, especially if I avoid the likes of World of Books etc (whose books are always at least one grade lower than they are advertised at). Have to say, I've stuck to domestic buying (and selling) though. As an individual rather than a professional dealer, abebooks isn't a realistic channel for me.