Limited Editions Club Revived?

Hi guys, does anyone have any information on this? I got the following link off the website of the Fine Press Book Association

https://www.thelimitededitionsclub.net/

>1 imaginarydata:
Verrrry interesting, but I am a little wary at present.
Reasonable price but no mock-up pictures and no slipcase.
I will await further developments.

There is an image of what I assume is the proposed design of the title page, which doesn't particularly impress me. The device of the Club is so prominent it seems to suggest that is what the designer thinks most important about the page, as opposed to (for instance) the title and poet's name.

>2 wcarter: There will be a slipcase, it seems, but what I want to know is: who are the designer, printer & binder? You know, the basic information we're used to with the original LEC.

>3 duncjl: could you point me in the direction of said title page please? I can’t find it! That pressmark is awful, and the lack of proper information and illustrations does not bode well. I would like to be proved wrong, though.

>5 ChestnutPress:
https://www.thelimitededitionsclub.net/shop/p/edition-001-the-rime-of-the-ancien...

I too am unenthusiastic about the pressmark/device/logo. In theory I should be the target audience, and I suppose since there won’t be 10-12 books per year I can afford to be a member, but I find myself increasingly unwilling to spend over 100 USD for any book. I live vicariously through this forum instead!

(Also I think Macy must have been a force of nature and born at the right time…)

>5 ChestnutPress: If you follow the buttons to join as a founding member (I haven't!) it eventually takes you to a page that has what I assume is a mock-up of the title. I agree about the pressmark. My objection was about the disproportionate size on the page, but even if it was shrunk it would still be bad. The 'c' almost totally obscures the 'e' without positive graphic effect, and the whole just placed randomly in a vague circular design (is it clock, is it compass).

For the sort of money being asked, one could buy a copy of the Libanus Press edition with Peake's illustrations, which this LEC edition is very unlikely to excel.

Caveant emptores lectoresque. This revival seems to be the initiative of one Diego Avendaño-Morineau who by his own admission on the website has no prior experience in the book arts. Between the amateurish pressmark and uninspired choice of illustrations I would temper expectations accordingly.

Everyone has to start somewhere of course, but he's trading on the established reputation of the Limited Editions Club through I know not what legal mechanism, and so inviting the direct comparison.

>6 GusLogan: Thank you. That really is not my idea of a good title page.

>7 duncjl: It looks like it may be a venture that insults the LEC of the past, making it an easy no for me.

We will have to wait and see I guess before we can truly judge this new venture and and their capabilities.

But I have to say I find something vaguely off-putting about the focus on this "exclusive club" aspect of their initial marketing. It seems one "perk" of joining this club is having your name put up on their website and in a register included with some editions—not something that appeals to me at any rate!

I can’t believe that a benefit of paying the higher cost is that you get production updates! Surely this information should go to everyone!

>1 imaginarydata:
Many thanks for posting, by the way. I mentioned this thread in the separat George Macy Devotees forum here.

A lot of effort into the website. Meanwhile the Meadowrue Press and the White Beech Press have both shipped their chapbook and short story, with little to no website presence. And from all indications they are both delightful little editions.

https://timetravelinghandbook.com/
The publisher's blog

The Publisher seems to be a graduate student with a grant from the New York Foundation of the Arts for a study/exhibit of fine press publishing, but no experience actually publishing. He looks to be out over his skis at the moment. Like Dr. Carter, I await further developments.

>16 Chemren: Ideally you start with a smaller work - but I feel like at the base level they are finding a contract printer and then finding a contract binder. I feel like the real challenge would be the design elements and trying to wrangle project logistics and QC.

Not that I've ever published things before. I feel like if it's gotten this far they've already received tentative quotes from a couple people. The grant may help soften some of the financial challenges with the process too (at the cost of most other free market competitors).

If there's a trademark lawyer on the forum, I think they might be trying to take over the trademark based on this page: https://www.thelimitededitionsclub.net/purchase-refund-policy

Not a trademark guy, but I think it's been unused long enough to try to take over the name in a legal sense. If there is no true link to the original LEC (and maybe there is) - perhaps it would be better for a new press to have a new name.

>18 ensuen: My understanding is that if the trademark is unused for 3 consecutive years with no intent for reuse, it is considered legally abandoned --
https://www.sternekessler.com/news-insights/insights/how-lose-mark-3-ways-part-1...
A question I would have, is whether this person has actually filed to trademark the LEC? If not, really anyone on this forum could do the same.

Anyway, great first choice for a new LEC in my opinion. The Dore illustrations are iconic, although I would prefer new illustrations. All that said, one note that does give me pause is this --
You may request a cancellation within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. After 14 days, funds are committed to production and refunds cannot be issued.
I can understand that honestly. However, when you have not produced anything this sounds a bit fishy at best. Obviously I would be excited for the revival of the LEC, but as others have pointed out, there is basically nothing on the website right now.

>19 astropi: I am not a lawyer, but from my understanding there is a website for the actual LEC where they sell some of their back stock, so I'm not sure if it is "unused": https://limitededitionsclub.com

>20 MyrddinWyllt: That's a good point. Although the website is functional, a question would be is it still in use? There's no dates listed anywhere. It could be a functional but "dead" website -- but maybe not? I reached out and will update if I hear back from them.

>21 astropi: Thanks, keep us posted. My understanding from reading Books & Vines back in the day was that this website was operated by Jeanne Shiff, but not sure if that is still the case.

I also thought Easton Press acquired at least some of the LEC or Heritage titles which they reprinted, not sure if they acquired any trademarks with that.

>21 astropi: If they sell any books (like a couple yearly), I think that's enough to say that it's still "used in commerce" or whatever the phrase is.

If you let the trademark registration lapse, IIRC it gets sort of hard to defend it - but also sort of hard for new people to try to take over the trademark.

Possibly there's some sort of scenario where two groups can get away with using it, but both will have a hard time forcing each other out.

Edit: surely there's a local trademark attorney that can put us out of our misery here - otherwise I'm going to ask Claude Opus what is real.

Edit 2: apparently there is some sort of element of number of total sales counting in a year counting: http://thettablog.blogspot.com/2023/11/precedential-no-31-de-minimis-sales-of.ht...

I just heard back from Shawn Shiff who noted --

Thank you. We are aware and have reported the infringing site to SquareSpace, their web host and payment processor.

>24 astropi:
This could get very interesting now!

>24 astropi: fastest opening and closing of a publisher/press ever?

Scam?

Even if legit, I don't see the point of trying to "revive" the LEC unless they were returning to the original membership model, and that is probably impossible nowadays due to high costs.

>25 wcarter: >26 PBB: >27 rogerthat333: Indeed! There definitely are some red flags, although obviously we don't know exactly what's going on. Regardless, it seems like the real LEC plans to shut this down. Now, giving the benefit of the doubt and assuming Diego Avendaño-Morineau is serious about producing a fine press Rime of the Ancient Mariner, I'm all for it! But before sending my hard-earned money, I would want to see a prototype and lots of info on the work such as paper, font, cover, binding, etc. -- the usual stuff.

I've bought a lot of first books from new publishers. I like seeing new presses started. That said, the only thing we've seen is the preliminary title page which is horrible! I'll wait and see what Diego Avendaño-Morineau's first book looks like before committing to the press.

>7 duncjl: Just chiming in late to say I concur about the logo design. It's nearly illegible and apparently only has superficial context. If these are the elements going into the book design itself, not a good omen. Though it does seem now that the proper LEC may be stamping this out before it scarcely flickers to light.

I must agree with you folks that the illustrated title page is quite bad. The logo is way too prominent. In fact, I'd leave it off completely. I can only hope that what is shown is only a first prototype . . . .

The actual Limited Editions Club is alive and well, and has operated continuously from 1929 until the present. The official website is: www.limitededitionsclub.com

www.thelimitededitionsclub.net and the person claiming to revive the Club has no affiliation with, nor the right to publish as The Limited Editions Club.

One clue that one should be wary is a refund policy that is oddly restrictive for a product and membership that do not exist: www.thelimitededitionsclub.net/purchase-refund-policy - "You may request a cancellation within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. After 14 days, funds are committed to production and refunds cannot be issued."

If, by "alive and well", one refers to a vestigial online store for old unsold volumes and a lack of publishing activity for a decade and a half!
But jokes aside, thank you for the official clarification.
One hopes that the "revival" venture was just a misinformed attempt at creating a new press that lived up to the hype of its namesake, rather than a true scam. And if so, I hope Mr. Avendaño-Morineau didn't sink a bunch of money into it already!

Well, the NY Secretary of State definitely shows the LEC as "active," (DOS file no. 554800), so I guess "the new guy" will encounter some difficulties with the use of that name. The fact that the Shiff LEC hasn't published anything new in years is, on the face of it, irrelevant.

>34 Glacierman: I'll assume there's no affiliation between the two until either press actually confirms it, but it is odd they feel so comfortable using the new name and essentially spoofing the domain while the old one is still active. I wonder if permission might have actually been granted. The potential infringements are pretty egregious if not.

>35 NathanOv: There is no affiliation between the Limited Editions Club founded in 1929 and this new entity calling itself 'Revived in 2026'. The infringements are egregious, as you say.

>36 limited_editions: Apologies, I missed your earlier comment! I am glad to see the official word on it as well. Truly unbelievable.

I guess Mr. Avendaño-Morineau is a devoted fan of the LEC, but has neither experience in book publishing or legal matters.

>38 koszakedv: Mr. Avendaño-Morineau could be a devoted fan of the LEC, or he, or someone else, may be a different type of actor.
With the help of AI and hosting sites like SquareSpace, it is easy to spin up a website with credible verbiage and easy payment acceptance.

>39 limited_editions:
That could be indeed. Did you tried to contact him?

Caveat Emptor!!!

This is either incredible naivete or something more nefarious. Such outright IP infringement is ironic given Mr. Diego Avendano-Morineau's LinkedIn profile synopsis: "Knowledgeable, results-oriented professional with extensive experience in program management, compliance oversight, and data-driven decision-making. Proven ability to manage large-scale caseload, highly skilled in navigating the requirements and needs of multiple stakeholders and ensure adherence to all regulations. Strong commitment to organizational effectiveness and success."

Of course this poor guy's identity may have been co-opted by bad actors. The antiquarian book and Fine Press world still operates on old-fashioned trust...it's not unusual for dealers to send books worth many thousands of dollars to clients on a handshake, or for buyers to send like sums to dealers before having the book in hand. Indeed, this may be the last bastion of commerce that still conducts business this way...

It's the old adage, "It takes a skilled carpenter to build a barn, but any jackass can knock it down in five minutes"

This will get sorted out, but I fear the circle of trust will tighten ever more.

Based on a short exchange of e-mails that I have had with the principal, I do believe it is a sincere effort to re-vitalize the LEC imprint. He has done some due diligence, etc., but I shan't comment on that here. I will leave it to the lawyers to sort out if it comes to that.

>42 Glacierman: In fairness to the guy the LEC mark does seem sort of vulnerable to take over, especially if you were not aware of the site they are using for liquidation.

Hopefully the rebranding is doable.

Interesting coincidence, a company I have used and purchased from quite a bit before (not associated with books), sent an email warning of a fake website that basically took their domain name and added "official.shop" at the end -- but again, clearly that's a fake site. However, this is not a surprise, as the all-powerful AI will tell --

I'll just reiterate that I got the website from the Fine Press Book Association members page which list Suntup, CTP, etc. Because of this I did not in anyway consider it might be a fraudulent website meant to lure unsuspecting shoppers. However, the sleuthing from the Fine Press Forum members has been extremely impressive, as expected from the lively, informed conversations we have here.

>45 imaginarydata: I wouldn't think anyone blames you for posting about it. All you did was ask if anyone had information.

While I am not a trademark attorney and will defer to anyone with that expertise, I took a little look at this and thought I’d share some information and context. I searched the public records of the US Patent and Trademark Office and, as I suspected, “The Limited Editions Club” trademark owned by George Macy Companies has a status of “Dead.” That means that the mark was either canceled or abandoned. If my memory of the law is correct, the fact that Macy’s heir continued to use the name is not enough for USPTO purposes. My best guess is that it was cancelled because the owner didn’t file the necessary paperwork to keep the mark protected. The USPTO records also indicate that there is a pending application to trademark the name by Diego Avendano-Morineau. It is likely that he saw value in the name, did a simple search and found the old mark was dead and decided to file an application for his use of the mark. That application was filed on June 22, 2026 and is pending so it could, of course, be rejected. It looks like the application was filed by Mr. Avendano-Morineau personally as no attorney is listed on the record.

It’s interesting that the filing came soon after this thread was started.

>47 Redshirt: In our correspondence, Diego stated that he had done his legal due diligence and discovered that the LEC trademark had been basically abandoned and was available, which fact is separate from the "official" website currently selling the remaining stock from the Schiff LEC. This is why he applied for it, for as he has stated, I’m mindful of how people perceive the legacy of the Club, and I’m trying to move forward in a way that honors that history while giving the imprint a real future..

I don't see any evidence of any sort of scam being perpetrated.

I hope this works out to the satisfaction of all concerned.

> 49 I certainly didn't mean to suggest it is a scam. Based upon the above info, it seems likely that he proceeded exactly as he stated to you. It doesn't mean he'll get the mark but there is no reason from the public record to believe he didn't act in good faith.

The only crime committed here is the crime against typography.

>51 LT79-1: Word!

Assuming Diego Avendano-Morineau is sincere in reviving the LEC, perhaps the best thing is for him to speak with Shawn Shiff. All that said, having dabbled a little bit in letterpress many years ago, I know just how time-consuming and difficult it is to produce most anything. I think it's reasonable to ask about resources, plans, money, etc. And as has been pointed out, right now there's really nothing to show. Even if the LEC brand does not work out, I don't see why Diego can not create a new press under a different name? I'm sure as long as the production was impressive folk on here would be happy to purchase a copy of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner etc.

even if legally the trademark can be revived under a new owner it's a low class move. like a squatter trying to take your land. i will never support this guy who's clearly in over his head and pulled a morally despicable stunt. that new logotype is hideous and the guy has done nothing to prove he deserves to lead one of the biggest legacy fine presses. you don't become a macy or a shiff by hijacking their shit

Anyone can join the FPBA and get listed on the site. The organization is run by elected volunteers (often book makers) with plenty of other things to do than vet new membership.

If Diego wants to hire typographers, printers and artists like the LEC of yesterday then more power to him. But please, abandon the "new LEC" path and forge something without the baggage.

If you go to the site now, you're greeted with a message that says "Private Site
This site is currently private. If you’re the owner or contributor, log in."

>54 TomsRiverNJ: I'm not sure reviving the LEC is what I would call a "low class move", although I agree that this should be something handled with the current LEC. I do agree about "in over his head" -- again, if you have no experience in letterpress it's a major learning curve. Even if you have experience, producing books is not the same as just printing some letterpress here and there. Ultimately, I certainly agree that "the guy has done nothing to prove he deserves to lead one of the biggest legacy fine presses" -- if in the future there's a beautiful prototype produced etc. I would be happy to change my mind, but as it stands, just having a website doesn't cut it.

Perhaps "low class move" is overly harsh? But I do find it distasteful at the very least. Even if the trademark were available, even if the rights were acquired directly from the previous owners, I don't see how a completely new venture with no connection to the old press in terms of people, expertise or really anything other than a name is a revival.

It know is fairly common practice in certain luxury good industries. Though I don't observe the luxury Swiss watch industry that closely I am aware that in the last 10-15 years or so there have been dozens of "revivals" of old brands—entirely new ventures that use the names of old masters whose workshops went defunct a couple of centuries ago. Its a pretty vacuous claim to a non existent heritage, really just a marketing exercise.

Perhaps some of those new brands do indeed make high quality watches, and perhaps this new venture will produce a proper fine press book. But I find this whole approach to "acquiring heritage" off-putting.

>57 zorg2099: Fair points for sure. I think if you're going to have an "LEC revival" then you absolutely need more than just the brand name. As you pointed out, you need to have a deep connection with the original and aim to produce similar works. Imagine say 4 books released during the year, each beautifully illustrated and bound, signed by illustrator and if possible the author, complete with a Monthly Letter. Wouldn't most of us want to join and get such works? But again, that assumes one produces quality works worthy of the original LEC and as you noted, not just some vacuous claim.

>51 LT79-1: By someone who couldn’t be bothered to create their own brand. And instead “adopts” a seemingly defunct, highly-respected one as a shortcut to building something of their own. This is at a time when it seems every few months some enterprising individual(s) actually does the hard work of earning their place at the table. Rather than sneaking into someone else’s seat when they got up to go to the bathroom.

Which individuals would you think qualified and capable enough to reintroduce LEC. Probably Paul Suntup and the chap from CTP. And that's probably about it. I think to go down that pathway you would need to prove yourself first on a smaller scale.

>56 astropi: Grand Opening and Grand Closing, all within a week.

>60 LT79-1: Maybe Arion Press, if they didn't do all of the work themselves? They definitely have connections into the contemporary art world, besides just book illustrators, which I think is important to the spirit of the Limited Editions Club.

>58 astropi: I guess my fundamental point is that while it would perhaps be nice to have a new press patterned along the lines of the LEC model and their way of doing things, adopting the LEC name itself would be just a (IMO distasteful) branding exercise even putting aside the legalities, and *even if* someone can produce books at that same standard.

Of course its evident why a business might be interested in reviving a well known name but why do we as fine press customers need the LEC *name* revived specifically, when we know it would have nothing to do with the old press? Let it be something new with its own name and let it stand on its own merits and build its own heritage if anyone wants to do it, whether its by a new entrant like the subject of this thread or even by someone already well known.

>62 921Jack: Of course Arion! Either way it's big shoes to fill. Maybe the biggest shoes.

>63 zorg2099: The LEC has already had many incarnations; the original Macy era, the weak corporate stepchild years, and the final Shiff era.

>65 kdweber: I think a change of ownership of a going concern is a bit different to merely whipping up a name from the past. The former has some potential to preserve institutional memory.

Having been corresponding with Diego for a while now, I have been given some insight as to what he is up to.

His original idea was to resurrect the LEC as an active publisher as more of an homage to the original, BUT as a result of our conversations and some further legal investigations on his part, that is now on hold which is why his website is currently inaccessible. He did that himself.

He is currently re-evaluating things and will in time come to a decision as to what his next step will be, which may well be to step out on his own w/o any real or perceived connection to the LEC. When that time comes, we will hear from him directly.

I'll take him on as an apprentice and he can see first hand how difficult all of it is....