Enablement: Hard to Find / Good Deals on private press books

This is a popular feature on the Folio Society board and I thought this would be useful here as well. As you discover rare or very well priced private press books that are sought after and highly desirable, post them on this thread. It may prove useful to followers of the LT FPF. I will start it off by repeating a post from yesterday.

An excellent copy of Shakespeare's Sonnets from the Arion Press is available at Phillip Pirages on their website for $650. Their copy appears to be in mint condition and I do not see the fading or sunning of the spine described in the listing. I believe Pirages is mistaken in this regard because the color of the leather is identical to my copy. This is the same price usually realized at auction including Buyer's Premium.

This is an elegant edition of the Sonnets and it is printed with only one sonnet per page, which I greatly prefer. If you do not have a private press copy of Shakespeare's Sonnets this is one of the best.

https://www.pirages.com/pages/books/ST17640g/arion-press-william-shakespeare/sha...

Looks like someone grabbed it!

An eBay special - the $750 asking price is exceptional and prices at auction (with Buyer's Premium) often exceed this.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/134696283552?hash=item1f5c862da0:g:-jcAAOSw5MZk4j82

This is one of my favorite Sidney Shiff LEC books illustrated with superb photogravures by Martine Franck. It was reviewed and photographed on Books and Vines nearly a decade ago. Beware: this is a folio-sized book measuring 17.25H X 14W inches.

https://booksandvines.com/2014/02/23/the-man-who-planted-trees-jean-giono-limite...

>3 dlphcoracl: I agree that’s a pretty good price for a very nice book. I picked up my copy back in March in the same ballpark ($720). Mine also has the lowest limitation number (#2 of 300) of any of my LECs. It is big.

>3 dlphcoracl: An exceptional edition at a great price!

I'm making it easy for you guys and gals.

>6 dlphcoracl: a helping hand is always a good thing in fine press acquisition!

Another eBay special:

The Collector by John Fowles (Numbered Edition), Suntup Press, 2022.

This is a limited edition of 350 copies for a classic modern horror/thriller novel, often considered the first of the modern psychological novels, later made into an Academy Award-winning movie. It is one of Suntup's more attractive editions, printed letterpress on Mohawk Superfine paper, with excellent illustrations. It originally sold at $595 by Suntup and the eBay copy is in "as new" condition, offered at $399.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/165416579494?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19...

>8 dlphcoracl: In one sense this is a good value, in another sense, not so much given that another copy just sold yesterday for $235, and another 2 months ago for $299. The $399 seller does take offers so perhaps they would be willing to go much closer to these other prices.

>9 A.Nobody:

The purchase at $235 is a unicorn, i.e., by far the lowest price I have ever seen and one that will probably not be repeated. Most listings on Abebooks are in the $500 - $800 range. If an offer of $350 is accepted that would be an excellent deal.

>10 dlphcoracl: Last one I saw on the Suntup FB group it sold at $300

>10 dlphcoracl: No. There was also a $250 listing in July that sold with best offer, and then that $299 that I mentioned. With that said, something in the $300s would probably be a fair price given the reasons you cited in your OP. Still, collectors can do (and have done) better.

>11 DMulvee: Actually I think the last one whose price I can see sold on 23rd July at $215. Definitely a buyers market on the FB group!

Someone bumped a sales post in the past week where they are selling a number of books and the current price they are trying to get for their numbered Collector is $300

>11 DMulvee:
>12 A.Nobody:

My bad.

I did not know this title is consistently selling for $300 or less. FWIW, I own several of the earlier (letterpress) of the numbered Suntup Editions, e.g., Rosemary's Baby, The Haunting of Hill House, and The Road - all desirable Suntup titles, and The Collector compares favorably, aesthetically speaking. As a bonus, it is an extremely interesting read, considered a classic in this genre.

>14 dlphcoracl: There seem to be at least a few Suntup numbereds (including The Collector) that probably should be more valued on the market than they are. I guess the market's loss is collectors' gain :) Thanks for calling out this title - it does sound tempting.

>14 dlphcoracl: The early ones appreciated, the later have fallen hard. The Magus numbered hasn’t shipped yet, and that was offered at half price at $299 on the FB group!

>16 DMulvee:

My impression regarding Suntup is that the later editions have fared poorly because:

1. Most are not printed letterpress, as the earlier titles were.
2. The earlier titles were classics whereas the later titles are often offbeat and less interesting, more for niche players.
3. The early Suntup editions are more attractively designed. The later titles have assumed a garish quality, to my eye.

This is why I singled out The Collector for consideration. I am certainly not a Suntup fan or collector, but this edition is representative of Suntup's best Numbered Editions, and it is very reasonably priced on the market.

Napoleon's Memoirs (Golden Cockerel Press) in nice condition for 300 USD, best offer available too. The seller is located in USA.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/364502512682

>17 dlphcoracl:
I have to say that every numbered book since Godfather looks very promising.
The Poe book (i dont like the design and thickness) and The Amythville Horror (the design could be every book) is nothing for me. But the others have very nice designs, are signed and most of them Letterpress. The storys are amazing aswell.

>19 Ragnaroek: The Amityville numbered is a bit minimalist, with just one quarter-window and a single fly hinting at the contents. But I love the lettered state. It celebrates the house that ruined the Dutch Colonial style for a generation of Americans. The bloodied-and-burnt coloring of the page edges is great as well.

>20 Shadekeep: 100% , but its out of my reach for that amount of money 😵‍💫

Grimms Other Tales (Golden Cockerel Press, 1956). One of 500 copies, printed on Arnold's mouldmade paper. Illustrated with ten wood engravings by Gwenda Morgan. Only 85$. Would have grabbed this one myself but seller only ships in USA.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/255810214562

>22 Lukas1990: good find. Anyone who wants to see inside can see some pics on my GCP bibliography (entry 205).

The purple spine on this edition is very prone to fading. It's hard to tell from the photos, but it looks like this seller's copy might be free from fading, which would make it even better. Anyway, it's a complete no-brainer at that price.

>22 Lukas1990: Nice find! Do you ever use a parcel forwarding company when you encounter sellers who don't ship internationally?

>23 ubiquitousuk: Your GCP bibliography is a great resource, I use it regularly. Also a good opportunity to say how much I enjoy your book reviews and videos, which are high quality productions with excellent, concise analysis.

>23 ubiquitousuk: Yeah, I've immediately noticed that the spine should be OK. It is interesting that I had the book in my Ebay watchlist for months and completely forgot about it until yesterday. Nobody found this bargain for so long.

>24 GardenOfForkingPaths: I'm too lazy to use these services. Also not sure if it is not too expensive. I live in Lithuania which is a very distant place and shipping is always costly and takes a looot of time. Any recommendations of parcel forwarding companies are welcome.

P.s. And the book is gone! No need to thank me hahaha.

>25 Lukas1990: Yes, my preference is almost always for direct shipping because it means that the seller has the responsibility of getting the book safely to my door!

>25 Lukas1990:

I can't speak for your country, but Colis Expat works well for me in Germany. You can check their prices yourself on their website by inputting sizes and weights to get an idea of what's on offer. I've never had a damaged or lost package, the prices aren't cheap, but decent (and often a lot cheaper than direct shipping from smaller publishers), and in recent months, I got my US parcels in a little over a week after shipping - much better than USPS.

>26 GardenOfForkingPaths:

That's the tricky bit. The seller and their shipping company are responsible up to the forwarder. If something is damaged / not up to par, you only find out when you get the package, and not all sellers are decent enough to take responsibility when there's an issue that was clearly there before the forwarding.

>24 GardenOfForkingPaths: thanks very much for the kind comment. I enjoy making the fine press reviews more. Sadly, it is the popular Folio Society books that get all the clicks. I think of those Folios as a kind of honey pot to suck-in my unsuspecting prey before getting them hooked on the good stuff. That's the aspiration, at least.

>27 SF-72: Thanks, I'll check them out.

>28 ubiquitousuk: Maybe you should start reviewing Suntup editions? :D Love your bibliography of GCP and often use it.

https://www.biblio.com/book/venetian-story-arion-press-byron-lord/d/1462730462?p...

A copy of the Allen Press A Venetian Story 1963 mistakenly listed as being from the Arion Press 1965, for $300 (or $280 if you have a Biblio membership).

I'm not sure how the price stacks up with Allen Press prices a few years ago, but I think it's a good price in the current landscape. A wonderful 'book' (actually loose sheets).

Condition of book and silk slipcase looks nice from the photos, but the only mention of condition is 'Clean, complete.'.

I will add that I've never bought anything from this seller before.

>30 GardenOfForkingPaths: That's an excellent price -- someone will be very happy with it, I'd imagine.

>30 GardenOfForkingPaths: Great deal and the book is gone!

>30 GardenOfForkingPaths:

Great find!!

That was a steal for someone.

>31 kermaier:
>32 Lukas1990:
>33 dlphcoracl:

Yes, a very good deal I think.

I did see an old PBA listing for one that sold for $155 in 2016, but that seems quite low even for the halcyon days of Allen Press collecting! I think most listings I've seen in the last couple of years were $400 and upwards.

* Deleted

>35 dlphcoracl: I’m not sure. Bertram Rota had their centenary catalogue in May this year and they had a fine copy of this (with the prospectus) listed at £3200. So this price seems in line with that.

>35 dlphcoracl: Heritage Bookstore in Beverly Hills had one listed for $4000 earlier this summer as well.

>36 DMulvee:
>37 Chemren:

Duly noted, and the post has been deleted.

I have been seeing this book consistently sell (with 25% Buyer's Premium) at auction for over $4,000., hence, my listing. The 2023 listings from both Heritage Book Shop and Bertram Rota for $4,000. are, to say the least, a surprise to me.

This once could be a bit controversial: there's a copy of the GCP Voyage of the Challenger on AbeBooks for £350.

The catch is that it's an ex library book, which is usually a pretty big black mark. I mention it here because the library markings seem relatively discrete, the books seem to be in otherwise decent condition, and this edition is usually rather more expensive. So it could be an opportunity for someone willing to turn a blind eye to its history.

Ran across an interesting US seller on Biblio - The Owl at the Bridge. Mostly antiquarian with some fine press in the mix. What is notable is that apparently all their stock is 75% off (assuming the base prices were the actual original prices). Decided to take a gamble since this is the only place I've ever found A Medieval Dream Book from Gogmagog Press on offer. Also grabbed the Imprint Society facsimile of Labors of Hercules. They have a huge inventory, and I turned up some interesting titles in the trawl, like this copy of The Oresteia from Limited Editions Club. It's a massive list to go through, so I recommend either having titles you want to find, or doing a high-to-low price ordering to see the better volumes first.

We'll see how they pan out when I get my order, so until then the usual caveats apply.

>40 Shadekeep: Please, don't hesitate to post some pictures of A Medieval Dream Book. I'm very interested in this title.

>41 Lukas1990: Will be glad to do so when (knock wood) it arrives. I've been on the hunt for something from Gogmagog for a good while, and this one dovetails perfectly with my medieval interests as well.

>42 Shadekeep: Wish it had more illustrations but still a very interesting volume. Great find!

I highly recommend getting Orations and Essays of Cicero (Limited Editions Club) for 25$. That's a great price for a nice book.

>43 Lukas1990: Good suggestion! Their LEC copy of Le Grand Meaulnes seems interesting, in that it previously belonged to the professor who wrote the introduction. I almost went for their copy of The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, but the cover sounded a little too compromised in terms of condition. I did go for Argonautica however, couldn't pass that up for less than $7!

>40 Shadekeep: FWIW, I very recently ordered the Cheshire House edition of Dante's Inferno from The Owl at the Bridge -- a heavy elephant folio production, and it came very safely packaged and just as described (and what an amazing edition it is). It was well worth it!

>45 eanson: Glad to hear it, thank you! That does sound like a great book. I'm looking forward to my package, I ordered a rather eclectic mix of titles from them, including one that looks like a livre d'artiste (Quilting by Denise Low from Holiseventh Press) and the other an uncommon print copy of a old mystery novel set here in Richmond (The Mystery of Holly Tavern, A Story of Nine Travellers by Lauriston Collis).

>42 Shadekeep: A Medieval Dream Book is pretty cool, but it's not typical for Morris Cox / Gogmagog work. It's one of the few books Cox published that doesn't contain his poetry, for one (although his poetry is ... well, it's strange). The typography is also fairly normal (Cloister Old Style is the face, if I remember), whereas a lot of Gogmagog books have an eclectic assortment of wood type and grotesques. The endpapers are beautiful in the Dream Book, though, and the quality workmanship is readily apparent.
All this to say, if it strikes a chord with you, there's a dangerously deep rabbit-hole of Gogmagog books that awaits the boldly curious!

>47 DenimDan: Much of what I've seen from Gogmagog does interest me, and I'm hoping to eventually acquire the two-volume collage/poem set IN LINE and a decent copy of The Lost Fisherman. The pricing and scarcity of their titles is what has held me back, so when A Medieval Dream Book rolled around at $100 (down from $400), it became the perfect entry point. As a medievalist it was my most-wanted volume from them as well, which made it all the nicer.

And the dream is over. Received the order confirmation from "The Owl at the Bridge" and A Medieval Dream Book is not available. Part of me knew it was too good to be true, and that I was jinxing myself by posting about it. Ah well, I'll try to plow the refund into another Gogmagog title from a different seller. Seriously disappointed with this seller in that there was no communication about this, it just showed up as not available on the receipt. Not professional conduct.

>49 Shadekeep: There are still some copies available from other sellers. I will get back to you with links later.

>49 Shadekeep: My advice: go straight to In Line. The regular edition is sufficient, and it's not prohibitively expensive. I've never held the deluxe copy, but I know that Oliver Clark (of Collinge & Clark) has one for sale. If I could go back and do it all over again, I would've skipped the Dream Book myself, which I mostly bought because of the medieval text.
The collages alone make In Line worth it! They're very surreal Victorian scenes, Max Ernst-inspired; really cool stuff!

>49 Shadekeep: It seems that some of the copies have been sold after the book was discussed here, haha. I can only find one copy:

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

>51 DenimDan: >52 Lukas1990: Thank you both! At this point I feel more likely to go for IN LINE when I make a purchase, though I'll probably just shelve my Gogmagog search for the nonce and try again later. I do have some active presses I feel better putting my money towards at the moment anyway. I appreciate your advice and links all the same.

>52 Lukas1990: That copy has sold now too. Clearly I'm not the only one on the hunt for it! ^_^

>54 Shadekeep: WOW, must be the beautiful endpapers! :D

Not sure if a good deal or not, but Sophie Schneideman has a rare (edit to add: Japanese-)vellum copy of the Shakespeare Head edition of Froissart's Chronicles. I want a copy, but the vellum is sadly (faaaar) out of my price range.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=32038524360

>56 ubiquitousuk:

Note that this set is printed on Japanese vellum, i.e., paper, and not sheepskin vellum or parchment.

>57 dlphcoracl: yes, good point. I had looked over the description too quickly and edit my post to avoid confusing anyone.

I'm not so sure if that's a good deal, given the condition of the book, but check out those illustrations by Valenti Angelo. The more I look at them, the more I love them.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/315962962606?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-...

>59 Lukas1990: A great volume, pity about the really poor condition of the binding

The 7-volume Nonesuch Shakepseare for £700: https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=32048976826

I would jump on this myself, but the timing isn't quite right for me.