Enablement: Good Deals on FS books (7)

Continuing "Enablement: Good Deals on FS books (6)."

Just to start off this thread--you can go on ebay and get YRTTD for ten bucks.

>2 podaniel:

A better starting point I cannot imagine!

The great Locked-Room Mysteries set from a UK seller. Still sealed, but mis-labelled

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/276356169689?itmmeta=01HQRDYX554QE2Z57BCNDPG7D2&hash...

A great starting price. No connection with seller.

Once and Future King in pretty good condition at a low starting point:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/126352871543?itmmeta=01HQXGPJ24VB6Z5CR32NH9BGNP&hash...

And it's a charity.

One Hundred Years of Solitude, 2006
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166615847959

No connection to seller.

Scenes of Medieval Life - 3 book set still sealed.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/355515127777

Just over £40 for all three seems like a steal.

EDIT: No connection to seller.

>7 Thwack: No. It's not. There are quite a few cheaper sets available. Don't buy anything from these general resellers. They have no idea of how to grade condition accurately.

>8 PartTimeBookAddict: Did you miss the "sealed" part? I can't find cheaper sets that are still in their wrapping.

>9 Thwack: Though sealed doesn’t necessarily mean they are in perfect condition. Sometimes the plastic has small holes in it (or is open at the top like on this set) and mould etc can get inside & the plastic wrapper can help to incubate this as its holding in heat & there is no air circulating around the books. At least with an unsealed book you can get photos of the books inside & make sure they are in good condition - i’ve had a few sealed sets over the years that had unpleasant surprises when finally unwrapped ! Someone on the forum recently bought a brand new sealed copy of the Calvino folktales direct from Folio & when they opened it it was mouldy inside.

>9 Thwack: The specific seller might say “original wrapping” but, since anyone can seal a book like FS does, sealed does not necessarily mean new. It was also mentioned in these forums that wrapped items sometimes had marked content. So, If anything, the seller can claim they couldn’t have known the inside was of subpar condition.

>9 Thwack: That seller obviously doesn't know the first thing about books besides "I hear folio sells good". It undoubtably was stored in a damp garage and either has mould or smell like cat piss. Don't buy it.

I just found some Folios on a marketplace online. Some O‘Brians like Treason‘s Harbour or HMS Suprise.
I was surprised that she also had the Owl Service, but I was more surprised that it costs 100€. On eBay it is even priced for higher than that.
I wanted to read it, the price is a bit steep for my taste. Is that already such a collectors item as well? Like with the Agatha Christie or Jules Verne books?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196300945499

"Animal Farm" by Suntup. I know it's not Folio, but the recent listings ended in a quite attractive range, so it might be similar with this one.

No connection with seller

An Australian seller on ABE, Ben's Books, has all the Great Philosophers individual volumes for $40. A fairly good deal, especially for Marcus Aurelius.

https://www.abebooks.com/bens-books-tully/87829710/sf

No connection and have never bought from them before.

The Baburnama for £79.99

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305465465059

>15 PartTimeBookAddict: Thank you for posting this.
I had most of the philosophers series already, but completed the set with Cicero. And added Perfume, just because.

>17 IainFyfe: Excellent. I hope the condition is good.

A UK charity on ebay has The Once and Future King for a low starting bid.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/176297224390?itmmeta=01HSKK7NBND1ZFG32BHPQN6G9V&has...

Looks in good condition. No connection.

2014 Treasure Island on Oxfam for £44.99.

https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/treasure-island-folio-society/product/HD_3020392...

>20 assemblyman:

That's a very competitive price for a superb edition, one of Folio's best SEs.

>21 folio_books: It is lovely but I prefer the 1994 edition with the N.C. Wyeth illustrations.

>20 assemblyman: Thank you once again for a wonderful second hand spot. This is the third time you've made my day like that! Brothers Karamazov, Frankenstein and now this.
Yes, the NC Wyeth illustrations are superb, but I don't think Folio have quite done them justice. There's a Scribner leather 1st edition on Abe, which needs a home, but sadly not mine ...
Sterling Hundley is a magnificent illustrator, and it is such a shame this is the only work he has done for Folio.

The 2014 Treasur Island is in the running for my all time favourite SE second, perhaps, only to Call of Cthulhu.

>23 red_guy: Fantastic. I'm happy to have enabled you once again.

The NC Wyeth illustrations always give me that childhood feeling when I read the book. I saw the Scribner edition on Abebooks but it would be too rich for my blood.

>22 assemblyman: Me too. I had this edition but gave it away when I bought the complete set of FS Stevenson in this same binding style. Unfortunately, when they arrived, it turned out to be the 2006 edition with illustrations by Philip Bannister! Uhg!

Also, someone in Cali is selling Lord Byron Poems for a good rate

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31813807614&searchurl=kn%3...

No photos. No connection. Never bought from them before.

>15 PartTimeBookAddict: thanks so much for this!

I picked up the Republic and also the LE Decameron!

>27 plasticjock: Nice. He has some good prices. I'm surprised no one has picked up his Lucretius or Aurelius yet.

Hopefully the condition is good.

>28 PartTimeBookAddict: Unfortunately the Cicero volume arrived damp, musty and heavily foxed despite being described as near fine so I've initiated a return with AbeBooks. Hope plasticjock has better luck. Caveat emptor!

>29 IainFyfe:

It's incredible how many sellers don't understand that water damage can be a serious issue. Water damage encourages mold and mold can spread to your other books. Who wants to pay money to ruin their library?

>29 IainFyfe: Uhg. I really hate that. Abe books seller ratings have to be revised. I hope you get your money back, but the time is lost.

>29 IainFyfe: The same luck, sadly :-(

Super, clean, fresh and fine were all adjectives used in the LE description

Another bad Australian seller is Badger Books.

https://www.abebooks.com/Badger-Books-Woollahra/504007/sf?cm_sp=BOT-_-seller-_-s...

One of the very few books I bought last year was from them. It arrived totally moldy. I eventually got a refund, but only partially for shipping to return it.

>33 PartTimeBookAddict: this sounds like it is against the AbeBooks return policy that sellers must abide by on the platform, so you might want to open a case with Abe if it hasn't been too long. The relevant section:

You're eligible for a full refund of the purchase price, including original shipping costs, if your return is the result of an error on the seller's part. If you receive the incorrect book or if it arrives damaged, you'll also be refunded return shipping equal to the original charge.
...
For books returned as 'Not as described,' return shipping amounts are refunded at the seller's discretion.

https://www.support.abebooks.com/buying/s/article/return-refund-policy

>34 abysswalker: Yes. I know. They refunded the original shipping and partial return shipping, but after exchange rates and their partial payments, I was still out $30 or so.

I just had no fight left to keep chasing them down.

That's the main reason I don't buy internationally off ABE anymore. Sounds like I dodged a bullet with Ben's Books. I was on the fence about a couple of his titles.

I wish ABE had a seller reviews section.

>35 PartTimeBookAddict: "I wish ABE had a seller reviews section" Yep, I didn't realise till now that the seller's star rating is based on % of completed orders, not a buyer rating. The seller's four stars out of five is a 90-95% completion rate - given what a hassle it can be to return things, a possibly 10% return rate is already pretty poor.

Seven volume job lot of Folio short story collections:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256472229876

Philip K. Dick's The Complete Short Stories

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116140660507

Some minor imperfections but overall seem to be in a very good condition. No connection to seller

Forgot to mention three Folio books on medieval history, from the same seller as my last post, still sitting at 99p with three days to go:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256472251093

>39 Thwack: same seller has Outlaws of the Marsh for 99£

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256393795012

(No relation; I only know about this seller due to the link in previous comment.)

>30 MobyRichard: Just add that Mould can be bad for a person's health. There is just as one example an incurable lung disease called Aspergillosis which can usually be managed.

>31 PartTimeBookAddict: The ABE ratings for bookshops may mislead in that they only refer to a bookshop's sales completion rate and not the quality of the book or the service offered.

Having said that I would expect ABE booksellers to offer a very good service as they are meant to be professional booksellers (compare with eBay or Amazon).

If a customer has an unacceptable level of service when buying via ABE Books, I suggest a complaint to ABE Books about the incident should be made.

Folio Fine Press These Things also are Spring's going for £45 on Oxfam. Described as fine with pictures. No connection with the seller.

https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/these-things-also-are-springs-poems-by-edward-th...

Another FPFE - Woman in White, 1991 on eBay. Slight water damage(?). Better to ask for a photo of the t.e.g. Starting bid of £30 and 5 watchers :)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285814379542

No connection to seller.

There's a 'fine' copy of the Folio Fine Press edition of 'On the Morning of Christ's Nativity & Other Poems' by John Milton for £30 on abebooks which seems very reasonable. This edition has one of the most striking marbling designs on the boards of any FS edition I've seen. It could be that since the seller didn't mention 'Society' in the listing, only 'Folio Press', some searchers may have missed it.

I don't have any personal experience with the seller based in Hay-on-Wye but they have a 5-star abe rating.

>45 cronshaw: The ABE ratings as I understand them only relate to the completion rate of sales.

So if an ABE Books bookseller accepts an order via ABE Books and then finds their book had been sold before - or has been misplaced - so that they have to cancel the order, then there is a hit to their ABE rating. In other words it is not a qualitative rating.

Just add that while some other prominent websites (e.g. Amazon) allow anyone to sell books, the sellers on ABE Books are meant to be in the trade. There may be the odd exception to that rule but I have never encountered one.

When I purchase a book whether for my bookshop's stock or for personal reading, I check both ABE Books and Amazon. There can be some interesting offers on one site not on the other.

>46 English-bookseller: Most Abe booksellers might be in the trade but, in my experience, there are many (many!) who provide very average or below average service. Lack of accuracy in descriptions, insufficient packaging, and a general surliness towards polite requests for photos are all very common. I guess it's not very surprising when you have a rating system which, as you say, isn't really fit for purpose. The number of Abe booksellers whose descriptions I would trust implicitly, I can probably count on one hand. I don't find that membership of one of the associations like the ABA guarantees that the seller will be a good one, although it's a useful data point.

It sounds like you are a conscientious bookseller who provides excellent service, and there are definitely other great sellers on Abe, but there are many substandard ones too. The whole Abe system could do with a revamp.

>47 GardenOfForkingPaths: I tend to use Biblio in preference to Abe these days. While Biblio also lacks a decent rating system (theirs too is predicated on completion rate), they also suffer from fewer bookjacker listers. And happily you can exclude certain vendors from your search results. They also have a discount subscription program, which has already more than paid for itself with me. Probably the biggest downside is fewer listers in general, so you may find some sellers on Abe who aren't on Biblio. There are also a few reverse cases as well, but not nearly as many.

>47 GardenOfForkingPaths: I quite agree. I've come across too many sellers on abe who fail to describe the condition of their books accurately, provide too few or no photos, and who don't bother packing books with a common sense minimum level of protection. I have found the buyer protection better on eBay (with more photos on average in the listing descriptions).

>48 Shadekeep: Me too. I'm hoping Biblio gains more traction over the coming years. Their membership discount is amazing. It only takes a fine press book or two to pay for itself!

>49 cronshaw: I agree, the number of photos on eBay listings can be a definite advantage. There seems to be so much subjectivity when it comes to describing a book as 'Fine' or 'Near Fine' or 'slightly faded' that photos end up being the best way for a customer to judge condition. As you say, lots of Abe sellers don't do themselves many favours on this front. Half a dozen, clear, high quality photos can really clinch a sale.

eBay's rating system has surprisingly improved over the years since you have the overall number, but you can also drill down into their star ratings for things like condition and shipping, as well as page through real user feedback. It's fairly easy to weed out the bad sellers once you get the hang of it.

The Name of the Rose going for £15 on Abebooks. No picture but described as fine. No connection with the seller.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31837960211&searchurl=pn...

>52 assemblyman:

Great tip! (I already own it so didn’t buy it.)

>52 assemblyman: Unfortunately, bought this "fine" one myself (together with their copy of Malleus Maleficarum), only to have them both arrive today wrapped together in one thin layer of bubble wrap and a paper mailing bag, just to fit in Royal Mail's small parcel category - heavily foxed and dirty on all edges, with the expected bumps to the slipcase. Return now initiated with AbeBooks, accompanied by a rather snippy message from the seller, with not even as much as a "sorry". I highly suggest asking for pictures before buying from this particular seller. :-)

>54 jasminesch: That's terrible. I'm very sorry to hear that.

>55 assemblyman: Eh, you can't win them all and that's perfectly fine. It would have been a terrific bargain had it arrived in great condition. :-)

Great Philosophers Set from a UK Seller:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/266782065596

Looks like it took a little battle damage, but in good condition.

No connection and have never bought from them before.

Sound and Fury Limited Edition in the US:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/226129160258

Bottom of slipcase looks damaged.

No connection with seller.

Lays of Ancient Rome. Folio Press Fine Edition 1988.

ebay Buy it now £18.00.

Seller not known to me.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/135029867758?itmmeta=01HXKSJCWEA4C3EYD8N2W1GBFY&h...

>59 bookfair_e: seems to be a good deal if someone doesn't mind the visible foxing to the page edges.

On the Origin's of the Species LE going for £259.98 on eBay. It's a lettered copy being sold by Amnesty International. Some marks and rubbing to the slipcase but the book itself looks fine. No connection with the seller.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226148877152?itmmeta=01HY0TKQQD19B7QHBKNTJP7BJJ&h...

The Holy Land: Syria, Idumea, & Arabia; and Egypt and Nubia (2 Volume Set) SE 2014 on eBay for £195. Described as excellent with photos. No connection with the seller.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326134903545?itmmeta=01HYDXS8S190X0C1TBYJ9K5ADR&h...

>59 bookfair_e: sold, that teaches me that I should check this page more often!

Seller also has the Temple of Flora flower plates for £200, which seems a good deal if you have a house large enough to display them.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/135068165911?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-12763...

A seller on Facebook has the Samuel Pepys LE on offer:

Diary of Samuel Pepys - Limited Edition: £524 (2003, VGC: #587 of 1000)

It's the slipcase version.

No connection to seller.

>64 abysswalker: I think I have seen a couple of copies around £450 for that version (not the wooden shelf version). In the US there is a copy with no wooden shelf nor slipcases for $540 which might work for some buyers:
https://www.poormansbooks.com/si/_cl_40492.html

>65 DMulvee: Gilded with a maroon wash, very nice.

Travels in Arabia Deserta LE on Abebooks for £319.72. Described as fine with picture. No connection with the seller.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31893186965&cm_sp=snippe...

Only six (missing Sir Patrick Spens) of the Folio Miniature Poetry Series (1991-1997) for £9.99; conditions range from Good to Acceptable: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/375496837092

Reviewed here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/266299

Aubrey/Maturin complete set. Looks to be fine/near fine. £900. On eBay UK, ending Sunday evening. Plenty of interest being shown. No connection with seller.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266863411897?itmmeta=01J0XV8MC28GBAE6AH0A63RTDX&h...

>69 folio_books: Happy to see your post, Glenn. Wishing you all the best!

Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens 2004 and Peter Pan and Wendy 2006 on eBay for £25 each. No connection with the seller.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/375499592123?itmmeta=01J0ZN6BEWHTQWAXP8DC8Y2ZP4&h...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186510899411?itmmeta=01J0ZN6BEWCCJJACEWQQ7Y0A13&h...

>71 assemblyman: Very cheap. Perhaps the seller did a quick secondary market check for the Peter Pan volume and confused these tipped-in plate larger editions with the more commonly available, smaller plain plate illustrations reprint.

>72 cronshaw: Yes you may be right. Both are now sold so someone got what looks like very good deals.

A couple of FPFEs' on auction with less than 24 hours left, sadly with NO slipcase... :)

De Profundis, 1991: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305710694921

On the Morning, 1987: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305710764411

Peter Grimes, 1990: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305710772816

No connection to seller.

>74 mr.philistine: I will just add to yours with a Rape of the Lock 1989 which has just popped up for £25.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204930011730?itmmeta=01J4SE1C98Y9B81WJ3FBHCYG39&h...

No connection with the seller.

>75 assemblyman: Sold! Good to see this one had the title page. Another copy sold a few months back minus this page here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276460535583

And I raise you 2 more from the same seller for BIN @ £24.99 each!

Poems of War, 1989: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204930056111

On the Morning, 1987: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204930022987

>76 mr.philistine:
I am grateful for the heads-up - I bought Poems of War.

>77 GusLogan: Avec plaisir!

20,000 Leagues from a charity on ebay with a very low opening bid.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/204931503739

No connection to seller. Never have bought from them before.

East of the Sun and West of the Moon, 2000 for starting bid of £20:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/315633233445

King Henry’s Map of the British Isles (Map and Commentary), LE 2009 for £125 with 'Make Offer' enabled.
Reviewed here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/334198

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256602692266

No connection to sellers.

Here's an interesting one for collectors, the five volume set of The Story of the Renaissance with completely blank pages!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305700183367

(No connection to seller)

>81 IainFyfe:

Would be interested if it was YRTTD.

>81 IainFyfe:

Quite nice for anyone who wants a DIY book safe that fits in with their FS books, but probably not at that price.

>81 IainFyfe:

Wow! And are those Jens Haaning illustrations?

For UK buyers: a charity on ebay has a nice copy of Ulysses SE on auction.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/156356962021

No connection. Never bought from them before.

A few uncommon Letterpress Shakespeare histories popped up:

Henry IV (both parts):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/116292652221

Richard III:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/116292641151

Reasonable starting bids, and it looks like neither has a bid yet.

A great deal on The Sound and the Fury LE for a US buyer:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/156261275500?_nkw=folio&itmmeta=01J63NAX6Q36W7ZZWPGW...

No connection with seller. Never bought from them.

Edit: Sold.

Door in the Wall, 2016 LE starting bid at £27 £9.99 with little over a day to go.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226313696962

The seller is based in the UK: https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/lozza0610

...and those in the vicinity might be interested in 22 other books listed by this seller including several LECs, 2 Whittington Press and a few others. Slipcases of many LECs have seen better days.

I don't know if the price will hold but £27 is a steal for this book. It easily surpasses the quality of most of the recent Folio LEs. For those interested, here is a link to an earlier discussion of this book:https://www.librarything.com/topic/316670.

>89 Redshirt: Sold for £170.

Fairly good deal on Galileo Dialogue Concerning Two Chief World Systems from an ebay charity(?):

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/204905808286

Looks like some wear. No connection with seller. Never bought from them.

FPFE Poems of War, 1989 for BIN £30 with 'Make Offer' enabled:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/135235741214

No connection to seller.

There's a copy of The Perfect Spy on eBay UK here for only £40 plus P&P, apparently brand new/unread, which seems a good price compared to other copies on the secondary market most of which are twice the price. The FS edition has great illustrations and typeface, and while I don't think it's worth the £95 Folio are now asking, it's a good buy at less than half that price. No idea who the seller is but they've a 100% positive feedback score.

>93 cronshaw: Agreed! I bought one in perfect condition earlier this year for $85 (including shipping), which is about £65 all included. Guess that's the nice thing about Folio including them in their random free book promotion earlier this year... beautiful book!

The Queen of Spades and Other Stories 2014 going for £18 still in shrink wrap on Abebooks. No connection to seller.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31987769666&searchurl=ds...

Sealed "Owl Service" on ebay with very low opening:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/146029016567

Just read this a couple weeks ago. Very interesting title.

No connection with seller. Never bought from them.

Leaves of Grass going for auction on eBay starting at £65 with no bids. Finishes in less than an hour. No connection with the seller.

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/395676333452?mkevt=1&plmtId=1110100101&mesgId=40...

East of Eden on eBay for £55 described as very good. Photos are not very clear. No connection with the seller.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235751678052?_skw=folio+society&itmmeta=01J85JZ1M...

>97 assemblyman: Relisted at £60! A great deal for a UK buyer.

Today, the seller "rare book cellar" listed about 200 FS books on eBay at elevated prices. They also dumped 2k EP books at OUTRAGEOUS prices. My guess is he bought from an estate sale and paid pennies on the dollar.

>100 nau2002:

Would be nice to live in the UK and be able to buy Folio Society in huge lots.

>100 nau2002: Might just be a bookjacker.

>100 nau2002: "Rare book cellar" has had these listings up for years. Every month or so they relist them. That's why they show up on the new listing page in a huge block. I don't think they've ever sold a book, but just hoping some dope comes along and pays 4x the going price.

Huntsville, AL -- lock pick up only
$15 To Kill a Mockingbird on facebook marketplace

That's one on my want list but the seller refused to ship it. :-(

South Carolina
$75 The Complete Winnie The Pooh by A.A. Milne
Facebook marketplace

Another that declined to ship. :-(

Studies from Nature LE on Catawiki with current bid at €90. Only half an hour left. No connection with the seller.

https://www.catawiki.com/en/l/88214023-kitagawa-utamaro-studies-from-nature-2020

>107 assemblyman: Got it! Thanks for sharing.
163€ including fee and shipping.
Is that a good price?

>108 David_Mauduit: 2019 Publication price and limitation: £495 and 500 (per wiki site). Congratulations!

>108 David_Mauduit: No bother. That’s great, congratulations. I think you did alright considering it was originally sold direct from FS at £495. I haven’t seen any recent sales from eBay but I think you have a bargain.

>108 David_Mauduit: That’s a great price! Well done

>108 David_Mauduit:

I'd call that an excellent bargain. Congratulations! It's a gorgeous edition, in my opinion one of the best by FS.

The Earliest Chemical Industry in special leather binding going for £414.45 on Abebooks. It has a book plate but is described as fine otherwise. Only 100 of these were bound in full leather. No connection with the seller.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31993000913&searchurl=ds...

On ebay a seller Infinite Books has a bunch of good deals:

https://www.ebay.ca/str/infinitebooks?_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l161211

Vita Nuova
Locked-Room Mysteries
Melmoth the Wanderer
Lives of the Later Caesars
Anne of Green Gables
Goblin Market

No connection with seller.

I have purchased from them quite a few times because of their cheap international shipping. They ship the book naked in a box, so there are usually a few dings and marks, but they otherwise arrive in good condition. Not for a finicky collector.

>114 PartTimeBookAddict: They ship the book naked in a box, so there are usually a few dings and marks...

InfiniteBooks aka awesomebooksuk aka Awesomebooksusa aka BoundlessBookstore (on Abebooks) aka Infinite_Books (on Amazon UK) aka awesome_books_001 (also on Amazon UK) are a mega bookseller. I have been a recipient of some excellent deals and their £2.50 International Shipping rate doesn't hurt either! I have on occasion requested secure packaging after placing an order and received my books well packed.

ETA: another alias

>114 PartTimeBookAddict:
Wtf 😂

>115 mr.philistine: I'll try that in the future. Good to know.

>114 PartTimeBookAddict: Are those actually good deals? They don't look like anything special compared with eBay sold prices. Most people just inflate their asking prices too high on eBay, but will end up coming down 20-40% in the end.

>115 mr.philistine:

Also Chiron Media and Bahamut Media across the various online platforms; there may be more. All their incarnations appear to be connected with a company called WRAP Limited.

In my experience there is only InfiniteBooks I would trust to receive what's pictured and described, and in a megaseller landscape of dynamic pricing their prices do appear 'proper' rather than determined by an ever-shifting algorithm.

ETA long-time lurker - first-time poster. Hello...

I have been watching their listings as well because their cheap shipping is great for buyers like myself who don't live in the UK or US and often suffer very high shipping costs from other sellers.

I don't generally find their prices to be a great deal, I find that they are at best around average eBay sold price but often quite a bit higher.

I have noticed that when they have multiple of an item in stock, prices for subsequent copies get cheaper. Smart strategy on their part, and can get you a good deal on an overstocked item.

On the negative side, it's hard to tell the condition of their items, and often looking at the blurry picture gives the impression that the item is likely in worse condition than you'd think from the description.

Original Leaves from Famous English Books
£562.50 (sale price valid, I think, until the end of the month).
The box is a bit rouged up, but the leaves all seem to be in nice shape.

>120 jsilver2: On the negative side, it's hard to tell the condition of their items, and often looking at the blurry picture gives the impression that the item is likely in worse condition than you'd think from the description.

They respond to requests for additional photos. Though if a newly listed item has many views or watchers, the item might be sold before your request is met. Like >119 Don-Diego: most of my dealings have been with InfiniteBooks and I find that they grade conservatively, so my books have always been in better condition than anticipated.

>144 What_What: I avoid Infinite Books (and other similar warehouse sellers) like Yersinia pestis since they seem incapable of proper packaging and typically pop a book - even one they've priced expensively - into a plastic bag for postage with no protection whatsoever. Messages to them generally go ignored in my experience.

>119 Don-Diego:

Welcome!

>123 cronshaw: Quite understandable given the options available in the UK to buy 2nd hand, but here in the antipodes, the incredibly low shipping is hard to look past, when often the postage will cost more than the book with other vendors.

>125 LesMiserables: Yes I can quite understand that the risk is worth it for Antipodeans and the eye-smarting postage prices from most abebooks sellers.

>120 jsilver2: >123 cronshaw: They are the only warehouse sellers I've had success with. I gave webuybooks two chances and they sent non-Folio books each time. I got refunded, but they made it a huge hassle.

With infinitebooks (etc...) I've adjusted my expectations and have no problem with something from them in the $20 range, shipped, as a reading copy. I only received one stained book from them and they refunded it within a day. Plus, it saves a road trip to Huntsville.

>118 jsilver2: I guess that's up to you. I paid more for Vita Nuova, Melmoth the Wanderer and Goblin Market plus actual shipping. If you can find them for less, grab 'em.

I recently bought a book from AwesomebooksUSA, and had to send it back. The condition was grossly overstated. YMMV.

>127 PartTimeBookAddict: Vita Nuova, for example, sold 12 times on eBay in the last 3 years. 7 of those sales were at a lower price (lowest being 50% of what they are asking). So, if you save a search on eBay and wait, you can probably get a better deal on it. That's all I'm saying. If you're in a hurry, well, average price isn't bad, it could be a lot higher. What you personally paid isn't really relevant.

>129 jsilver2: Well, since the title of this thread is neither "3 Year Old Good Deals on FS Books" nor "Hypothetical Future Good Deals on FS Books" I can only do so much.

Pick it apart all you want.

I'm going to live in the present.

>130 PartTimeBookAddict: I agree. In regards Vita Nuova £60 is below sold prices in the last while. From what I have seen it usually pops up for around £80 upwards on eBay or Abebooks. I have been noting the price when it pops up for a while now as I intend to buy it (at some point).

In regards Boundless/Infinite etc. I have bought a few books off them. Packaging is usually not great with usually just a cardboard box but I have been lucky as there was no noticeable damage to any of the books. If the price was low for a title I really want I would still use them.

Three Kingdoms on eBay going for £185 described as a clean and tidy set with a photo. No connection with the seller.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/135272610169?_skw=folio+society&itmmeta=01J8SM3PD...

>130 PartTimeBookAddict: My position is that a "good deal" is determined based on historical sold prices for the item (namely: a deal is to get it significantly below the average sold price).

Your position seems to be that something is a good deal because you personally paid more... or because you want to live in the present (ie. only look at asking prices today, ignoring the fact that the item never actually sells at the prices most people are asking).

We can agree to disagree, and there's no point continuing to discuss this topic, but I think most people would tend to agree with me.

>131 assemblyman: Vita Nuova sold for $55 at auction in May, so not that long ago. I do think $80 is a fair price if you wanted it now, but if like me you probably won't get around to reading it for 5-10 years you'd might as well wait.

>133 jsilver2: I'd ask you what the shipping on that was (and therefore the total price), but it is irrelevant, because time only moves in one direction. (I think most people would tend to agree with me.)

I can't buy a candy bar for a dime either because it's not the 1960s. It doesn't matter about "historical sold prices."

This thread is for deals that are actionable at the time of posting.

If you don't want the books, don't buy the books. And if you see them for a better (available) deal, please let us know.

>134 PartTimeBookAddict: These books are trending towards $0 over time. Look at the resale on Folio Society books from the 90's or 60's. Anyways, clearly you are just here to display arrogance so I'm done with you.

Edit: BTW, the $55 was including shipping, but we don't know where to. Anyone can look at eBay sales history, and I would recommend doing so so that you can make informed offers.

>135 jsilver2: The Arrogance of the Temporally Aware.

Sounds like a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel.

Gitanjali, 2024 for BIN price of £30; slipcase not pictured but described as 'well preserved'.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/365172209437

Currently available new from FS for £44.95 (UK) and £50 (ROW).

ETA: Also listed on Abebooks by the same seller here: https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=32003645151

>137 mr.philistine: Thank you. I have ordered as I had my eye on it since it's release.

>138 assemblyman:

Quebec City deal:
Perrault's Fairy Tales on facebook marketplace for $15 for local pick up only. Seller completely refused to mail the item.

This Australian seller has rather a lot of Folio auctions running, a clutch of LEs and considerably more SEs:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_dkr=1&iconV2Request=true&_blrs=recall...

>141 FitzJames: Thanks!

>141 FitzJames:
"Wind in the Willows LE" ... never opened... wow. I hope for the buyer to get a perfect copy .

>143 Ragnaroekk: Owner should’ve put that money in the stock market.

Five Little Pigs for £45: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276709942389?itmmeta=01JBH2JYZ9ABWJ5RCYQ4C59S96&h...

FLORIDA:

Marple novels set asking $250:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/779664057453950

H. G. Wells' Sci-fi box set. Good deal, especially for someone in the US.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/405327605578

No connection. Never bought from seller before.

CALIFORNIA:

Red Fairy Book asking $75:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/526135160177296

To anyone who, like me, had been looking to pick up the Dalí Tales from the One Thousand and One Nights Limited Edition for a decent price, I have good news: Art Gaudí, a seemingly unrelated art store located in Barcelona, still has a few (apparently 9) new copies available for 990 euros, which is actually lower than cover price: https://artgaudi.com/gb/books-stationery/2554-dali-tales-from-the-1001-nights.ht...

The copy I ordered arrived today and I can confirm it is indeed the folio society edition (#251 in my case).

The best part is that international shipping is included in the price, and in my case this certainly can't have been a cheap expense for them. Their customer service was also exceptional and we communicated in English through whatsapp, in case that is a concern.

>149 AdPacem:
This is indeed a magnificent FS LE, one of the best they have ever done, and well worth the asking price.

>150 wcarter: Absolutely agreed! The art itself is of course incredible, but the binding, gilding, and just the size of it all puts this in a league of its own

>149 AdPacem: I have been looking for that book for ages at a reasonable price. I am not able to make the Art Gaudí link work (or all nine of the copies sold in the day and a half since your post). Here's hoping I can reach out and get the same customer service you experienced.

>152 jbrnewman: Yes, unfortunately the book is no longer listed on the website. I noticed some of the copies went a while after I posted (last I saw there were 7 remaining), so I think either they did sell out in the meantime or perhaps misrepresented by mistake the true number of available copies.

I was enabled to grab one last night and before I bought it said 7 were left.

“Good deals on FS books” ? 200 signed copies of the Charles van Sandwyk ‘ How to See Fairies’ appearing on the FS website on Wednesday at 4pm. Given the standard book is £55 I'm sure the signed book-plate edition will truly be a ‘good deal’ - maybe only £300 ?! LOL

A limited edition quite rarely seen on eBay, I think, popped up – Sharpe's Birds in an unread condition based on seller's description:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235827084207

(Not affiliated with the seller)

Here’s a rare curio:

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/167086052492?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-1547...

Six volumes of Andrew Lang's Fairy Books, AU$1500

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/387575690995?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-1547...

(No affiliation with seller)

>158 TonjaE: Is it six volumes for AU $1,500 though? Six are available, so is it... each?

>158 TonjaE:

The listing wrongly claims they are a limited edition. As they are not, perhaps one could make a lower offer with some justification.

One good thing is that the Blue Fairy Book is not the first impression and so has a rounded spine to match all the others. The original flat spine annoys me every time I look at the set on the shelf!

They are the 6 most common fairy books so it's not really a great deal, just average price of what they typically sell for individually.

VANCOUVER DEAL:

$300 CAD for LE Victor Hugo Toilers of the Sea:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1547947903268481

>149 AdPacem: I must thank you for sharing this excellent find. I too have managed to order a copy of this edition just before they all went missing from the website. It arrived yesterday - completely as new in its original packaging - and it is just as glorious as I pictured it. What a bargain! Very, very happy!

>163 jasminesch: Thank you for letting me know, very glad to have helped! It's definitely a one of a kind production and every time I look at its imposing size I only wish the other 50 paintings hadn't been lost to time

How does one effectively store this behemoth of a box? at the moment it has its own chair in my office but that’s not a good long term solution. It’s so much bigger and more impressive than I was expecting.

And thank you for the enablement.

>165 anthonyfawkes: You're welcome! I personally got an Ikea BESTÅ some time ago and would recommend it as an option for oversized books, mainly because its shelves are adjustable in height and happen to be a bit deeper than other options (35.5 cm). Main culprit for forcing the purchase was the Birds of Paradise LE and it is working great so far.

A good deal through a charity ebay auction for "And Then There Were None" IF your name happens to be Nolan:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/276750886144

No connection to seller. Never bought from them.

>167 PartTimeBookAddict: IF your name happens to be Nolan...

...and you know 'Poppa Mike' :)

>168 mr.philistine: Ha ha! So far 7 bidders have some kind of Poppa Mike in their life.

Night Thoughts LE going for £400 on Oxfam website. I was very tempted but it would be much too big for me and my limited book space. A great price though. No connection with the seller.

https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/night-thoughts-edward-young-illustrated-by-willi...

>170 assemblyman: Absolute bargain. I'd snap it up if I didn't already own a copy!

You can actually get it for £369 on there.

>171 LT79: Sold. Great deal for who ever got it.

>172 assemblyman: it looked like the leather from one volume had slightly marked the back of another volume but even with that it's a bargain. I paid a lot more for my copy. I'd be interested to know if someone on this forum purchased it and their thoughts. Hopefully it's not gone to a reseller but someone who appreciates it.

Once And Future King $40:
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/146249568812

A Story as Sharp as a Knife, 2015 for BIN £30 with 'Make Offer' enabled:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/365231208191

Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, 2012 for BIN £49; beware mark on slipcase:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256696689220

No connection to sellers.

For the UK buyer:

Beard's out of print Pompeii at not a bad price:
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/256741909074

And the Smiley Trilogy at auction (probably won't stay this low):
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/405405000383

No connection to sellers.

"RETURNED IMPERFECT STOCK" "Not for resale"
Now for sale :)
Pilgrim's Progress, LE 2020 with opening bid set at £49.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/176735119215

>177 mr.philistine:

Well, at least the seller is honest about this. But I really have a problem with FS selling bad copies like this. Small issues you wouldn't accept at full price, okay, but this is a bit much to sell it in a scratch and dent sale with a time limit that makes it pretty much impossible to find out just how bad things are.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/156574595381?_skw=rubaiyat+folio+society&itmmeta=01...

Rubaiyat LE

Edit: Forgot to say there's a coupon code SAVETHISHOLIDAY for an additional $45 off, assuming you don't bargain them down.

Another one...
https://www.ebay.de/itm/167119299027?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=707-127634-2...

>178 SF-72: Their 'Not for resale' note is ironic, given that FS chose to sell this rejected copy in the first place! Nevertheless, a great opportunity for anyone who doesn't mind the scratches, cracks, bumps and other marks.

Any idea how much it originally sold for in the annual pop-up sale?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/156574595381?_trkparms=ni_actn%3Anav%7Cni_nt%3ASellerIn...

Hmm, the seller sent their watchers an offer for 20% off. $660 seems like a good price for Rubaiyat LE but I already have a copy so it'd just be waste. I don't know if the coupon still works with best offers. Don't expect this to last long.

For the UK buyer:

The rarer 2nd volume of the Icelandic Sagas is up on Abe at a not bad price from a seller named bookworm:
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=32081565235

No connection. Never bought from them.

Thank you, ordered

>184 paulmoran: Nice! I hope the book is in good condition.