Arion Press Don Quixote (signed by Andrew Hoyem) - Thoughts?

So I have a chance to pick up a copy (brand new) of Don Quixote that is owned by Andrew Hoyem (retired founder and publisher at Arion) for $6000.... thoughts on this price? I'm having a hard time seeing (recent) sales... just stuff from a while back that seems to be hovering around $4K.. I had my eye on a "Fine" set for $5K but this seems worth the $1000 premium or am I off?

If you value the signature, then that seems appropriate. Offered directly from Andrew Hoyem or though Arion Press?

He has a bookseller (Swan's Fine books) in the SF Bay Area handling his collection (so not from Arion Press) as he's retired now.. These are books he either kept and never sold.. those can be found at https://andrewhoyembooks.com ... when you select a book to buy, it redirects you to the bookstore.

I asked if he would sign the book's if I paid full price (I originally negotiated 10% off)... and there was agreement. I would like to have it, so it was (to my mind) worth it.. but I'm wondering (as most of us would) if that was smart! ;)

No Moby Dick, of course :) Although Ulysses can be had for a cool $40k ...

Yeah, There is a copy for $50K of Moby Dick at Klemscott so I guess that's Ulysses is a "Bargain"

Although there's a Ulysses on eBay at the moment for $20k, so "bargains" abound :)

I'm a bit puzzled by the prices of the Leather Bound and Illuminated Holy Bibles... He has one apparently for $11K but they seem to be selling well below that in the market... why no love?

I was just flipping through my AP DQ yesterday. It's a jewel. Mostly because of the translation in my opinion; but also for the binding, paper, and printing. If I'm reading DQ, I read the AP. If I want to admire illustrations, I look at other editions. Signatures don't do much for me and that one does nothing.

As for price, well...

>9 jveezer: Yeah, it was a though call... $5K for a "Fine" vs $6K for a new and signed by Hoyem...

Agree, the art in my Easton Press is better, although Wiley is a great artist, but this just seem "low effort" .. even if that's the look they're going after, a sort of minimalist vibe.

I’m actually quite partial to the Wiley illustrations. I feel they fit the book perfectly. As does the binding. Arion really got it right IMO, and it is one of the high points of their catalogue.

There is a (normal unsigned) copy offered at $4500 in the Facebook group Fine Press Books Buy/Sell/Trade.

>11 Nightcrawl: I agree... too many of their books come with cloth binding and for me that just doesn't cut it... I only wish I had the money for a Moby Dick and Ulysses copy ... alas I'll just have to be happy with my Folio Society and Easton Press copies.

>12 DMulvee: that seems very inline with unsigned copies I'm finding that sold most recently

>1 SJSamaha: I guess your price is ok. Here's a listing on eBay asking $7500 (!):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/335682335989

>15 Dr.Fiddy: After doing a lot of research and calling various book sellers, understanding how critical condition is (some of those sold in the 3's and low 4's have condition issues)... Being OCD myself, I'm happy with the price for a brand new set... the publishers signature is just pure gravy.

It's not that I dislike the Wiley illustrations in the AP, just that I like the illustrations in all my other versions better. The "style" of Wiley's illustrations is one fitting way to illustrate DQ but I think Quentin Blake in the Folio Society edition did that style better (for me).

Before buying this book, please, consider that there were issues with uneven printing. I don't have time to find the exact thread but it was posted here, a simple search will find it.

>18 Lukas1990: I remember noticing that in a copy I perused in a bookstore

>19 ultrarightist: Just curious, was that just sitting out on a shelf for you to grab? or was it behind glass and you had to ask to look at it?

>18 Lukas1990: There is some uneven printing in my set, more so in volume II, but IMO it isn’t atrocious and does not detract much from the overall production. The printing throughout is still crisp and legible even taking the inconsistencies into consideration.

I find, for example, the uneven printing in Lyra’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” to be far worse, where the text on some pages appears dull grey and others black, and the overall printing lacks sharpness.

I personally wouldn’t let the uneven printing in AP’s Don Quixote deter you if you are otherwise attracted to the set. Lest we forget that this is a 1200 page novel set entirely in monotype. No small feat.

>20 SJSamaha: Behind glass in a locked bookcase that I had to ask them to unlock. Oddly, it wasn't prominently displayed, and I only noticed it because I happened to look down and to the side at the right location.

>21 Nightcrawl:
>22 ultrarightist:

Yeah, I don't expect a hand made book to be perfect, I sort of don't want it to be.... I doubt books printed in the early renaissance were all perfect.. I get my set sometime early December, I'll report back if I find any issues..

Thanks for the response Ultra..

There's a bit more discussion regarding the uneven printing of DQ here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/326600

It's hard to discern from the chatter but are these "unevenness" issues on all copies, or just some? Do we know what page and in which book? I get mine sometime in the next 6-10 days so I"ll be looking to see if it has been affected.

>21 Nightcrawl: "I find, for example, the uneven printing in Lyra’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” to be far worse, where the text on some pages appears dull grey and others black, and the overall printing lacks sharpness."

I agree. It's quite disappointing. Some pages with the dull grey text look to me like they were digitally printed. It's easily the worst press work of any of my fine press books.

>26 ultrarightist: Yes, I still enjoy the book overall - enough to keep it in my collection at least - but, like you, I struggle to think of a book in my collection with worse press work.

At this point I have come to expect that anything printed by Hand & Eye will be at least somewhat lacking in pressmanship.

>26 ultrarightist: This breaks my heart to hear... for me the lighter printing would drive me crazy... That said, weren't some of these re-printed later in 2022? or were they just bound in 2022, and all printed at the same time in 2009 and 2010?

>28 SJSamaha: As far as I'm aware, Lyra's didn't exist in 2009/10

>28 SJSamaha: to clarify, Ultrarightist was referring to Lyra’s Dorian Gray, not AP’s Don Quixote.

>30 Nightcrawl: ah yeah, that threw me off... I've since figured out that all the DQ's were printed at once back in 2009 and 2010 respectively... some however were bound much later.

>26 ultrarightist: my entire copy is printed in a uniform grey, I thought it was a design decision (which I didn’t like, but at least it was consistent….). So there are copies out there which are actually black throughout?…

That's unfortunate to hear regarding Dorian Gray. Can someone post some pics?

32: Yes, I recall it was confirmed here on the forum that Lyra's chose to print the whole book using grey rather than black ink (after all, it is a book about this shady Gray character).

>34 supercell: That would make sense, but I can definitely confirm that my copy is very inconsistent, with pages printed both grey and black; the grey seems less intentional and more like the ink was running low and needed to be reapplied.

>33 astropi: here are a few photos of both the Lyra's Dorian and Christmas Carol. They aren't the most remarkable press work but also aren't too bad. I've since sold both on, but more due to differences in preferences regarding design decisions rather than any complaints about craftsmanship.

Lyra's Dorian Gray reviewed at https://www.librarything.com/topic/345081

>36 abysswalker: between you and >37 wcarter: I have to say that the letterpress work looks superb. I didn't see anything to make me question the craftsmanship.