1johnaba
Wait for it...wait for it...
$7,500.00
https://www.abebooks.com/Leaves-Grass-Walt-Whitman-Arion-Press/22928700249/bd?cm...
I think if I had bought this book for $1,200 when it first issued from the press, I would immediately make a listing on eBay for $5,000 and hold it there until it sold. This just seems to have appreciated too high, too fast given it was just released four years ago. I mean, at this rate, it's already worth as much as some of the greatest private press books every created by Ashendene, Kelmscott, Golden Cockerel, etc. Heck, it's even appreciated faster than the Arion Moby Dick.
And if anyone thinks $7,500 is an impossible price, this seller is not too far off the mark. Two sold a year ago on ABE for $4,000 and $6,000 in the blink of an eye.
$7,500.00
https://www.abebooks.com/Leaves-Grass-Walt-Whitman-Arion-Press/22928700249/bd?cm...
I think if I had bought this book for $1,200 when it first issued from the press, I would immediately make a listing on eBay for $5,000 and hold it there until it sold. This just seems to have appreciated too high, too fast given it was just released four years ago. I mean, at this rate, it's already worth as much as some of the greatest private press books every created by Ashendene, Kelmscott, Golden Cockerel, etc. Heck, it's even appreciated faster than the Arion Moby Dick.
And if anyone thinks $7,500 is an impossible price, this seller is not too far off the mark. Two sold a year ago on ABE for $4,000 and $6,000 in the blink of an eye.
3astropi
A beautiful publication. One of the best they have done in a long time...
but, way too pricey for most I suspect. Especially considering you can get the amazing LEC Leaves of Grass with Edward Weston's legendary photographs for a mere fraction of that price.
but, way too pricey for most I suspect. Especially considering you can get the amazing LEC Leaves of Grass with Edward Weston's legendary photographs for a mere fraction of that price.
4dlphcoracl
>1 johnaba:
$7,500. for the Arion Press 'Leaves of Grass'?? I don't think so, especially when one considers the magnificent modern private press books it competes with in that price range, such as:
1. Many of the major Kelmscott Press books.
2. The Ashendene Press 2-volume set of Don Quixote in the deluxe full morocco bindings.
3. The Golden Cockerel Press 'Canterbury Tales' with Eric Gill wood-engravings.
4. The Arion Press 'The Apocalypse' or The Temple of Flora, both with original illustrations
by Jim Dine.
You get the idea. Frankly, I am surprised to hear previous copies of the Arion 'Leaves of Grass' offered at $4,000 and $6,000 sold quickly on Abebooks.
Go figure.
$7,500. for the Arion Press 'Leaves of Grass'?? I don't think so, especially when one considers the magnificent modern private press books it competes with in that price range, such as:
1. Many of the major Kelmscott Press books.
2. The Ashendene Press 2-volume set of Don Quixote in the deluxe full morocco bindings.
3. The Golden Cockerel Press 'Canterbury Tales' with Eric Gill wood-engravings.
4. The Arion Press 'The Apocalypse' or The Temple of Flora, both with original illustrations
by Jim Dine.
You get the idea. Frankly, I am surprised to hear previous copies of the Arion 'Leaves of Grass' offered at $4,000 and $6,000 sold quickly on Abebooks.
Go figure.
5jveezer
I'm lucky enough to have the AP LoG and it is a treasure. But for that money I would definitely opt for the LEC LoG first. I don't know if I've seen the Grabhorn but suspect I'd opt for that one as well if I had a $7500 book kitty.
6dlphcoracl
>1 johnaba:
One additional note on this abebooks.com listing:
The seller, Brian's Books (Danville, Indiana) is not a bookseller, per se. He joined Abebooks a few days ago (August 9, 2018) and this is the only book in his inventory. Somehow, he stumbled upon a copy of the Arion Press 'Leaves of Grass' and is hoping to make a quick, small fortune by selling it at an outlandish price.
Nothing wrong with that, I guess - great if you can do it, but it is not reflective of what professional, reputable booksellers believe the fair and true current market value of this book is.
One additional note on this abebooks.com listing:
The seller, Brian's Books (Danville, Indiana) is not a bookseller, per se. He joined Abebooks a few days ago (August 9, 2018) and this is the only book in his inventory. Somehow, he stumbled upon a copy of the Arion Press 'Leaves of Grass' and is hoping to make a quick, small fortune by selling it at an outlandish price.
Nothing wrong with that, I guess - great if you can do it, but it is not reflective of what professional, reputable booksellers believe the fair and true current market value of this book is.
7johnaba
>6 dlphcoracl:
Ah, that explains the high price.
The Arion Press edition is beautiful and I'd love to own a copy, but if the standard asking price is several thousand dollars, I'd much rather focus on the LEC with Weston's photographs.
Another edition that is nice and much more affordable is Folio Society's edition which is elegantly bound with quarter green leather. It's not letterpress but is an exceptional edition for the money.
Ah, that explains the high price.
The Arion Press edition is beautiful and I'd love to own a copy, but if the standard asking price is several thousand dollars, I'd much rather focus on the LEC with Weston's photographs.
Another edition that is nice and much more affordable is Folio Society's edition which is elegantly bound with quarter green leather. It's not letterpress but is an exceptional edition for the money.
8ultrarightist
>7 johnaba: You might also want to consider the limited edition by Peter Pauper Press.
10johnbean9
If you thought $7500 was tremendous, how about 2x that? https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/80470070_arion-press-leaves-of-grass-1275. Now I'm wondering if I should take out insurance on my copy :)
11MobyRichard
>10 johnbean9:
That's actually a good idea, depending on the value of your library and the flammability of most libraries :(.
On a related note the bubble in auction prices is getting insane. I've bought all of two books at auction in the past two years because the prices (versus what I see in past auction records) has gotten ridiculous. 2x to 3x what people were paying 5 years ago seems common. More than once I've seen people bid prices at auction for books that they can get cheaper on Abebooks. I don't know if it's vanity-bidding or a wave of new crypto or fed-driven millionaires or what but something is going on :p.
Actually get better deals on EBAY these days.
That's actually a good idea, depending on the value of your library and the flammability of most libraries :(.
On a related note the bubble in auction prices is getting insane. I've bought all of two books at auction in the past two years because the prices (versus what I see in past auction records) has gotten ridiculous. 2x to 3x what people were paying 5 years ago seems common. More than once I've seen people bid prices at auction for books that they can get cheaper on Abebooks. I don't know if it's vanity-bidding or a wave of new crypto or fed-driven millionaires or what but something is going on :p.
Actually get better deals on EBAY these days.
12kdweber
>11 MobyRichard: I've managed to pick up some decently valued Book Club of California editions at auction recently. But you're right, I've lost every Allen Press book I've bid on lately mostly to people paying the same or more than Abe costs (before factoring in the buyers commission). Also auction houses have significantly higher shipping and handling charges than almost any vendor on Abe or eBay.
13AMindForeverVoyaging
Not on ABE, but on eBay a copy has come up for $16.5k, although offers are accepted. I don't think I've ever seen it on eBay before. Would be more fun if it were an auction :)
14dlphcoracl
>13 AMindForeverVoyaging:
This is yet another example of an individual who is trying to catch lightning in a bottle and make a killing by selling to newbies on eBay and it is why I rarely make a private press book purchase of eBay. The Arion Press Leaves of Grass is a beautiful book but it is not a $16.5k book. At that price you can buy a copy of the Cranach Press 'The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke' in the deluxe Otto Dorfner full morocco binding, etc.
Caveat emptor.
This is yet another example of an individual who is trying to catch lightning in a bottle and make a killing by selling to newbies on eBay and it is why I rarely make a private press book purchase of eBay. The Arion Press Leaves of Grass is a beautiful book but it is not a $16.5k book. At that price you can buy a copy of the Cranach Press 'The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke' in the deluxe Otto Dorfner full morocco binding, etc.
Caveat emptor.
15LBShoreBook
>14 dlphcoracl: While I don't quibble with your assessment of the price, this is not an individual seller. This is being sold by a bookseller out of Virginia that had a booth at the rare book fair in LA a week ago. I chatted with the owner and he came into possession of a bunch of AP titles including this one and Porgy and Bess that he was displaying at the fair. I ended up buying AP's Age of Innocence from that shop on Ebay for $625 (including tax and shipping), which I thought was decent given other prices I've seen for that one. I don't know what benchmark he is using for Leaves of Grass but I anticipate it will collect dust at that price point.
16AMindForeverVoyaging
>15 LBShoreBook: It did sell at auction in Feb. 2020 for $15k so I think his ask, especially with offers being accepted, is reasonable. By contrast, Porgy and Bess can be bought directly from AP for less than he's asking for his copy, and it presumably can be had for the subscriber price shortly if AP does their usual late-year sale.
17ChestnutPress
>2 MobyRichard: Totally agree!!
18ChestnutPress
>6 dlphcoracl: Don't you just love chancers trying it on! 🤣🤣🤣
19MobyRichard
>16 AMindForeverVoyaging:
I used to own the Grabhorn LOG and it's a way better deal at anywhere from $$$ to $$$$, depening on condition. I'm comparing based on the sample pages Arion sent me way back. Sad I didn't pick up the AP at the published price though.
I used to own the Grabhorn LOG and it's a way better deal at anywhere from $$$ to $$$$, depening on condition. I'm comparing based on the sample pages Arion sent me way back. Sad I didn't pick up the AP at the published price though.
