Enablement: Good Deals on FS books (6)

Continuing from Enablement: Good Deals on FS books (5) ...

I would love to know how toy continue a topic. Tried to search LT but to no avail

>2 ironjaw:

I'm no expert Faisel, but what I found is if you go to the last message in a topic, under the "Add a message" box you might* see "Continue this topic in another topic". Might* because it seems to depend on the length of the thread. A quick test told me that method doesn't work for messages with 150 posts or less but it does for messages with 300+ posts. I'm quite happy to stand corrected by anyone more knowledgeable if I've got this wrong. As you'll have gathered I'm learning by trial and error!

>3 folio_books: thank you, Glenn. That explains why I was not able to continue my threads on magazines.

War & Peace 2014 on Abebooks. No slipcase but still not a bad price in the current climate.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31112869755&searchurl=pn...

>5 assemblyman: The fact that this is not on the permanent production list for FS is a head scratcher.

For any FS devotee in Australia, there appear to be some interesting lots at ‘Bargain Hunt Auctions’ in Thornleigh NSW - next Wednesday (16 Feb). All of the Fairy books are indivually available with starting bids of A$20-30. And some other interesting sets too. Clearly they might go for much more, but if you are nearby there could be some good deals …

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THE-GREEK-MYTHS-ROBERT-GRAVES-ONE-VOLUME-SET-FOLIO-SO...

Good price on the better single volume edition of The Greek Myths

>8 smkealeymac.com: I highly recommend this suggestion.

>8 smkealeymac.com:

"Error: This user doesn't exist"

>10 folio_books: I must admit, I also got the same message. But I noticed that the FS Devotees homepage displayed 'smk009' as the username under the Last Message column. This username should work. Probably a conflict because of '*.com' ?

>11 mr.philistine: Probably a conflict because of '*.com' ?

Almost certainly. It's the reason I looked the username up in the first place. Perhaps the user would like to resolve that for us?

I changed my username but failed to log out properly. I do exist!

>13 smk009:

I never thought you didn't! Thanks for attending to that, anyway. And I'd happily endorse your link to the single-volume Greek Myths.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Folio-Society-John-Julius-Norwich-A-History-of-Venice...

One of the best Folio covers

Hi everybody, I don't know if this is allowed, because of the no sales policy, please tell me if not.

I have an acquaintance whose good friend just passed away. Said friend was an art historian living in Germany and she had an extensive library! About 15.000 books. She also had about 100 Folio Society books, my acquaintance is currently trying to sell them, because she is not a collector herself and they need the money to pay for the funeral and other things... I already bought three books from her, but there are still a lot left, 3 Fairy books, Gormenghast trilogy, art, history etc. They are all in really great condition. So maybe some of you might be interested and you can send me a message and I can give you her mail address? She has a list of the books she can send.

As I said, if this is not allowed, I am sorry and will delete it! My acquaintance already told me that she has had several offers from resellers (we have talked about these kinds of sellers in other threads), offering her really bad prices and even pressuring her by saying she should sell now and will never get more than this or that price for the books...someone offered 200€ for all books, which is pretty brazen, because the Olive Fairy Book alone is worth at least twice that amount. So she said it is way better to try to sell to book lovers, because that is what the original owner would have wanted. The books are situated in Germany.

>16 woodstock8786:
As long as sales aren't taking place directly on the thread I can see no objections. The method you propose, giving your friend's email address to Devotees who express an interest via message, is entirely satisfactory as far as I'm concerned.

>17 folio_books: That’s a really helpful clarification, I always wondered how it works.

I’m also going to have for sale a few FS gems that the Facebook crowd seem to go quite crazy over. I’m assuming it’ll be okay to mention in this thread when the time comes, and ask for those interested to PM me to get my email.

>18 What_What: I’m assuming it’ll be okay to mention in this thread when the time comes, and ask for those interested to PM me to get my email.

I see no problem with that. Just don't "mention" a list of books and especially don't mention any prices. One caveat worth highlighting now is these observations assume that the seller, or agent, has been a member of FSD for a reasonable time, long enough to be recognised by other members as, for want of a better word, "genuine". It's not open for opportunists to set up stall looking to make unreasonable profits out of genuine booklovers. That's my take on it, anyway. Warwick has been in the land of nod while I have been pontificating and he may have more to add.

I agree with >19 folio_books:
See here.

I have to add here that I too have spoken to the lady about whom woodstock8786 is speaking. She seemed quite sweet and friendly, but I have to say here that it is such a one-sided view being presented here about people who are all trying to con her and "are not genuine book lovers" apparently.

Since I have spoken to her, let me assure you that the price list she sent me for her books was mostly ridiculous. €350 for a slightly damaged Blue Fairy Book (sold on eBay for ~50€). €360 for Gormenghast (on eBay for ~150€, prices coming further down recently), Olive Fairy Book for €800 (last sold on eBay for €400). I also asked about a couple of other books like Lorna Doone (reasonably priced, but one can get it for €10 on FB sometimes). Seeing the seller's prices, I absolutely lost interest in dealing with them. None of the books I was after were for reselling.

So, just like there are people who are apparently trying to get her books for way less (not me, I never made even a single offer), she too is trying her hardest to catch someone who is less than knowledgeable about the going rates of these books. Or at least she was.

And in the first message they sent me they said that they did not want negotiations. After the pricing was discussed and I told them that some of the books were way too pricey, they said that that was just the opening and that we could negotiate further. I did not wish to do that since the prices were so high that it would have been cheaper to import the books from the UK and pay the extra shipping + customs. If they were only going to come down to eBay prices, then why wouldn't I just buy from eBay.

It is really easy to represent things so that one side appears completely negative and one pure as snow, but the truth is always somewhere in between.

As much as one wants to vilify resellers, sellers of all kinds are trying to take advantage of situations. I have had sellers try to sell me in stock regular FS editions for 150€. And I have had buyers who have tried to offer less than 1/5th the value of a book, hoping that I would accept.

I don't blame the lady for trying to make a tidy little sum out of the books she has, but pretending that she is trying to sell to "book lovers" on this platform because she cares so much is just...well, unbelievable.

I fo hope that her prices have become more reasonable and that people manage to score the books in which they interested.

>21 sekhmet0108: I am sorry that it seemed to be so very one sided and I have to agree with you on some parts about the prices, absolutely. I negotiated also with her and didn't get a lot of the other books I wanted, because it was just too high and I wouldn't do it. The problem seems to be that she thinks you can get the prices that are on Abe or on ebay with no problems. I bought a copy of " Life in the English country house" for 50€. But she first sent me some links where the book cost around 100$, and she was of the opinion that is a very reasonable price, which of course it is not, because you can still get it brand new from Folio's own shop.

I was on the fence about posting it here and I only offered it when we met two days ago. Of course I have no power over the prices and negotiations, still I would have like people here to get some good books for some reasonable prices, so I am sorry about any inconveniences.

I thought about getting in touch but in the end decided not to proceed and take my chances on eBay and secondary markets. I don’t mind people trying to get the best price for their books but what does bother me is when a book is still listed as £40 from folio but is listed on eBay for £1000. I’m not a sucker or born yesterday but it really does not inspire confidence being a folio collector and it must be really hard for newcomers. I always a say prayer when I read a message on the forum when someone writes they are new to folio and have recently started collecting. Thank god I found Folio in 2009.

>22 woodstock8786: Not at all. I didn't think you were at fault at all. I just assumed that maybe she represented all the buyers as dishonest/ trying to lowball her and you just believed her.

She first offered me all her books for 20€ per book. Since I am not a reseller, obviously I said no, even though I knew that there would end up being some gems in the collection. I told her that the prices vary a lot and that I have paid anywhere from a couple of euros to 100s. And she got back to me after a month after having done her "research". I was very persistent because it is rare for FS books to turn up in Germany. But, like I said, I didn't think that there would be any point in negotiating since her prices were just way too high.

She also said that she liked the books so much that she was tempted to keep them for herself. And I actually encouraged her to do just that and become a fellow Folio Society fan.

I have purchased directly from private people, but honestly one has to have a lot of trust in such situations. I am right now involved in an ongoing struggle to return a book (I bought The Grey Fairy Book, they sent me The Nursery Rhymes Book). Had I purchased through eBay/Abe, it would have been much safer. Instead I decided to trust the person, and I still think that they are quite nice, but the hoops I have to go through to get my money back is insane., simply because I have no power in this situation.

Dealing directly with sellers is best done face to face, otherwise it is just better to go through a platform. Saves one a lot of headache. Sure one might get a good deal, but the risk is quite significant too.

>24 sekhmet0108: I have purchased directly from private people, but honestly one has to have a lot of trust in such situations. Had I purchased through eBay/Abe, it would have been much safer.

Dealing with professional, experienced and honest sellers is always a pleasure, albeit expensive sometimes.
Insist on the seller providing you a detailed PayPal invoice. PayPal provides robust buyer protection that can be invoked up to 6-months from the date of payment for lost, damaged or wrong items. If a settlement cannot be reached and you are sure the seller is mistaken, open a case under PayPal Resolution Center giving a summary of the problem and upload photos and email communication. Various forums indicate that PayPal is nearly always biased in favour of the buyer.

Market platforms like Abebooks, Amazon, eBay or Etsy may have some form of a 'Money Back Guarantee' that can be readily availed but PayPal is equally competent in such matters.

>24 sekhmet0108: Sure one might get a good deal, but the risk is quite significant too.

Remember, no risk no gain. Market platforms make no guarantees that you will get what you bought, or thought you bought or promised you would get. But you can be sure to get your money back if you are not happy. It helps if you have a valid reason.

>25 mr.philistine: Believe me, I have learnt my lesson. I've had two issues in January. One person blocked me after I transferred the money through PayPal friends and family. The other sent me the wrong book, then gave me the wrong address so i had to send the book twice, and I still don't have the refund.

Next time onwards it is going to be with PayPal G&S only. It is really not worth the hassle.

>26 sekhmet0108: One person blocked me after I transferred the money through PayPal friends and family.

If you have correspondence from the same email to which you made the transfer, proceed to open a case on PayPal and upload the correspondence (convert to .pdf) as proof of the basis of your payment. Also mention that this person has blocked you after receiving funds. I'm not sure what your chances are of getting a refund since the other party could also deny or create a story. But never let go without a fight!

>26 sekhmet0108: The other sent me the wrong book, then gave me the wrong address so i had to send the book twice, and I still don't have the refund.

This might be slightly more complicated if you have sent the item via untracked mail. An opportunistic buyer/ seller could claim non-receipt. But if seller has confirmed receipt in writing from the same email, ask for refund, send a reminder and lastly threaten to open a case if they delay any further. Then proceed to open a case and upload all relevant proof. But as you said in >24 sekhmet0108: 'they are quite nice', here's hoping things turn out nicely without the need for escalation.

Presumably safe as it’s on eBay there’s a new copy of the three-volume Shackleton’s Antartica on eBay in the U.K. with only one bid and currently 60% of the usual price. A good deal for anyone who is interested in Shackleton or adding to their collection of Folio polar books.

>28 RubenBk:

I noticed you just joined today so this is to let you know it's customary for posts like this to contain a disclaimer along the lines of "I have no connection with the seller". Advertisements for your own goods are not allowed, of course.

Sorry, I’ve no links with the seller. I’ve been a long-time lurker on here and realised I couldn’t post without joining. I’m happy to remove the post if it is not appropriate.

Ruben

A seller on eBay Germany has a few letterpress Shakespeares for sale. Some are with slipcases (Othello starting price €90 and Hamlet €110 https://www.ebay.de/itm/Hamlet-Limited-Folio-EditionShakespere-William-Edited-by... and a couple with solander boxes (starting prices €150). The ones I bought were unread and the slipcases were fine or near fine. Seller’s name is andrran0 if the above link doesn’t work.
Not sure if they post abroad so maybe a deal for someone in the EU?
No connection apart from being a happy customer…

>31 stopsurfing: even at the buy it now price, I think those are a great deal for anyone who doesn't have them yet!

Could I ask which ones you bought? I hope you enjoy them!

>30 RubenBk:

Thanks for clarifying. The post is fine, no need to delete.

>32 ubiquitousuk: thanks, I think I will!
I got King Lear, Twelfth Night (my only comedy), and Anthony and Cleopatra, all in slipcases, which I prefer. I got them all for under €100 each which is just fabulous. Even so, I’m starting to feel the toll on my finances, so I won’t be getting the Hamlet, i’ve got the Pauper press edition anyway. I love the reading experience of the Letterpress Shakespeare - can’t praise them high enough really. (I’ve already got Othello and Titus Andronicus, which we’ve talked about before). I’ve got an LEC Measure for Measure on the way, looking forward to comparing the reading experience!

>34 stopsurfing: I'll be curious about your LEC experience. I've have the LEC Henry V on my bookcase for a year with the intention of doing a side by side with my Letterpress copy on my blog, but haven't gotten round to it yet. My first impression is that the Folio society edition comes out on top, but I know many swear by the LEC's illustrations and Bruce Rogers design.

>35 ubiquitousuk: I would really like to see that comparison. You videos are top notch!

>7 jranstead: Thank you very much for alerting me to this auction group. I did not know of them and I got a copy of The Natural History of Selbourne - the large version that I had been looking for. Very happy.

>27 mr.philistine: Update!

I have managed to get my money from both of the people. The first by finding them on Google finding their address and then emailing them that I would come to their home and call the police, since they live only a couple of hours away from me. I would never actually do that. But, they refunded my money through PayPal, after wasting a couple of hours saying that they had already done so, but not being able to provide the proof.

The other person was not as nice as I thought. I had sent the book with tracking both times of course, but they said that they weren't at home and would be back on the weekend and only then be able to check the book and refund the money. Sat, Sun, Mon went by and I finally messaged them. They didn't respond. I was very persistent and then they finally refunded the money. I was not going to say a single mean word to them about all the hassle, and I just let them know that I had received the money and said thanks. To this they responded by saying that they would be selling a lot more books in the future and that I should not contact them. I reminded them that I had not contacted them in the first place and that they had approached me with a list of FS books. I also ended up scolding them for all the mistakes they committed (said a flat no to transaction through PayPal, sent the Nursery Rhymes Book instead of Grey Fairy Book, refused to refund the money, gave me the wrong address to send the book back to, made me send it again to the right address, were quite rude about the whole thing, delayed refunding the money for 15 days after having received the book, never refunded the 15€ it took me to ship the book twice to them) and how shamelessly they had conducted themselves. This whole thing took over a month. They were really not very nice. I would have been ashamed to behave like that with anybody, forget treating a fellow booklover like this.

Anyways, lesson learnt. Never ever am I going to do a transaction without PayPal or through eBay/Abe/Biblio etc. Really not worth it.

Hey everyone, I was out with a cold for some time and I am sorry, because I have been trying to contact the lady about the list, which I wanted to send to several people who asked. She hasn't been answering any messages for longer than a week now.

I am very very sorry about this and feel terrible to have been enabling this...I was in the good position that I could meet with her to obtain the books, some weeks ago, but I am actually not sure what would have happened if I had bought them and wanted her to ship them. Again sorry to shake everyone up, I would have loved for people to get their hands on some Folios for a decent price. -.-'

Definitely agree that it is better to go through a reliable channel to obtain your (used) books.

Not quite a book, nor ephemera, perhaps hard to get, definitely for the diehard FS collector... 1980 Newspaper advertisements of Folio Society sponsored music records discussed here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/331050

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203849276837
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265575259634

No connections to seller.

Sometimes the sheer care and artistry taken by a seller in presenting their Folios compels one to bid.

>41 cronshaw: Haha. Possibly it’s to inform the potential bidder that only one volume was ever cracked open?

Just spotted Twelfth Night at Oxfam's online store for less than half-price if it helps anyone

https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/twelfth-night-folio-society/product/HD_300557062...

Le Morte Darthur, Malory, 2004 LE on eBay UK, finishing Monday, currently £106. Looks in excellent condition. Scarce - you don't see this very often and certainly not at this price.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334355823779?hash=item4dd928fca3:g:Bx8AAOSwy3diJnR7

Many thanks for this - I have been looking for a reasonably priced copy for a while. I just wonder if it’s sans limitation page as the seller was unable to confirm limitation number details.

>45 Aldus-Manutius:

That is a possibility, indeed. Proceed with caution. It's a magnificent volume, though.

Obviously not to Folio standard, but I got a Studio Editions reprint in a remainder bookshop about 30 years ago for about a fiver...still available for about £20 second-hand.

>46 folio_books: If I recall correctly, the limitation page on this one is in the back. The seller probably didn't know where to look.

>48 ChampagneSVP:

Just checked and your memory is correct. Easy to miss.

Ah, thank you. I wish I had put in a bid on this one. It does indeed look splendid.

A couple of potential eBay bargains:

The Folio History of Ancient Greece, 2002, 4 volumes, current bid £19.99

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144475207577?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksi...

Looks to be in decent condition. No affiliation with the seller.

From the same seller:

Gilbert’s The First World War, 2 volumes, current bid £9.99

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134064014966?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksi...

Again, condition looks good.

For anyone among us cursed with empty shelves and wondering how they're ever going to be filled with Folio books at Folio prices:

https://www.wob.com/en-gb/wholesale-books/vintage-books/folio-society

If average thickness is an inch, £1000 could treat 83 feet of ugly bare shelving! Could be a few duplicate volumes I suppose, and international shipping costs don't bear thinking about. If anyone succumbs, I'd like to see the unboxing (unpalleting?) video on YouTube...

>52 terebinth:
For those in the UK that’s actually a superb deal. Any duplicates could be sold off at a profit.

>52 terebinth: Perhaps not 1000, but I'd be tempted to get one or two hundred just for the fun of putting the unboxing on my YouTube channel. Alas, space is at a premium and I feel certain that the books I'd receive would be uniformly books I'm not very interested in having (the interesting/valuable books already having been cherry-picked).

>54 ubiquitousuk: "I feel certain that the books I'd receive would be uniformly books I'm not very interested in having (the interesting/valuable books already having been cherry-picked)."

Sounds like a good deal for someone who is looking to pick up books for interior decoration, but not for someone who wants the books to read. My guess is that the lots will be predominantly made up of history books from the 1960s and 1970s, anthologies from the 1980s and 1990s, and presentation volumes from the 1990s and 2000s - ie the books whose online price is "wrecked" (as booksellers term it). I suspect that there will be duplicates even amongst the sets of 100.

>54 ubiquitousuk: Technically, there is no guarantee that the books are sound inside - they may have all kinds of imperfections (writing on pages, unprinted pages and so on). Or even that there are no cosmetic issues on the boards - books for decoration should really just look well on a shelf in their slipcase in order to qualify (and even that may be argued - no one promises that even the spines look like new).

If anybody's interested in an FS limited edition Norton First Folio facsimile (copy 418 of 1000 I think) then it might be worth getting in touch with the Colchester UK Oxfam shop - they've just taken possession of it. I'm afraid I've no idea what they'll be hoping to get for it, whether they post, etc.

>55 TheEconomist:
I'd expect a preponderance of older Folio titles of every description, mainly because so few pre-1995 Folio books turn up in WoB's individual listings. Large quantities of books arrive there for sorting, and there can't be much time allowed to divide them into those for pulping, those for bulk sales and those worth pricing individually. I usually scroll through all their "old and rare" arrivals, finding occasionally a genuinely scarce title or set that interests me and noticing now and again an absolute bargain: not generally among Folios, aside from some time ago the Four Gospels LE in Fine condition at about £65. I imagine in that case the pricer must have found the then recently issued standard version listed on ABE and taken its price as typical.

>57 rampkr: my local Amnesty Books wanted £150 for a copy they had in decent condition, slipcase was marked. I got it for £75 during a sale there.

Sealed copies of the Pink ,Brown, Yellow & Violet Fairy books on Oxfam's website if you have a spare £300 per copy !

For those who haven't noticed, eBay (UK) is offering 10% off your next three orders until 6 May. They quote the discount code TENOFF3, but it was simply applied automatically at checkout for me.

These are a little bit banged up, but £63 (as per >61 ubiquitousuk:) for 16 Folio Thomas Hardy novels seems like a good deal, even if you only chuck them in a bag to read on the train.

No relation to the seller, etc.

Edit: oops, I forgot the link: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334381384304

Heated bidding underway for The Icelandic Sagas (Vol. 1 & 2) with 4 hours to go.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384811171235

No connection to seller.

Considering that the Folio Society limited edition of Night Thoughts usually sells for over £900 on the secondary market, the current offer of a set on eBay for £650 including P&P (or £585 with the current eBay discount code TENOFF3, perhaps even less since BestOffer is available) seems not unreasonable to me even though the commentary volume appears to be missing. I can't imagine that small plain volume ever being sold separately for much more than £30 or so, though it could well be a long wait until one appears on abe or eBay! It's one of my all time favourite Folio LEs so I couldn't help giving it a nudge here :)

(I've no idea who the seller is but they've no negative feedback)

>64 cronshaw: It's one of my all time favourite Folio LEs so I couldn't help giving it a nudge here

Agreed it's one of the very best Folio LEs, agreed it's £900+ on the secondary market (I paid somewhere around there for mine and I'm still convinced I got a bargain), agreed under £600 is a steal. BUT, missing the commentary would knock the deal on the head for me, Russell. It's incomplete without it, even accepting the commentary is insubstantial. That, to me, satisfactorily explains the apparent price differential.

If having an incomplete Folio LE doesn't bother you (I'm addressing the Folio world at large here) then go for it. It's a magnificent book, every single page dripping with Blake's sublime artistry. I'm proud to include it in my Folio favourites.

>66 folio_books: Agreed, Glenn, for want of the commentary volume this set is 'incomplete' as I hope I made clear, but the two main volumes are so impressive and satisfying to read in themselves, that I thought there might be a Devotee who'd be happy to have them without the small companion volume for a lot less than the usual price. Folio's limited edition is the only colour facsimile ever made of Blake's work published as originally intended with Edward Young's text, so in addition to being a sumptuous LE, it's a scarcely available work overall. However the volumes are very large, which may be off-putting for some with incommodious shelves or spouses.

Funny how the other day I was feeling silly for being such an accumulator and decided to take a break for a few months…now this is really tempting. I had decided not to get this set due to its size and cost.

Great price for these rainbow Shakespeare volumes. They appear to be in good condition as well. I'd jump on this if I hadn't just purchased all the Everyman's versions.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/313954520242?hash=item491925ccb2:g:R~wAAOSwliNiVg1U

>69 L.Bloom: Thanks for the heads up on this - I went for it, using the current 10% eBay discount code. Assuming the order goes through and they arrive safely, this will allow me to make my set more consistent. I already have the full set of 38, but my R&J is the earlier, slightly larger format (pre-slipcase, I believe), four more are currently lacking slipcases, and my Henry IV part 2 is the non-matching, cream-spined Folio Press (not Folio Society) edition. I can then sell on the duplicates to recoup some of the cost. Thanks again for this!

>70 CLWggg: Excellent news! I'm happy they are in the FSD family where they belong :)

>67 cronshaw: ..for want of the commentary volume this set is 'incomplete'

That fate should be so cruel to deprive an LE of its companion but also provide closure to another orphaned commentary after 12 years! Perhaps one day the two shall unite, never to be separated again.

Sorry to disturb sleeping dogs (no reference to anybody!) but these days I quite enjoy being on the pig trail, not knowing where I might end up or what I might find. Posts #7 to #23 from the above linked thread were especially funny as they continued to escalate from a seemingly harmless comment and snowballed until an abrupt end!
Not to mention unappointed class monitors, disposable nephews, spousal acrimony, smuggling, the delicate art of excuse-making, the works.. :)

>72 mr.philistine: Prod those hounds, they've overslept as it is. I love reading old FSD threads. They remind me of the good old days when you could buy a standard Folio for £25, enjoy generous joining and renewal offers, and - if you were fortunate enough to live locally or be visiting London - pop into the Members Room, where a cup of tea/Nurse A's Tincture of Enablement could refresh/disinhibit one after/before exhaustive browsing of the shelves and of the unspeakably Naughty Trolley, not to mention occasional archival and LE sales, and the distinguished Saturday morning salon!

>73 cronshaw: Those were indeed great adventurous and eventful days. The most stress I had back then was choosing my four renewal books or selecting a LE to buy. Now it seems that the most stress is fear of missing out because the second hand market will invite inflated prices and scalpers picking the low priced ones and relisting them for the higher price. I choose not to participate in that endeavour and to not let them have that satisfaction, in the hopes of that they might move on to scalp other things.

Another thing that I’ve realised is the loss of passionate debate that we used to have and there impart of knowledge of all things folio. That has also gone.

>74 ironjaw: I've only been collecting Folio Society books for a little over five years and they have certainly changed, and not for the better in my opinion. I truly wish I was part of the club years prior to be a part of their subscription plan.

I'll probably purchase the LOTR LE but this along with Joyce shows how much things have changed and clearly Folio maximizing profit - what makes anything limited now? Also, I haven't been thrilled about any Folio LE since Gargantua and Pantagruel and for the amount of money charged for mediocre limited editions it's hard to not look elsewhere. I truly miss the unique Queen Mary, Klemscott Chaucer, Night Thoughts etc, and it seems Folio's selections are getting more mainstream faster than I'd like. Another LOTR LE right before a show is as unoriginal as it gets.

Maybe I'm just too cheap for their standard editions but gosh have they become quite expensive especially now that the sales are unimpressive. I love Dostoevsky and Vonnegut but I don't think these editions by Folio are anywhere near the $70 price tag.

I do also miss the debates when looking at older posts.

>75 Joshbooks1: Joe Whitlock Blundell was responsible for most of those LEs

Excellent price on the 2-volume Decameron with special binding - full creme white leather with elaborate geometric gilt borders (see link) - by Michael Treloar in Australia, a reputable bookseller. Price is 300 AUD = 169 GBP = 222 USD. Slipcase appears to have light superficial water stains but is entirely intact. The books are in beautiful condition.

This is a no brainer as the slipcase is irrelevant. Link below.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/151317 Scroll down to post no. 21.

https://www.treloars.com/pages/books/122507/giovanni-boccaccio/the-decameron-of-...

>77 dlphcoracl:
Thank you for the link. Purchased, and as I am in Australia, only A$12 postage!

>78 wcarter:

My pleasure. Nice to see this beautiful set find a receptive FS home.

FWIW, I consider this set to be one of the most attractive of FS Special Bindings done from 1968-1989. The Complete Plays of Wm. Shakespeare (6 volumes) and Thomas Carlyle's 'The French Revolution (3 volumes) reign supreme but they are near impossible to find. Of the remaining 10 sets in Special Bindings, I consider The Decameron, The Chronicles of King Arthur (3 volumes) and The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night (4 volumes) to be especially attractive.

>79 dlphcoracl:

In the same spirit of FWIW, the blue-bound two volume War and Peace from that group of special bindings is the best of the FS's various offerings of that work, and should rank alongside your recommendations.

>80 affle: the blue-bound two volume War and Peace from that group of special bindings is the best of the FS's various offerings of that work

Agreed. It deserves a place as one of the better examples, and they are all very good. Still chasing the Shakespeare set.

>81 folio_books:

"Still chasing the Shakespeare set."

Good luck with that. If you find a white unicorn along the way, let me know :-) .

>80 affle:
>81 folio_books:

And speaking of the blue full leather FS War and Peace in the Special Binding.............

A set is being offered on the U.S. eBay for a VERY reasonable price ($235) but it is restricted to U.S. residents. It has three flaws which I consider to be minor:

1. The top of the spine in Vol. 2 is rubbed with loss of blue leather. However, this is an easy repair for a professional bookbinder.

2. The last ten pages of Vol. 2 have parallel indentations/impressions running parallel across the pages. Strangely, it looks as if this is something that occurred during FS production but it is certainly not a dealbreaker.

3. The covers have superficial scratches and a residue which appears to be from misapplication of leather preservative.

These flaws are well photographed. If you can live with these defects this is indeed an attractive set. I would bet that his seller will accept an offer of $200. If not, you can hold out for a better copy but it will cost about $200 more. Link below.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154914901962?hash=item2411a5cfca:g:cHwAAOSwM7NiPJQg

>82 dlphcoracl: If you find a white unicorn along the way, let me know

The odds are shorter on the unicorn, I believe. Though I did manage to land the almost-as-difficult Carlyle, thanks to a tip from >80 affle:.

>84 folio_books: In nearly a decade of looking, I have spotted only one Shakespeare set and three Carlyles. The Shakespeare set was listed for GBP 1750, and there was damage to the binding on one of the volumes. It still sold within a day. This was mid 2019, when interest in Folio Society books was much lower than it is today.

>85 teppi2:

With your fearsome reputation for finding the improbable I'm sure you'll let me know when you locate another one ;)

>79 dlphcoracl: I finally received the Decameron earlier this week to add to the other two special bindings I own, War and Peace and The Bible to be Read as Literature. It is just lovely to hold in hand with leather that is so soft to the touch. I picked up the LE for a good price previously and was content with that but since picking up my first special binding War and Peace and on the recommendations from others in the group I couldn’t help myself. It fully deserves all the plaudits this group gives it.

>85 teppi2:

At that sort of price I'd be inclined to look as well at the Nonesuch. But after you've found one for Glenn, you might think of me.

>87 assemblyman:

I suggest making the 3 volume set Chronicles of King Arthur your next FS Special Binding acquisition. In addition to the deep red full morocco bindings, it has matching Cockerell-style endpapers in black-red-tan and exceptional linocut illustrations by Edward Bawden. The front cover of each volume has one of Bawden's illustrations embossed in gilt within an embossed darker red oval frame as well. Truly beautiful.

>88 affle:

Although the prices may be similar, there is no comparison between the 6-volume FS Special Binding and the 7-volume Nonesuch Press edition of The Complete Shakespeare (1929-1933). The differences?

1. The Nonesuch is expertly printed letterpress by Walter Lewis at the Cambridge University Press.

2. The Nonesuch is printed on specially watermarked Pannekoek mouldmade paper, wonderful to the touch.

>89 dlphcoracl: and the first volume is signed by Bawden. A wonderful production but extremely hard to find without faded spines.

>91 ChampagneSVP:

Aye........ There's the rub (no pun intended). Unfortunately, red is the color most prone to sun-fading and finding this set without some element of faded spines is near impossible. The trick is to acquire a set is which this is minimal.

>89 dlphcoracl:

Sound advice. The set has another virtue - mine at any rate - of a quite bewitching smell, not quite like any of my other leather bound books, and still really strong after a good number of years.

>90 dlphcoracl:

Quite so, I was being a little opaque - I meant to imply that the FS set was much too dear if it was getting into the price range of the Nonesuch.

>90 dlphcoracl: It's perhaps also worth mentioning that the Nonesuch Shakespeare was one of the Grolier Club's "Century for a Century" top 100 editions of the 20th century.

>89 dlphcoracl: A stunning set and one I would definitely hope to have someday. I don’t see it come up too often and when it does the price (in the last while anyway) has been way out of my budget but I shall be patient :).

The Complete Shorter Fiction of Herman Melville, 2012
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284784254397

No connection to seller.

This Dutch bookstore has the 2013 lord of the rings set second hand for 150 euros. It's not cheap but it beats paying shipping and import taxes. I wish I'd seen that before I spend 200 on the old white set.

https://www.deslegte.com/lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring-the-two-to...

For fans of limited/special binding Folios, there's a set of the cream leather Decameron on eBay currently going for £81 with less than a day to go. Don't know the seller, but they have fully positive feedback.

>98 cronshaw:
That is an extraordinarily good price!
They are beautiful books that usually sell for £200+.

Considering it's up to £85 on the FS website now, £50 for Eagle Against the Sun doesn't seem too bad. No picture but described as near fine. No affiliation with the seller.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31176043024&searchurl=pn...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125299582361?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-12763...

If anyone's been looking for the scarce 2017 edition of A Room of One's Own, there's one for sale here - currently at an excellent price but I imagine it'll go for much more!

>98 cronshaw: It went for £120 in the end. The photos weren’t the clearest but it still seems like a pretty good price for it.

>102 assemblyman: Agreed! Someone's got themselves a reasonable bargain there if the set is indeed in very good condition.

>98 cronshaw: I won it for 83£ but decided to cancel my order. The total cost with shipping and taxes would be ~140 Euros which is not that little. And one of the covers has yellow spots all over. The spine ends also look a bit suspicious. I thought I will replace my other cream-leather Decameron set with this one and sell the former but it is not in fine condition, IMHO.

I guess the condition of the book is the reason there were only 3 bids (including mine) even though a fellow member posted about the book here.

P.S. Of course, it is a great deal for UK devotees.

>104 Lukas1990: Why did you even bid on it?

>105 What_What: The books looked OK on my phone.

Just noticed a copy of the Madame Bovary LE on eBay for $335 or best offer. Says it is unopened. Would be a good pick-up for an American buyer especially with no shipping. No connection with the seller.

>104 Lukas1990: sorry about that, it looked fine to me in the images I saw but I didn’t inspect very closely and the seller had described the set as fine I think

>108 cronshaw: It's OK, no need to apologise. :)

Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám 2012 (illustrator Niroot Puttapipat, quarter bound blue leather, crushed silk covers): https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185417930796

A seller in the UK (Robin Summers) has A Clockwork Orange at a fair price, but no photos up:

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31192379581&searchurl=bi%3...

They also have Kafka's Metamorphosis.

No connection to seller. I have never bought from them either.

This won't last long. Hope fully someone here that had it on the wish list spots it. 2014 War and Peace on Abebooks for £160. Described as a fine set in near fine slip-case but no pictures. No affiliation to the seller.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31194180632&searchurl=pn...

>112 assemblyman: Pictures have now been added. There appears to be some slight bending to the tops of the spines and a white scratch on the spine of volume 1, with scuffing to the slipcase. Personally, I think the books are more "near fine" than "fine", but maybe I'm being picky…

>113 CLWggg: That seller added a number of interesting books recently it seems. And fine really does seem an overly generous way to describe that set.

Not sure of this is a particularly good deal or not, but there is a "new sealed" copy of Love is Enough (Limited Edition) by William Morris for $850 at the online Rare Books Palm Springs Virtual Fair.

https://rarebooksla.getmansvirtual.com/rare-books-honolulu/love-is-enough-limite...

Though if it's new and sealed, I'm not sure where the photos came from or how they know which number it is. Still, it should at least be fine and unread. Appears to be the same edition the seller has listed on Abebooks, but this fair listing is $100 cheaper than the price there.

>115 Shadekeep: When packaged, all LEs have their limitation number pasted on a sticker on the outside of the box.

>116 What_What: Nice, thanks!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/314015604036

Decameron full leather for £100. Hope someone here grabs it, I think that’s a pretty good price.

>118 What_What: It sure looks similar to another Decameron that sold just 3 weeks ago, at least to my eye in looking at the stain pattern on the dirtier volume and also the small spot on the side of the slipcase. Not that it means anything if it is the same book, it's just odd to me.

>119 AMindForeverVoyaging: Not sure why ‘odd’ - If it even is the same volume, which is questionable, the original seller offered returns within 14 days. It may be the original buyer changed their mind upon receipt, but too late to return it so decided to list it themselves. Does everything have to be a conspiracy ?

>119 AMindForeverVoyaging: Assuming it's the same book, there is a large stain on the slipcase that the new seller has not mentioned.

An Illustrated Journey Round The World, 2007 reviewed https://www.librarything.com/topic/265910:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224999042756

The Call of the Wild, 2011:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/374096297668

Collected Ghost Stories of M.R. James, 2007:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384910065916

No connection to sellers.

Birds by Henry Jones on Ebay with £1 starting bid.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/325217929663?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-1547...

No connection to seller.

If inflation is taken into account, possibly the most expensive book ever published by the Folio Society.

Reviewed in Folio Archives at https://www.librarything.com/topic/299517#6642722

>123 wcarter: I had never seen a copy before, so thank you for your post.

The book appears to be signed by the Late Duke of Edinburgh, which if correct, is quite something.

>124 English-bookseller: Such books on e-bay are like buses, you wait ages for one to appear and then (as of now) three come along at once.
I believe the signature is a facsimile, it appears exactly the same in my copy as in others I have seen. No mention of the signature is made in Folio 50 and I suspect FS would have made a point of it if HRH had signed each copy individually.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E. Lawrence, 2000 starting at £14.99:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125354037721

>124 English-bookseller: & 125
I got a copy (286) about 3 years ago. AUD 300. Can confirm that Phil's signature is a facsimile

Thanks to those who replied with the confirmation that Philip's signature is in facsimile.

I note that the late Prince has in reputation been transformed from an irritable and touchy old man to a Much Missed National TREASURE.

I must admit to having always enjoyed his sharp wit, his independence of mind and his keen interest in so many different activities.

>128 English-bookseller: I must admit to having always enjoyed his sharp wit, his independence of mind and his keen interest in so many different activities.

I have also enjoyed watching videos of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921-2021).
Here are a few YouTube compilations of happier times:

- The Duke of Edinburgh's greatest gaffes caught on camera
- Prince Philip funny things
- Prince Philip: The dry wit of the Duke of Edinburgh on video
- Φ - Prince Philip moments

>128 English-bookseller: As he on 3 separate occasions in central london stopped his Land Rover & waved me across a pedestrian crossing then waved as he drove off - i can confirm he was indeed a national treasure compared to most drivers in london !

Bidding already at 10k with 20 hours left for Arion's Moby Dick.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/134141891230?_trkparms=ni_actn%3Anav%7Cni_nt%3AWATCH_IT...

>131 Joshbooks1: Why is it signed by Ray Bradbury?

>132 kdweber: Oh, that's hilarious. I sincerely hope it isn't a case of someone forging a signature to make an (already crazy valuable) edition more valuable, because that's a seriously bad mistake to make. Like "Monkey Christ" bad.

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/jun/24/monkey-christ-worst-art-rep...

>132 kdweber:

I remember that he did an introduction for 20 Thousand Leagues Under the Sea where he compared it to Moby Dick. Maybe he wrote an equivalent introduction for Moby Dick?

The seller has another book for sale with a sticker advertising a reception for Bradbury at the Arion Press on February 5th, 1979.

I suppose he was hanging out there and they grabbed whatever scrap paper they had around, and it happened to be MD.

Wonder if I can pick up 1984 signed by Margaret Atwood?

>136 Shadekeep: LOL

If I remember correctly, Ray Bradbury adapted and wrote the screenplay for the MD movie starring Gregory Peck. That’s probably the closest connection.

Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, 2018 William Morris facsimile, undated in the FS colophon; with a BIN price of £11.99 here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384962006894

Currently available from FS for £34.95.

>139 mr.philistine:

It's a lovely edition. Excellent bargain, if it hasn't gone already.

Shah of Shahs by Ryszard Kapuściński, 2019, slipcase has defect, but starting bid of £12 with more than 12 hours to go. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185465730140

Also available from FS for £49.95.

ETA: After >139 mr.philistine: and this, a 3rd consecutive Persian/ Iranian themed item might point to an omen of sorts ;)

Here's a very nice copy of the older Decameron with an intact dust jacket, which I think is uncommon:
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31232169112

Not sure if its a deal but 7 new & sealed Fairy books on the Oxfam site. £550 for a copy of the Orange Fairy book ?!?! What a ‘bargain’ (!)

>143 antinous_in_london: It is a bargain compared to what it usually sells for, which is $1,000 and over.

>144 What_What: Crazy ! Someone obviously agreed as it just sold !

>145 antinous_in_london: No kidding! You’re right.

The Bird Paintings of Henry Jones, 1976, Limited Edition 12/500.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325252582139?hash=item4bba908afb:g:zEoAAOSwuVJim1u8

Currently £10.50

>147 folio_books: Something tells me it won’t be anywhere near £10.50 by the time the bidding finishes :)

>148 assemblyman:

I'd be very surprised, too. The newer Folio fans may not be aware of its history so there's the outside chance of a bargain, I suppose.

>149 folio_books: This same book with the same seller was sold last month where the bidding finished at £255. Maybe the winning bidder backed out.

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/325217929663?hash=item4bb87fc9bf:g:zEoAAOSwuVJim1u8

I note the winning bidder on the earlier auction had a feedback score of 1. I wonder if it was a shill bidder to see what the highest market price was.

>150 assemblyman:
>151 InVitrio:

Sounds like there could be some monkey business going on?

It could simply be an inexperienced bidder losing control and then realizing they could not pay. Surprised though there's no reserve if it had been shill bidding.

I paid £150 for mine as a guideline with a slightly scuffed slipcase. If the book came out new I wouldn't be expecting it to be more than £300. The equivalent of over £2k is staggering; it's nice, but it's not that level of special.

The Brothers Karamazov 2008 edition on Abebooks for £55. Some slight scuffing to the slipcase seems to be the only issue with it.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31244710459&searchurl=pn...

>154 assemblyman: Thank you very much - I have been after the Brockway edition for some time, and it has proved elusive.

>155 red_guy: That's great. I was after it for a while myself until I picked one up a few months ago. It's a lovely edition.

I've purchased a sealed Epic of Gilgamesh. Does anyone know what it retailed for when it was first offered?

>157 Shadekeep: The 2011 prospectus says £29.95 on Page 50 of 68 (available on the FSD wiki)

>158 mr.philistine: Thanks! I didn't get a bargain then in terms of original asking price. But from my search I did still get a good deal in terms of current asking prices, especially for a sealed edition.

>155 red_guy: "I have been after the Brockway edition for some time, and it has proved elusive."

How about the Ogdenville and North Haverbrook editions?

>160 InVitrio: I haven't come across them myself, but from what I gather they seem perfectly cromulent ...

>161 red_guy: they are amazing versions it embiggens the smallest man and provides a noble spirit.

>147 folio_books: Thought I'll get away with a 100 GBP bid. Nooo way! Won't bid higher. Interesting how this auction will end. The book doesn't look as good as described.

The seller from >147 folio_books: appears to be offloading precious cargo!
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, 1971 LE of 2000, dark blue leather.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325271806952

>164 mr.philistine:

Oh, that's a lovely edition. Easily my favourite Folio War and Peace. I shall be keeping a close eye on it.

>164 mr.philistine:

I bought a very nice set of the special binding of Thousand nights and one night from this seller in a perfectly satisfactory transaction, about six years ago, and I notice the Henry Jones re-listing went for about the same as the original auction, so I don't see any obvious reason for suspicion of this latest offering - I expect it'll reach the market price before it's done.

>165 folio_books:

I have a mild preference for the slightly lighter blue leather version, but either way it's the one to have.

>167 affle:

That first War and Peace LE seemed to come in a range of shades of blue. Mine is a smidge lighter than the one on eBay. I think whatever shade you get you're not going to part with it because the leather is just so damn gorgeous - it has a wonderful aroma and you can just about sink your fingers into it.

Folio Press Fine Edition of Lays of Ancient Rome, by Thomas Babington Macaulay on AbeBooks from a UK seller for £22.50 in fine condition.
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31252859251&searchurl=kn...

(No connection with seller)

>169 Hrodberht:

And it's gone.

>164 mr.philistine: >165 folio_books: Finished at £255.

>171 assemblyman:

I think that's at least a fair price, bordering on bargain territory. Congratulations to the new owner, wherever they may be.

I also bid on it, but stopped at a lower point at which I would’ve been happy; plus I prefer the lighter blue, over this navy.

LOTR LE 2022 (nuff said!), < 24h to go and current bid at £102
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155091316441

Whole collection for sale in NSW Australia.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/175363459503?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-1547...

Pick up only! (No connection to seller)

A seller on Abebooks has a number of LEs for sale which seem to be going for good prices though they are all listed as ‘Good’ with no photos. No defects or damage listed but contacting seller may be necessary for clarification and photos. The Duke’s Children Full Leather £259, The Three Musketeers £309 and the Count of Monte Cristo £409. No affiliation with seller.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31259855292&cm_sp=snippe...

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31259850757&cm_sp=snippe...

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31259848772&cm_sp=snippe...

>176 assemblyman:

Duke's Children and Count of Monte Cristo gone already.

>177 folio_books: That unsurprisingly didn’t take long though hopefully the condition is actually better than just ‘good’ for whoever bought them. All the LEs were described as such like a default description which makes me think that they probably would be.

>178 assemblyman:

I think anyone with experience of buying Folio LEs on the secondary market knows to seek a detailed description of condition before committing a large amount of money. If you don't know that you'll learn it very quickly.

I agree as I advised in my original post, but I would still imagine that there are experienced LE buyers out there who would still take a chance depending on the rarity and price. The Monte Cristo can easily go for over a £1000 these days.

There’s also one for a reasonable amount currently on eBay. Not mine. It’s an auction, but you never know.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/394174185546

>180 assemblyman:
That’s astonishing! I for one would much rather spend half of that on the Limited Editions Club version from 1941, letterpress printed in four volumes, though hard to find in Like New condition, of course! But I suppose if one collects Folio Society books only…

The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, 2012; slipcase appears heavily scuffed, current bid at £17.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265791438647

Here is a signed, crushed and handwritten note from Peter Forster dated 1984; but listed as a Folio Society collectible.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/304581371095

The note reads thus:

Dear Mr. Pearce -
Thank you for buying
a copy of BritishWorthies:
Lewis Carroll. Usually I
only inscribe APS but as
I cannot supply an Xmas
card I make an exception
in heir lieu.
Yours sincerely
PETER FORSTER 1.4.84

For some time, I read that as 'British hommies'! But the Wikipedia page on Peter Forster mentions 'a series of colour prints entitled A New Temple of British Worthies...'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Forster_(wood_engraver)#:~:text=A%20New%20Temple%20of%20British%20Worthies

FS memorial for Peter Forster (1934–2021) by Joe Whitlock Blundell here:
https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/blog/the-folio-life-an-obituary-for-peter-forste...

I cannot find any mention of this work in the index of FS books, can anyone shed some light?

>184 mr.philistine: “an exception in heir”

I believe that may be “an exception in lieu”.

>185 PeterFitzGerald: Thank you, corrected.

>184 mr.philistine:
I doubt that this has anything to do with the Folio Society.

>184 mr.philistine: this is an example of keywords being used to drive traffic to the listing. Those who are interested in FS maybe be interested in Forster since he did work for them so the seller used the keywords in the title but the seller doesn’t seem to state or imply that this is a “Folio Society collectible”.

>188 ChampagneSVP: That's called "keyword spamming", which Ebay allegedly doesn't allow but they also don't seem to do anything to stop. I see lots of listings mentioning brands that have nothing to do with the item up for sale.

>188 ChampagneSVP: Those who are interested in FS maybe be interested in Forster... the seller doesn’t seem to state or imply that this is a “Folio Society collectible”.

While the seller does not explicitly state it, I believe the former implies the latter. If a party is interested enough to buy it, I see no reason other than collecting. Much like a listing for a book does not have to state 'book' or 'hardback', a photo or description is self-explanatory.

>189 coynedj: Another famous example of keyword spamming is 'like Folio Society'.

Is this a good deal, or do these come around in this range pretty regularly?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155104599122?hash=item241cf45c52:g:Q5oAAOSw6gJi67s8

>191 Shadekeep:
A few years ago they were going for £50ish with patience I seem to recall. I got an unnumbered FS LE for under 100, I think. Demand has clearly risen.

Edit: There’s what looks like a VG copy of the LE available for not much more than that (admittedly mint!) SE on eBay…

>192 GusLogan: Thanks!

>191 Shadekeep:
I would strongly suspect that this copy is resealed and not in original plastic wrap.

>194 wcarter: I suspect as much as well.

Niroot Puttapipat illustrated Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Persuasion by Jane Austen, 2006-7, slipcases with marks: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265871533784

Leaves of Grass, 2009, marks to slipcase: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385104511086

>196 mr.philistine:

I already have them, but those Austens are a great deal unless the bidding goes a lot higher in just 10 hours.

>197 SF-72: I agree. At pity FS never finished the set.

>197 SF-72: Indeed, given that Niroot's artwork graces the more expensive FS titles on the used books market viz. The Red Fairy Book, Myths and Legends of Russia, Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám (LE & Fine editions) and Just So Stories (LE).

>198 assemblyman:

Yes, that was a real shame. At least Sense and Sensibility got an edition with Niroot Puttapipat's illustrations, but the publisher didn't continue with the planned anniversary editions.

>200 SF-72: yep, I love my editions. They weren't very popular at the time, and I heard the artist didn't like their work for them? But they're great reading editions, and like the Nonesuch Dickens (Burgundy), really evoke the era and vibe.

Cream-leather Decameron, recently reviewed by wcarter. Starting bid - 99£. No affiliation.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265882477263?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-...

>201 Jeremy53:

Yes, I read the same, though I wouldn't agree with the artist. I think the illustrations fit the books really well.

I don't think the illustrations work- as if Arthur Rackham had eaten a whole tin of Quality Street.

>204 red_guy: as if Arthur Rackham had eaten a whole tin of Quality Street.

Ha ha! Exactly. I do like his illustrations normally, but I think he was the wrong choice for Austen.

I know it could be an expensive day for some here but there is a 2014 Treasure Island on Abebooks for £50. No connection with the seller.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31299777549&searchurl=pn...

The Complete Novels of Mrs Ann Radcliffe. "Very good". Slipcase looks a bit faded. Currently 1 bid @ £4.99, ends Thursday. British Heart Foundation.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/374256193472?hash=item5723684fc0:g:5ewAAOSwbDNjI5md&a...

Item Condition :

Books are in Very Good condition.

>207 folio_books: I have this set and treasure it. Classic FS!

>208 RRCBS:

Yup, me too. It's a great set. I imagine with gothic horror apparently all the rage this will sell with no difficulty.

>208 RRCBS:
I treasured it too until I started to read it. Looks good on the shelf, though.

>210 Jayked: I read them all and enjoyed them. But I’ve always had an interest in literature and social history from that period and found them both interesting from that perspective even though I would def not call them great literature.

>204 red_guy: red_guy: as if Arthur Rackham had eaten a whole tin of Quality Street.

That's really funny - thanks for the laugh!

Despite that, I just like their highly stylised vibe. Seems to work with JA's beautiful meticulous prose. But I totally understand that for many it doesn't match.

I'm currently looking at a good eBay deal on Steinbeck's Travels with Charley, an edition which I've always struggled to like the illustrations of - not sure who did them. Steinbeck is a fave of mine and I love this book, but can never quite pull the trigger on buying this edition...

I think the weird thing about the Puttapipat illustrations is that they look like a 1920s vision of the 1820s. He is clearly technically accopmpished and the best of Folio's clutch of illustrators who pastiche the gift books of the 1900s, but they just don't seem right here. Joan Hassall is a hard act to follow, but I think the newer chick-lit edition works better than the Puttapitpat, and I can see why they didn't complete it.

I've got Travels With Charley, and the illustrations are by John Holder and OK I suppose. He's good on the trucks, buildings etc, but the people seem a bit wooden to me. It's a really nicely produced book though, and I'd get it if it's a good price - in fact I did!

>213 red_guy: While I would not say the Puttapipat illustrations were perfect for Austen there is still something about them that I really like and those editions are still my go to reading copies for those titles. I also really like the binding with the wallpaper style Modigliani paper sides which is lovely to hold when reading. I don't think all the current crop of Austen illustrations work, Persuasion would be the main one there I dislike.

>202 Lukas1990:
Thanks for this: I bid and won, and it arrived this morning. It is just as everyone says and Warwick described.

>215 ranbarnes:

I congratulate you on a fine bargain - good prices like that seem to be increasingly rare.

>215 ranbarnes:
>216 affle:

I second those congratulations. It's a lovely set.

>214 assemblyman: I don't mind the newer illustrations, it's more the cover style & typography that grates for me. Still, it looks to have been a worthwhile approach to a new Austen edition for Folio, treating it as current literature with fresh illustrations and starry introductions. Such a shame that they have omitted the Shorter Works though, Lady Susan alone is worth the price of admission as well as showing Austen's development as a writer.

But it's Joan Hassall all the way for me. Pretty paper sides, letterpress and all those illustrations. Plus, it was my first Folio back in 1975-ish, a joining offer from the back of the Radio Times, nestled between Franklin Mint Collectable Thimbles and solicitations from the Distressed Gentlefolk's Aid Association. Who needs Facebook and Twitter?

>218 red_guy: The Shorter Works was a strange omission since they have published it previously and the current set are such good sellers.

>215 ranbarnes: Nice! That's a lovely set for a good price. I own it too. Strange there weren't more bidders. I bought the Classical World from the same seller. Still stuck at customs.

Frankenstein 2004 edition: £50.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31309525444&searchurl=pn...

Usual disclaimers.

>207 folio_books: Thank you for highlighting this - won the auction and there's a space on the shelf next to the Horrid Novels waiting for them :-)

>222 IainFyfe:

You're welcome! I'm very glad they're going to a Devotee. Shelved alongside The Horrid Novels is the best place for them.

>222 IainFyfe: With this seller, I would recommend contacting them before they post the books to confirm that they will be wrapped properly. I bought a collection of several heavy FS books off them a year or so ago, and they just put some bubblewrap around the books and finished off with brown paper. Needless to say, the books (and the slipcases) did not arrive in the same condition shown in the photos.

>224 TheEconomist: Thanks - shipping was very fast, and the books arrived safely in a box the next day. As folio_books spotted, the slipcase is very badly sunned, but otherwise good, and the books themselves are in excellent condition.

2013 Beowulf for £69.17 on Abebooks described as near fine with no photos. No connection to seller.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31315949387&cm_sp=snippe...

>226 assemblyman:

As I suspected, it's gone - far too tempting a price to last.

>227 folio_books: Yes I checked back a little while after I put up the post. A very good deal if as described. I might of went for it myself but I finally picked one up on eBay last week and it’s due tomorrow. It cost a wee bit more than this one though.

>228 assemblyman:

It's a lovely book and I know you won't be disappointed. I thought this one would be cheap at at least twice the price they were looking for.

>229 folio_books: It arrived today and was definitely worth the wait.

All You can read Mrs Radcliffe buffet - only £80

www.shorturl.at/ensX5

Jane Austen's Works, 7-volume, 1975 reset OR 1978 (2nd imp.) with multicoloured covers, wood-engravings by Joan Hassall: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185601299631

Some photos and discussion on this thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/187900#7894415

This set is one of several 'preferred editions' among subsequent reprints.
https://www.librarything.com/topic/329856

The Diary of Samuel Pepys LE for £450. Described as new and complete with photos. No connection to the seller.

https://www.francisedwards.co.uk/stock_detail.php?id=280507&utm_source=viali...

>233 assemblyman: Many thanks for this, it is a beautiful set and has been high on my wishlist. I have sent the sellers an enquiry.

>234 JudeCopperfield: No problem. It's a lovely set.

>234 JudeCopperfield:

It IS a beautiful set. You may wish to enquire if the photo in the listing is of the actual set you will receive. The sellers are reputable so you may rely on what they tell you. The "custom-made" oak rack was known to be too small in a number of cases resulting in the owners having to leave one book out to accommodate the others. Ludicrous, but it happened. I made sure to acquire mine in slipcases rather than the rack.

>236 folio_books:
Yes, Glenn, but slipcase sets are higher numbered, and after a point - in the 700s, I think - the marbling is less good; yours will be in the sweet spot, I have no doubt. I have a tight case set, and just set the case aside, the books looking good on the shelf.

>234 JudeCopperfield:
That's a good price if the condition is good enough. I bought a couple of books in the summer from this seller, over the counter in Hay, and so was able directly to compare them with the online descriptions, which were just a little optimistic. That's going to be the case here, of course, calling them new - they are all but 20 years old. The set looks quite a bargain, though.

>234 JudeCopperfield: Congratulations, that's a bargain!

Dear all,

Thank you kindly for your advice. I just got off the phone with the manager and the order has been placed!

I did make use of the very helpful LT thread on Pepys' Diaries and confirmed the limitation number, Ann Muir marbling, oak case and general condition. All seems fine but will update once the order is received. As to the oak case, I am also in favour of the slipcased version due to space issue, but considering the price and rarity, I am still very happy to end up with this set.

>237 affle: Yes, Glenn, but slipcase sets are higher numbered, and after a point - in the 700s, I think - the marbling is less good; yours will be in the sweet spot, I have no doubt.

Oh, indeed, Alan. I did my research and have no. 634. I didn't want to overload the newbie with too much information but it is a surprisingly complex topic. Between all of us I think he's in possession of all the relevant advice. Hopefully he'll receive a set to be proud of.

>239 JudeCopperfield: the order has been placed!

Well done! That was quick. It took me several months to locate the "right" set once I'd decided to go for it.

>240 folio_books: Thanks to this site, I have been aware of this set and what to look out for for a couple years now, so decision was easy given the right conditions and price.

As affle said, the seller may be optimistic with their description considering the set's age, so I will temper my expectations until I see the it in person.

>241 JudeCopperfield: The listing did mention there was some marking to the spine of volume 5 - so it’s hard to know how optimistic they were being until you see it.

I know this thread is about good deals on FS books but this looks to my untrained eye like the opposite, unless someone knows different.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1172375341/his-dark-materials-by-philip-pullman

His Dark Materials for just short of £382 and it's a fifth printing (2021) despite the seller listing a highlight as "vintage from before 2000". FS have it on their site at £175 so this seems a better deal by far?

>243 DaveGLeeds: It's also significantly higher than the US price for the set ($240.00). Pretty much an anti-deal.

>243 DaveGLeeds: we have a thread for such gems: https://www.librarything.com/topic/331825

I received The Diary of Samuel Pepys this morning. I'm very chuffed with the set. Surprisingly, the set is in pristine condition aside from the very faint rubbing on v.5 which was noted in the description. To be honest, at the price and somewhat optimistic description, I was hesitant but alas I find their description accurate.

The books are smaller than expected, which makes for excellent reading copies. The leather spines, and especially marbled boards, are gorgeous. The oakcase itself is nothing special, though the books aren't difficult to remove from the case like some reported.

I would also like to recommend the seller, Francis Edwards. The despatch was prompt and the books were all packaged securely. They were very quick and courteous in their replies and the manager kindly suggested an audiobook to go along with the reading. Overall, I was very happy with the transaction.

Thank you all, especially assemblyman, for the enablement and information. Now onto the enviable task of exploring Pepys' wit in this lovely set!

>246 JudeCopperfield: I’m delighted for you. A very lovely set which I would have been very tempted myself if I had the funds. The consolation for me is that someone else from this forum got to take advantage.

>246 JudeCopperfield: Congrats! This set is still on my list, maybe next year!

>247 assemblyman: I will certainly cherish it. I will keep an eye out and let you know should I ever see it on sale :)

I can most certainly likewise recommend the lovely staff at Francis Edwards, the only detraction being a sad deficit of packaging causing the crumpling of the front corner to a limited edition's naked hardcover that I cannot forget exists.

Just bought the 1997 Doctor Zhivago on eBay - $59 AUD inc postage, which isn’t a total bargain, but kind of is, if you know what I mean. Looking forward to it arriving in the mail.

Also bidding on FMF’s The Good Soldier - but am probs at highest bid. Like the edition from a distance, but don’t *desire* it - but happy to be enabled…

Ovid's Metamorphoses LE for 199£ (starting bid) looks like a good deal. Not sure about the condition of the book but it looks OK from the few pictures.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115562246784?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-...

A pair of Letterpress Shakespeare volumes, each listed with low starting bids:

Love's Labour's Lost

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115585916369

Sonnets and Poems

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115585928473

The Sonnets volume has already been bid up a bit, though it still seems like a deal.

A seller in UK (David Ford Books) has just posted some good deals on ABE. No photos though.

Lord Byron, Gormenghast, Gulag Archipelago, Slaughterhouse, Narnia etc...

I've never bought from him before and have no connection.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, 2009 - still unclaimed at opening bid of £11.95
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165762314628

Motley and Other Poems, 1991 - a Folio Press Fine Edition currently spoken for at £4.99; clear acetate wrapper torn with white sticker residue OR scuffing resulting in defaced back cover.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403974816034

Trollope Duke's Children LE for only £149.99!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394332685284?hash=item5bd00f43e4%3Ag%3AfIEAAOSwLlVjcP...

>256 red_guy: I’m guessing they downgraded later numbers in the edition as my copy in the 200’s was in a cloth-covered, gold stamped solander box but this one which is numbered 1766 is just in a plain green cardboard slipcase?

>257 antinous_in_london: No, there were always two different versions of the LE. The cheaper one came in the slipcase while the more expensive one came in a solander box and had hand marbled edges on the text block.

>257 antinous_in_london: The limitation was for 1980, and was half leather, which could be upgraded to full leather as an extra. The full leather does not have a separate limitation number. As ever, the wiki tells all and has the brochures ...

I think £149.99 is quite the bargain. And it has raised bands!

>259 red_guy:
I kind of agree, but I also find it very easy to resist, having read the synopsis. Maybe once I’m out of eventful Dickens novels…

>258 kdweber: Thought it must just be the box/slipcase - they don't show the text block in the photos so i didn't realise the slipcase version also lost the hand-marbled page edges.

>260 GusLogan: Oh yes, you need to be a Trollope fan, and preferably have read the other five Palliser novels beforehand. Even better if you have read the original version of The Duke's Children. The glory of this edition was that the original text had been restored, adding an extra quarter to the length of the book, it having to be heavily abridged to fit the demands of monthly publication. A real scoop for Folio to be the first to publish it as well. It would be interesting to find out how many copies were upgraded, but I suppose we will never know as it was done on an ad hoc basis.

>262 red_guy:

The special binding was 480 copies out of the 1980.

>263 folio_books: Ah! Thank you. Was this the last time that Folio offered a choice of bindings on this sort of basis?

>264 red_guy:

The last that I can recall, yes.

The whole 20 volume set of Patrick O’Brian is available for £1250 on Oxfam UK

https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/folio-society-patrick-obrian-aubrey-maturin-seri...

The is is a great deal for someone looking for the whole set. See told you that patience can lead to opportunities.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165806527931?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-12763...

History of Birds for 50 GBP with offers accepted and free shipping within UK seems like decent price.

Review below,
https://www.librarything.com/topic/339121

>267 bacchus.: That is a good deal for someone local. The US shipping almost doubles the cost, unfortunately. Good luck to whoever gets it, seems nice!

>267 bacchus.:

It's a fantastic price. There are Devotees who might argue it's worth 2 or 3 or 4 times the price being asked (Andrew?). Whatever it goes for, £50 is a steal. It's a magnificent set, fully bound in very nice leather, not the cheap stuff Folio occasionally descend to.

See Warwick's review referred to above:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/339121

>267 bacchus.:

Thank you, I have ordered it.

>269 folio_books: It's not fully bound in leather, is it? Looks like some pretty nice marbled boards.

>271 What_What:

Oh dear. This is what happens when I rely on my memory. You are right, of course. Apologies. Quarter leather (my previous comment about the quality of the leather stands) and marbled paper boards. Still worth multiples of the price asked, imo.

>272 folio_books: No apologies needed! I'm sure the new owner will be quite happy, and the photos in the listing showed the binding. Quite the deal.

>269 folio_books:

'There are Devotees who might argue it's worth 2 or 3 or 4 times the price being asked (Andrew?).'

I suspect you're thinking of someone else, Glenn, although I did revisit Warwick's review and it looks like a lovely set. I'm not sure how high I would go for it, to be honest.

>269 folio_books: I think this was a very good price, but it is available elsewhere at £80 and at £90

>274 Cat_of_Ulthar: I suspect you're thinking of someone else

I was - the other Andrew! Andrew the ornithologist :) He doesn't seem to be around at the moment.

I thought everyone had heard about British Birds?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSlB4eznXoA

Four Gospels LE. Current bid - 140£. It has already been relisted once and nobody bought it. A chance to get it for a really good price. No affiliation. Wish I hadn't bought mine for 200£ :D

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225278917758

>278 Lukas1990: Based on the fine print, that seller isn't able to ship to the U.S. for whatever reason.

>279 jillmwo: Try sending a message to the seller, maybe.

Due to some shipping fiascos, I have a second copy of Folio Society’s Montaillou, tragically sans slipcase. For obvious reasons I don’t need it, so if anyone wants it I’d be happy to send it your way in exchange for shipping costs.

This looks like a decent deal (99 GBP with offers enabled) on The Canterbury Tales in three volumes (1986). My personal favorite edition. Original and translated text on facing pages. Paper has nice texture.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275549167202

No relation to seller.

>282 abysswalker: The Canterbury Tales in three volumes (1986). My personal favorite edition.

Mine, too. Decent price.

>282 abysswalker:
Thanks. On my wish list for a long time. Purchased!

>282 abysswalker: The photos don't seem to match the description. The colophon appears to be an unwritten unstated later impression (compare lines against colophon pictured on Books and Vines review linked below). Also, gold fleurons on covers, black spine labels, blue slipcase, *The* Folio Society on heel of spine, elaborate/ larger flowers denoting volume numbers on spines and burgundy leather (bonded?) are some identifiers of a 1986 first print.

These posts also explain differences between the 1986 first print and subsequent impressions/ reprints:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/227313#5670730
https://www.librarything.com/topic/71258#6850275

B&V review of 1986 first edition: https://booksandvines.com/2012/07/25/the-canterbury-tales-by-geoffrey-chaucer-th...

I suppose I was lucky to get my copy a few years back for about £25 including shipping.

Pensées, 2011 for £25.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/374452082072

Oxfam UK has a good price on 100 Years Of Solitude. Not sure if they're shipping internationally on this one or not.

https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/one-hundred-years-of-solitude-folio-society-edit...

Lacks slip case but in otherwise excellent condition.

Don't know if this is of any interest but Dominic Winter have an auction toward the end of Jan and it looks like 1 lot at least is Folio Society.

It's 25th Jan 2023 and it's Lot 417

https://www.dominicwinter.co.uk/Auction/Details/jan23-early-printed-books-englis...

The few titles mentioned don't hold much interest for me but perhaps someone else is interested?

They've added photos of all the volumes now

https://www.dominicwinter.co.uk/Auction/Lot/lot-417---folio-society-57-volumes/?...

The Decameron 2 volume set – cream leather special edition £112.50

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30645086699&searchurl=pn...

No connection to seller.

The Habsburgs, 2004 for £9.30
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/374478421977

A set of the Bronte novels in green silk for £120. The miracle is that the silk is in perfect condition with no sunning whatsoever - they must have spent their lives in a dark cupboard!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/304785916527?hash=item46f6a8026f%3Ag%3AkuoAAOSwt2Ji%7...

Cream-leather Decameron. Not a flawless copy but still... Two days left to bid. Current bid 20£. No affiliation.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/125768572203

The First World War (2v.), 2011 for for £31
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/374528867462

The Book of Psalms, 2017 for £32.49
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/314506792624

The Wonderful Year 1603, 1989 (a Folio Press Fine Edition reviewed here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/281118); ex-libris plate to the f.e.p., starting bid at £12.50
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125856339165

2 more FS books for me from a not-so-local Oxfam shop

A short history of Time by Strevens - £4.99
Our Village by Mary Mitford - £8.99

Both have slightly worn slipcases - which seems to be the norm for my charity shop purchases - but the books are in great condition.

I do wish shops would find a different method of pricing these books instead of putting a sticker on the slipcase, which tends to leave a mark. Still, better than putting a sticker on the book itself I suppose

Care for a trip to Western Australia?

Full Aubrey-M series: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/115792221541?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-1547...

>296 Jeremy53: Over Mandurah, and loving it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8kFoLNry6A

>296 Jeremy53: Now that's a bargain!

Not a bad price for a sealed Karamzov Bros. from Mullen books:

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31487598583&cm_sp=det-_-bs...

There are no photos and I have never bought from this seller - no connection (and only 2 stars on ABE).

Letterpress Othello:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195778396506?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-12763...

>300 smk009:. Unnumbered, without the commentary and without the original solander box. Not sure this is a good deal?

The splendid limited edition/special binding in full red leather of Folio's The Book of the Thousand and One Arabian Nights in four volumes doesn't appear very often, but is offered for auction on Ebay here at a current steal. It appears to be in very good condition; the charity that's selling it is usually quite conservative with its condition appraisals.

>302 cronshaw:

Wow. That's ridiculously cheap. I endorse your comments about British Heart Foundation.

>303 folio_books: It’s not cheap - it’s an auction. We'll have to wait until it’s done to decide whether it’s cheap or not.

>304 What_What:

Over twenty years on eBay, you'd think I would've known that ...

I'll rephrase. That's a ridiculously low starting bid.

>305 folio_books: I would have been happy to snap it up for 20 pounds!

17 sealed editions of the Patrick O’Brian set going for £200 on eBay. No connection with the seller.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125967512384?hash=item1d543fb340:g:z1QAAOSwBVNkgNfV&a...

>307 assemblyman: good spot; between the time that I saw your post and the time I went to buy, it had gone 😭

>308 IainFyfe: I’m sorry to hear that. It looked like too good a deal to last long.

I think it might have been a wrong listing. There was a very similar offer, if not the same, just with £2000 as the price tag…

>310 woodstock8786: Well it’s logged as sold rather than ended so I assume the purchase went through. Any offers on eBay that were in error and withdrawn are usually marked as ended. But I could be wrong.

>311 assemblyman: I assumed there was some error , as it was originally listed as ‘3 available’ & shows as 1 of the 3 sold - the other 2 have mysteriously vanished. It seems unlikely that they originally had three 17 volume sets for sale - maybe they intended to split the 17 into 3 lots & messed up the listing (?)

>312 antinous_in_london: I didn’t see that originally but after checking the listing again I see it now in the About this Item section. The only description listed in the main description area was ‘Folio Society Patrick O Brian. Brand new in cellophane wrapping’. It was a major price drop from other similar listings. If it was an error it will probably pop up again with an adjusted listing.

Oxfam online shop has The Silver Sword at £4.99. It's not under the Folio Soc. tab, so one needs to search for it by name. P&P £3.95 but that is a flat rate and there are some other volumes recently added that aren't as pricey as Oxfam can be, (again not under the FS tab).

I wouldn't go so far as to call this a good deal, but there are crazier prices out there, so if anyone's interested in the standard edition of Mort:

https://cheltenhamrarebooks.co.uk/products/pratchett-terry-mort?utm_campaign=new...

edited to correct the edition, it's not the limited one

>315 SF-72: Not the limited edition though.

>315 SF-72: It’s the regular standard edition.

>316 bacchus.:

>317 What_What:

Thank you, you're quite correct. I changed my post accordingly.

>318 SF-72: At a quick glance and with that kinda pricing, easy mistake to make!

Reasonable deal on Origins of Totalitarianism for the UK folks on Oxfam: https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/the-origins-of-totalitarianism-2-vol-box-set-fol.... Seems to be just a little bit of scuffing on the spine.

Four Gospels in like new condition for 99 Australian dollars. Best offer available. The seller looks like a new one though.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225634483267

Some decent BIN prices listed here below...

Raid on the Treasure Trains by Sir Francis Drake, 1954 (with DJ) for £7.60 and reviewed here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/308245
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115846363074

The Anglo-Saxon Elegies, 1988 (an FPFE!) for £22.99
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/354880869132

Pathfinders of the American West, 2000 for £24
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385719146032

No connection to sellers.

News from Nowhere going for €25 on Etsy. A steal at that price. No connection to the seller.

https://www.etsy.com/ie/listing/1519788731/william-morris-news-from-nowhere-utop...

>323 assemblyman:

Unsurprisingly, sold. Enormous bargain for someone.

>324 folio_books: Yes unsurprisingly. I have it so I was not interested but it was a fantastic bargain for whoever got it.

Not an amazing deal but a bit cheaper than usual. War an Peace 2014 going for £225 on Oxfam website.

https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/war-peace-2-volumes-in-slip-case-folio-society/p...

A seller from the UK, Garden City Books, has some good prices on ABE:

Fear and Trembling
Goblin Market
Western Philosophy
Science Fiction Anthology (one of my favourite FS productions)

No connection and have never bought from them before. Do your own due diligence.

I am looking for the easton press editions of the landmark herodotus and Thucydides.

>329 MrLuck: You again from here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/221252#7809846

>328 PartTimeBookAddict: Thanks - I went for the Science Fiction Anthology, seemed like a decent price.

>331 Tamachan00: Nice! It looks like someone picked up the other books as well. I hope the seller is good and it's in nice condition for you.

I love the futuristic art deco binding design. I wish the FS would make it a series: vol. 2 etc...
I'm due for a reread as I've been on a Sci-Fi kick lately with some Simak, Silverberg and Delany.

Enjoy!

Oxfam has a copy of The Greatest Benefit to Mankind for £49.99

https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/the-greatest-benefit-to-mankind-by-roy-porter-fo...

Not mind-blowing, but seems like a decent deal for someone who wants it.

I managed to snag the Olive Fairy Book for an objectively reasonable price from a small bookseller and I'm feeling blessed. I don't think I'll ever own all of the Fairy Books because it's hard to find any "deals" and I started trying to acquire some of them too late. But, they're each to be treasured for what they are. I'd love if FS reprinted all of them, even if the couple I own would get devalued, so I and many others can enjoy them.

>334 icewindraider: Kudos! I've considered going down this route myself, but fear my completionist compulsion would lead me to trying to finish the run at any price. Better that I don't even open the door. But I too would love to see FS bring this series back into print, even if they had to make some changes in order that the extant editions don't lose value. (For example, bringing out the new run in blocked paper covers or some such.)

>328 PartTimeBookAddict: Thank you, I just received the Fear and Trembling and Goblin Market, lovely books!

>336 imkdir: Nice. I have the FS copy of Goblin Market. It's wonderful.

There are several FS Letterpress Shakespeare books for sale on Ebay for BIN £195.

>338 wcarter: Argh, they have the Othello. So tempted, but then it will send me down this rabbithole of seeking more...

>339 Shadekeep:

Yep I am sorely tempted by "King Lear" from the same seller. I have seven of the unnumbered volumes but rather fancy at least one real one.

BTW Did you spot the unnumbered Othello starting at £60 and in a custom box!

>340 RogerBlake: No, I missed that one! Probably because I'm on the US site. Looks like it may not ship to the States. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Othello seems to have sold. Saved me from myself. ^_^

Complete Patrick O'Brian 20 volume set starting at only £849 looks good value. No bids yet!

>341 Shadekeep: Meanwhile, the aforementioned Othello seems to have sold.

As has the "King Lear" :-( Never mind I didn't really have any shelf space for it anyway!

It's quite a turnaround. A few years ago some of these Letterpress editions were going for under £100; you could barely give a copy of Hamlet or Othello away! It seems like we've passed the market bottom.

>339 Shadekeep: We’ll stated! I purchased both the “King Lear” and “Twelfth Night” from this seller; purchased the “Othello” from another seller (a little nervous about that one). Now the search is on for copies of the plays I read as part of my high school curriculum:

“Merchant of Venice”
“Othello” (check)
“Hamlet”
“Macbeth”

I’m going to add a History or two, “Sonnets” and two or three Tragedies/Comedies; stopping at twelve total.

(I acquired a nice complete LEC set two years ago; beautiful editions and a pleasure to read.)

Rabbit hole indeed.

I think this is a decent price for the Anglo-Saxon Elegies. No affiliation with the seller.

https://www.abebooks.de/erstausgabe/ANGLO-SAXON-ELEGIES-ANONYMOUS-translated-CRO...

>346 SF-72: A few more fine press editions to add to yours on the Oxfam site if anyone U.K. based is interested.

Lays of Ancient Rome £50
https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/lays-of-ancient-rome-folio-society-1988/product/...

On the Morning of Christ's Nativity £40
https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/on-the-morning-of-christs-nativity-folio-society...

Dorset Poems £25
https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/dorset-poems-william-barnes-folio-society-1989/p...

>338 wcarter:
Ohhh wow. I only found one Orthello for 400£ and 7 for 900£ 🫠

Those Leather single editions are far superior to the new version in my humble opinion.

And it has deckled edges+ letterpress printed

>346 SF-72: All sold.

>349 assemblyman:

Great. I hope someone here got it / them.

It took me quite a while to find Anglo-Saxon Elegies at a decent price (being in Germany and unable to buy with shipping here from Abebooks unless sellers are in the EU didn't help), and I noticed this offer because I still had the search active on Abebooks. My own copy is without the original acetate wrapper, but still beautiful.

>350 SF-72: Yes, It's one of the harder ones to get at a decent price. I was looking quite a while before I got mine. I have all of them now except the elusive Woman in White with a handful of them without the original wrappers which I intend to replace with Mylar covers.

Good price on Oxfam for the newer edition of Brave New World: https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/brave-new-world-folio-society-book/product/HD_30...

>350 SF-72: 'I hope someone here got it / them.'

Somebody here did, three of them anyway. Purr :-)

Thanks to >347 assemblyman: for the pointer.

>353 Cat_of_Ulthar:

Wonderful, happy to hear it.

>353 Cat_of_Ulthar: That's great. Nice haul.

There is a Shackleton's Antarctica set on the Oxfam UK site going for £150. Described as very good and near fine with a photo. No connection with the seller.

https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/shackletons-antarctica-folio-society/product/HD_...

>356 assemblyman:

Is that a good price, Brendan? I've lost touch with prices. My (dodgy) memory is telling me I paid less than that from Folio, new.

I think so Glenn. It's currently £210 on the FS website so it's definitely cheaper than buying directly from FS at the moment. I checked the wiki and it has it went for £195 originally but I think there may have been a pre-order discount also. I paid £175 for mine on the second hand market and still thought it was a good price.

>357 folio_books:

I paid £195 new, Glenn, on publication.

>356 assemblyman: Well spotted. Seems like a bargain to me for the quality of the set which in many respects feels like a limited edition. It's also nice to think that, this copy being sold by Oxfam, the funds will most likely head to Gaza to help with the plight of the many thousands of civilians suffering there.

>358 assemblyman:
>359 affle:

I did point out to you folks that my memory is dodgy. But to address the issue directly, do I thiink £150 is a good price for this splendid set? Hell yeah!

>361 folio_books: >360 cronshaw: >359 affle: Looks like it sold.

There's a nice looking copy of the 2007 Decameron LE listed on AbeBooks at only £120.
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31688822273&searchurl=so...

The same seller also has a copy of the 1987 Folio Press Fine Edition of WB Yeats, The Tower, for £38.40; one of the scarcer titles in that series.

(No connection with the seller etc.)

>363 Hrodberht: Thanks for the heads up. Went to put in my cart after the finding the US listing and it had sold. Hopefully another member here got it!

>364 Shadekeep:
Bad luck! If I come across another one I'll know who to tell.

>365 Hrodberht: Much appreciated!

The Bible Designed to be Read as Literature in a special leather binding £62.99. Some damage to the title plate on the spine of volume 1 but everything else looks okay. No connection with the seller.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155902221605?hash=item244c7f1d25:g:CpUAAOSw5oBlXT6~&a...

>367 assemblyman:
GONE!!!!!!!!

If anyone regrets missing out on the Shakespeare LE, there is one for sale on a Folio facebook group for $1660 + shipping. The price covers the buyer's cost from FS ($1500 + tax & shipping). You can PM me for details if interested.

Travels in Arabia Deserta LE on eBay for £400. No connection with the seller.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235311971471?hash=item36c9afbc8f:g:Kz4AAOSwD2hlX3g6&a...

>369 thebookrunner: Folio appear to have found a few more copies of the Shakespeare LE, so copies are available in the USA for $1,500.00 plus shipping.

Not an earthshaker, but a UK seller has Vita Nuova for $64 USD.

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31457208231&cm_sp=det-_-bs...

Never bought from them before, so ask for photos. With the release of Divine Comedy, this might become scarce again. A few years ago these were selling for $200 on average.

>370 assemblyman: The seller describes the books as being in 'stunning' condition while omitting any mention of the obvious scuff/stain at the base of the spine of one of the volumes, visible only in the last photo, somewhat wary-making.

Hi everyone, eBay are doing (in effect) a flash 20% off sale for UK residents, just for Friday 24th November.

If you are on the cashback site Topcashback, you can get 20% cashback, up to £100 (IE a £500 spend) when you buy something on eBay through Topcashback. As there's lots of Folio on eBay I hope this puts some longed-for titles within reach - I've just got Rubaiyyat (the purple moire one) in effect for £68.

If you're not already a member, I hope I'm not being too cheeky in giving my refer-a friend link
https://www.topcashback.co.uk/ref/retronaut78
(full disclosure: when your payable cashback reaches £10 I get £30).

The 'plan of attack' is:
- You log in to your Topcashback account.
- Search for eBay in the search box at the top.
- When eBay comes up click on it and then the box to get the cashback.
- The site will now send you to eBay. From there on shop as normal.
- Topcashback will track your purchase and in a few weeks you'll get 20% of what you spent in your Topcashback account, to withdraw as cash or gift vouchers.

Thanks everyone, hope this is useful.

>373 cronshaw: Yes your right. Additional photos would be required to that side of the set and the description is misleading.

All three War Poet LEs going for £195 on eBay for all three together. No connection with the seller.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116004324850?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-...

Montaigne's Essays in the UK from this seller.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_ssn=bookendsbangor&store_name=bookendsban...

Pretty much the lowest price the FS had it on sale for. A great deal for someone in the UK. No connection with seller.

>376 assemblyman:

Very good price. As you may have expected, they've gone.

>378 folio_books: Yes I didn’t think it would take very long. Someone got a great deal. I hope it was someone here.

>379 assemblyman: Thanks for the heads up! I already have the Brooke, but reached out to the seller and bought the other two for 160 pounds including shipping to Canada! I have been wanting these two for years and this is a really great price!

>380 RRCBS: Congratulations. Great buy.

There's what looks like a very fine copy of the scarce Folio Solzhenitsyn Gulag Archipelago on eBay, finishing in 20mins, currently a bargain at £51. No idea who the seller is but they have 100% positive feedback.

...and it went for £57, still a bargain compared to usual secondary market prices. Hope it went to a Devotee.

webuybooks just listed a 20000 Leagues for 95 gbp on ebay. No description so caveat emptor!

>384 PartTimeBookAddict: I see they have also what looks like the same copy for sale on Abebooks for £175. Strange.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31754117528&searchurl=pn...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134896821188?hash=item1f687a23c4:g:HBAAAOSw7oBlqUll&a...

Anything from WeBuyBooks is almost guaranteed to arrived damaged, they're hopeless.

>386 cronshaw: The Letterpress Hamlet I was lucky enough to get off them for a song late last year came in a cardboard box with no other protection. Luckily it has a solander box which picked up a couple of minor dings on the way but protected everything inside.

>386 cronshaw: After the various "We Buy Houses" scandals, I pretty much avoid any company with "We Buy" in their name. It's a red flag now.

Bird Paintings of Henry Jones on Ebay for £175 at https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/134898071084?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-1547...
Reviewed at
https://www.librarything.com/topic/299517
A beautiful book, which when published in 1976 was by far the most expensive book ever produced by the FS.

For anyone left with spare shelf space after the sale a UK seller has the 3 vol Montaigne and Anatomy of Melancholy with low opening prices. Some condition issues.

https://www.ebay.ca/usr/jackief1405?_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l2559

No connection and have never bought from them before.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea on Abebooks for £75. No connection with the seller.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31759861059&searchurl=pn...

>391 assemblyman:

This will not last long. Cheap book, cheap postage, "very fine" condition. Almost too good to be true.

>392 folio_books: And it’s gone. I like the binding and the contents but I’ve never felt the need to buy this one even when I’ve seen it for a reasonable price.

>393 assemblyman:

I confess to being mystified as to what all the fuss was about. I bought it on publication, as I often do. I thought it a nice Folio, no more. Gobsmacked watching the secondary prices soar.

The translation was a more modern or accurate one is what I read somewhere.

Oxfam currently have a Buy 3 get a 30% discount that includes Folio Society editions.

Is £150 for a sealed version of the Golden Bough a decent price ? - seen abebook / oxfam asking for £300.

Asking for a friend ...

>397 Ignatius777: I guess it’s near what you would pay if it was available from FS today.

This topic is continued under Continuing from Enablement: Good Deals on FS books (7)