Secondhand finds #4

I had mixed fortunes on eBay last weekend. I just missed the red leather Life of Johnson in the last seconds (sigh). My consolation was a rather nice copy of The Bird Paintings of Henry Jones, published by Folio Fine Editions in conjunction with the Zoological Society of London. which arrived today.

At the time it was the largest and the most expensive book published by Folio. It was, in theory, a limited edition of 500 but there are grounds to doubt whether 500 were actually published. We know the first 200 were bound and the idea was to bind additional copies as demand dictated, up to the maximum - a strategy which lingers even today with some of Folio's Limited Editions. There is, however, no positive confirmation of the final number produced as far as I have been able to tell.

There is a nice green quarter leather binding within a sturdy slipcase emblazoned with the crest of the Zoological Society. It's printed on a luxurious thick rag cartridge paper, the full colour reproductions of the paintings alongside descriptive text. The hand-marbled endpapers are beautiful. The format is landscape and measures approximately 15 by 18 inches. This went on sale at £350, not too jaw-dropping in comparison with modern Folio LEs. However the Bank of England inflation calculator tells us that £350 in 1976 is worth over £2300 today. A few years after the initial launch Folio raised the price to £425. It was a slow seller, as you might expect.

I now have the pleasure of adding this splendid volume to my LT library.

Edited for omission.

>1 folio_books:

Congratulations! I remember seeing this still for sale in the early 1990s in the Folio Members Room/shop of the time. Even in those days it was still too expensive for me to give it more than a regretful glance.

>2 boldface: Even in those days it was still too expensive for me to give it more than a regretful glance.

In those days I couldn't even afford a glance. I'm surprised to hear it was still in the Members' Room in the 1990s, though. A slow seller, indeed!

The Bird Paintings of Henry Jones sounds glorious. Is there any chance that you could share some photos?

>4 gmacaree: Is there any chance that you could share some photos?

Gladly, with caveats.

First, my photography is pretty awful, even with a decent camera. I am no HuxleyTheCat!.

Second, I can't take the photos before tomorrow, due to general busy-ness and lack of light.

Two and a half: assuming I remember how to upload them.

In the meanwhilst you can amuse yourself with this link from the FSD Wiki, information put together by Warwick:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/warwick_carter/25399655705/in/photolist-e5RLtz-e5R...

I'n now writing myself a note to remind me tomorrow ...

>4 gmacaree: gmacaree: Is there any chance that you could share some photos?

Eventually ... Don't say I didn't warn you about the quality. Here goes ...



The binding in its leather magnificence.



Title page. Note the foreword!



Text descriprions are on the left ...



... and the paintings are on the right.



Unfortunately my photography fails to capture the natural colours of the originals.



And it goes nowhere near revealing the gorgeous detail in each and every painting.



Hopefully these snaps will give you a taste of the real thing. A mere lick, sadly.

Thank you! I wasn't expecting a square book (I'm not sure what I was expecting). Appreciate getting to take a peek: the paintings are beautiful

>7 gmacaree:
Not square, rectangular, but height 41cm and depth 47cm.

Thank you for sharing the photos. What a beautiful book!

>9 SF-72:

Thank you, but I can't say it often enough, my photos do not do justice to the book itself.

> 10 folio_books

That's not an uncommon problem. What always comes to mind for me is Temple of Flora, which is so much more beautiful when you see the real book than the (professional) photos. I'm sure seeing your 'Bird Paintings' itself is really something special.

History of Western Philosophy- B. Russell (1st ed. leather bound), East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and Darkness at Noon- A. Koestler for $140 from one of my favorite booksellers: The Hermitage Bookshop in Denver, Co.

Louis Philippe de Segur: Memoirs (1960). Leather binding (but no slipcase), copy number 4. Leather slightly faded, pages slightly tanned but a very good buy for £10.

Doesn't happen very often but very nice when it does.

Just sniped FS's Labyrinths by Borges for £16 away from you heathens - feeling pretty pleased with myself. Hopeful it arrives in good condition :-)

>14 Santas_Slave: If it`s only in `good` condition, that explains the price (and the lack of competition) ;) -j.k.congrats!

Four of the five The Dark Is Rising books for $125. Strangely, The Dark Is Rising is included -- it's Greenwitch which is absent, a problem easily remedied

>15 Pellias:
Tee hee

Finally got my hands on the 2009 Natural History of Selborne. Took a chance with a bulk online seller and got it for AU$57.

But it is exactly 1mm too tall for the shelf containing the other unofficial series of fine editions (Walden, Faust, Divine Comedy, etc).

Oh, the highs and lows of the book collector — there are truly few with the nerve for it.

Finally picked up a copy of Fahrenheit 451 - its been a good month!

I went for a bookshop bimble this afternoon, intending to cover three shops (Alton and Petersfield for those who know the area), but unfortunately one was closed. Notwithstanding that, the day was successful, as I managed to find a copy of Captain Cook's Voyages in the 'Adventure' series which had a lovely rounded spine. I promptly parted with the cash and now my copy of Cook matches the rest of the shelf and doesn't stick out (or rather, not stick out) like a carbuncle.

I bought Disgrace for £9 and Wind, Sand and Stars for £5,99 off eBay this weekend. Looking forward to both titles, really happy with the prices I got them at!

>21 NLNils: Congratulations! The latter is a lovely looking book and a great read, it may make an interesting companion volume to the newly published 'The Little Prince'.

Absolutely no Folio Publications in here but what a haul! Yesterday I nipped into a Charity Shop and grabbed 5 for $5, all in very good to like new condition.

I am very happy as I have an as new LE diary of Pepys making its way to me from Firstandfine. This sold out from folio society in the years before I had allowed myself to consider purchasing such expensive books
I have seen this set in person at a friends house and it is gorgeous. Beautiful brown leather,marbeled binding,gilt edges and the most sumptuous thick paper. Plus Pepys. Not sure of number of my edition but it's in the oak bookcase. I'm told mine looks like it hasn't been read. I think this may go to the top of my favourite limited editions. It will be very close anyway.

>22 xrayman: And that's the objective!

>24 shdunne: I don't hope you paid too much for it. Secondhand prices are between £600 to £800. Oxfam UK had a copy with a oakcase if I remember correctly, but I'm sure that one got picked up. Can't remember the price though but it was in that lower region.

I paid 700 pounds which is the cheapest I have seen to get to Australia so not unhappy as I know it will arrive well packed and as described from that seller

That's very good, I can't remember the RRP at the time but it was around that region. I have a copy mylsef, though without the oak case, such a wonderful collection.

Just found FS Historical Mysteries (sans sc) in my local op-shop for $2.

The FS fine edition of the Book of Common Prayer found in a rural antique shop in fine/fine condition for A$55 (£34). The new price in Australia is A$190 (£110).
It is a beautiful production (check FS website to see pics : http://www.foliosociety.com/book/BCP/book-of-common-prayer).

Our old favourite The Master & Margarita has just gone for £108.99 on eBay UK.

My LE Diary of Samuel Pepys has arrived and is gorgeous. A simple elegant design and wonderful leather,paper and hand marbled boards. It is one of my very favourites now.

Did you get one of the first 720? Ann Muir marbled those sets.

Yes number 309 Ann Muir and oak bookcase. Really lovely

>33 NYCFaddict:

Will you stop making that point? I got one of the last sets before it sold out and had no idea there was a different person that marbled those.

I am wondering, though, is there a list of all the marbled FS books that Ann Muir did?

>35 podaniel: Ann Muir's work is referenced in the Index of Artists in Folio 60 under both Ann Muir and Mitchell and Malik, if that helps. That would go up to 2006 and not include her last marblings like the Letterpress Shakespeare.

>36 olepuppy:

Thanks--is there nothing that Folio 60 can't do? And where is Folio 70?

>37 podaniel: is there nothing that Folio 60 can't do?

Yes - it can't tell you where Folio 70 is.

I just received in shrink wrap (and it seems new in every respect) Kenneth Clark's The Nude, one of those large format art books Folio does once in a while, now OOP. Price $26. plus $5 shipping. Beautiful.

>37 podaniel: I think Folio 60 came out Autumn '07, so maybe we'll see Folio 70 soon. I hope it has tipped in leaves from the Letterpress Shakespeare, WitW, etc.

>40 olepuppy: In the past year or so, someone reported here on LT that the FS confirmed that there won't be a Folio 70, but perhaps a Folio 75...

In these days of uncertainty and constant surprises from FS, only time will tell...

Just received the new Folio edition of Ulysses in shrink wrap for $135. Also ordered from the same seller Call of Cthulu in shrink wrap for $90. So $225 for both, which is what Ulysses goes for on the Folio site.

Both were on my "thinking about it but not likely to buy" list.

>42 devilsisland: Good deal! Happy reading.

Grabbed vol 1 and 2 of the Icelandic Sagas for about 135 pounds. I was adding and removing items from my FS basket ever since the christmas releases, not really wanting to take the plunge just yet. Then I came across this deal. I guess the plunge has been postponed even further now!

>44 Ardmoro: Nice haul!

I've just ordered Folio 21 from eBay UK £18-75 plus £3 postage.

On holiday in Norfolk last week I went to Blickling Hall (a National Trust property) and they have a large outbuilding (old stables?) of second hand books including a small bookcase of Folios.
Picked up Blackmailers Don't Shoot & Other Stories, Stalingrad and The Middle Parts of Fortune for £25.
Also visited Brazen Head Bookshop in Burnham Market, which has a good selection of Folios at normal second hand prices (I got Folio 50 for £12), but is worth a visit if in the area.

>47 CarltonC: Picked up Blackmailers Don't Shoot & Other Stories, Stalingrad and The Middle Parts of Fortune for £25.

Outstanding bargains! What a joy it must have been to uncover them. I asked about second hand bookshops in Norfolk and was led to believe the scene was disappointing.

Finally found Finnegans Wake Fine/Near Fine condition for $78.50!

>85 frostymaxim: I just picked up the Ancient Greece set as well. Sounds like you did better than me, $85 including shipping. Used Folios tend to be more expensive in the US.

>50 EclecticIndulgence: All 8 volumes combined for cheaper than many of single volume FS releases.

Congratulations - a red letter day indeed! The leather Bible LE is high on my wanted list.

An amazing find - I went to the dentists but was a bit early so had a look in the free book box (an old phone box) at the bus stop - and there before my eyes was an FS Collectable: Frankenstein! It looks as though it has never been opened, the ribbon marker folded in its original place. Of course I rescued it from among the tatty paperbacks.

>54 overthemoon: An amazing find indeed. I have the original and think that the illustrations to the FS edition are particularly good - checked and by Harry Brockway.

I have the FS edition of The Blue Flower and read it a few months back. I thought the novel was excellent. Infact, it reminded me that I need to explore more of Fitzgerald's work.

The FS edition is wonderful too as are the illustrations!

Just picked up Under Milk Wood FS sealed for £7-99 free postage

>56 cronshaw: full bound in olfactory-intense blue leather, gilt embossed and with hand-marbled endpapers,

You have a nose for that blue leather, Russell. Sounds wonderful but can't get any more enthusiastic as it's not Folio. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as if it were.

>56 cronshaw: The Blue Flower is one of my favourite books and I have been fascinated by this period ever since I went to an exhibition in 1984 at the Hayward on The Romantic Spirit in German Art 1790-1990, which included works by Novalis.
Reading your post I actually thought that it was like something from Borges, ie did you really come across an exquisite copy of Henry von Ofterdingen by Novalis, or is this some fictional account.
Indeed, I searched on LT and found that as well as 340 members owning Henry von Ofterdingen by Novalis, 3 members own Novalis by Henry von Ofterdingen.
I am envious and it is now added to my TBR pile, although I doubt I will be able to acquire in blue leather.

>57 radz123: Fitzgerald's other works are well worth reading, I especially enjoyed Offshore and The Bookshop. They are all short, almost novellas, apart from the earlier biographies.

>57 radz123: Thank you for the encouragement!

>59 folio_books: Clearly, had it been a Folio my cupful of bliss would have flowed over all the more. However, I enjoyed looking up and learning a little about Frederick Ungar, his humanist ideals and his seeking to publish books that were 'contributions either to knowledge, aesthetic enjoyment or the affirmation of life', the sort of publisher I'd always be happy to support.

>60 CarltonC: No fue una ficción nada, the experience was gratifyingly concrete! I would love to have visited that exhibition at the Hayward you describe, it sounds wonderful. Your high rating of The Blue Flower is most encouraging too, thank you!

>56 cronshaw:

Very interesting, I've never come across a leatherbound Ungar book "in the wild"--is it perhaps a custom binding? They specialised, but not exclusively, in German literature and even printed books in German in the States (as did many other European transplants catering to first generation immigrants). Great catalogue to explore for those interested in English translations of German lit. (As is the later iteration within Continuum's German Library.)

>63 cronshaw: It sounds like the exhibition catalogue that I have. Enjoy!

>63 cronshaw:

Oh yes, someone loved that book special. The logo doesn't ring a bell, I want to say it's usually just "Ungar" on the spine, but can't reach any of mine at the moment to check.

Nice find, anyway.

I had quite a good visit to one of my favourite shops for secondhand Folios today, and managed to pick up copies of The Babylonians, The Persians (these two the separate slipcased editions), The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci and the (huge Baby Elephant Folio) Abbeville ed of Audubon's Birds, all in top notch (unread) condition for a total of £80 (although I probably spent a few quid on fuel lugging the Audubon home).

>66 HuxleyTheCat: Congtrats! £80 is a great price for just the Audubon.

>67 kdweber: Thanks, Ken. I've wanted a copy of the Abbeville Audubon for years, so I was over the moon to find one for £40. Checking the publication details it was interesting to note that this behemoth, weighing in at 8.4 kgs (18.5 lbs) and with a rock solid binding, was 'printed and bound in China': one more example which gives the lie to the 'it's made in China so the quality is rubbish' trope.

I just Ardised the LE History of England set, which I've wanted for some time. It was cheaper from Australia on ABE, but I didn't want to deal with the postage.

And doubled up on the LE purchases today: KJV Bible for $250, having watched the price slowly fall from $600+ on ebay over months of watching. :)

Just back from the bookstore:

Great Cathedrals of the Middle Ages for 50$ (just a minor skuff to the slipcase!
The pilgrims progress (newest version) 7$ perfect condition
Confessions of St Augustine (newest Edition) 10$ perfect
No man is an island 7$

Pretty good haul

Not sure if good deal or not but i have wanted this some time now..The Holy land Egypt and Nubia not the LE but the smaller one,aleit still a hefty weight...i believe it was around £225 at one time. Ive secured a still sealed set for £160.. Arrived today..its marvelous and im really happy to have taken the plunge

I was at the Strand Bookstore in NYC (a couple times during my trip, couldn't stay away) and picked up Henry VIII (the biography by Scarisbrick) and The Jubilee Years. Henry VIII has deliciously thick paper, I think it's my favorite I've experienced in a Folio book. Both were $20 but in fantastic shape with only slightly worn slipcases.

I also noticed that the Strand's inventory turns over rather quickly, as they had new Folio's later in the week that I hadn't seen on my earlier visit. Definitely worth popping into.

Won auction on ebay £21.50 only
2002 Folio Society limited edition, boxed and fine, as new
Journal of our Life in the Highlands by Queen Victoria
A revised and superior edition by the Folio Society in an elaborate binding with lots of gilt and housed in a box.
Limited to 1850 numbered copies this being 285.
The book is as new, the box is as new, no names, no marks, no stains. A perfect item.
A large work, all ends bright gilt....240x290 mm..illustrated.
pp 205 plus limitation page.

>74 frostymaxim:

Congratulations! That's by far the lowest price I've seen that one sold for. I watched it for a while myself, expecting the price to leap in the last few seconds but no. I'm so glad it went to a Devotee.

>73 kristinemoore:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiqcS1bIRW0

>75 folio_books:
I thought exactly the same. Followed it early on and put a max bid in but really did think it would gain momentum especially as it was still £7-50 with two hours to go..its nice when a bid like this comes off

>76 dlphcoracl: wrote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiqcS1bIRW0

http://www.librarything.com/topic/191069#5157212

Finally! I got a like new condition copy of Fahrenheit 451. For $40! I caught it within the first hour it was listed on ebay, it is actually even better than described.

>79 devilsisland: Score!

Two finds this week. Jerusalem by William Blake (a steal at 35€) and On the morning of Christ's Nativity from the Fine Press series.

>81 N11284: Fabulous price for Jerusalem, I paid $150 US for my copy and feel that it was worth it.

Hurrah for Cyber Monday, just ordered a copy of the 5 volume Story of the Renaissance for $56 (including shipping) and the 5 volume Story of the Middle Ages for $64 (including shipping). I know these sets are always cheap but they're heavy so shipping is the key cost.

Just won myself the Oscar Wilde 3 volume collection for £29 in FC! Woo!

Tanglewood Tales for £11 + pp...not sure if that constitutes a good deal as I've not researched other prices. But I'm happy to obtain it

Managed to get a copy of Night Thoughts on eBay for £595.
According to seller and photos, except for 1cm scratch on Solander case, it is in fine/fine condition, and more importantly, is under AU$1000, which means I avoid paying 10% duty plus AU$60 customs fee.
Just posted from UK, so will not receive it until January.

Could not smuggle it on my house unnoticed but this ebay listing is quite interesting : The Diary of Samuel Pepys 11 Volumes - Folio Society limited edition currently at 399USD with 5 days left.

https://www.ebay.fr/itm/173026236019?ul_noapp=true

>86 wcarter: Congrats! Good price.

>86 wcarter: Managed to get a copy of Night Thoughts on eBay for £595.

That's top of my wanted list now. Well done!

>87 Niurn: The Diary of Samuel Pepys 11 Volumes

And this is second most wanted, and at a reasonable price (so far).

I know everyone's focused on the Sale at the moment, but I couldn't keep quiet about my receipt today of the 1976 Folio Press limited-edition-binding collected Shakespeare, the one that includes all 37 plays previously published by the Folio Society (1950-76) housed in six numbered slipcases and bound in "elephanthide" (marble-effect paper in reality, but smart for all that).

I'm fully aware that there are passionate advocates (pace cronshaw) of the cloth-bound versions, which are undoubtedly very attractive, but this set came up in excellent, almost "as new", condition and I got 15% off the asking price. As it arrived today on my birthday, my spectacles are particularly rose-tinted, and a welcome distraction from the 'flu, which is not so welcome.

The illustrations are gorgeous and so varied and I really love the two-colour printing throughout. It really is a great set in any version and printed letterpress to boot.

>90 boldface: Congratulations, Jonathan, and a very Happy Birthday!

>91 HuxleyTheCat:

Thank you, Fiona. And a Happy New Year to you.

>90 boldface:

That's a set I long lusted after. It was so far beyond my means when first published I couldn't even dream about it. Eventually I gave up hoping and wishing and settled for collecting the 37 plays as they were published. It's quite an easy set to collect and all at extremely reasonable prices - I don't think I spent as much as ten pounds on any of them with the exception of the Dali-illustrated "As You Like It", which I got for around £25.

I am deeply envious. Congratulations on your exceptional acquisition. What a birthday present to yourself!

>93 folio_books:

Yes, I believe the elephanthide-bound version cost £165 in 1976, which translates to around £1,090 today, or £29.50 a volume. Mine worked out at just under £8 a volume, so it was worth the 40-year wait.

>94 boldface: Mine worked out at just under £8 a volume

That's a great bargain. Once again, proof that patience gets you anywhere :)

Just purchased The Klemperer Diaries 1933–1945 in fine condition at £35 excl. postage on Ebay. Hadn't heard of these works until I saw the ad; did some research, and was immediately convinced.

Visited a small country town bookstore and found a delightful cache of FS books at ridiculously low prices.
Obtained-
Les Enfents Terribles
With Napoleon in Russia
Mother Courage
Beowulf
all for AU$70 (£40)

Nice haul. Just out of curiousity; Beowulf from 1973 or the 2010 edition?

>98 NLNils:
The 1973 edition. I also have the superb later 2010 edition. Interesting comparison netween the two.

>99 wcarter: That I’d like to see in greater length as a Folio Archives post. :)

>90 boldface: Congratulations and a very happy birthday! I wondered if that was the Oxfam set, but it is still listed on their site at £350. With 15% off that would work out at £8 a volume too. I found my set after gathering all the individual volumes, but couldn't resist it. And I agree, it is a great set.

>101 Edal:

No, it wasn't the Oxfam set, but you're right, the prices were similar. However, from what I could tell, having requested photos from the seller, his set was in better shape than the Oxfam one. I can honestly say the books I now have look new and unread, which is better than the seller's own, rather conservative, description. So no complaints! I'm now going through and reading all the introductions. Incidentally, these were all reprinted together in a separate Folio volume not long after the collected edition was published.

Is anyone pining for a 2018 Folio diary? I got a sealed, surplus one standing on the shelves. A small trade maybe? Sent me a private message when interested.

Why I don't donate FS books to the local charity shop. On sale for the standard price of $3 apiece, in excellent condition, 4 of the 5 volumes of the first Dorothy Sayers set -- so incomplete set, no slipcase, rubbing shoulders with Dan Brown and Nora Roberts, and unlikely to be bought by the usual crowd. (I already have them). Presumably a volunteer chucked the slipcase on the assumption that individual volumes would sell faster.

I have just added the rather elusive blue leather War and Peace, not a bargain, but in satisfyingly decent (and perhaps unread) condition for a 47-year old book. I have now acquired four of this category of special leather bindings, since first tempted by Conte_Mosca (where are you, Michael?). This one is a plainer binding than the others, just gilt titling and raised bands, but a good quality feel to the leather.

>105 affle: Nice find, Alan, will you be tempted to read it?

"(where are you, Michael?)" A good question, likewise Russell (cronshaw) is conspicuous by his absence. I thought the sale might have lured him into making an appearance, but sadly not. Perhaps he's still lurking in a corner of Laithwaites following the pre-Christmas pop-up sale.

Grabbed Parade's End from Ardis with an eBay coupon. Been wanting a copy since it came out!

>107 gmacaree: Congratulations! Is this a general eBay voucher? And if so, could you share it with us?

>105 affle: I have just added the rather elusive blue leather War and Peace ... This one is a plainer binding than the others, just gilt titling and raised bands, but a good quality feel to the leather.

Congratulations Alan - it's a beautiful book, and hard to find. It was our good friend cronshaw who gave me the vital tip-off. FWIW it's my favourite of all the special leather bindings that I have. It has such a sumptuous feel.

>106 HuxleyTheCat: likewise Russell (cronshaw) is conspicuous by his absence.

Last I heard from him he was still disenamoured of the Folio Society and muttering darkly. Perhaps these multiple mentions of his honoured name will lure him back into the light.

105> special leather bindings, since first tempted by Conte_Mosca

Alan, could you point me towards Michael's original photographs of the special leather bindings? I had a sudden urge to look again at the Carlyle (one of several I don't have myself), but now I can't find it :(

I dare say some of our newer members will be suitably impressed, too.

>108 NLNils: no, was tied to purchases made in a quarter

>106 HuxleyTheCat:

Yes, I'm about due another reading: it's about 30 years since the last - the prospect of reading it tipped the decision to buy.

>109 folio_books:

Thank you, Glenn - it's not my favourite yet, but we're only just getting acquainted.

>110 folio_books:

There's a link beneath the display box of these editions on the wiki, but the Carlyle is one Michael didn't have. Mark Boyne - who has everything - contributed some pictures of it, but they're no longer available because of some change to his photo hosting site (I think). If he sees this, it would be good if he could fix the problem.

Here's the link direct, though I'm not sure I want those newer members overheating this cosy little market...

http://www.librarything.com/topic/151317

>112 affle: Here's the link direct, though I'm not sure I want those newer members overheating this cosy little market...

Good point. I think we should consider not telling them about it.

But seriously ... thanks for the link. It brought it all back to me. Re-reading the comments on the Carlyle explained the urge I had last night to see it again. My dim memory tells me it is jaw-dropping beautiful. I think it might just have gone to the top of my must-have list - yes, even above Night Thoughts. Having said that, I've been looking for it for at least a year with no luck. Now I'll have to make a concerted effort.

>112 affle: Mark Boyne - who has everything - contributed some pictures of it, but they're no longer available because of some change to his photo hosting site (I think).

He was one of the many who had the rug pulled from under them when PhotoBucket (hiss!) started charging for their service. Warwick was another victim, I recall.

Edited for afterthought.

>113 folio_books:
Yes, I lost a lot of pictures on Photobucket. They started charging, but not a reasonable fee (which I would have paid) but a ludicrously expensive one. I now use Flikr and my LT member’s photo storage.

Managed to stumble upon the Charles Dickens collection (IV) for only £130 just as it had been uploaded. They arrived today.

Unaware if this is a steal or not, it is certainly a treasure for me as i am in awe of these bindings, although it seems most people prefer III, which i have yet to see/hold/feel with my own eyes/hands/feelings.

Other people charge £500+ for this (IV) set, atleast thats the only price range ive seen them go for.

Disheartened that FS didn't go full crazy with this series of Dickens, printing every complete work published by nonesuch as they did with the other collections, but i guess most people didnt like these that much. Although you must agree that they look far better than the all new, "new to FS", Great Expectations that is currently available.

Edited to fix a misquote

I will update the photos and add a few more.

>116 mboyne:

Thank you, Mark. The extent of your collection never fails to astound.

I got very excited a few minutes ago as a I ran across a copy of Goya for 600 dollars on eBay. I rushed to purchase it only to see to my great disappointment that it was the art volume only and not the companion volume. Which is so weird. Alas, the hunt continues.

Rather pleased with my newly Ebay acquired copy of the Temple of Flora for the measly investment of £119 + £20 postage from UK to France. The solander box has sustained some corner bruising over time but no scratches to panels that otherwise are common for this gigantic book. The book itself is however in mint condition, complete with commentary, the two loose prints still in envelope and even the promotional mailer that FS sent out with its release.

My luck on the auction must be due to the new year sale keeping the competition away and the auction listing not mentioning "Folio Society" at all...

>120 F.Trier: Well done, congratulations.

>120 F.Trier: and the auction listing not mentioning "Folio Society" at all...

If it doesn't mention the Folio Society then I'm never going to see it via saved searches.

Congratulations on what is indisputably a tremendous bargain. Not on my wanted list only because I can't identify a space I could safely store something that big.

I just received "Travels in Arabia Deserta" and i'm very very pleased with it. Found it for 800 australian dollars -apprx 450 GBP- and very reasonnable shipping cost. Not a dustbin bargain, but i seldom find a seller with whom i don't scream murder after factoring shipping cost from Europe or the US (Canada being the worst so far).

My heart skipped a beat when i realized it was written "Frozen Broccolis x 12 bags" on the side of the cardbox but it was just a silly reaction. The book was well protected and i don't believe it has ever been read. Condition as new.

Now for the gushing of joy : oh these marblings ! Jemma, sweet Jemma, never change ! What a lovely piece of art !

I'm a bit confused though as why there is a label on the back of the slipcase. Am i supposed to shelf it backwards ?

>
Congratulations on obtaining a beautiful book.
Shelving it “backwards” protects the book spines from fading when exposed to light.

>124 wcarter: : Shelving it “backwards” protects the book spines from fading when exposed to light.

Thanks. To be honest, i'm a bit more concerned about humidity and mold. You know our climate.

Just found the Dorothy Sayers Crime Collection unopened still in shrink wrap at the Brisbane Lifeline sale. AU$89

Lucky you! Great find!

>124 wcarter: >125 Niurn: How 'on trend'. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/backwards-bookshelves-trend-spines-wall-...

>128 HuxleyTheCat:
There is backwads shelving of a normal book and backwards shelving of a labelled slipcased boxed book. Big difference.

>129 wcarter: I see that my feeble attempt at sarcasm hasn't translated into Australian.

>130 HuxleyTheCat:

It did translate into German. I tried to imagine my own (far too large) collection like that - the mind boggles.

>129 wcarter:
Probably satire more than sarcasm. Now I understand. Remember, we live upside down on this side of the planet :-)

>128 HuxleyTheCat:
Ah, a bulimic bibliophile's dream!

Picked up 2 older FS editions while browsing in Dublin this morning. From 1947 Aucassin & Nicolette It's in remarkably good condition considering it's age. The dustcover has suffered some damage with a little tear to the back. Original price 10s 6d. That's ten shillings and six pence. A fair bit of money back then.
Strangely the shop had 2 copies in stock. One without the dustcover.

The second was The Rape of the Lock from the Folio Fine Press series. This brings the number I've tracked down to 17. 3 more to go!

>128 HuxleyTheCat:
There is, as somebody once said, 'Nothing new under the sun.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYxmPHLU9oA

>134 N11284: That's ten shillings and six pence. A fair bit of money back then.

52 (and a half) pence now. Doesn't sound as much, does it.

>134 N11284:
"That's ten shillings and six pence. A fair bit of money back then."
Not really. Early Folio prices were on a par with standard newly published hardback prices. Ten years later their prices had doubled.

>136 folio_books: but what when we take inflation into account?

>138 N11284:

According to the Bank of England, £19 give or take a few coppers. Not too bad for a new hardback.

>135 Cat_of_Ulthar:
Just love the Two Ronnies. Thanks for posting.

>134 N11284:

Hey, I live in Dublin! Out of curiosity, where do you go to find used Folio Society titles? So far, the best place I've found has been in St. George's Street Arcade.

>141 Edmund_Fitzgerald:
Upstairs in Chapters in Parnell Street is where I got my latest, or sometimes in Ulysses Rare Books in Duke Street. His prices are way too steep for me normally.

Chapters sometimes can have dozens of titles , but generally not the most recent ones. Currently they have both The History of Rome in Painting and also The History of Florence in Painting in their window. Both at €100 , way above my price range.

I got a sealed copy of Fahrenheit 451 through eBay and I'm now down to the final Sam Weber book I don't own, Lord of the Flies. I got Dune direct from FS in October. LotF will take time I fear, all copies are way overpriced. I reread a Sales topic and it went discounted direct from Folio in the tens of pounds. You'd be Lucky to find a decent copy nowadays at 50 pounds sans shipping. I found out too late about FS and am condemned to complete the Weber illustrated books through the secondhand market. I am really happy with my new book though!

>143 NLNils: I am really happy with my new book though!

So you should be - it's a superb production. Congratulations!

Thanks, Glenn!

>142 N11284: Ah, I've been disappointed with Chapters for the most part. Usually their Folios are in very poor condition. I haven't visited Ulysses Rare Books yet though! As a student, it doesn't sound like my ballpark (steep prices, yikes!), but it'll still be fun to see what he has. Definitely check out the bookstore in St. George's Arcade when you have a chance. They've got two entire bookshelves packed full of Folios, and all in very good condition. Blackrock Rare Books has about two shelves of Folios too, though in decent to poor condition, but everything in store is marked off as they're going out of business.

I just picked up the Luxdaella Saga, with the leather binding, for 5 euros at a used bookstore. It's in excellent condition.

>142 N11284: >146 Edmund_Fitzgerald:

I have been most grateful for your little discussion here since I will be visiting Dublin next month and have been hoping to get some tips for nice bookshops selling Folios. So thank you very much!!

Does anyone here know of similar bookshops in Belfast?

>148 groeng: Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with any good bookstores in Belfast! I know a few that sell new books, but you can find those anywhere, and they're mostly UK chains.

However, while you're up there, make sure to visit the museum exhibits at Belfast City Hall. In Dublin, make sure to check out Glendolough (you can take a bus there out of the city) - where there's an old monastery and one of the tallest round towers in Ireland. Also go to the Chester Beatty Library. Then of course there are the classical literary haunts: the Long Room at TCD library (even though TCD is just the worst), the Dublin Writer's Museum, and of course the Martello Tower at 40 foot where Joyce set the first chapter of Ulysses. If you go down to 40 foot, make sure to set aside time to walk the docks at Dun Laughaire - the whole area is easily accessible from the city center using the DART.

>148 groeng: They don't have Folios, but the bookstore in Blackrock Market is great, and the owner is really nice too. Only open on Saturdays and Sundays, unfortunately.

>148 groeng: >149 Edmund_Fitzgerald: I can't recommend the Chester Beatty Library highly enough and I also thoroughly enjoyed the Yeats exhibition at the National Library, spending an entire day exploring the two (most at the CBL). Visiting Glendalough is a wonderful experience too.

>149 Edmund_Fitzgerald: >151 HuxleyTheCat:

You've made my day!! Thank you so much for all these wonderful tips and suggestions, which I am sure to follow up. Now I really have something to look forward to! Really much appreciated.

Just saw this set on Ebay. It's the first time I've ever seen a 3 volume set of Arabian Nights. At only $12.50 currently, it seems like a great deal. There is some damage on two pages, but other than that, it looks nice. Tempting.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Folio-Society-3-Volumes-origin-Arabian-Nights-Book-Set-...

>153 Eastonorfolio: Cheers. Note that it is a 6 volume set and hence the damage is not the only issue.

> 134
Sad that Folio discontinued that series. I happen to have The Rape of the Lock and may now read it. An early use of mylar or duralar protective coverings for books, which I am starting to use as a protective measure on my books.

>154 venkysuniverse: venkysuniverse: Thanks for the update. I wasn't sure if I was going to bid or not, but now knowing it was part of a six volume set, I'm going to pass.

The ten volume Aubrey-Maturin series is available on eBay for 699.99. A fair price for the series in the current market. Still sealed.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Folio-Society-AUBREY-MATURIN-SERIES-Patrick-OBrian-10-V...

I’m hesitant to post this but perhaps someone here can provide a little more information. Alice’s adventures underground. 164 dollars, no returns.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/FOLIO-SOCIETY-Alices-Adventures-Under-Ground-BOXED-LIMI...

>157 Sorion:
These are the first ten in the series. there were 20 in total. I have bought individual copies of thesefor as little as USD15, but that was a couple of years ago, so probably more now. You should be able to buy these early editions in ones or two for less than USD70 each.
>158 Sorion:
Originally GBP100, so significantly more than that (if you are talking USD).
You should be able to get this edition, which was produced in a large number (3750 copies) for about USD100 if you wait.

My copy of the 2006 Peter Pan and Wendy arrived today. I'm really happy with it. It was still in shrink wrap and cost me £32 including shipping to Germany. Unfortunately the vendor (a charity on eBay) didn't pack it very well and so it had a ding on one edge of the slip case which also impacted the book. Fortunately the damage to the book is miniscule.

This week, I have been taking my son on a college tour. During his students only Q&A on Monday, I was fortunate enough to win Night Thoughts on eBay for $660. Cannot wait to see it next Tuesday.

>161 Powderfinger69: I was very close to gunning in a last second bid you know. You should be lucky i`m off season ;) .. a great deal. Congrats!

Leviathan for $20. No slipcase, but I am not bothered!

Just got the three volume 2009 quarter leather bound Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci for the equivalent of £50 delivered from an antiquarian bookseller who was closing down. Most copies go for twice that price plus delivery.

>165 wcarter: Great find! I cringe to remember that I paid just over $300 (not worth it) direct from the Folio Society.

Visiting family in Canberra for Easter. Just bought Schindler’s Ark (still shrinkwrapped), Catch 22 and Lord of the Flies for A$100 (£52).
Bookshops in Canberra much better than Brisbane despite being a far smaller city.

After 4 months of sea transit, my copy of the Oxford Thesaurus LE safely arrived, thanks to a retiring bookseller from Canada. £105 shipping included is a better deal that might meet the eyes considering where i live.

As predicted, the binding is superb. And i'm a sucker for thesaurus, it's sheer poetry to just leaf through pages and pages of lists of words.

>169 EclecticIndulgence: There is a definite charm to these older publications.

I think so. I'm a big fan, though they are frequently described as "boring" on this forum.

I've just returned from an outing to my favourite pre-loved Folio emporium and am delighted to have given a new home to the Mary Renault Alexander trilogy, the Bill Bragg illustrated Barchester Towers and Warden, plus two Conrads which I have been seeking for a while, all in sparkly super condition and a very reasonable £85 paid. (And it was lovely to see the ducklings and cygnets on Swanbourne Lake as well.)

>172 HuxleyTheCat:

Wish I had a place like that to go Folio hunting in.

>172 HuxleyTheCat: Wonderful, the Alexander Trilogy is one of my favourite Folio sets

Interesting results on the O'Brians ending on eBay today. In case the formatting goes wonky, the columns are: Title / Start Price/ Number of Bids

The Ionian Mission 50 0
The Yellow Admiral 350 0
Blue at the Mizzen 325 0
The Wine-Dark Sea 175 0
The Commodore 150 0
The Fortune of War 35 1
The Surgeon's Mate 45 1
Clarissa Oakes 80 0
First Six 75 0

After the these and the auction for all twenty which ended at £1050, can we say the bubble is burst? Or a bit deflated, perhaps? Definitely no frenzy of bidding.

>175 folio_books: Interesting, indeed. There's hope I may complete the set yet, so I won't resort to the paperbacks for the foreseeable future.

>174 gmacaree: I'm very happy with it, and my other acquisitions; I just have the small problem of no available shelf space for the twenty-one volumes which have arrived this last week.

>173 folio_books: I visited the other branch today and came away with the 2009 Walden for £35, then headed up into the downs with a picnic and Mr Midshipman Hornblower. The weather was glorious, the larks were ascending and with binoculars the view was a spectacular Beachy Head to the Isle of Purbeck, taking in, of course, the Solent and Spithead where, in the book 'The January gale was roaring up the Channel, blustering loudly,' and poor Horatio was being seasick.

>177 HuxleyTheCat:

Congratulations - Walden is a beautiful book and cheap at that price.

I do recall the case of the Midshipman who was seasick at Spithead. He seemed to get over it, though. I neglected to comment on your £85 haul, I think I might have paid that for the Alexander Trilogy alone. The two Barchesters are lovely books, too.

What a lovely day you've had :)

>178 folio_books: Thanks, Glenn! I Couldn't pass up the opportunity to replace my old Franklin Library edition, which has quite nice leather but is otherwise uninspiring. I do like the large font of the Folio and the photographs are very nice indeed.

Yes, I've had a splendid day: books, sunshine and a lovely spot to enjoy them in - marvellous!

Life is pretty good when you have a good folio Society book for company

>180 shdunne: Life is generally better with any decent book, but reading a Folio edition always seems to add considerably to the happiness factor.

Just bought Age of Gold at £18 including postage. Pleased with that

In a moment of despair, thinking about how daunting it would be to either collect the previous, gorgeous Trollope collection from Folio Society or wait for this bill bragg one to keep being published, i went on ebay to look at how much the former option would cost me, knowing it would most likely be up to a four figure price, but i just had to know, no matter how much it would hurt. Found the complete barchester and palliser sets in the same deal, PLUS 11 stand alone trollopes thrown in there, all in fine condition, for under £300! An instant, for me.

I am now a happy man, needless to say

Barsetshire* sorry

>183 harvestRoad:

The complete Folio Trollope does seem to be appreciating in value lately. I hope not to dent your happiness at all - that's a wondrous body of reading for £300 - by confessing that I paid £307 delivered for a fine set of the full 48 books a few years ago, from Ardis to boot. Then, his prices had been dropping a while as at one point he had no fewer than four complete Trollopes taking their chunk out of his storage facilities.

Well my happiness was rooted more in the fact that they weren't so expensive, my happiness is still as new, no dents or scratches to be found.
As for if it's a find or not, i will lay aside my friendly competetiveness as a collector for a moment and announce "more trollope for the people!"

Picking up my competetiveness again, congrats on beating me, thats a great goddamn price you got

I donated some money to Oxfam as I ordered the FS’ On Liberty by John Mill from them!

The Maltese Falcon from eBay uk at £4-20

>189 EclecticIndulgence: The volumes I'm most excited about, however, are the 3 volume set of Canterbury Tales. I have been looking for the perfect reading copy of Chaucer for a long time

Yes, I had the same experience of searching for the best reading copy and I came to the same conclusion. These are lovely volumes and a delight to hold and peruse. They are not the same as Gill's magnificent effort for Golden Cockerell, now preserved as a Folio LE, but immeasurably easier to read.

>189 EclecticIndulgence: Liking Chaucer quite a bit, I have eight editions of The Canterbury Tales. Three are in Middle English, four have been translated into modern English (by three different translators) but only the 3 volume FS set has it both ways with its side by side arrangement. A good choice.

I have been looking for the Kelmscott Chaucer 2008 edition as opposed to the earlier LE which is out of my range financially. Ardis have had them around £225 But I finally secured one today at £159.99 free postage. Good deal for me anyway :)

>192 frostymaxim:

That's a good price, especially with the postage. It's enormous!

I bit on a fine unread cream leather Decameron on eBay for $171.90 (after $15 coupon and including shipping) yesterday. There has been much praise on this forum for this special binding and I've seen it go for quite a bit more. Then again, I think someone mentioned a while back picking it up in a shop for £5. It will join my red morocco Chronicles of King Arthur ($220 on Ebay a couple years ago), which I think is superb.

>194 kronnevik:
I belive that was me having found it by pure chance in a Oxfam shop at £3-50...my best ever find

Longtime lurker, but this time I could not contain my urge to brag about my recent Folio purchases. Unfortunately, no one around me would understand what the fuss is all about.

Cream Leather Decameron (1969) - 1st volume fine, 2nd volume as new wrapped in some kind of glassine paper - $68
Blue Leather War and Peace (1971) - Again, the books look as new and the 2nd volume is wrapped in glassine - $89 (both from the same seller)
Red Leather King Arthur (1982) - Unfortunately some wear to covers and loss of gilding on volume 1, but still gorgeous - $81
Oxford Classical Dictionary Limited Edition (2001) - Book and slipcase fine - $90
Rubaiyat Limited Edition (2009) - Tiny bump to solander box, otherwise fine - $68
Beowulf (2010) - some wear to slipcase, book is fine - $35

I was most astounded about the Rubaiyat and expected it to be an incorrectly listed 2012 edition. I was all the more thrilled once the package arrived.

My apologies for just using this forum to show off, but I just had to talk about what I guess will be a high point of my book collecting career.

>197 teppi2: Fantastic finds, especially the Rubaiyat LE! That's an amazing bargain. Do you mostly scour eBay/AbeBooks/amazon for deals?

>198 PatsChoice: All three of those sites, but my best deals have come from Abebooks. I have got some bargains on Amazon by saving interesting items for later, and then waiting for messages about price updates - I wish other sites had that feature. I got my Limited Editions Club Great Gatsby for $20 this way.
A less common source was a German site called Booklooker.de. It seems to be mainly for private listings, and one gentleman was selling off his Folio collection at a great price. I have family there, so I could store the books, but it took me several years to get them all to the US. Haven't seen any great deals on that site recently, though.

>197 teppi2:

Those are beautiful finds at great prices. No wonder you're very happy with this.

>199 teppi2: I'll have to use AbeBooks more. I've made it a daily ritual to look at new listings & lowest prices for LEC, FS, EP, and FL on eBay and have found some great deals. The only reason I don't use AbeBooks as much is due to the lack of pictures; I've also had a few experiences with sellers providing incorrect details. You've convinced me to make it an everyday thing, though!

Congratulations again on the excellent cache.

>202 EclecticIndulgence: haha, that's the impression I've gotten but teppi2 makes a great counter-argument!

>197 teppi2:

I think I purchased that same blue leather War and Peace on Ebay around three weeks ago, but was told after I bought it that they had sold it twice and got refunded. Oh well, I'm glad someone on this forum got it.

>204 rakkie: If the War and Peace set you purchased from ebay was listed by World of Rare Books for around $44, then this is not the one I got. My order on that one got cancelled as well. World of Rare Books unfortunately lists the item through at least three different channels: Their own webpage, abebooks and ebay (both in USD and GBP as two separate listings). When I inquired, customer service mentioned that a total of five customers purchased this item before they could take it down.

I was lucky to find another copy right after.

Interestingly, the World of Rare Books copy seems to be a much darker shade of blue. My copy looks like the one in the special bindings thread. Well, maybe it is just due to lighting in the listing photo.

>205 teppi2: Interesting. This might explain why my deal-of-the-year order of a £12.5 cream leather Decameron set that I likewise ordered from World of Rare Books (just prior to the above mentioned cheap War and Peace was listed) failed to show up. I got reimbursed for the amount though, but I would naturally much rather have received the set.

>205 teppi2:
I was another of those customers whose purchases have been refunded. Ordered directly from their website. A shame, it was such a good deal and I was quite pleased.

I've waffled over the Folio Dickens sets for several years (and didn't own any of them), but took the plunge on a 12 volume set of Dickens I. They were less than $10 each, with $3.95 shipping for the whole set, and I couldn't resist. I've already browsed for the other 4 volumes and they don't look too hard to find. Now where to put them?

>209 wdripp: Which set? 1987 green set, 1994-1995 reprint of 1987 with Charles Keeping art on the spine and covers, or the 2004 set with leather spines?

>210 NotDownInAnyMap: The 1987 green set, known on these boards as Dickens I.

>210 NotDownInAnyMap:
Dickens I refers to the first complete set of Dickens released 1981-89. See http://www.librarything.com/topic/138239

>212 kronnevik: Thanks. I'm still fairly new here.

>211 wdripp: Nice! I've been debating between Dickens I and Dickens II. I really like the Charles Keeping illustrations.

>213 NotDownInAnyMap: I'm neutral on the illustrations and bindings of all the sets, but I do find the green binding (and colored sides) of Dickens I to be more appealing than the cream colored Dickens II. Hopefully the Keeping illustrations will grow on me.

The Dickens I books arrived. They are in very good condition and I am quite pleased with them, although I had forgotten how small the print is in older FS books, as I don't own many, and the slipcases are a variety of greens and textures. Luckily, I am not a sticker for immaculate matching slipcases.

Tucked in one of the books I browsed was an advert for the FS (presumably from the 80's), complete with a bookmark that could be separated from the top. The offer is for you to provide names and addresses for friends interested in becoming members, who will then be sent a prospectus or a prospectus plus a presentation volume (your choice). It states if said friends elect not to become members they would be expected to return the presentation volume to FS. No word on who would pay the return shipping. I find this a bizarre recruitment technique and wonder how many new members they acquired this way, how many books were never returned, and how many friendships affected (positively or negatively).

>215 wdripp:

I guess that would only work if one asked one's friends first - it really is somewhat peculiar. The version I know from elsewhere is that if you recommend some company to a friend and they make an order, you get something from that company (voucher, free item etc.).

>216 SF-72: The ad does advise you to ask your friends first before signing them up to receive a presentation volume, but even so, it still seems a strange recruiting strategy to me.

>217 wdripp:

So it is.

I got myself a birthday present! Fine/Near Fine box set:



(€100/£90/$116)

>219 NLNils: Very nice condition! I bought them as separate volumes thinking to myself it would go better with M.Aurelius Meditations, but it doesn`t really. Meditations seem a little off in that series. Good find!

I happened upon the two volume Icelandic Sagas today in a secondhand bookstore near me. Unfortunately for me, I already own it (and have spent roughly 30€ more), so: State is near fine (books)/slightly used (slipcase), for 70€. I don't know if they do international shipping, but you can always ask:

https://www.boekwinkeltjes.nl/b/186112435/The-Icelandic-Sagas/ (they do not have the other volume online but they do have it).

>220 Pellias: I thought about buying the individual volumes, but with shipping costs as they are I would have paid a lot more than £18 a volume. And this set had the additional benefit of already residing in the Netherlands. I picked up the set myself and thus didn’t have to worry about transportation damage. A happy exception!

>221 EclecticIndulgence: This set was issued before the books were made available individually. I guess Aurelius came after. Would be nice to know why it shook out like it did. I’m of course now on the lookout for a matching quarter leather volume of Meditations. What would be a good price?

>222 Fierylunar: Thanks for the enablement! I don’t own the Icelandic Sagas, so this is tempting. I just spend my money for this month and the next, so hopefully another Devotee gets lucky! Price is really good for the two books.

>223 NLNils: I don't think that volume is too hard to find. I bought mine for about $25. Just make sure it is the printing from the early 2000s when FS were still using quarter leather.

>223 NLNils: As i can remember, but can`t predict, and i have not looked. But `Meditations` are NOT amongst the most expensive ones (like say, Seneca, which are probably the most hard and thus expensive to find secondhand - i have not looked at the secondhand status now)

Meditations: Around £15 to £20 would be a great price for this volume, but naturally if you want it right away you probably need to go a little higher. The new buckram binding does naturally not fit though.

Sidenote: At least with my volume, the "leather" are not as smooth/leveled out on the spine as is with the other volumes (it has more "dots"), so it probably has not been evened out as was with the other volumes - you understand what i mean when you get it. It is also slightly taller, and also the slimmest one of them all, to be exact twice as slim as `the republic. Marcus burned more calories than Plato expanding the roman empire.

I've had three copies of the leather Marcus Aurelius.

All have had varying degrees of "graininess" to the binding. The current copy, from 2002, is quite smooth, and you can't really tell the difference in appearance from the other volumes in the set. The only difference would be the feel - being real leather, it feels nice and substantial, as opposed to the thin, artificial stuff used on the other books.

>224 wdripp: It’s stated that the book is the 2002 edition. Fierylunar could confirm this, as he has seen the books. If I wasn’t clear, I’m not in the market at this time.

>225 Pellias: I looked up historic results on eBay and indeed the prices lay between £15 and £20 for sold listings. The ones being offered now are a little to medium above those markers. So, not in a rush and will bide my time for a cheaper copy. >226 adriano77: This is very good information, I will try to hunt down a first printing.

>227 NLNils: These were definetely the quarterbound leather copies, but I think >224 wdripp: was maybe referencing the Marcus Aurelius volume. That one got prints up to 2006 in FS 60 and had a recent print run as well (sold out on website). The second Icelandic Sagas volume was never reprinted and 25$ would be a steal for that one.

>227 NLNils: Yes, sorry if that wasn't clear. I was referring to Marcus Aurelius Meditations, which was initially bound with quarter leather and later with quarter cloth. I also have the Great Philosophers set you just bought, and you got a good deal!

Ah. I have the grainy fourth printing from `04 (and the buckram version new) .. but not the one that blends in the most. This is crisis! / it will have to do though.

>222 Fierylunar:

Thank you very much for mentioning this here. I've been interested in these books for a while, and this is a really good deal including shipping to Germany, which all too often drives the price up considerably. I've paid for them and am looking forward to them now. Thanks!

>231 SF-72: Glad to be of help, congrats on a great purchase! Feel free to let me know what you think of them :)

>219 NLNils: I just bought this set at the beginning of the month but paid 50% more than you. Nice deal.

>232 Fierylunar:

I will. I expect it won't take that long for them to arrive, and I'm very much looking forward to them.

>232 Fierylunar:

The books are wonderful. The condition is as good as I'd hoped for after your description, and the seller shipped very quickly. I'd only ever seen the illustrations of the more easily available vol. 1, which I didn't really like, but those for vol. 2 are quite beautiful. That being said, it seems obvious that those for vol. 1 contain symbolism, so looking into them more closely when I'm reading the sagas should be interesting.

Thank you very much for mentioning the books here. I would never have stumbled across this offer otherwise.

I'm pretty excited to have found the single volume Greek Myths for $16.49 US including shipping, which was delivered today. It is one of the last volumes of the Myths & Legends series I was lacking, as I was holding out for a decent price for the one volume edition (although I was willing to pay more than I did). Looking forward to digging in to it.

A couple of FS classics from the 70s arrived today after purchases on ebay: the 1972 Middlemarch and the 1975 Anna Karenina. Both in excellent condition (both advertised at VG, but IMO more like Fine), although the latter's slipcase is a bit more the worse for wear; I can cope with that. I do prefer some of these older volumes to the more recent publications, and these two are no exceptions.

In the light of FS's recent publication of Isabella Bird's book on China, it was interesting to browse and subsequently buy their earlier edition of her letters from the Rocky Mountains (1988) in our local Oxfam bookshop. Nothing like as 'fine' an edition, but attractive, in nice condition, and looking eminently readable nonetheless, and rather more in range of my pocket at £7!

Also picked up a decent copy of Somerset Maugham's Cakes and Ale for a fiver at the same time.

Incidentally, >238 EclecticIndulgence:, Dervla Murphy in her intro to Bird's book, writes It is hard to think of any other travel book, of any period, that so spontaneously conveys the author's sheer delight in travelling; Mary Kingsley's 'Travels in West Africa' is, perhaps significantly, the nearest rival. Not a bad recommendation!

>239 Willoyd: - I read Bird's A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains many years ago, but I recall it as an excellent book. Enjoy!

>240 coynedj:
Thank you. I had quite a decent browse, and I was really taken with Bird's writing - personal, vivid and very engaging - the sort of letters I'd have loved to have received!

Just won an amazing Ebay Australia auction in which I was the only bidder and got a fine condition Letterpress Shakespeare Much Ado About Nothing for A$250 (£135). At this price, I'll keep adding to my collection of these magnificent books. Seller would not ship internationally, which may explain the price.

>219 NLNils: Found the matching Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations on Ardis for £18 and I finally own them all. The leather is a little different grain on all books (see photo), but I actually like that. If your after these books, I can only recommend them. Some of the finer work by FS.

I just received The Middle Parts Of Fortune sealed from the British Red Cross for £9 (excluding shipping). It would have been £38.95 (also excluding shipping) new from FS for this ROW customer. A cool 77% discount and a lucky find.

Laxdaela Saga, 1965, fine in slipcase, quarter leather over marbled paper boards, seems nicely letterpress-printed, for $2 at a local library society book sale.

>245 kermaier:

Definitely letterpress but, (apologies for pedantry) I think you'll find it's 1975.

>246 folio_books:
Right you are, 1975 - and no apology necessary. :-)

Today I found two older FS editions in a second hand bookshop in Dublin.

The first is The Castle of Fratta by Ippolito Nievo published in 1954.

The second is Memoirs of Prince Alexy Haimatoff by Thomas Jefferson Hogg published in 1952.

Both are complete with their original dust-jackets and while showing their age are in relatively good condition.

Strangely the first has on the back of the dust jacket an advertisement for the second.

One also contained inside the dust-jacket a document which is a statement from "EMEL Transport Ltd , being the Despatch Agents for the Book Society Ltd ".

It shows the purchasers name and address from 1954.

I have never heard of either author and I am now looking forward to reading both.

>248 N11284:

Nice one, John. I love those early editions in their dustjackets.

I recently purchase a copy of The Apocrypha for US$20 (plus $4 shipping) from Abe books.

And tonight I just ordered a copy of Myths and Tales of India for US$26 (plus $4 shipping) from Amazon.

>250 Diglot: Well done! Nice books for good prices.

>201 PatsChoice: This is why I hardly ever use ABE. Usually no or few pictures or stock pictures. The serious sellers on eBay often have quite a few exterior and interior pictures which can be magnified.
The problem with buying Folio books on eBay is that so many sellers are in UK with high shipping. But there are enough US sellers to make it worthwhile to search.
Unless I really feel I absolutely need to have it, I have recently bought very few books directly from Folio due to the price plus shipping. (I will get the newly published facsimile of Eric Gill's "Four Gospels", not an LE but apparently of high quality, done for The Golden Cockerel Press.) Often even recent publications can be found at a better price.

Just bought nine Letterpress Shakespeare for A$195 (£109) each with a mere A$40 (£23) delivery. In Australia, they sell at A$625 each from the Folio Society direct.
I already own five, so now I just need to buy the other 25 editions. Somehow I doubt they will be obtainable this cheaply ever again!

Very nice buy

Has anyone tried Biblio.com? they have thousands of FS books (put Folio Society as keyword), and you can filter the list by country of seller, with photo, condition, etc. I've only heard of it recently and have not yet bought anything from there, but it seems better than amazon/abe and the prices look reasonable, sometimes downright ridiculous (less than £1).

>255 overthemoon:
I use Biblio a lot, but there is a huge overlap of book stock with Abe. The advantage is that Biblio is independent (Abe is owned by Amazon) and I believe Biblio charge booksellers lower fees.

>256 wcarter: looks good to me.

Walked a couple of kilometres to my favourite coffee shop this morning and passed a garage sale where they had quite a few books.
I browsed idly, not expecting to find anything interesting, but there were two dozen FS books, all in excellent condition, and all at A$10 (£5.50) each.
I bought six:-
- The Allingham Diaries
- English Eccentrics
- Mass Observation
- Priestley's English Journey
- As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning
- No Man is An Island.
I have paid more than this for one old FS book including postage.
A nice surprise on a Saturday morning stroll.

Wow. Worth a plane flight to Brisbane

>256 wcarter: "I believe Biblio charge booksellers lower fees."

Biblio offer two different payment schedules for dealers. One has no monthly fee, but charges significantly more than ABE for each book ordered. The second schedule is similar to the ABE structure (monthly fee plus a fee per book), and both the monthly fee and the fee per book are slightly lower than ABE charges. The reality, however, is that most dealers will tell you that ABE delivers far more sales (it's a significant multiple - ten times would be the norm rather than the exception).

>260 TheEconomist: I periodically search through Biblio, particularly since Biblio often emails discounts. However, there are far fewer copies of almost any book on Biblio when compared to Abe and unfortunately many of the missing books are the cheaper copies. I almost always find it cheaper to purchase off of Abe than from Biblio with a discount. Further, the same offering on both sites is often a couple of dollars more on Biblio. I always assumed that Biblio charged its sellers more than Abe.

>261 kdweber: "I always assumed that Biblio charged its sellers more than Abe."

There is an interesting variant of Simpson's Paradox at work here. Although, on the second schedule, Biblio charges are slightly lower both for the monthly fee and the per-book fee, when these two factors are combined, many dealers will find that their overall fees (as a percentage of total sales) are slightly higher on Biblio than on ABE.

This isn't the main factor, however - the reality is that most Biblio dealers are on the first schedule rather than the second, where they pay 17% per book for most sales (compared to 13.5% on ABE). Some dealers feel that this difference is significant enough for them to need to increase their prices a little on Biblio.

Most bookdealers will tell you that they wish Biblio were more successful - but if it were to become successful, it would simply become a target for investment by one of the bigger players. Although Biblio is independent, it is privately owned, and the odds are that the owners would have their price. What many bookdealers would really like to see is a successful co-operative venture (owned by the booksellers themselves), but the general consensus is that this is a pipe dream.

I recently saw a book on ABE that I was after and contacted the seller directly. I immediately got a 15% reduction in the price and also a reduced postage rate. He said that it is advisable to always contact the seller directly as most have 2 prices for each book. The second price is inclusive of ABE's 15% fees.

From a table of cheap books outside a second-hand bookshop, picked up an immaculate copy of the 2007 edition FS 84 Charing Cross Rd. for A$1 (55p). It was presumably ridiculously cheap because it lacked a slipcase, but an immaculate hardcover 84CCR for one dollar is still an absolute bargain.

I ordered my first book ever from ABE, The Rosetta Stone. I still went with a listing including photos, but the overall experience was good with quick delivery. I just had an interest in this book for a while now, did not know it was translated from the original French. Fine/Fine copy for £6. Not bad, not bad at all...

>264 wcarter: Indeed!

Just picked up a copy of Charlemagne: Father of a Continent for cheap. One of the local features around here translates (roughly) as "Charlemagne's bum", so I feel obligated to read up on man and posterior both.

Managed to find a still wrapped, pristine Dune for 55€ including shipping. Quite happy with it, as I would've ordered it new otherwise for 91€ excluding shipping. Looks like I know what I'm doing this holiday season!

>267 Fierylunar: Congrats, a great price for a top production

>267 Fierylunar: Was already hoping it got knocked down by a fellow Devotee. Marktplaats for the win!

The Minoans, $33.

Just back home from a visit to Chapters in Dublin where I picked up 3 Folios and a surprise.
The Folios are: Brave New World 1997,In Praise of Folly 1974 and The Red Badge of Courage 1964.
All 3 are in almost perfect condition except for a bit of battering on the slipcases. €9.99 each

The surprise is a slipcase set of 2 books by Patrick O'Brian of Aubrey-Maturin fame. Caesar and Hussein. published by the British Library in 1999. A beautiful set in excellent condition. Also €9.99

Now for a lot of reading over the holidays.

>271 N11284: "The surprise is a slipcase set of 2 books by Patrick O'Brian of Aubrey-Maturin fame. Caesar and Hussein. published by the British Library in 1999. A beautiful set in excellent condition. Also €9.99"

To make you feel even better, I bought these new in 1999 for £125! (As you will have seen, it's a limited edition of 250 copies signed by Patrick O'Brian.)

>272 boldface:
Alas mine are not of that edition. Apparently there were 1000 copies printed. 750 of a " Collectors Edition" and 250 of a "Limited Edition". I'm not sure what the differences are but mine are unsigned. But still 2 really nice books.

>273 N11284:

Ah! Thanks for that. I'd forgotten there was another version. Either way, they are indeed great little books.

I’m considering this a find because I’ve rarely seen it listed for sale... just ordered a copy of News from Nowhere for $250 including shipping from UK to Canada...one of the very few times I’ve paid that much for a book but it looks so beautiful and I love the book, so excited about it. No idea if I really overpaid.

Recently managed to get the Eagle of the Ninth trilogy secondhand. A little more than I'd like to have paid, but glad to have them!

>275 RRCBS:

I paid roughly the same amount last year, it doesnt seem overpriced to me. No regrets, it's one of the items in my library i like to take in my hand and think "that's what a real book should look like". A elegant and understated work of art.

I bought a copy of John Fothergill's An Inkeeper's Diary a few days ago, for US$6.50. I know very little about the title, but for the price and for a copy in superb condition I felt it a worthy risk of a few dollars.

I made a deal on eBay for the Barzun set of From Dawn to Decadence. I was sweating it all the way until actually receiving the books and checking Volume 1 for the correct cross-references. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, see: http://www.librarything.com/topic/187047#5080083. I lucked out and actually found a corrected set secondhand! After being led astray by FS customer service when the set was on Sale last Summer, I'm very happy to finally own it. Even at a higher price point.

I found a bulk set of FS books on FB messenger. The 2 Graham Greene box sets, A History of the Crusades box set. The Greek Myths, The Illiad, Grapes of Wrath, Dr. Zhivago, Vanity Fair, To Kill A Mockingbird, Don Quixote, Michaelangelo, Mistress Marsham's Repose, The Prince and the Pauper, and I Capture the Castle. All for AU$300. I've been looking for many of these and they are all in pristine condition.
I also discovered the Hard to Find Bookshops in Dunedin, NZ where I found Tess Of the D'Urbervilles, My Cousin Rachael and The Minoans all for under AU$100.

>280 Shaliza:
Very good finds - congratulations, and enjoy the reading!

>281 wcarter: thanks Warwick!

Principia Mathematica at £110. Not sure how good a price it is, but figured it was about time I bought it

>283 DMulvee:

That’s what I paid for my second-hand copy – It usually sells around £90-£120 – There are two sets on ebay right now, optimistically priced at £200 and £299 ( Usual disclaimers! )

>284 bookfair_e: Thanks! It seems as if the prices of all Folio books that I am keen on are rising in the second hand market, so I figured I needed to start purchasing the books I want. The Icelandic Sagas volume 2 has seen it's last copies sell for £138 and £147 on ebay, so my fair value price keeps on rising for this (and yet always staying less than I can purchase a copy for)

>285 DMulvee: Principia is a challenge to find and £110 is a perfectly reasonable price. It's a great production, enjoy :)

More than reasonable, I'd say! I paid £180 + £15 shipping for a sealed copy from Ardis a few months ago. No regrets!

>287 adriano77: That's how to make me feel like I just saved money, instead of spending it!

Just received Catch 22. I put in a starting bid on eBay and totally forgot about it. A week later I get a push message that I won the auction. Had to literally look up which one. With the prices for this book all over the place, I didn’t expect a Fine/Near Fine copy for £20. Very eager to reread this one as it lends itself to multiple read throughs due to its comic absurdity!

I'd kept my eye on volumes of the Folio Press Fine Editions when they'd come up on eBay, but ultimately hadn't dipped my toe into that pool. Today, however, I made my first purchase when a "Like New" Woman in White came up for a BIN price of about $20. I had recalled reading that this was one of the titles that didn't typically go cheap. Hopefully I'm remembering correctly! Anyway, I look forward to its arrival. Perhaps it will nudge my down the rabbit hole...

>290 kronnevik:
Great value at that price. Congratulations!

Yes It is. I paid more than that several years ago and it is one of the titles that does seem to appear for sale less often than some in the series.

>290 kronnevik:

Great bargain! I can't remember seeing one under £40 in the past decade. Certainly mine, obtained some years back, wasn't as cheap as yours. Now you face the ultimate question, to chase or not to chase the remaining nineteen :)

>293 folio_books:

I have a feeling it may get me in the chase. I'm willing to be patient with these, however, so hopefully my wallet won't suffer too badly. (Famous last words...I know, I know...)

Found a set of 8 Fairy Book on eBaY for $400au (222 GBP/279 USD). Given the average sold prices on ebay for the individual volumes, I'm pretty happy with that.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/The-Folio-Society-Fairy-Books-Collection-/2643943794...

Now to hunt down the remaining Orange, Grey, Olive and Lilac, which I'm sure will cost me significantly more than $400!

>295 cameronm75: Congratulations! Fairy hunting seems to have regained its popularity of a century ago when one Arthur Conan Doyle believed more devoutly than Sherlock would probably have approved of:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottingley_Fairies