Special Editions, Special Prices

**This is not an attack on Special Editions, consumers, or Publishers/Authors/Companies who make them, I freakin love them, but, I do want to talk shop for a bit!**

I

Love

Special Editions

Whether it’s a steel book BluRay, a shiny console, a pretty videogame, or worst of all for my self-control, a pretty book.

I didn’t even realize special editions of books existed really until like last year. Don’t get me wrong, I knew there were different editions, but, special? I was in the dark guys. The only thing I had preordered previously as far as books went was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I did get a ‘special edition’ of that, the one with the slipcase. But I mean…that was yonks ago lol. So now I’m happy to preorder special editions when I can. They tend to be okay on price, sometimes the shipping is heart-wrenching. I won’t name names but 20.00 for shipping a 20.00 book did hurt my soul and wallet lol. However, I was lucky enough to have. the funds to do so.

I’m not here to really talk about the preorders of them or buying them out of stores which also have some great special editions. [For instance, I preordered Chain of Gold from Waterstones rather than getting a box I wanted because I couldn’t justify that sort of spending this go around.] No, today I want to talk about reselling.

There’s no harm in it, it’s good! You don’t want a book, you need money, maybe just wanted shelf space? This is such a great option! I’m all for reselling and trading! Sometimes the books we are intending to sell even gain some value, which is great! Woo more monies!

But is there a line to draw?

I’m guilty of pushing that line, I really wanted a special edition of a certain book, someone was selling it for 54.00 and I bought it, of course, these special editions are usually at least half that sort of price. But, supply and demand my friends, it’s a bitch.

I’ve seen the Goldsboro special edition orange sprayed edges of ‘Priory’ go for 140, and I’m pretty sure that’s on the cheap side of what a special edition can go for. There’s also the chaos that is the selling of the Aurora Rising Goldsboro, the Fairyloot editions of like…any book, and they all seem to get a bit out of hand. Not because it’s wrong for people to sell their books, but because us as consumers and they as buyers have no idea what prices are okay, there’s no issue in selling what you have for the price you set, but man is it hard on people to find special editions if they didn’t have a chance to preorder/order at the time the books went on sale. Even Waterstones editions seem to go for a hefty price for a few books.

It can be unfair to those who don’t have the money, they’re stuck seeing people put books up for sale that they have been searching for, and are unable to afford the crazy inflation.

I guess what I’m asking is, is there a better way we can do things? I’m genuinely asking, by the way, not being patronizing. Do we trade more? That can be difficult when you don’t want what someone has to offer, or sometimes someone doesn’t have anything to trade Do we maybe wait a certain period of time before jacking up prices? Maybe three months after release we just go hogwild but until then we try to let people purchase it at a lower price? I’m not sure but I feel like there’s a huge imbalance here. ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE BUY TO SELL. And these are the only people I take issue with. I watched those Queen of Nothin editions sell out and then I watched people IMMEDIATELY sell them, just like with some of the other special editions, this is just the more current example.

I mean some people were selling them before they were even in their hands, and others the moment they got the box. I get selling the stuff in the boxes if you only want the book, that’s fair enough, but to immediately flip the book, and sell it for a crazy amount of money? It just seems unfair and it’s been on my mind a lot lately.

Part of the reason for that is because I’ve considered selling some of my special editions, but I hesitate because I’m unsure what to price them at. I could put it up high, the editions are ‘special’ enough but it feels wrong but at the same time, well hey, I need money. So, again, I’m searching for some sort of guideline on this, and I wish we had more discussions on the cost of books. So, here we are, I’m chaotically discussing the price of special editions.

If you preordered a book for 16.00, and aren’t in dire need of money, maybe try not to sell it for 75? I don’t know, I’m not sure if I’m just whining.

What do you all think?