Shop of Horrors

[Rob Houghton]

I can't even imagine what planet (or even universe!) anyone would pay those prices for such tatty books...but I also think, unfortunately, if people charge those prices, there must be customers prepared to pay those prices, or else they wouldn't ever sell anything!

[Julie2owlsdene]

unfortunately, if people charge those prices, there must be customers prepared to pay those prices, or else they wouldn't ever sell anything!

You have a point, Robert. I guess these sellers are just going off what the minority will pay, not the majority. And of course as soon as you mention 'Blyton' they get tills ringing in their ears!!

I'm always tempted to contact these sellers and say, 'You must be out of your mind' but I know they won't reply anyway!!

[Courtenay]

Makes me wonder, though, why even a small minority would be willing to pay several hundred quid when, if they searched just a little further online, they'd find exactly the same items at a much more reasonable price!! But I guess there really must be a few with more dollars than sense, so to speak...

[Rob Houghton]

You only have to see Stella and Roses prices on eBay - £3,000 etc. I know usually for that price it's a first edition...but some of their other books are £500 and not first editions...so there MUST be customers, or else they wouldn't offer them at such prices. From what I can see on eBay it's mainly dealers selling and buying, prices spiralling upwards each time. I'm nearly always outbid, as most books go for higher prices than I'm prepared to pay...and I'm sure they aren't bought by fans!

[John Pickup]

Prices for second hand books have spiralled out of control since the internet. The best bargains are to be found in the dusty old second hand shops where I found a copy of Five On A Hike Together for £3 the other week. Not a 1st edition but a nice copy with a complete, bright wrapper.

[Rob Houghton]

I generally agree - if you can find the right bookshop! All the antique bookshops around where I live are in places like Stratford and Warwick...nothing much under £10...but occasionally there's a bargain in one bookshop in Warwick, where I bought a dust wrapper version of Birds of Our Garden for £3 the other week.

[Rob Houghton]

I was interested to see an edition of 'The Writer' 1951 for sale on eBay for £2.99 - I put in a bid days ago and no one appeared to be even 'watching' it - but sure enough 15 minutes before the end - while I was away from the computer - someone beat me to it!

It had an article on writing for children, written by Enid Blyton.

I was going to donate it to the Society, as I don't think there's a copy in The Cave...but hopefully someone on here won it - I wouldn't mind that!

[Tony Summerfield]

Here's an ebay bargain for somebody!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Blyton-Enid-T ... xylpNTTOic" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Or for those with a bit more to spend:-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Enid-Blyt ... SwT5tWMAUe" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Courtenay]

[Wolfgang]

I have all 12 and 7 books of the series - do you think I should sell them each for 500 pound so they can sell them for 800+?

[Julie2owlsdene]

I just don't understand how these people can put on such a price. I think they must be drinking loopy juice!!!!

[Rob Houghton]

I'm speechless!

I admit, jumping on the bandwagon, I've got a second edition of 'The Magic Faraway Tree' without a dust wrapper on there for £90. I thought that was stretching it a bit, but others (Stella and Rose etc) have the same book for £100 + - so I'm just curious to see if anyone buys mine for £90!

Some prices though are out of this world! Do people actually pay those prices for these modern books?!

[Eddie Muir]

I think they must be drinking loopy juice!!!!

[Katharine]

I found a copy of Five On A Hike Together for £3 the other week. Not a 1st edition but a nice copy with a complete, bright wrapper.

Noooooooooooooooooo - I've been looking for that book for a while now.


Actually I was tempted by a copy of Secret Mountain today, it had a D/W, but was a bit battered in places. I think it was a 1950s reprint, and they wanted £10.50 for it. It's not one of my favourite books, so I decided to stick with my 1980s paperback for the moment.

[Lucky Star]

I just don't understand how these people can put on such a price. I think they must be drinking loopy juice!!!!

Agree completely. The only one's more stupid would be anyone who actually buys either of these.