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Post by charleselan on Jun 11, 2020 12:42:48 GMT
I am beginning to wonder if the ever increasing price rise in printed books is due to the ever invasive presence of the internet. People can access so much online these days such as articles and photos that maybe books are becoming less relevant to some.
The price of the Ludvigson book is just horrendous and certainly would deter me from ever contemplating buying it. I noticed last evening when looking for the Pete Lyons "Shadow" book that Amazon had copies of used examples of the Pete Lyons brilliant Can-Am book for £115, thank goodness I bought my pristine copy two years ago for £45.
Also when I see the prices of books on the MS site one has to take a very deep breath, mind you they seem to believe that everything they sell belongs to an "elite" market. Are we here all out of synch with what we believe to be a typical MS readership demographic?
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Post by robmarsh on Jun 11, 2020 19:09:06 GMT
I am beginning to wonder if the ever increasing price rise in printed books is due to the ever invasive presence of the internet. People can access so much online these days such as articles and photos that maybe books are becoming less relevant to some. The price of the Ludvigson book is just horrendous and certainly would deter me from ever contemplating buying it. I noticed last evening when looking for the Pete Lyons "Shadow" book that Amazon had copies of used examples of the Pete Lyons brilliant Can-Am book for £115, thank goodness I bought my pristine copy two years ago for £45. Also when I see the prices of books on the MS site one has to take a very deep breath, mind you they seem to believe that everything they sell belongs to an "elite" market. Are we here all out of synch with what we believe to be a typical MS readership demographic? I don't think so. MS are bowing to their advertisers.
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Post by chrisb on Jun 12, 2020 6:38:31 GMT
bless you Rob, i keep wondering why are these books just so expensive, at Race Retro I met a marvellous enthusiast who sold books and we chatted for over an hour about times past and favourites, funny enough he was a Jimmy fan, but some of his books were going for the thousand pound mark, all autographed and I was offered the Jack Sears book for £500 and the Fitz book for £300 and we agreed that maybe that was a tadge out of my price range, I didn't know Pete Bryant has a book out, as the weather is cancelling my golf and motorbiking and although I have started to write again I may well look again at Chris Pook's collection, I did ask MS to do more book reviews and historic ones as well, but they seem to prefer other things, now i have some photos i wantedto share so here goes, Attachments:
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Post by charleselan on Jun 12, 2020 17:08:31 GMT
Do not get trapped into paying that kind of money for a book, leave that to those who have an indecent amount of cash and do not know what to do with it for the better.
Part of the challenge is looking and researching to find a good example at a more modest value.
Great pics Chris, must be Le Mans during the first year of Group "C" with those wonderful little Lancia Barchetta's, and then Phil Hill still looking spritely.
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Post by robmarsh on Jun 13, 2020 8:13:20 GMT
Chris, Charles before the advent of EBay and Amazon the prices of second hand motoring books in the UK was very consistent. I remember in the early 1990s looking for a copy of the 1978/79 Autocourse Annual to complete my collection. All the major booksellers, eg Chaters, MotorBooks etc had the same price ie GBP150 so it made no difference from whom you brought it. It was too rich for me so I didn't and eventually got a copy on E Bay for just over GBP100 some years later. I thought it was worth it at the time but that was before I had decided to sell off my book collection. Now I am hoping to catch some of those people you talk about Charles. My mom wisely covered a couple of my earlier Autocourse annuals in plastic but sadly when left to my own devices I didin't so the ones from 1979 to 1984 are well loved. The rest are pretty pristine though as I realised they could have some value to others later in life.
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Post by chrisb on Jun 17, 2020 5:00:19 GMT
JC, The photo of Phil was around 1983 at Le Mans? - the first year of the 956's and for me the rebirth of real Le Mans racing, he was so approachable, I would like his book but at £250 I simply cannot justify buying it, the picture of Ricardo is possibly Le Mans but may be Brands hatch, I loved those Lancia's especially the next model,
I am taking a break from work from next week [yesss!!] for a few months so will hopefully be posting a few more pictures and try and remember some of the stories that went with that,
Rob, I seem to remember pre-internet book prices seemed fairer, and then like the actual cars they went into 'lets make money mode' and the prices sky-rocketed - except if you wanted to sell that is, your collection of books sounded amazing and although I only have about 6 Autocourse annuals, and will also be parting with some of them, not 1965/66/7 ones though, bit treasured those years, I am not expecting that sort of return, but there again the ones I am selling I didn't pay a lot for so - more money to buy another book!
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Post by robmarsh on Jun 17, 2020 7:17:38 GMT
Chris, your Autocourse annuals 1965/66/67 would probably go for over GBP250 each. The price has dropped on ones after 1980 and a lot of the more modern ones go for less than their original purchase price. I wouldn't sell any books I consider treasures. Another example is the book Porsche and ME. Before ME died last week second hand versions were going for GBP749 on Amazon. I think they were less than GBP40 new. Crazy, but some people have to own something that others want and they can deny them getting, so are prepared to pay.
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Post by chrisb on Jun 19, 2020 6:54:23 GMT
thanks Rob, like you I wouldn't sell anything I feel is special, like all my Jimmy, Graham and Pete books, as well as the annuals, may get ride of my collection of film books, I have a number of biographies and the like from the classic era, some will be worthless but others less so, but I don't read them anymore and whilst i may keep a few i think maybe it is time to move on. Buy some more motor racing books!
what is the Pete Bryant book called? I have been trying to find it to no avail
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Post by robmarsh on Jun 19, 2020 7:49:03 GMT
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;">Hi Chris. The Pete Bryant book is called Can-Am Challenger. There are three SH copies on Amazon UK, with the cheapest going for GBP109. The reason SH motor racing books are so expensive is because they are normally single edition, single print runs and once stock is finished, that's it. There are very few Motor Racing books that have been reprinted so their rarity value is high.</span>
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Post by robmarsh on Jun 20, 2020 13:26:06 GMT
thanks Rob, like you I wouldn't sell anything I feel is special, like all my Jimmy, Graham and Pete books, as well as the annuals, may get ride of my collection of film books, I have a number of biographies and the like from the classic era, some will be worthless but others less so, but I don't read them anymore and whilst i may keep a few i think maybe it is time to move on. Buy some more motor racing books! what is the Pete Bryant book called? I have been trying to find it to no avail Hi Chris Chaters have a copy of Can-Am Challenger in their out of print section going for about GBP35. I saw it a few minutes ago. 20 June at 14:15
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Post by chrisb on Jun 21, 2020 5:49:50 GMT
thanks Rob,
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Post by robmarsh on Jul 28, 2020 18:25:09 GMT
My Pete Lyons book on Shadow arrived today. Cost was GBP56 from Amazon including delivery. It is a hefty tome and given that I paid GBP27 for the magazine like book on Richie Ginther this looks like it is definitely worth the cost. Will let you know more as I get into it.
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Post by chrisb on Jul 29, 2020 7:33:02 GMT
Rob, what did you make of the Richie book? I look forward to your comments on the Shadow book, I have read a few bits that have been published, he certainly was a character and the occurrences of 42 years ago with Arrows were never clear to me, not that I was that interested in the internal strife but it may explain a few things. I have the Tony Southgate book and that would be interesting to see if his and Don's stories relate.
I also picked up a Bill Boddy book on F1, which I had no awareness of its existence [@ £4 I thought it was worth it]
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Post by robmarsh on Jul 29, 2020 8:25:36 GMT
Hi Chris I haven't got to the Richie Ginther book yet. I have been spending the last couple of weeks going through all our belongings which finally arrived from South Africa. Like a few Christmasses rolled into one. I also have been spending a lot of time lost in the world of fiugurine painting whilst listen to mark Knofler and Emmy Lou Harris.
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Post by chrisb on Jul 29, 2020 14:25:55 GMT
Hi Rob, that must be a wonderful time, only trouble is I am not sure what flugurine painting is,
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