On the pricing of used Ligotti books

[DoktorH]

This past November, after reading Teatro Grottesco and TCATHR, I went hunting online for other LIgotti stuff. I noticed that a lot of it was what I would consider pretty pricey for a book. Some titles over $50. Others easily exceeding $100. With a bit of judicious sifting through various editions of things on Amazon, I was able to get many titles for $25. or less. I have one general question on this, and one multi-parter.

1: Do Ligotti works typically go for the triple-digit prices i've seen on Amazon and eBay, or has there been a spike in demand/prices following the release of TCATHR?

2. Did I luck out with the following finds, pay a fairly typical price, or pay more than what would be expected?
- Songs of a Dead Dreamer, 1989 Carroll & Graf hardcover, dust jacket's a little worn at the edges but otherwise nothing wrong. 19.99 with shipping
- Noctuary, 1995 Carroll & Graf trade paperback. Looks bookstore-new with a red remainder mark on the bottom edge. 23.99 with shipping.
- Shadow at the Bottom of the World, 2005 Old Spring Press trade paperback, minor wear but that's probably from me reading it, 19.99 with shipping

I'm not really knowledgeable on the collectible side of books, or anything else. I go by whether or not the price is reasonable compared with what it is and how much I want it.

[nomis]

Quote Originally Posted by DoktorH

I go by whether or not the price is reasonable compared with what it is and how much I want it.

This is ultimately the only criterion that matters, namely are you willing to pay what is asked?

That said, you might want to compare pricing at a site like AbeBooks Official Site - New Out of Print Books as many dealers use the site to push their wares. You'll get a good idea thus of what range a particular edition sells for. For instance, the C&G edition of SoaDD (first printing) starts at approx $50USD for a "good" copy, which suggests you got a good price on it.

[starrysothoth]

For books that aren't exactly mainstream, Amazon.com's listings are bit higher than the market value, in my opinion. My guess is that sellers either think they can charge more due to Amazon's brand visibility, or to try to overcome the small cut Amazon takes of sales.

I would have expected stagnation or a slight decrease in prices of used Ligotti books. Many of his works are more accessible than ever (or they're about to be) thanks to the Subterranean, Centipede, and Virgin reprints. Of course, the Sub. editions are selling out pretty fast, so that may contribute to lingering shortages and price hikes.

[Piranesi]

BookFinder.com is a great search engine for comparing prices: http://www.bookfinder.com/

[starrysothoth]

Quote Originally Posted by Piranesi

BookFinder.com is a great search engine for comparing prices: http://www.bookfinder.com/

Absolutely. This is the god king of book search engines, as far as I'm concerned. Though be advised, it doesn't always capture everything 100% of the time, so it still pays to check individual sites for highly sought books, just to make sure.

[Murony_Pyre]

@DoctorH: the prices you got sound pretty good to me.

Just remember that bookfinder.com (which is an extremely useful resource) is also an abebooks.com affiliate. Often contacting the sellers directly can net you approx. 15%-25% less on average than books are listed for on most "mega" used book sites in a lot of cases. Sellers are often reluctant to offer such a discount if the book costs less than say $30, however.
I got a 1st edition copy of "Grimscribe" (fine/fine) on a 50% off sale a couple of months ago for $30 shipped.

[DoktorH]

Quote Originally Posted by nomis

This is ultimately the only criterion that matters, namely are you willing to pay what is asked?

That's what I go by. Thanks to everyone for the great info! I'd never heard of bookfinder and abebooks before, relying on amazon and barnesandnoble.com for the bulk of my online book shopping, and only recently started looking elsewhere (ordering directly from Hippocampus and Subterranean).

[Ascrobius]

If you really want an edge on Abebooks, which I use all the time, set it up so that every time a Ligotti item is listed you are contacted by email. If you are quick, you may find items you wouldn't normally see because others snap them up so quickly. I have scored many rare books this way, not only of Tom's, but other authors as well. I love Abebooks, and have used it since it came into existence.

[njhorror]

I use AddAll.com and Bookfinder and have had good results.

One of the options at AddAll is that you can check to see if the book is being offered on ebay at the same time.

[bendk]

Quote Originally Posted by Ascrobius

If you really want an edge on Abebooks, which I use all the time, set it up so that every time a Ligotti item is listed you are contacted by email. If you are quick, you may find items you wouldn't normally see because others snap them up so quickly. I have scored many rare books this way, not only of Tom's, but other authors as well. I love Abebooks, and have used it since it came into existence.

Ouch! The secret is out. Sometimes this doesn't work, though. I was notified about Carnage Hall #3 and went to order it, and someone had already beaten me to it. His name was Brian something or other.


Before I order a book I scour the net. I have used all of the above suggestions plus eBay, Biblio.com, and the Book Depository. I have even sent private e-mails to certain sellers on Abebooks and eBay making them offers for certain books. If the offer is reasonable, more often than not they will accept it. Make sure it is insured in any case.