Warning - resealed books on eBay from selfmadellc!

eBay seller selfmadellc is selling resealed used Easton Press books. Ribbon page markers are out of place, which the seller is trying to hide in the photos. Also, based on a negative review, these volumes came from a smoker's residence...

Yeah, one of the reason’s I never buy Easton press books from eBay.

>2 fancythings: I guess you are buying your own books now :D:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/276124#6263956

"Funny "payment plans." Thanks but I have no money or credit cards. All I do is go to school and study and do the same thing every day. I need for this semester to be over and enjoy life a little, with my Christmas gifts. Easton Press is for people who are pretty successful and have extra money to spend on books. This is luxury market we are talking about. You guys are doing well to afford such luxurious, top of the line books. I can't compare since I'm just an undergraduate student with 6 classes and some spare change for sandwich that my parents gave me. I'm lucky if I get EP books on Christmas."

Hunting deals/bargains is most likely how most of us have built nice libraries or extensive collections, learning in the process how to recognize damaged/resealed books and/or deal with dishonest sellers.

eBay provides excellent protection with their Money Back Guarantee for those who still distrust it. Aside from that you can still pay with PayPal, which provides additional layer of safety. Finally, your credit card company/financial institution has your back as the last resort. All this; however, is for those who are online shopping savvy and at least moderately financially adept...

I shall take my leave now to finish my treat, a fine medium-rare ribeye steak and a glass of red Cabernet Sauvignon, which I have purchased by saving over $200 buying a DLE on eBay... Alas, my funds have some limitations :D!

Can’t seem to find him. Link?

>3 EPsonNY:: Mmmmmm Ribeye (said in Homer Simpson’s voice). I won’t turn down a nice perky Cab but I’m more of a Merlot guy... insert comments from wife about being so boring here 🥸😒

>5 GOBOGIE: https://www.ebay.com/itm/EARTHSEA-TETRALOGY-Easton-Press-URSULA-LE-GUIN-wizard-a...

Check out the out-of-position ribbon markers and suspicious shrinkwrap seams. I won't say no to some nice Merlot either ;)...

>3 EPsonNY: yes, I buy my own books now. Regular editions sometimes and yes, my parents buy EP books for me too including limited editions No idea why you copied my thread from 2017. I’m still poor lol but have means, which is personal matter. Happy that you saved money on DLE. Usually it’s much more expensive than buying directly from EP. plus with limited resources I want to be sure and EP has great return and exchange policy

>2 fancythings:

Much of EP's best or most desirable output came from its past, which means the only way anyone can acquire any of it, rich or poor, is through the secondary market. eBay, arguably, represents one of the largest, if not the largest, sources of EP books, new and used. Thus, it would be sheer folly to ignore eBay outright. Best embrace it now before you miss out on too much more.

>9 treereader: I can’t disagree with you but I still love dealing directly with EP so is my parents. And, I’m sure you are right and eBay sellers have a lot to offer from ep’s past.

>10 fancythings:

No need to stop buying directly from EP but try eBay (or AbeBooks, or something secondary). Go for something simple, a nice Famous Editions title perhaps. Get used to the environment so when you have an opportunity to get something important and expensive that EP can't provide, you'll know how to approach it.

I'm sure many others here will have a similar take but I've gotten hundreds of immaculate EP books from eBay, Abe, Amazon, and a couple smaller places over the years. Maybe a few arrived less than described but they were handled when it was appropriate.

>7 EPsonNY: You'll notice the seller always says sealed and not original shrinkwrap.

>12 kdweber: true, but this is horribly deceptive to people who assume it is truly NEW and “first edition”, a Virgin book you might say. Looking at past sales some people are paying exorbitant fees. I suspect if the seller were honest and stated, “Used and resealed to retain that nicotine smell from the previous addict who owned this book” that it would not sell.

>13 HugoDumas: agreed. If I saw this I would assume it was factory sealed. I think this is dishonesty.

It is dishonest. Agreed. Me and my parents will continue buying directly from EP be it regular, signed or limited editions. Got Frankestein and Mark Twain’s recollections for my birthday. Love it and ep customer service was really good. We better pay more to buy directly from EP for that very important piece of mind.

>15 fancythings:

Agreed. One bad driver on the road so it's safest never to drive again.

>16 treereader: No, but no reason to take chances if you can do it trouble free that is buying directly from EP. All of my EP books come directly from EP and I intended to continue that. That said, I know exactly what you saying here. Your advice is really good but I set on my ways, at least for now. Lol

>17 fancythings:

Well do let us know when you decide to take the leap. I can't think of a better resource to advise you than this group here. You're worried about a 1/1000000 chance problem - this group can skew that to a 1/1000000000 chance problem. (rough numbers, but the sentiment is accurate)

>18 treereader: Ehhh... I've been buying books and other collectibles from eBay, Amazon Marketplace sellers, and AbeBooks for over 20 years now, and I would say more like 1/5 to 1/10. I really know what I'm doing (was also a dealer for 10 years), and I still have to return stuff on a not infrequent basis. Happened just this week with an ABAA member professional bookseller on AbeBooks from whom I purchased a "fine" copy of a 50-year old book that I quickly ascertained, once I received it, was most certainly not in "fine" condition. In fact, that this type of thing happens frequently, even to sophisticated collectors, is reinforced time and again on the Facebook collecting groups that I below to, where people can and do easily show pictures of their purchasing "fails" and sellers' sometimes appalling packaging jobs (even with expensive books!).

That being said, I absolutely agree that fancythings can pick up valuable tips and information here for how best to buy and to protect himself and how to handle things when transactions go wrong.

>17 fancythings: Not that it really matters what any of us think, since I don't think you know any of us IRL, but I totally support your decision to stick primarily (or even entirely) to purchasing directly from EP. It is nice to know that you'll pay a fair price and that if you do have any problems, you'll be able to get them sorted out quickly. I do and will continue to purchase both directly and from the secondary market, as well, when it makes sense to do so (see my other comment).

I now collect a variety of high-quality books from many different publishers, but I also started with Easton Press way back when. If you ever feel like expanding to another trusted source that you can buy direct from and get some outstanding editions from, you should also check out foliosociety.com, if you haven't already. They have a very different style from EP, but they equally as wonderful (both have their own pros and cons).

>19 whytewolf1:

Is 1/5 or 1/10 bad enough to stop you from buying on the second market?

Rough numbers ;-) Actually, I was imagining the entire potential book inventory on eBay, not the specific rate of success any one of us might see. Your rate will naturally be worse than mine if you're more discerning than I am, too. Most of eBay's total book inventory is likely described within one rating of being accurate, given that most sellers and buyers are not perfect experts at grading.

>20 whytewolf1: Thank you. And, yes my parents purchased several limited editions from folio society. I purchased several of their regular editions like Dune and love it. But, of course, EP limited editions are my all time favorites. Glad, that you also buy directly from EP and FS. I want them to stay in business and produce beautiful books. My parents love EP limited editions and buy them for me on special occasions like my birthday. I’m reading my birthday present now, EP limited edition of Frankenstein.

>21 treereader: It is not at all enough to dissuade me. Those of us here who are longtime, sophisticated collectors surely know how to reduce our "failure" rate and hedge our risks. It has been a long time since I've been out and out burned, but I'm sure it will happen again one day. In the meantime, I (and I'm sure, many others here) tolerate the occasional annoyance of a return or even a dispute in exchange for the many wonderful deals to be had and the occasional treasures to be found. :)

And thanks for clarifying, I think I better understand your point now.

>22 fancythings: Very cool. Yes, I own a number of the EP LEs, as well. Most of them are quite lovely. :)