$100 for a BOOK? | Are Leatherbounds Worth Their Price?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2024
- In what world does a $100 book make sense? Well, it turns out ... this world. Leather bound, limited edition, special printing books have become more and more popular in the fantasy genre in the last few years. In this video, I'll tell you why I think they're worth it -- to a certain type of person anyway.
-----------------
Support the show on Patreon: / legendarium
Visit www.thelegendarium.com/ to subscribe to the podcast
Join the Discord community: / discord
Twitter: / legendariumpod
Reddit: / thelegendarium
Instagram: / the_legenda. . - บันเทิง
![อาจารย์ยอด : ลุงแว่วเล่าเรื่องผี [ผี]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Fd2Qsy4dqpM/mqdefault.jpg)
i love how your example of 'expensive books' is basically a stack of cosmere
seems to be the same for every single booktuber. I think Sanderson used some of his Mormon connections and inspiration while having this special edition made. Because it very much looks like a book from a mysterious religion, cult, or some occult book. Which is the coolest way for a book to look. I don't understand why not more publishers and writers do this. Modern book covers are so damn fugly.... If all books had such editions with such extremely cool covers I'd likely start a book collection. But there is so little you can actually buy. Most book editions are fugly. Most hardcovers are mediocre or ugly. Books should look mysterious, expensive and illusive. Anyway,... so I use a kobo libra... although I really want another, a bigger one maybe with a pen like the kobo elipsa. And I don't really buy any physical books because my ereader is far more convenient and I always dreamed of book shelves full of leather bound books with gilded letters etc. Not of super shiny paperbacks with bright colorful letters, images etc. Although I do love myself an old sci fi or fantasy cover (or modern interpretation of those)
@@3choblast3r4 never read cosmere but the books are indeed extremely beautiful !
@@3choblast3r4 Easton Press and Folio Society still exist, and you can collect Franklin Library's and Heritage Press and many others.
@@emmaphilo4049have you read Cosmere yet?
The nicer the copy, the more enjoyable the reading experience, and the faster I finish the title. It really is a joy, wouldn't trade it for the world.
I got my first leatherbound a couple weeks ago when my WoK leatherbound showed up. It makes me so happy seeing it in my shelf.
How did you get WoK? they are all out of stock
@@Jay-zm9ns after they shipped all the leatherbounds from the kickstarter they put their leftovers on their store. I am subscribed to Sanderson's TH-cam channel and ordered it when he announced that they were on there.
Stormlight archive has been the best series i've ever read so far...when all ten are out i'd totally spend a grand for all leatherbound
2 grands. Plus shipping if applicable (excluding inflation)
@@SujeetRaj711 I was going to reply with the exact same comment. Great minds think alike. 😉
@@SujeetRaj711 You're assuming that all 10 books will be still in print in what? Like 15 if not 20 years from now and there will be no inflation.
By then, it’ll be way more than a grand for the collection probably.
I’ve mostly switched to audiobooks and ebooks, so for me, to add a book to my shelf, I already HAVE it. I’ve read it. It’s an old friend I want to give a home, so we can visit and go on those adventures together over and over. It’s EARNED. I don’t buy them for myself, but they’re always recommended as presents, and that way I can remember, “And it was my mom who gave me this book.” Now, having since lost her to cancer, that means something more than it did.
Everyone has their “things.” Loving really nice leatherbound hardbacks just happens to be mine. 🤷🏻♀️
Also, I may send this video to my Dad, who… does NOT quite get it. 😂
I have to make a small point here. Almost all paper produced today is acid-free, but there is a huge difference between paper and paper. Most paper is made of wood fiber that is neutralized by acid and does not have the same quality as paper with hemp or pure rag (cotton, wool, linen, jute and hemp) fiber in it. The more wood fiber you have in the paper, the faster it yellows and it breaks faster in sunlight. It is also all that is often much weaker than rag paper, it is one of the biggest reasons why banknotes are made of 100% rag paper plus they hold color much better.
I personally like physical books more than digital "ebooks", there's just something about having the book in your hands and thumbing through the pages that is more appealing. I've gotten some paperbacks before and found out that I prefer hardcover a lot more than paperbacks. I don't like it when the paperback warps due to overuse and the binding is really cheap (usually). I have a lot more hardcover books than I do paperback, no leatherbound books (other than religious material) because I just can't afford it. So hardcover are what I have mostly gotten in the past.
I’m currently waiting on my Deluxe Illustrated Silmarillion arriving in a few months 🤩
This video is recommended to me, and I am pretty sure that the conclusion statement will be on the lines with “it depends on your preferences or budget”.
I really enjoyed your video. I purchase books from Suntup Editions and The Folio Society (not a huge fan of leather bound books, although I do like the B&N LB Editions (yeah, I know they're not real leather). I have friends and coworkers who think I'm nuts when I spend $200 on a book. But when I'm reading it and it's letterpress printed, and illustrated, and signed by the artist and sometimes even the author, on luscious acid free papers, etc., the reading experience is so worth it.
When we were sharing book shelves a few months back, I refused to join in bc I buy the cheapest used copy I can find. 😅
My copy of WoK leatherbound should be arriving soon, excited for that. I hope to have a bookcase full of leatherbounds one day, for now I've got a decent few but not even enough to fill a single shelf.
I have all of Sanderson’s leather bound books, each from their first printings. They are seriously gorgeous.
Great video!
If it’s a book you really like, then they are worth it. You are showing respect to a book that gives you joy.
Yes😂😂😂
I love to buy and read the occasional (5-10/year) luxurious book. That being said, I’m partial to cloth/buckram to leather, which tends to make my hands sweat. The paper quality, seen binding, well-considered page layout, and often artwork really elevate the experience. But for me, these editions always serve as my reading copy. I would never shell out money for a book I’m afraid to use-speaking only for myself, the reading experience is the point of these books.
You’ve got me second guessing saving $ on the deluxe Tolkien editions now. I only have two (love them) but decided to save money and now I want all the slipcased deluxe illustrated editions. You are so right about the reading experience being so much better.
Leather bound books are very nice, I have many by Easton library and love that they're printed and bound in the USA..... but some of my nicest books are not leather bound, for example my limited run Taschen art books, some of which are $1200 and not leather bound.
I wish I could afford the Brandon Sanderson leatherbound editions, but I'm kind of on a tight budget right now and things like rent, bills, and groceries have to take priority.
I'm right with you on that.
No matter how you wrap it, it’s the same story.
Ah perfect timing for this, just got my WoK LB last week 😂
Hope you enjoy it! Those are amazing, even by premium book standards.
@@TheLegendarium this video inspired me to pick it up and read the preface! Very much agree of the great feeling reading experience. Can't wait to continue!
Hmm Lord of the Rings leatherbound you say? No, No, I already have 3 copies... What's one more?
Seen stiched bindings referred to more as "Library binding" but something I always pay attention to in a hard cover.
Great video! You know what would make it better? Links to where are you purchase them😜
Easton Press are my favourite book company, especially buying their older books. I just purchased Fahrenheit 451 (from the 90's) and their new Dune and want to get an old copy of Lolita next
I bought the Way of Kings leather bound because it's the book that got me back into reading. Since reading it, I've read over 50 other books, including the entire Wheel of Time and Lord of the Rings series. Stormlight is by far my favorite series in progress, and I hope to be able to get them all as they come
Passions that don’t cost money can still cost too much time.
Sick. Curious if maybe you could do a guide for indie authors on how to get this done? I'm expecting it's not cheap but still!
If they give you pleasure it's worth it.
Why do people put such an emphasis on the cost of something compared to the value it brings to you. I have been collecting them for a few years and have spent over 2000 on them but the quality is amazing, I enjoy the reading experience, and I like have a huge library of nice looking books.
Not every leather bound is 100. If you're in the US you're very lucky you can order Easton Press leather bounds. But barnes and noble and Canterbury classics are also beautiful and only 20 / 30 euro sometimes as low as 10. They are unfortunately bonded leather though
I usually always go with paper backs but if its one of my fav books of all time Ill try to find a nice hardcover
I find that when u buy the paperback version of a book and the leather bound I finish the leather bound much quicker, it makes me feel more passionate bout the book I guess.
I was staying strong in avoiding buying Sanderson’s leatherbounds but you may have actually convinced me to give it another think
Do you actually read the leather bound editions? I did so with "The final empire" and managed to rub off parts of the gold foil from the back cover while handling the book, which makes me kind of reluctant to continue with "The well of ascension" in the same manner.
I would only get nice expensive versions of books I have already read and love, or plan to pass them on like to my children and grandchildren.
Oh yes, it is.They'll last 5xs longer, and won't wear when reading them. Most of my books have cracks in the spine because I actually read them. My leather bounds are all still in perfect shape. My KJV from Barnes and Noble is pretty limber from having read it so often, but it's still in perfect condition.
When will cosmere leather-bound be in print again
Mistborn book 1 and Elantris are in stock right now
of course, these books worth it.
It's also nice to think of these like investments. They only increase in value the longer you hold on to them. The signed Way of King leatherbounds for example are selling for 600-1000 dollars, and, since Sanderson won't be signing them anymore, in a couple years they'll definitely be worth even more.
Generally, paperback books are smaller and much more portable than the leather bound $100 to $1,000 dollar behemoths you are talking about.
You can walk to Starbucks or to the park with a paperback. They seem friendlier to me. Paperbacks are not as heavy. You don't have to be so
careful with them. You can read paperbacks in bed. Also, no thief will rob you for a paperback. They will rob you for an expensive Easton Press
book signed by the author, however. If you are eating a bowl of spaghetti, or a pizza, or a grinder, it's ok to continue reading if you have a paperback
book in your hand. Not so much with an expensive leather bound and gagged Easton Press, or Franklin Library books. You can read a paperback
book in public without having to hire a security guard, say the Rock, to protect you while reading. Not so with the Easton Press leatherbound
volumes. If you read one at home, then you have to turn on your security alarms, buy a Dobermann, and hire the Rock, or Russel Crowe, or
Denzell Washington for added protection. That seems too much for me. I'd prefer getting cheap, lightweight paperback copies, and with the
money I save, buy a small island, build several mansions, get a nice Lear jet, while traveling around in style in my new Maseratti or Tesla.
Then too, I could buy more bookshelves and buy nearly infinite books, creating my own library of Babel with the money I've saved.
Good luck to you, Legendarium. Thanks for showing off your cool books. That being said, I own about fifteen Franklin Library books,
and I have two Easton Press volumes as well.
When you die, hopefully they will not end up to the dumpster. Go to your local library during their big Summer Sale and buy that $800.00 book for $1.00. I have gotten many $800.00 leather bounds like Brandon Sandersons at my local library for $1.00 to $5.00 even some old Stephen King leather bounds for .10 cents to .50 cents. So leaving those nice books to people does not mean they do not end up cheap somewhere.
I only pay for special editions of books I've loved, otherwise I love paperbacks to read on the go without worrying about a little damage
Don’t make me remember my leatherbounds XD
....mmmmmmmnot sorry?
@@TheLegendarium I still haven’t read one of them. I fear touching it.
@@AlexReedLeBlanc Ha! Do it! You won't regret it. It's pure pleasure. Like when a longtime smoker finally goes unfiltered. Or something...
@Alex LB, same here. I’m never gonna read my leatherbound Way of Kings. I do like to flip through it though.
I strongly dislike modern covers. There is absolutely nothing wrong with liking well made timeless looking and feeling anything. Books are one of the highest levels of human achievement. Along with art, architecture etc. There is something holy about a library with beautiful books floor to ceiling. The same as a beautiful church or building, the same as a beautiful painting, poem or song. I seriously don’t understand how publishers don’t capitalize on the fact that readers LOVE their libraries and many if not most want the best quality book they can buy for their shelf. I understand hard backs but they even feel and look underwhelming and cheap on the shelf. I would buy an expensive over built book 100% of the time if it were an option.
"In what world does a $100 book make sense?" How about specialty books? I have a whole shelf of music reference books, most of which were well over $100 per volume. Almost all of my books were bought simply for their contents. I don't care about the binding as long as the books stay together.
if i can read a story for 6 bucks, i will. no way in hell i'm going to pay 100 bucks for the exact same story.
for me tbh I dont think they dont even look that good, the way this book looks and feels is cheap, not worth the high price at all. but whats looks great appealing, and gorgeous are covers by juniper books or kraken books, like stormlight, red rising, lord of the rings, percy jackson, throne of glass, or wheel of time all of those look absolutly gorgeous and well worth the money.
Sure, if you want over-priced sheets of paper (that only display well on the spine yet don't have information about the book on them) put on other publishers book they charge sometimes over double the price for 😂
If they were reasonably priced and reasonable quality and still practical functionally it might be a different story.
Go with Folio, similar modern vibe but at least you get closer to what you pay for.
@@radroatch bro whats wrong with you why are you so pressed, the books just dont look good for their price. and you are here getting pressed about something you have no affiliation with. and learn to use these (). and those
@@1treps197 Just giving you some genuine advice, juniper are definitely worth steering clear of if you don't want buyer remorse (or having to do some mental gymnastics after the fact). Sorry if you have already sunk your money on them.
I haven't spent money on either.
I use grammar to convey what I want the way I want so quit the policing.
if you don't like juniper dust jackets or other stores dust jackets that doesn't mean that they are suc kor you'll have remorse, and the fact that over 99% of reviews of these companies are positive concludes that your opinion is in the minority. @@radroatch
@@1treps197 Reviews by who? Booktubers dependant on the freebies/sponsors.
They're comparable quality to dustjackets on regular priced full books (with the huge costs that come with actual publishing).
A fairly priced dustjackets market would be a good thing, but juniper charge heavily for very average quality, and poor editing, to make a quick buck. And, unacceptably charge over double the RRP on others books.
Aesthetic uniformity and lack of competition is all they have got going. They are basically only good curating libraries based on aesthetics for the rich (the other side of their business).
Was hoping you'd get into actual specifics on the cost of each of the elements you listed.
Like the cost differences between:
1) Bonded leather vs genuine leather vs hardback vs paperback
2) Regular paper vs acid-free paper
3) Illustrated vs non-illustrated
4) Sprayed edges vs not
This video essentially just says 'if you love a book, feel free to spend whatever you want on a special edition'.
When this video should be saying 'taking into account the extra $ costs of these elements, spending x is worth it but spending y is not'
i feel like that may have been beyond his intended scope/extent for this video, and he may have just wanted to touch on why one would want one of these types of books in general.
those are good points though! if you’re passionate enough to create it i would watch a vid/read an article on those topics!
Not really worth it really. I have like 10 of those expensive, illustrated books. They're super heavy and u can't take them anywhere or read in bed. Sure, they look good on the shelf but I wanna read them not just look at them and keep them as heirlooms.
It’s worth it
I got the money
I have collected over 10,000 of books
Digital paper last forever. Ha Ha
You know what’s even cheaper than paperbacks? The internet lol. Nonetheless I’ve already spent thousands on leatherbacks of my favorite books with gorgeous illustrations. They are something to behold.
Spending a lot on quality books with stories that have stood the test of time is one thing. But, these commercialised new books are mostly going to read very cringe to later generations when tastes change, so I hope anyone sacrificing $$$ for them is doing it from a mentally healthy enough place to understand that.
That is to say, wearing the facsimile of longevity will likely still age poorly idealistically. That's why these kind of books show the uncanny absurdity of consumerism vs capital L 'literature'.
Excluding the 1 in 1000 chance it might be the next one that makes it into canon.
Sure they’re worth it… if you’re rich as a mofo
Collection value, and inheritance/legacy value.
Definitely not worth it because those books are for show ONLY.. They are usually never opened let alone read..
People who collect books like this are just trying to put on intellectual airs "look at me I'm so smart i have all the classics"
bruh those cosmere books are insane
Definitely not worth it because those books are for show ONLY.. They are usually never opened let alone read..
People who collect books like this are just trying to put on intellectual airs "look at me I'm so smart i have all the classics"
For the feel and heft of them, I purchased a number of my favorite books in leather, but when I developed wet macular degeneration reading them became quite arduous, tiring and therefore slow. Investigating the physiology and psychology of the reading process, I found that compensating for impaired vision gave me more time to comprehend and enjoy what I was reading; I read books several times anyway.