Not Sure How I Feel About This

[SKIPH]

Hey Gang! Stumbled across this on ebay this morning at "O-dark thirty". It's a copy of Gary Cunningham's book, "US Knife Bayonets & Scabbards", ebay item #273648418883. The book has a Buy Now price of $600. Nothing unusual, doesn't state whether it's autographed or not. Granted it's out of publication, but we paid around $40, or less, just a couple of years ago. I saw copies at local gun shows for around the same price for unused copies. I kind of doubt it will go for that price. It just bothers me that someone is asking that much money. I always felt Gary wanted to make the book available for all of us collectors at a reasonable price. I feel that was great, considering all the years of research he put into it. Maybe it's just me, my copy is autographed, like many others here, and I could not part with that book- ever! It's a fantastic book! Just my opinion! SKIP

[daskrieg]

As far as eBay goes you can ask whatever you want for an item, but if somebody is stupid enough to purchase that item for $600 they deserve to waist their hard-earned money. yes the book should go well under $100 even autographed but there are those out in the world who wish to see are collecting prices go through the roof.

[6th.MG.BN]

After reading your post i thought maybe the seller typed in an extra zero and meant the price to be $60.00. After looking at it I too am scratching my head.

Ken

[earlymb]

Contact the seller and ask him how many copies he wants to buy for only $500 each so he can make a nice 20% profit?

[tarbridge]

[268th C.A.]

The collectors market as far as value has dropped on a lot of stuff. Still people do this. daskrieg I think is on the mark. Some people do no research on anything, and no clue even what there looking at. Its sad because thats the one thing I usually encourage wana be collectors, buy reference books. Then you have people like this. There in every hobby. I see it a lot in the antiques business, these dealers refuse to believe the antique furniture business is dead, and adjust. Its just a fact. The generation X are not collectors or very few. Our hobby is thinning out as well as re enacting, and collecting of any sorts. Sorry I've gotten of base here.

The fact is , he is asking an adsorbent amount for the book. He will have it a long time, and obviously doesn't want to sell it...I think Gary is probably laughing....I know P.T. Barnum is for sure.

[M422A1]

I have noticed the same thing with other limited print books. As soon as they are sold out, people start asking crazy money for them. Eventually prices will come down. I wanted "Grunt Gear" but everywhere I looked, people were asking $200-$400 dollars for it. Then last year I was at a militaria show and found a copy that I ended up getting for less than a hundred bucks. A book vendor had it and I started making a pile of books that I wanted and he gave me a great deal on the pile. As Frank (American Pickers) would say, bundling works!

[JimD]

Nice looking book. It is one I don't have. So I just did q quick search on google, AddAll books, ABE Books and ebay and the lowest price I found was about $365. Most were well above the $400 that this seller is now asking. Not that I'm advocating paying $400 for the book. Most I'd pay is in the $75-100 range, so it is one book that won't be in my library anytime soon.

Jim

[usmce4]

It works both ways on ebay. A couple of months ago I wanted a copy of "The Old Breed" (MacMillan 1949 1st Ed) but didn't want to spend the well over $100 asking price for an VG copy so I bought a readable one with a loose spine for $48.

Three weeks ago I still had it on my subscribed watch list and a "like new" one popped up for $23 & $4.35 media rate Post - I jumped on it and it arrived in exactly the condition advertised - positively acceptable collectors grade! (smells just a bit musty but it's airing out well).

You just have to sort thru the chaff for the wheat.

 

Art

[SKIPH]

I agree with, and appreciate everyone's input. I just hate to think of someone capitalizing on Gary's passing, by overcharging for books that the ink has barely dried. Like other folks on this site, he also honored me by placing my name in the book as a e-friend. That met a lot to me, and was a total surprise when I saw it. He is very much missed!

Robert, thanks for posting the pic of the book cover. Folks who have not seen one will get a chance to see what it looks like. SKIP

[thorin6]

One of the reasons I bought Bill Walter's books is that as soon as they go out of print, the price will double (or more). Look at Cole's books; I was fortunate to get them, along with three other books (one by Silvey) for less than $100 and the Cole's IV is signed from Cole to Greg Robinson. Years ago I bought both Clawson's books on the M1911 and the civilian version for $35 each. The last time I saw one for sale on one of the boards one of them was selling for just over $250.

Just last year I was at the Fayetteville Gun Show and a book seller there had Gary's book, latest edition, for $35 apiece (he had several).

And finally, as a cautionary note. I needed the book on the Winchester Model 12 Trench Gun (Poyer's, not Canfield's, which covers more shotgun types). I ended up paying just north of $100. Two weeks later two of them showed up on ebay for $35 and $45 each. Patience is a virtue when it comes to buying anything collectable.

PS It's hard to get upset with someone who loves something so much he's willing to keep it for a long time by pricing it so high. He might even get to leave to his heirs in his will.

[SKIPH]

thorin6- Bill that was the same show I saw the books at in Fayetteville, the seller always sets up in the same row of tables. SKIP

[SKIPH]

Just cruising ebay, noticed the book was now $200. SKIP