"Model Railroading with John Allen" - time for another edition (printing)?

[ironrails]

Hello All:

Lately I've been looking for a hardcopy (1996) edition of "Model Railroading with John Allen", it seems to command a very high price on the second hand market. From an inspirational point of view the Gorre & Daphetid and John Allen still have a high profile. I see that MR is offering a PDF article on the G&D right now. 

Are there others like me who would like to see Kalmbach reprint this book?

Maybe as a G&D operator, MR's Andy Sperandeo could add some commentary or information to a new edition to provide additional interest?

Just a thought.

Mike

[Railphotog]

Curious why it would have to be a more expensive hard copy.  Would not a soft cover copy be just as readable?   I have one of the original soft cover versions, not for sale at this time!

 

 

[alco_fan]

I think he meant hardcopy as in "not a download", not hard cover.

[betamax]

A quick look on Amazon shows the few hardcovers out there going for almost $300, used. The paperbacks can even hit $200 for a copy.

Maybe it is time for a reprint.

[IRONROOSTER]

I have the second printing - hardcover.  I agree with the idea of reprinting because I think it's a good book.  But will it sell enough copies to for Kalmbach to cover costs and make some money?

Enjoy

Paul 

[dknelson]

Book values can be a tricky thing.  For years the book "TM" about Milwaukee's streetcar and interurban system was selling at train shows for around $130.  But a curious phenomenon -- what with Ebay and such, one can now find that book selling for considerably less.  At the same time the prices for my Joe Collias "MoPac Power" book seem to be going up and up.  It has gotten to the point where it is very hard to say just what the value of an older out of print railroad or model railroad book should be. 

I have certainly seen copies of the John Allen book selling for much much less at train shows in Milwaukee, Madison, DuPage, and Galesburg. 

I wonder if a mere reprint is enough?  A few years ago MR published some color photos of the G&D, I think some of the same photos as in the book, and I was astounded at the improved crispness, focus, and detail in the photos, presumably due to improved printing and perhaps slight digital editing and focus improvement.   Perhaps an entirely new edition is in order, although that could become very high priced since all the production costs would have to be amortized all over again. 

Dave Nelson

[Railphotog]

A quick look on Amazon shows the few hardcovers out there going for almost $300, used. The paperbacks can even hit $200 for a copy.

Maybe it is time for a reprint.

I wonder if anyone actually pays these insane prices for out of print books?   Several years ago someone was looking for two scratchbuilding books by Wayne Wesolowski, said they could only be found on book sellers' sites at prices over $300.00 each. 

Since I had both books, I sent messages to the sellers asking if they would be interested in buying my copies at wholesale.  No replies at all.  So I offered them on eBay, with reserves of $200.00, which I thought was reasonable.  Highest bid I got was around $40.00 so I forgot about it.

 

 

[Greg H.]

It depends on the book, and what it is about, but I've been known to shell out $150 for a book that was out of print by 1920.

[Greg H.]

A quick look on Amazon shows the few hardcovers out there going for almost $300, used. The paperbacks can even hit $200 for a copy.

Maybe it is time for a reprint.

The place to look is not Amazon, but http://www.addall.com/ .  They list books from all the major used book stores, like Powles, Albris, Amazon, Abebooks and more

I just checked the used and out of print section, and they have listed 6 copies for $100 or less, with the cheepest being $45.

 http://used.addall.com/SuperRare/RefineRare.fcgi?start=0&id=070822071843380537&dispCurr=USD&inTitle=Model+Railroading+with+John+Allen&inAuthor=&inDesc=&exTitle=&exAuthor=&exDesc=&match=Y&&order=PRICE&ordering=ASC

[Gandy Dancer]

I wonder if anyone actually pays these insane prices for out of print books?

I thought I was headed there myself last month.   There was a book I had to have for some research I was doing.  The original price was something like $19.95, but of course it has been  out of print since 1979.  Sure enough there were several hits on Amazon and other book search sites for $150-$225.  I was just getting ready to bite-the-bullet but fortunately, I kept searching and finally hit a non-book place that had it in Texas for $39.  I had the order button pressed before the page finished loading.  They had no idea what they had, but I am certain they were still happy.  It came in the mail the other day and inside the front cover is "-1-".  They had picked it up somewhere for a buck!   What is that, 3900% gross profit? 

[Chuck Geiger]

I bought one alone with older Kalmbach books for $7 from a consignment sale at Engine House Hobbies in Wichita several years ago. It wasn't a book, it was a magazine-type book, periodical.

[ironrails]

Hello

I did mean to write hardcover, not hardcopy.  I just find hardcover more durable over the long run.

I tried the suggested website for Addall and came up with six or so hardcover copies. Only one was less than $200 with most well above $300. I would love to get a newly printed copy if Kalmbach were to reprint it, even more so if it was revamped with additional content, etc. 

Unfortunately the train shows mentioned are well outside my usual travels. 

In the meantime I may have to spring for a second hand. 

Thanks all,

Mike 

 

[Anonymous]

We have one of those when they first came out in the softcover.

I'll endorse a re-print as 2-300 dollars is too much for a book.

[tankertoad70]

Oboy, what a shocker on the current price.  My wife purchased me a copy of that book when it first came out and I refer to it continually.  Reckon I shan't loan it out any more however.

Reckon a reprint is surely in order as the book is timeless!!