Greig-Duncan Going Cheap

Subject: Greig-Duncan Going Cheap
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 03:15 PM

Breathes there a soul so vapid as to admit that he or she hasn't got the full set, but I've just been looking at Amazon UK. They have Vols 1, 2, 4, 7 and 8 on sale at £23.10p. That includes post and package if you're not in hurry and use their Super Saver service.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_b/203-6541039-5222314?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Greig-Duncan .

(Sorry about the non-clicky but I couldn't paste entire URL.

Subject: RE: Greig-Duncan Going Cheap
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 03:21 PM

A great buy! Don't wait for the full set; several volumes have gone out of print.

Subject: RE: Greig-Duncan Going Cheap
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 03:35 PM

According to Mercat Press:-

"The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection Volume 8   
Edited by P. Shuldam Shaw, E. B. Lyle and Katherine Campbell

722pages hardback ISBN:1841830127   
list price: £35.00 online price: £26.25

    The largest and most important manuscript collection of Scottish ballads and folk songs is now available in its entirety. Volume 8 contains songs of parting and children's songs, as well as general indexes and commentaries on the whole collection. The entire set of eight volumes is now available at the special price of £225.00."

Is this information on their website (about the entire set being still available) out of date?

Matthew

Subject: RE: Greig-Duncan Going Cheap
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 03:47 PM

Considering that Mercat weren't actually listing all the volumes individually, when I last looked, I'd guess that £225 is a case of "forgotten to take it down".

In any event, the single volumes advertised by Mercat are about £3-00 dearer than Amazon and don't include p/p.

Subject: RE: Greig-Duncan Going Cheap
From: Folkiedave
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 04:29 PM

It is indeed a case of forgotten to take it down.

The missing volumes are out of print. And I wished I knew how it happened. Bronson was printed in different totals over the space of a number of years 1958-1972 from memory - and Vol. Four was printed in lesser numbers - hence its scarcity.

But why on earth did they run out of 3, 5, and 6?

Subject: RE: Greig-Duncan Going Cheap
From: GUEST,sparticus
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 05:03 PM

"Greig-Duncan Going Cheap"

Fred

Has he been reincarnated as a budgie?

Subject: RE: Greig-Duncan Going Cheap
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 06:08 PM

Amazon still have vol I listed, but only two copies of it. If they actually have any at all (and they do frequently offer books they haven't got and can't get), I doubt very much if there will be more to come as they promise.

Volumes 2, 4, 7 and 8 are still available from the publisher, but not via Mercat's website; they can be ordered from their distributors, BookSource (at the 'web' price of £26.25 per volume), on 0845 370 0067. UK postage is £2.40 for the first book and 45p for each additional book.

My guess would be that remaining stocks of vols 3, 5 and 6 (the ones I haven't got, naturally) were bought up by speculators when it looked as if Mercat might be folding a few years back, and that they will eventually appear in dealers' catalogues at vastly inflated prices.

Subject: RE: Greig-Duncan Going Cheap
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick (who's just wiped all his coo
Date: 27 Jul 07 - 04:34 AM

Thanks for the tip about Amazon. If you're right about Mercat/speculators, that is bad news altogether. The collection is an (inter)national treasure which ought to be available to all in perpetuity.

It makes one wonder if the surviving editors/copyright holders shouldn't start thinking about putting the entire collection on the Internet.

Subject: RE: Greig-Duncan Going Cheap
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jul 07 - 06:53 AM

As someone who bought each of the volumes as they became available, I was a bit irritated to find that it was cheaper to buy the whole set following the publication of volume 8!

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Subject: RE: Greig-Duncan Going Cheap
From: IanC
Date: 27 Jul 07 - 07:14 AM

If you go looking on the internet for a book you're trying to sell, you'll often find it out of stock on Amazon at 30p even when the next cheapest bookseller (who will likely have it in stock) has it at £112. I miss out Amazon's prices on books when I'm pricing stuff I'm selling for just this reason.

I think Amazon just leave the information lying around as a "spoiler" to stop people buying books at the right price (or to make them dissatisfied with the product someone else is selling).

:-)
Ian