Folio Society Books For Sale
We Buy all Folio Society Books
We prefer items in
Very Good or better condition (please see our book descriptions
page) in similar quality slipcases, because some of the appeal of the books is in
their appearance. Please let us know at RNewbury@ardis.co.uk if you are looking to sell any Folio Society items. We
buy large and small collections and multiple copies of many titles. We generally offer around £3-4 a volume for bulk purchases of Folio Society books in
nice condition (pro rata for boxed sets). We are always happy to
quote and can collect large collections if we can reach an agreement.
For more detail of prices paid for items in nice condition, with slipcase/dustjacket present if applicable,
please enter the title of the Folio Society book
in the box below and press 'FIND PRICES PAID'. If there is more than one match, you can either find the exact title you are looking for from the list, or get an idea of value from an average of those displayed
(there are sometimes different editions of the same title).
History of Folio Society Books
The Folio Society was founded in 1947, with the intention of producing "editions of the world's great literature in a format
worthy of the contents, at a price within the reach of everyman."
I think they have been successful in that aim, and in the last half century have produced books of consistently high standard which
are very pleasant to handle and read. There are many Folio Society collectors looking (in some cases) to collect all of the books
produced since 1947, or some with more modest aims like collecting all the Folio Shakespeare collections (the sonnets are particularly
popular), or the issued items by particular authors.
The quality of the books is in general excellent. Some of the earliest ones were
produced with conventional dustwrappers, but from around the mid-1950s they were usually issued in slipcases, so that
even some of the oldest Folio Society books can still be found in excellent condition. Some of the bindings were particularly
attractive, with the occasional silk covers of volumes like Collette's Cheri being quite sought after.
The illustrations have also been distinctive, though not always in my view unqualified successes. Some of the more distinguished
artists featured are Salvador Dali, Edward Ardizzone and Mervyn Peake.
The Daily Telegraph recently featured an
article about the Folio Society
written by author and bookman Joseph Connolly. He rang me up to talk about the books before writing the article and was kind enough to give me a mention.
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