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Acolyte, v. 3, issue 2, whole no. 11, Summer 1945
Page 27
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Banquets for Bookworms FRANCIS T. LANEY [title underlined] FANTASY RACKETEERS. The remarks last time anent exorbitant prices charged by a certain fan dealer met with strong approbation. If you folks will cooperate with us, we'll gladly use an unlimited amount of space to list specific examples--with the culpret's full name and address. Obviously, any such mention would not only have to be true, but actually provable in court. For us to publish the full details of exorbitant fantasy prices, we will require for our own protection, an original copy of the quotation in question for our files: either a printed or mimeographed catalog or price list, or a signed letter from the extortioner with the quotation contained in it. No such material sent to us will be returned to its sender. A legal point or so might prove of interest. In the event that an item quoted is out-of-print and a case can be made that value has accured to it as a collectors' or antiquarian object, we cannot publish the name of the person selling it, regardless of how outrageous his price might be. If we did, he could sue us for libel, since he could claim we were making a malicious attempt to damage his business. If, however, we omitted any positive identification of the dealer, we would be at full liberty to discuss his prices, and warn prospective buyers that they were out of line. On the other hand, in offering material still available from the publishers, dealers had best quote it at cost price plus a reasonable commission; unless they wish to be the subject of a business damaging paragraph. With the widespread confusion in OPA, mere amateur publishers could scarcely be expected to now about price ceilings as applying to fantasy material; however, it is highly probable that general OPA regulations on the sale of second-hand goods would apply to any second-hand books or magazines. (And a book or magazine, even if new, if bought at [underlined] retail and resold is technically "second-hand".) If we remember correctly, which in no case exceeds 75% of the original "new" retail price. Be all this as it may, such prices, as we mentioned last time are certainly contrary to the [underlined] spirit of OPA, and the quoter of same (whom we'd gladly name in this column if someone would give us a copy of his list) is int he same category as any other black market racketeer. He has certainly forfeited any claim to the esteem and friendship of honest hobbyists. In our editorial this time (P.2) will be found a few remarks on fan dealers and the definite value of the service they render. We do not wish to convey the false impression that we disapprove of fans who run a small fantasy business on the side. All we disapprove of (and "disapprove" is an understatement !) is such persons who abuse their position. R. D. Swisher tells us that a well known library service lists something they call "Weird Shadow Over Innsmouth" at $3.75. From the title, this is the still current (on LA stands at least) Bart 25[[cent symbol]] edition, since the book edition of the 1936 did not have a "weird" in the title. The same concern offers 1944 Amazings and Astoundings at $1.50 per copy, as compared to local magazine store prices of 5[[cent symbol]] to 10[[cent symbol]] each. Send us their list, Doc, and we'll blazon their name as a warning. ---oo0oo--- THE BIZARRE SERIES. We'll start the actual chatter about books this time with a plug for some stuff that's been around so long that most fans think it's out of print. A few years ago, Richard Frank published three neat little brochures: Merritt's Three Lines of Old French, Keller's The Thing in the Cellar, and Binder's The Cancer Machine. The first named is out of print, and its publish- -- 27 --
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Banquets for Bookworms FRANCIS T. LANEY [title underlined] FANTASY RACKETEERS. The remarks last time anent exorbitant prices charged by a certain fan dealer met with strong approbation. If you folks will cooperate with us, we'll gladly use an unlimited amount of space to list specific examples--with the culpret's full name and address. Obviously, any such mention would not only have to be true, but actually provable in court. For us to publish the full details of exorbitant fantasy prices, we will require for our own protection, an original copy of the quotation in question for our files: either a printed or mimeographed catalog or price list, or a signed letter from the extortioner with the quotation contained in it. No such material sent to us will be returned to its sender. A legal point or so might prove of interest. In the event that an item quoted is out-of-print and a case can be made that value has accured to it as a collectors' or antiquarian object, we cannot publish the name of the person selling it, regardless of how outrageous his price might be. If we did, he could sue us for libel, since he could claim we were making a malicious attempt to damage his business. If, however, we omitted any positive identification of the dealer, we would be at full liberty to discuss his prices, and warn prospective buyers that they were out of line. On the other hand, in offering material still available from the publishers, dealers had best quote it at cost price plus a reasonable commission; unless they wish to be the subject of a business damaging paragraph. With the widespread confusion in OPA, mere amateur publishers could scarcely be expected to now about price ceilings as applying to fantasy material; however, it is highly probable that general OPA regulations on the sale of second-hand goods would apply to any second-hand books or magazines. (And a book or magazine, even if new, if bought at [underlined] retail and resold is technically "second-hand".) If we remember correctly, which in no case exceeds 75% of the original "new" retail price. Be all this as it may, such prices, as we mentioned last time are certainly contrary to the [underlined] spirit of OPA, and the quoter of same (whom we'd gladly name in this column if someone would give us a copy of his list) is int he same category as any other black market racketeer. He has certainly forfeited any claim to the esteem and friendship of honest hobbyists. In our editorial this time (P.2) will be found a few remarks on fan dealers and the definite value of the service they render. We do not wish to convey the false impression that we disapprove of fans who run a small fantasy business on the side. All we disapprove of (and "disapprove" is an understatement !) is such persons who abuse their position. R. D. Swisher tells us that a well known library service lists something they call "Weird Shadow Over Innsmouth" at $3.75. From the title, this is the still current (on LA stands at least) Bart 25[[cent symbol]] edition, since the book edition of the 1936 did not have a "weird" in the title. The same concern offers 1944 Amazings and Astoundings at $1.50 per copy, as compared to local magazine store prices of 5[[cent symbol]] to 10[[cent symbol]] each. Send us their list, Doc, and we'll blazon their name as a warning. ---oo0oo--- THE BIZARRE SERIES. We'll start the actual chatter about books this time with a plug for some stuff that's been around so long that most fans think it's out of print. A few years ago, Richard Frank published three neat little brochures: Merritt's Three Lines of Old French, Keller's The Thing in the Cellar, and Binder's The Cancer Machine. The first named is out of print, and its publish- -- 27 --
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