Out of Print Books: $273!

Rising Sun by Carol Gilham Jones,
Quilted by Pamela Mayfield, 2002, 56" x 56"

The cover quilt on America's Printed Fabrics is based on a mid-19th century quilt

People occasionally ask why there is such a disparity in prices for some of my out-of-print books. I did a post that mentioned America's Printed Fabric: 1770-1890 recently so I did a web search for it. This combination of reference book on dating quilts and how-to guide on making reproductions was published in 2004. It retailed for $29.95 ( I think!)

When I searched for a copy to buy on line I was surprised to find a range of prices from about $20 to $273 for both new and used copies---quite a price range.

I hope you are not the person who paid $273 for a used copy of this book.

The book is now available in a Print on Demand edition (POD) for $29.95 from the publisher. Each copy is printed after it's ordered on a computer printer. (More about POD editions later.)

So why is there such a wide price range for a book in the online stores?

Some of the online bookseller sites maintain a computer database to price books. As far as I can figure out, the computer checks other online sites and determines how hard to find the book is. The computer then calculates a price based on what others are asking, how many copies seem to be available, etc.

For example: The book Butternut and Blue that Karla Menaugh and I published in 2003 for our little publishing company Sunflower Pattern Co-operative ranges in price up to $118.62. You can tell a computer brain is at work here due to the nice round number (62 cents!) and the fact that you can also buy this book for the original price of $18 by clicking here:
http://www.quilterswarehouse.com/p-6533-butternut-blue-by-sunflower-co-op.aspx

Quilters Warehouse has been distributing our books for years. We've got a ton of Butternut & Blue (it only seems like a ton when Karla has to move the books around her basement.) We or Quilters Warehouse will be glad to sell you a copy for $18.

Blind Man's Fancy by Barbara Brackman, 2003

The pattern is in Butternut & Blue

Why is it priced so high on the online book sites? One reason is because the computers don't know where to look. They do a quick survey of big sources but they don't deal with small publishers like Sunflower Pattern Co-operative well. They even have a hard time accessing information from big publishers like C&T Publishing or Star Books that specialize in quilt books. University presses are another mystery to them. If their search can't find it--- it must be out-of-print and hard-to-find---and thus worth big bucks.

Basket in the Briars by Gretchen Crozier

The pattern is in Butternut & Blue

So as far as the computer program can tell, my books are out of print and worth hundreds. I won't argue with the worth hundreds part, but don't pay hundreds. Do a web search for the title and my name and then check at least 5 sources and compare prices.

Your first search should be at the publisher. If they have it your quilt shop can order it.
Here are my two major publishers:
C&T Publishing
http://www.ctpub.com/index.cfm?siteID=B2C
Kansas City Star Books
https://www.pickledishstore.com/

And here is our distributor for Sunflower Pattern Co-operative patterns
http://www.quilterswarehouse.com/m-228-sunflower-co-op.aspx

I'll post more on the issue of out-of-print books in a few days.

Midnight Garden by Karla Menaugh

The pattern is in Butternut & Blue