HC are evidently going to do nothing about this. Perhaps someone who is on friendly terms with AL (rather than all of us emailing him), could put the case to him regarding the obvious flaw in this 'exclusive' claim from HC; perhaps discuss with him the likelyhood of people asking him to sign copies in the future (he is the illustrater after all); and further, what he would do if this happened. If he could be persuaded not to sign any more, then that would at least help; although I can't see why he would agree to this, or should.

I suspect we'd have to go to someone like David Brawn to argue this case properly. People at HC on the end of the phone are not going to understand (or care) about 'first 500', 'signed & numbered' etc; regardless of whether they claimed this or not.

Could this be put to David Brawn? I'm sure a few other folk have his email address (I have, for one), but Beren seems to be in regular enough contact. And (if he hasn't already done so) we should perhaps just leave it to him. Beren?

BH

That's alrighty then! With that cold blue coloured quotation, I was imagining an angry Hammond banging away on his keyboard! (-did you ever have a Hammond typewriter before computers?...)

...But if the software has to change (perhaps with format changes); mabey different paper too; and these were always going to be 'reprints'; that means these back issues are really going to be second state! ( ) What's a collector to do!?

oh, these collectors! Yeh! I wonder what kind of people encourage these kind of folk! Publishing magazines and books of publishing and printing minutiae; feeding their secret vice...

BH

Is this something a secret?, or can we have the information posted on this forum? I'm sure it's nothing very exciting, but can we presume that Beren has been informed of some movement on the issue to happen this week perhaps?

BH

Purely tongue in cheek Findegil!

I was (jokingly) going to query whether this fell under 'fair use' Deagol!; but it seems probably not...

BH

I agree with most of the sentiments expressed. Sensible/courteous email sent; simply no reply. I was more irritated at the 10% discount to be honest, since most collectors had probably ordered before being informed of the offer. Loyalty? Why bother! Nobody would buy through HC's site if these copies were available through Amazon. HC could learn a trick or two from them. At least they respect the value of customers who order early, by giving lowest price etc.

With regard to the numbering; not that bothered at copies physically not being numbered. Just (bothered by) the obvious ability of people to convert standard to exclusive by getting AL to sign their copy. Totally pointless!

They could run off some HC bookplates with numbering, and post them out to us all. I'm sure they still have a log of who ordered first etc, so that the appropriate number could be sent to the correct buyer.

BH