The E-Sylum:  Volume 5, Number 14, March 31, 2002, Article 13

NUMISMATIC PRINT RUNS

  In response to Stephen Pradier's comment about the small
  print runs of most numismatic books,  longtime NBS
  member Morten Eske Mortensen writes: "Being a
  philanthropic [that means: each time I PAY THE LOSS
  for the specific book published] numismatic book publisher
  for more than 20 years, this subject has my special interest.

  This narrows down to the essential key factor: Coin
  collectors do not want to buy LITERATURE on coins
  if they at all cost can avoid it.  The collectors prefer to just
  buy COINS !

  Thus book publishers ought to only print 10% fewer copies
  than can be sold in one year, meaning the title goes out of
  print in one year.  Some collectors then want to buy the
  book when it is no longer available, and these people have
  to go to the antiquarian market where the price (hopefully)
  now is HIGHER than when the book was available at the
  publisher, and then (as some sort of punishment) have to
  pay a price-PENALTY for not supporting the publisher by
  buying in due time.

  I have practised this PRINT RUN policy for all 20 years.

  The last title of mine, "Bibliography of Danish/Norwegian
  auction catalogues 1684-1998", where printed in just
  those 194 copies ordered BEFORE the publication date.
  Thus this book went antiquarian counting from day one!
  Now the antiquarian price is DKK 500 [the various pre-
  orderers got it from me at individually levels DKK 150-
  350].

  I have published a Danish language article in this matter
  printed 1999 in a Swedish magazine: oplagspolitik.htm

  You can see print run information 1881-1999 as well as
  information on HOW MANY YEARS (or 10s of years)
  went by before the titles were sold out from the publishers
  finally by putting the titles on sale or outright giving them
  away!!!"

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

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