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National Fantasy Fan, v. 5, issue 2, February-March 1946
Page 13
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MORE ANENT ECONOMY Some fantasy enthusiasts and collectors have been giving voice recently to their resentment at the so-called "pirate" tactics of others among us who deal in science-fiction and fantasy books and magazines. Some of the reasons given for the unfairness in current prices have been justified, no doubt. Others have not and cannot be justified. In personal conversations with the leading fan dealers, I have been shown some good and valid reasons for their prices being so high. Among these reasons are high original purchasing price and the difficult of obtaining desired items, the amount of time which is spent in buying and handling, storage costs and wrapping and mailing costs. Neither dissatisfaction with the current prices nor a realization of the causes thereof, however, can do much toward helping the collector, especially if he be one who is just getting started. Francis Laney, Bob Tucker, and others who have campaigned against the condition, but there is little apparent evidence of its having done a great deal of good. When I returned to activity in the field last year, I decided to try to do something about it, myself. I now offer myself to members of the NFFF as the "reliable and generous" dealer for whom a need has been expressed. The extent to which I can be of service will depend upon the rest of you. Any practical plan will have to depend upon cooperation from those who benefit from it. Considerable enthusiasm has been shown for various plans in the past, but has apparently died out when the time came for cooperation. The present offer may meet the same fate as those others, but should be worth trying. High costs and difficultly of obtaining wanted items are the two problems to be answered by cooperation. Various Los Angeles collectors have been helpful, but a successful lowering of prices is dependent on more than just those in one locality. Every collector happens onto bargains which he passes up because they are already in his collection. If each such "find" were passed on to a central cooperating dealer, the finder would be helping many others and himself by enabling that dealer to reduce prices considerably below the present levels. I have solved the other problems involved in the lowering of high prices. I have obtained a reasonably good starting stock for such a service which puts me in a position to fill orders on back-date magazines and current Arkham House books. If there is really a general desire to see prices brought down to a sensible, fair level, this little article should produce a good deal of help from quite a lot of you. Will it? James Hevelin (Rust E. Barron)
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MORE ANENT ECONOMY Some fantasy enthusiasts and collectors have been giving voice recently to their resentment at the so-called "pirate" tactics of others among us who deal in science-fiction and fantasy books and magazines. Some of the reasons given for the unfairness in current prices have been justified, no doubt. Others have not and cannot be justified. In personal conversations with the leading fan dealers, I have been shown some good and valid reasons for their prices being so high. Among these reasons are high original purchasing price and the difficult of obtaining desired items, the amount of time which is spent in buying and handling, storage costs and wrapping and mailing costs. Neither dissatisfaction with the current prices nor a realization of the causes thereof, however, can do much toward helping the collector, especially if he be one who is just getting started. Francis Laney, Bob Tucker, and others who have campaigned against the condition, but there is little apparent evidence of its having done a great deal of good. When I returned to activity in the field last year, I decided to try to do something about it, myself. I now offer myself to members of the NFFF as the "reliable and generous" dealer for whom a need has been expressed. The extent to which I can be of service will depend upon the rest of you. Any practical plan will have to depend upon cooperation from those who benefit from it. Considerable enthusiasm has been shown for various plans in the past, but has apparently died out when the time came for cooperation. The present offer may meet the same fate as those others, but should be worth trying. High costs and difficultly of obtaining wanted items are the two problems to be answered by cooperation. Various Los Angeles collectors have been helpful, but a successful lowering of prices is dependent on more than just those in one locality. Every collector happens onto bargains which he passes up because they are already in his collection. If each such "find" were passed on to a central cooperating dealer, the finder would be helping many others and himself by enabling that dealer to reduce prices considerably below the present levels. I have solved the other problems involved in the lowering of high prices. I have obtained a reasonably good starting stock for such a service which puts me in a position to fill orders on back-date magazines and current Arkham House books. If there is really a general desire to see prices brought down to a sensible, fair level, this little article should produce a good deal of help from quite a lot of you. Will it? James Hevelin (Rust E. Barron)
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