Do I keep this Hollywood? (1 Viewer)

[esart]

I am really on the fence about whether or not I should keep this copy of Hollywood I purchased. For sure it did not arrive as advertised, but again, I only paid $219. This is a 1st Edition, but it's been signed on the title page. Looks like a late signature. The book is in rough shape though. I'm posting pics. A ton of foxing on one side of the page edges and a crazy amount of rubbing off of the actual book boards edges - like, how can it even get that bad??? Then there's the discoloration....

Okay, so maybe I'm making it out to be much worse than it is because most of our books are in a lot better condition even when they are not very fine.

Then there's the fact that these 1st editions are not easy to come by and maybe I just got what I paid for really.

I need advice. Should I just keep it?

Looking at these pics now, I can see that you really can not see how bad the rubbing on the book boards are. Notice in the first pic, if you look real hard, you can kind of see it. In real life, it looks like someone ran a file along the top and bottom edges of the book. It's a little bit rough, but it's just on the edge.

 

[PBBUK]

If you are not happy and it isn't as described - return it. There are plenty of books out there - and a regular signed edition of Hollywood can be picked up for $300 no problems.
I just don't understand why people don't desrcibe books correctly - so annoying!!

 

[bospress.net]

If you keep a book that you are not happy with, it will always bug you. I would return it. The foxing is not as big a problem as whatever is hapenning on the inside in that last photo.

Bill

 

[Bukfan]

Bill's right. If you're not happy with it, you better return it and buy another signed copy.

I just don't understand why people don't desrcibe books correctly - so annoying!!

I do. It's all about making money, so they downplay the flaws, or they just don't mention them. It's dishonest, but there you go.

 

[ROC]

Bukfan is right; Bill's right. Send it back and get a white copy of the book instead.

 

[Black Swan]

Disappointing, indeed!

 

[zoom man]

Yup, get rid of it

 

[esart]

Returned and refunded! Thanks everyone for your help!

 

[Stavrogin]

Good to hear you got the refund. Like PBBUK said, it is irritable as hell to receive a poorly described book. Sadly I find many well-established booksellers to be the main culprits of this.

 

[esart]

Would you believe the seller said that it was in "near fine" condition?

 

[Stavrogin]

Heh. Based on Fair-Good-Fine-Mint maybe? Should have slipped in an eye chart with the return.

 

[Ponder]

Perhaps the seller is somewhat senile. Happens to the best of us.

 

[Rekrab]

The rubbing may have been related to the foxing. It was in a damp environment and the edges were perhaps more vulnerable to wear than they otherwise would have been. Reminds me of a true life book collecting horror story I need to tell when I have more time. But to whet your appetite, picture thousands of rare first editions, many signed, all of them covered with mold and fungus. Yeah!

 

[Stavrogin]

I've mentioned it before but I received a book once with some kind of new life form growing between the covers. I could have swore the shit winked at me. The seller described the book as "in great shape." You're probably right about the dampness. Thought maybe something was taped to the interior that might have explained the paper loss but think you may be right to why those defects are present.

 

[roni]

[...] some kind of new life form [...] described the book as "in great shape." [...]

maybe he was saying, the life form was in great shape due to the nurturing qualities of the book.

 

[esart]

Ha!!