the rise of book boxes & special editions

[@JessicaRoseReads]

This video was fantastic and voiced a lot of my thoughts on the current state of book boxes. I really do feel like a huge part of the problem here is purely FOMO

[@MerrilyKristin]

Thank you! And agreed- I find myself taking less chances lately, but I always worry about missing out!

[@Cassieopiab]

The first YA book box I subscribed to was Uppercase Box. I believe their first curated box (signed book with a few bookish items) launched in August 2014. I was obsessed with getting a signed book, the price, and the few items it came with. It was sad to see them go.

[@MerrilyKristin]

Oh wow, what a throwback! I totally forgot about Uppercase!

[@ryreads]

This was very interesting thank you for taking the time to make this.

[@amyimogenereads17]

I saved this video until I had time to literally sit here and take it all in. First off, HUGE kudos for the research and piecing all of this together! It made me feel a little old, remembering all of these boxes popping up on the scene 😅 but I'm loving it. Haven't even finished the video yet, so I'm sure I'll just keep adding to this comment, but I wanted to immediately jot down some thoughts. I know you covered the "main" subscriptions and they're really the core of the narrative, but man did it make me remember the crazy rise and fall of the "failed" boxes too. Shelflove Crate, Bookish Box's tumultuous past and present, Faecrate's sleeper status as a forgotten box until they committed to the OPUS collection and now all the sudden they're a major player... so many nuanced conversations to be had about this rat race of an industry. OC, IC, and FL are still the titans shaping the track but it's fascinating to watch you plot out the trends and topics. More thoughts (Apologies in advance for treating this comment like a word vomit essay): I agree to all of your thoughts about the oversaturation and the FOMO/resale markets leading to this perfect storm of short-term hype for overrated books with just a few kernels of stellar books keeping the majority of us interested/subscribed out of obligation. In the past year, I've really changed how I react and respond to the book boxes. I'm a subscriber to a large handful, but financially speaking I'm not spending that much money per month-I play the game of "how many of these monthly boxes will I skip, so I can proceed with the few that are worth the purchase price?" and, truly, I end up skipping at least half of them every month with their generous skip policies and divvying up the ratios on a month-to-month basis. It's a curated notes app on my phone and I work with lots of "spoiler" accounts on IG to confirm which boxes are doing which titles so it's something I can research on my own for whether the book will be to my tastes or not. But all of that is... a lot of labor. I don't mind it because I've been obsessed with book collecting from the start and I'm often aware that I will want a copy of the books anyway, but still. Something about the frequency of the boxes, the amount of overlap between the book choices + duplicates, and yes the entire conversation about debuts vs books by established authors. It's like a second job/hobby of its own to keep on track of the situation if you're an invested player on the field.

[@amyimogenereads17]

And, a totally separate conversation: the actual quality of these books themselves and how upsetting it is that given how much the book boxes are profiting, their actual product is not increasing in quality at all with their overhead prices. The books are often gorgeous, yes, but the quality? Nothing special and certainly not going to hold up the same as a premier book collector product like Subterranean Press, Grim Oak Press, STT Publications, etc. The paper quality/binding/jackets are the exact same as the traditionally published products, so I see the book box books as prettified versions of normal book items vs. actual collectibles. (Some exceptions, of course, notably Faecrate's OPUS sets which have honestly surpassed all quality expectations I've ever had.)

[@amyimogenereads17]

Also, as a relatively long-running Goldsboro subscriber, I'll say that their language about the "possibility" of their editions becoming collectibles is a very new language addition to the program. When I joined in 2020, that language was phrased as a sure thing, these books WILL become collectibles, which I know was a huge draw for that consumer base + the fact that the subscriber base was numbered and limited to 1000 copies total. Then they got bigger... and when I joined in 2020 the subscriber numbering was up to 1500. They bumped it to 2000 around a year ago and I know a ton of the current subscriber base is in the process of exiting the program because they feel like the "value" they were promised in previous years is gone because none of the books are collectibles and there was a twofold problem of a) their extremely unprofessional/upsetting payment management and fulfillment system within a bad website (fixed in late 2023) and b) the fact that the Goldsboro curator/head operator David Headley partially owns/owns (?) one of the UK publishing imprints and therefore his Goldsboro GSFF subscription has become at least 50% a vehicle for him to distribute titles purely from that imprint. I find myself a reluctant subscriber to their program because they did listen to consumer concerns and the website portal is leagues better than before and they are no longer having the fulfillment problems of the past... but it's an uneasy subscription for me. I stayed in it and am staying in it because their exclusive presales were one-of-a-kind and worth the subscriber status fees, but with the Headley favoritism + their lack of presale exclusives for the past 8 months it's the one I eye on a monthly basis for "is this on the permanent chopping block?" etc.

[@MerrilyKristin]

I forgot about ShelfLoveCrate! And I have to look into the FaeCrate OPUS collection because I was only aware of their early stuff which was very much a miss for me. Wow, it sounds like you have a very intense system for plotting your monthly subs! I keep track on my Notion board and I also almost always use every skip + have to begrudingly get a few books I don't want (I'm looking at you FairyLoot) before they reset. But, it's a ton of work! Thank you for taking the time to write such an in depth comment Amy! I'll resume responding to your other comments in the thread!

[@MerrilyKristin]

@@amyimogenereads17 YES EXACTLY!!!! I feel like LitJoy's are better quality as well. I wish I could afford more Sub Press / Grim Oak Press but their prices make me really mindful about the titles I do invest in. I am curious to see how long our lesser quality items will hold up since we're only now approaching the ten year mark since these boxes started.

[@MerrilyKristin]

@@amyimogenereads17 Oh, that's interesting! I remember signing up for their waitlist in the early days but when I got the invite to subscribe, they were offering a book I wasn't interested in so I decided to just pass and I never re-signed up for it. I do also remember hearing that they were pretty terrible about when they would finally ship their books out. WOAH I did not know that about the owner. That certainly seems like a conflict of interest 😕 That's also pretty shocking that they haven't had any presale exclusives for that long! I also wonder if it's harder for them to get HarperVoyager titles now that they started their own LockedLibrary subscription.

[@YasmeenKhan]

one thing for me is ebooks. I used to have a lot of physical books that were just ordinary paperbacks; now, because if I just want to read something, I can read an ebook, there's no point to me in getting a physical book unless there's another reason to have it. It could be beauty on the outside, illustrations, design, etc. I do also keep too many sentimental paperbacks, but I don't really get new ones any more (except for collecting a couple of series). So yeah, I think the fact that the customisations give a reason to have the object is important, because the text is available digitally for less money and no space taken up.

[@MerrilyKristin]

I agree! That's one thing I'm still struggling with- I've read significantly more books digitally than physically but sometimes as a KZbinr I still like to hold up the physical book while I talk about it. I think I've been getting better about it, but I know I could still improve!

[@sim5065]

This is exactly how I’ve been feeling. When I started collecting years ago, special editions were very scarce and now they’re EVERYWHERE. I cancelled my Fairyloot YA and illumicrate full box because I realized I was getting all this stuff I didn’t need and the books were usually 3 stars and, like you said, with an occasional rare gem. Its really made me check my own consumerism and reading habits. Why put money and time into books I’m not even really interested in just because they’re pretty? I’ve been a lot happier with my shelves since I started cutting back. It also stressed me out having so many unread books

[@MerrilyKristin]

YES! I've been trying so hard to reduce my physical TBR but when I keep getting books every month that I'm not even interested in reading, it feels like an uphill battle 😞

[@clarkwhite998]

I had not heard about these at all, thanks for the re-cap!

[@melinagarza6915]

Great video! I’ve thought about this topic due to SE fatigue. That said I recently obtained an Arcane Society sub which took 6 months! And they offer unlimited skips! Knowing the line-up beforehand also helps to plan skips. Bookish Box has been sharing their upcoming SE books about a 3 months ahead of time and I have to say I’m not excited for the upcoming books. I keep the sub just to get access to their SE/limited edition sales. Fairyloot in contrast is more consistent with good to high quality reads. Still, I find myself exhausting my 4 skips by July/August. I have about 8 SE books from 2023 that I haven’t been able to unload and I’ve already sold about 12 books in the past year due to being underwhelmed with the book or not liking the SE customizations.

[@carriegarlock9194]

I live in a very small condo. I want the books I enjoy to also be art because there is such limited space here. But I would rather buy on the second market or the book box website. And I will not pay more for a book than I would at the independent bookstore down the road. I am not a fan of people that are just flipping the books.

[@MerrilyKristin]

Me either 😕 I wish there were a way to regulate those who buy the books at cost just to sell them much higher for profit.

[@connkinn5645]

Awesome video! I just canceled 1 subscription that I just have their books sitting unread. The fear of missing something great held me back but now I’m happy I did it.

[@MerrilyKristin]

I'm glad you did too if you're not enjoying reading the books you're receiving!

[@janet5123]

Awesome video! Yes make more deep dives. Into what I have no idea 😂 however this one was very informative ❤

[@MerrilyKristin]

Ha! Thank you! I'm not sure what I'd like to do next either 😂

[@NinasLibrary]

A super interesting and well-informed video! I had been considering making a video on the same topic, but yours was way better researched than anything I would've done 😅 I had no idea Book of the Month had been around for so long! And I think it is really interesting how we are starting to see some pushback for the over-saturation of special editions, right as they are starting to get more accessible with first print runs and B&N special editions coming out in stores over them just being something you get online.

[@MerrilyKristin]

Thank you! And that's a really good point- I think the availability removes the scarcity factor which is one of the top reasons people find special editions to be valuable. I'm personally glad that there are so many more accessible options now since it's allowing me to be mindful of what I actually want versus buying every limited book with sprayed pages because I know it'll disappear if I don't jump on it immediately >.

[@paolagarza581]

Excellent video essay, lots to think about and learned a lot too!

[@scottthompson4227]

What a fantastic video, very well put together and yes, I’ve fallen into the trap of special editions. My poor bank balance lol ❤

[@mahle5]

Great comprehensive video with tons of information. Thank you.

[@RodgersReads]

I am trying to look up the 2018 ACOMAG debacle and am not finding anything...so curious what happened lolol "Special" editions are certainly much less special, more just a standard deluxe edition not really special anymore. And totally agree that book boxes are almost like loot boxes in video games with a gambling aspect. Just recently I read Fathomfolk to then find out its coming out in an illumicrate box and was so much more excited knowing I already liked it. I am cheering for the fall of the secondary market because it was INSANE for a while.

[@dashelyc]

Thanks for this video. However i found it odd that you didn't include things like the sifi/fantasy bookclub for the 1980-2000. However, i find that looking at getting a few book subscription that are far less about pretty book but about content such as the wordy traveler or the added tea& chocolate in legends and caffeine. The pretty books are lovely but .... I would also think that boxes like box of books is a model that could grow as it is more about a curated selection. However i live over 60 miles from a physical bookstore.

[@kathievolk6128]

This was so nostalgic to me. I was lucky to be involved at the height of the box subscription craze. I was subscribed to a waist high stack of book boxes each month. I remember the thrill when one month all the boxes were mermaid theme!! It was the best!! I miss those days

[@MerrilyKristin]

Ahhh mermaids are definitely a fun theme! I'm guessing that was around the time of Sea Witch / To Kill a Kingdom?

[@BookishPlannerBabe]

Love and appreciate this deep dive so much!!!!!❤❤❤

[@DelFeeny]

You're right, I've realized I barely read most of my sub books. I used to want to try all the books I received, but I end up being more excited about the ones I pick myself at the bookstore. I'm going to skip a lot more this year, but Fairyloot's limitations are frustrating, especially since there's a lot to say about their monthly picks vs SE.

[@MerrilyKristin]

I used to feel the same! Now most of my sub books sit on my TBR for months and months and sometimes I end up just unhauling them >.< I'm thinking of cancelling my FairyLoot YA sub when they start the Romantasy sub.

[@readerinthedesert_SaraBeth]

This was amazing! I absolutely appreciate your in depth research. I do want to tell you something about Goldsboro. As a monthly subscriber you receive 15% off of any other books you purchase from their site, which is an amazing perk! I definitely agree that there needs to be more book diversity in monthly books; meaning they all need to stop doing the exact same book!!

[@MerrilyKristin]

Oh that is a really nice perk! Thank you for letting me know- I've always been curious about their sub!

[@netogrof]

I only buy B&N exclusive editions because I have their membership. Every once in a while I’ll read a good book on Kindle and look online to see if there are any fancy editions for sale but usually they cost too much (I’m looking at you Divine Rivals). I just can’t justify paying for subscription boxes and getting books I might not be interested in….and I don’t have the energy to try and resell.

[@MerrilyKristin]

Totally understandable! Divine Rivals was super expensive secondhand 😞

[@rocknregalia]

I currently do not have any subscription boxes. I see many copies I would love to purchase but I cannot commit to a waitlist or a monthly cost right now. I have had several subscriptions and different times, and I think I prefer to be pickier. I buy Waterstone's Special Editions on pre-order when I LOVE something (looks or content). I love to find a great copy of something used or on sale. If I am going to drop large money then it will be when I visit my SIL in Utah and go to Moon's books. His store is lovely, and my husband and I love to stop by when we are in town.

[@MerrilyKristin]

That sounds like a nice bookshop! I'll have to look it up 🙂

[@niah_prince]

Great video. I unsubscribed from Bookish Box, LitJoy’s - To be Read, Owlcrate and Goldsboro. I only have Illumicrate (because of their skip policy), Evernight and FairyLoot (because of their early access) I still haven’t read most of the books I received 😩😒. it’s the FOMO that got me hooked to special editions because the ones I have read especially the YA picks have been mid or even disappointing.

[@MerrilyKristin]

Agreed! I really only keep some of my subs for early access and I always maximize the skips we're allotted 😞

[@sarahhansen8004]

I had Illumicrate for several months, I have read ZERO of the monthly books and no backlist books I loved came out during that time. I have purchased several backlist ones for resale that I did read. That’s the better option for me…just keep an eye out for a good deal on ones I know I love.

[@MerrilyKristin]

I think that's a good way to go!

[@jennifer_left_a_comment]

this was super interesting! thanks for doing this deep dive, kristin! i definitely appreciate that TBB and goldsboro announce and show their picks ahead of time. that makes deciding on skipping easier. while the surprise effect has some charm, it’s a lot of money when you end up being surprised with overlap, or a book you don’t really care about. the themes don’t do much for me. everything sounds kind of interesting (or not but then turns out to be a fun read). 🤷🏼‍♀️ i’m super glad that, after quite a few overlaps last year, i found a website listing spoilers. also, now that TBB has announced they’ll be starting their sci-fi sub with the 3 andy weir books, i - of course - want it. 🫣 been wanting to read those for a while. 😔..sounds like another monthly box is incoming 🤣 i admire your resolution to cut down on the monthly boxes. hopefully i’ll get there eventually. i tried convincing myself to try and rotate annually but FOMO and long waitlists are putting me off. well, at some point i’ll simply run out of space and canceling won’t be optional 😂 have a lovely day + happy reading! 💜

[@MerrilyKristin]

Same for me! I truly thought I was going to skip the sci-fi sub, but I love The Martian so much that I'm going to need to sign up!

[@claudiaw9925]

I used to have 3 subscriptions. It was so hard to cancel them all. I resubscribed to one recently I don't get as excited as I used to, especially when I open the book and I'm like I never heard of this. I realized if I canceled them And I really want A book It'll probably be cheaper for me to buy it Second hand even at a higher price than paying the subscription every month for books I haven't read yet. Great video.

[@MerrilyKristin]

Thank you! That's where I've landed too- I can justify keeping FairyLoot for the early access sales but others I'll just shop secondhand if I love something enough to feel like I need a special edition!

[@taylorjanefifield5467]

Thanks for this video :) I think some boxes are not good anymore. I havent really paid attention to what books have been in my subscriptions but lately Ive been so unimpressed with them... I am now actively seeing what they are first. Ive never skipped my illumicrate before but I am now!

[@MerrilyKristin]

I'm sorry, that's so disappointing! I would love if some of the subs could do older titles if there aren't any very appealing books coming out in a month.

[@TheBaldieBookNerd]

This was a fantastic video! I myself am not subscribed to anything but do get major FOMO on the pretty books. I had a BOTM sub for a while, but then it started getting to where I just wasn’t vibing with the selections and didn’t want to risk forgetting to skip. I ordered one Owl Crate and was so sad that I didn’t get pretty sprayed pages. I also treated myself to the Illumicrate special editions of the Well Met series, which are beautiful!

[@MerrilyKristin]

I looooove the Illumicrate Well Met editions! They're so gorgeous! And agreed- I think it's harder for OwlCrate to get sprayed pages without delays since it's more a of a UK thing so they don't do it on every book but those are always a big seller for me!

[@melissalsa]

I used to only get books that you had reviewed so I love your content! I wish there was a better way to find your reviews from previous books so for now I just stalk your goodreads 😂😂

[@danielleoliver1734]

I rarely splurge for book boxes as much as I adore the special editions as shipping to Australia will usually double the price of the order

[@MerrilyKristin]

Shipping can be incredibly expensive ☹

[@colegreenofficial]

Thanks for this video because even though I cant really afford book boxes anymore...well I restarted BOTM but😅 my reasons for cutting back were touched on. I'll be honest, Im looking forward to indulging in them again, especially Illumicrate and FairyLoot. This is because Im actually building my library and I want to have bookish items and special editions. But the concerns you raised are very valid and need to be discussed.

[@MerrilyKristin]

Hopefully with the break you've taken you can go back into it fresh and be more mindful about what you want/need!

[@dgs788]

This was a fascinating deep dive. I gave up on collecting SE and LE books a long time ago. It's not worth it to me. While I'd love to collect beautiful books, I have limited disposable income and I have other hobbies I want to fund. I kind of came to the conclusion that I could do one major hobby--books/book collecting--or three to four other in the stead of collecting these SE and LE books. I also came to the conclusion that I'd rather fund individual artists and creators over the book publishing industry, which is problematic to say the least, or the authors, who are also often problematic. For me, it became about what's in the book, not what the book looks like or it's monetary worth. I am just as happy to get a book from the library now as I am to buy one, which supports authors--libraries are a huge purchaser of books, obviously--and the libraries themselves. I am not saying this is better or worse than someone who wants to put all their money into books or even just SE or LE books. I just only read 2-4 books a month, fund two other *quite* expensive hobbies, and I could't justify the cost and, as you pointed out, the space it takes up. I sub to BOTM, which offers me hot, vetted hardback titles at a discount price and I am quite happy with JUST that book subscription tbh.

[@MerrilyKristin]

That's great that you were able to identify that it wasn't working for you and now you're able to enjoy other hobbies more while still reading from the library! I've been trying to read from the library first if there's a special edition of an older title coming out so I can determine if I really want it. It's saved me a lot of money so far!

[@dgs788]

@MerrilyKristin I won't lie, I did feel fomo at first, skipping out on all these pretty editions. But as I realized the money saving power of libraries, I began to feel better about my decision. Years later, I think I made the right one for me. I also realized that dropping off the books I do own and don't want to hold to at free little libraries gives me more satisfaction than I thought it would. At least in my town, there are many people who do not have an address with a utility bill and cannot access the public library to check out books here. I also enjoy giving away books to friends who I think would enjoy them and/or have less means than me. I put most hot titles in free little libraries or sell books to a local used bookstore that is not affiliated with Half Price Books, and give the rest to the friends of the library sale if they are not looked for titles. I do think there is plenty of virtue to owning your own collection though, especially if you are into annotation or rereading or keep up with new releases or even if just being surrounded by books makes you happy. I am not really into any of those things, except maybe the last one (I keep two gorgeous wooden bookshelves of books, double stacked) so that heavily contributed to my decision to cut back on book buying and not invest in LE or SE books.

[@brookestraub7933]

I think the Fairyloot Howl's Moving Castle pre-sale is more like a crowdfunding project because it's not shipping until Q4 2024, so people could have just skipped the queue experience entirely. I just wish they would have been more up front to the nature of the sale so there wasn't so much panic and an influx of people to break the queue (which the queue did break on general access day lol)

[@MerrilyKristin]

I think they just stocked up A LOT for the sale. A couple of days after it went to general sale, they had sent out an email that they anticipated stock running out in the next 24-48 hours, so I think they were working with what they were able to secure ahead of time from the publisher. I also think their lead times for shipping have been getting longer because of how many subs they run and how many special editions they've been announcing and releasing this year. But I also wish that I hadn't wasted so much time sitting in the queue, only to see it available for a couple of days on general sale. I was really worried about that one selling out!

[@pamelabody2231]

Loved your deep dive. I learned so much and from someone with 5+ subs, you gave great suggestions on how to evaluate what really I want. I have been getting these subs to just get them. I really need to bring them down. I have both Fairyloot, Illumicrate, Bookish box, Darkly box, Broken Binding, Arcane Society, both Owlcrate and Page & Wick. 😅

[@MerrilyKristin]

It sounds like we were in a similar boat! I ended up cancelling my Bookish/Darkly and both OwlCrate's recently and I'm considering cancelling YA FairyLoot when they start offering their romantasy sub. I really feel a lot less overwhelmed with adding books to my TBR that I'm not super excited to read.

[@lalalaurenlibby]

This was a great video thank you! I’ve been collecting the Brandon Sanderson leatherbounds for a while but just started getting into the world of special edition subscriptions recently. I signed up for all the waitlists and then was overwhelmed when my invites for 3 different boxes came in around same time. One of those was Illumicrate so at least they have a generous skip policy as I haven’t been so excited about the spoilers I’ve seen for their upcoming picks. I’m still on the Fairyloot waitlist but am unsure if I’ll subscribe if I ever get an invite. I’ve seen a lot of complaints about low quality/damaged books and bad customer service over the past few weeks. If I do subscribe it’ll just be to have early access to their sales

[@MerrilyKristin]

The Brandon Sanderson leatherbounds are some of my all time favorite books. They really go above and beyond with their editions! And that's interesting about FairyLoot- I've only received one damaged book from them in all the years I've been subscribed, and they replied to me right away and sent me a replacement within the same week. But I do prefer their one off sales to their monthly picks!

[@alismall1726]

Super fascinating, thanks for the great video!!!

[@whisper_dvm5157]

This was a great video! I sub to BotM, Fairyloot, Illumicrate, and LitJoy. I love their looks but I am one of those that is TERRIBLE at actually reading them. Since I didn’t purposely buy them, I’m not as excited about reading them. Then other books I bought take priority. I’m making a purposeful effort to read my backlog of subscription books this year. I definitely enjoy them just for their shelf appeal but yeah I need to actually read them (especially the BotM ones since those are not especially shelf appealing). I just backed the new Sanderson campaign and bought the other leatherbounds and I’m excited for those since I’ve already read and loved those books

[@MerrilyKristin]

Same! I made a list of all of the TBR books I have from each sub (including what month they were released so I can see how long they've been sitting on my shelf) and I've also notated which ones I've unhauled without reading so I could get a better sense of which subs I'm getting the most value from (but FairyLoot definitely has the incentive of early access in their favor as well). I also backed those and I'm SO excited for when they'll be in our hands!

[@sapphireverse]

I only collect special editions for Cassandra Clare’s books and I’m still overwhelmed!

[@MerrilyKristin]

There are quite a lot of special editions of her books!

[@ChrislynReadsWithPugs]

Such a great video! I’m subscribed to Fairyloot YA full box with items, Fairyloot adult box and Illumicrate full box with items. I’ve been disappointed in Illumicrate only because the book selections are just not for my taste which is fine. I’ve only been subscribed to them for 4 months. I could implement my skips but I’m always willing to give a book a try because you never know when you’re going to find an all time favorite! But sadly none of the books have worked out for me so far! And you’re right, I can’t even sell them for cost! I can’t even GIVE these books away it seems! 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’ve had much better luck with FairyLoot as far as enjoying the picks! Plus, I feel like their customizations are top notch! Which speaks to my little collector heart! 💜 Thanks again for such a fascinating deep dive!

[@MerrilyKristin]

I totally understand what you're saying about Illumicrate- they're pretty hit or miss for me too! They seem to choose titles their team likes best versus what is most popular with consumers. Which is nice that they're not always offering the same titles, but I do find myself skipping more often than for other boxes. And I totally agree re: FairyLoot customizations! They're always the prettiest editions!

[@withmyradio]

It's all about FOMO for me. It's funny because years ago I was jealous of people who had subs and now I'm jealous of people who don't have/want them.

[@MerrilyKristin]

RELATABLE!!

[@DancingSkyWolf]

It's so crazy that the Way of Kings kickstarter was the top at 6 mil and now the Words of Radiance is already at 17 mil a week in lol

[@MerrilyKristin]

Truly wild! And the Secret Projects Kickstarter ended with over $41 million!

[@lilacchocolate]

This was fascinating!!! Never personally subscribed to book boxes mainly because of shipping costs. I live in Belgium, so with both the US and the UK (since Brexit) shipping costs plus import tax means it's ridiculously expensive just to even get these books delivered. Let alone the inaccessible waiting lists any time I've tried! 🤷‍♀ Any special editions I can get are from Waterstones. Which I don't mind since this way I get to choose which specific books I want to collect without the guessing game of if I will like the book or their customisation to begin with 😅

[@MerrilyKristin]

I love Waterstones! I end up ordering so much from them too- I love that that there's no guessing when it comes to the customizations!

[@ABookishBalance]

I think I'm in the minority when I say most of the FL adult book picks appeal to me more than the separate SEs they sell. I feel lucky that I'm usually buying at most 1 SE per month outside of my subscription. I definitively have a preference for Illumicrate separate SEs! 😙

[@MerrilyKristin]

That's great! I'm glad you've been enjoying their picks so much!

[@kurjan1]

Hmmm... Interesting video. I've been collecting first editions and signed first editions for 27 years. Have you ever heard the term "Manufactured scarcity"?

[@MerrilyKristin]

Yes, absolutely! That's what a lot of these companies are creating (especially for un-numbered books with digital signatures).

[@kurjan1]

@@MerrilyKristin Digital Signatures??? Are these companies marketing books as “signed” but in actual fact the signature is fake? I hope the Broken Binding isn’t doing that. I just ordered two books from them. 😟

[@wolflover306]

I have never done an book sub, hard to get in the Netherlands. It seems so expensive 😔

[@MerrilyKristin]

It definitely can be 😞

[@athenasbibliotheca8099]

This was so interesting! You did a great job. 💖

[@daad8264]

This was amazing. Thank you so much! 🤯

[@paulabarreto2668]

Great video!

[@camics]

Such an interesting video!!

[@jcfdzyepez517]

great video!!!!

[@jodydiou]

Great video

[@Dasha-pv1xk]

I am at a point where Waterstones editions will do. Like enough already

[@vicky9407]

so interesting! thank you

[@ladyfox6705]

I don't subscribe to anything, mainly because the shipping costs are astronomical to New Zealand 😞Made my eyes water lol. It's the same with why I haven't bought anything from Etsy etc for years, because we end up paying MORE for the freight than the product. It sucks because there are so many pretty things I need in my life XD I think book subs like the Broken Binding or Goldsboro would be my thing, but it'd be lovely to get bookish merch, since it's basically non-existent here and I'd love trinkets for my bookshelves and a literary print, or tee-shirt/sweatshirt 🙂

[@MerrilyKristin]

That is really frustrating 😞 It's too bad there isn't a New Zealand specific sub service or an Etsy equivalent that you can find.

[@ladyfox6705]

@@MerrilyKristin I know of a couple of book boxes and there are Etsy sellers here and in Australia, but they are always books/items I'm not interested in lol.

[@pamelabody2231]

Fabled is in Australia….maybe their shipping is reasonable? Their customizations are really nice.

[@ladyfox6705]

@@pamelabody2231 Thanks for the rec! Had a look, and whilst their books are certainly pretty, they seem to be mainly romance/younger fantasy, which is not my thing. Thank you, though 😊

[@miyayume_eclectic_dream]

This is aversome video for a SUB Box Newcomers, if there are any! I truly liked the history part the most. Personaly I would like to see the statistics about how many sub are skiped per month. The canceling does not happen as ofter because of early access one gets. I habe only one Sub [ and started skipping 2 months in] and because of a pretty eddition I gained one more but there is problem with shipping😑. So I will be canceling it after 3 months. Considering that Waterstone, Goldsboro and enough other offer special edditions and even signed pre-order and No-Sub-Needed option, makes it easyer if you want a pretty one but don't sufer from SUB-box-conected-FOMO. A spreadsheet can help as well a Pro&Contra List. Thank you for this video ✨️ I like your channel especial because of these informative videos.

[@MerrilyKristin]

Thank you so much! I really enjoyed learning about the history of it all! I really love Waterstones. I order from them all the time!

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

This must have taken so much research 🫠

[@MerrilyKristin]

Truly it did lol