Small correction! Discworld Emporium resellers books printed by a larger company. Should have known with how affordable they are. Still super great books but they aren’t the original creator. There is a publisher called Dunmanifestin certainly worth checking out!

That Dune edition is probably one of the sexiest books in existence. The only reason I haven’t bought it yet is that I don’t have a good bookshelf to preserve its glorious beauty.

Emily claiming that you “don’t need to read Dune to be relevant” and then listing “Twilight” as an alternative made me lol pretty hard.

I own a lot of Folio Society books and actually do read them! They are made so well, enduring multiple reads too! The art, binding, and paper quality really enhance the story and reading experience. Their customer service is superb and second-to-none! Granted, some of their items are actually collectible limited editions, those should be handled with care.

I am an absolute sucker for Folio Society editions. Beautiful inside and out, lovely typesetting and printing, colored text, beautiful paper. I don’t even have a shelf set up for them yet, I just enjoy having them! They’re great art. I’ll take em down and read em too, I don’t give a EFF. (At least the ones at $100 or less, anything more than that and I get reaaaally careful, I’m not crazy)

Am I the only one who likes the Barnes and Noble Collectible Editions? For only $25 each, they're a pretty good deal.

I love that the Sanderson leather bounds have covert art from different countries plus fan art. They’re stunning.

I really appreciate how Daniel presents clear and concise information in a clean format where it’s evident that he genuinely took the time to throughly review and examine each edition to state his honest opinions about the advantages and disadvantages to help inform possible consumers such as myself.

18:40 As someone who loves Dune, I really felt Daniel's reaction here lmao. I really can't blame people for feeling that way, and even though I love the series, just hearing her give no fucks about it was honestly hilarious

My hot take: People should be cautious if one of the appeals to collectors'/deluxe editions is the idea that they're going to increase in or even hold value over time. Most of the special editions out there are published after a book is popular and are published without forced scarcity, so there are lots of them. Over time, I've leaned more into the signed first edition world and limited (numbered/lettered) editions.

Twilight over Dune? Thats like asking the Kardashians to write your astrophysics thesis while you have Stephen Hawking wash your car

I hope one of these organizations can release more affordable, alternative Malazan deluxe editions to the Subterranean Press versions. Dying to have premium copies that don't cost an arm and a leg

Just to offer a counter point. Obviously if you want a collection for art and being in like new condition that’s you’re jam but I love reading all my folio society editions as reading copies it enriches the experience and don’t worry about damaging them as I feel if I’ve spent so much on them I want to experience them.

Love this, Daniel! Thank you so much for including us.

Surprised no mention of Subterranean Press. I feel like they are the pinnacle of quality special editions. Completely agree that they are more of an art piece or collector's item at their price point. I would never actually read any of my Sub Presses. They also include the rights to future books in the series so you have the ability to complete your collection.

Ah, finally a use for the Watch Later list. I'll just save this for when I have money. See you all in 2188.

This was just such a great and well constructed video all around. You were very succinct and informative while being entertaining. Thanks for your hard work!

I like what you said about The Broken Binding, that they're basically spruced up regular editions is why I like them! I love pretty books but I don't like owning books I can't touch/read because they're *too* pretty, so the special editions from Broken Binding or books like the Dune and Leviathan Wakes editions you talked about in your video are perfect! :D

Omg I LOVED reading my Folio Society Game Of Thrones. The way that they were made I felt like I was in that world reading a tome from that time or something. They are very durable as well so I don't regret it.

Very nice breakdown. I bought books from Easton Press way back in the day that I thought looked nice, they weren't wildly expensive for teenage me and I think they've held up very well over time. It's cool to see that more companies may be getting into it and hopefully that will mean more variety and price reductions in the future.

Special editions are so easy to obtain it’s a good reminder to sit and think what is actually special. When you have subscription boxes (e.g. Illumicrate, Fairyloot, Broken Binding etc) that are shipping special editions every month to your door, we’ve all got such high standards. The crowning special edition has to go to Folio’s Dune. Now that is exquisite!

Ok this video is exactly the thing I’ve been needing lately, genuinely thank you for making this!

I actually really like the Barnes & Noble collectible books like the Hitchhiker’s Guide one he used as an example lol. Not all of them, but I have the Poe and Lovecraft collections and think they’re beautiful, and they’re affordable ($15-$30 range) for faux-leather-look books.

Really helpful video. Thanks Daniel and friend!

Okay real honest comment from me here, Daniel: I got into fantasy BookTube a couple of years ago and watched a lot of your videos. Back then you had waaay fewer books and were basically talking about the same books over and over. Which was fine, but after so many videos I got fed up, nothing new here, and quit watching. Now, you have so many more books, your videos and text/script/wording are amazing, your quality and bookshelves are top-notch, and there is much more variety. I don't mean to diss your earlier stuff but I just want to say how much I respect how you have turned this into an absolutely top-notch high level YT channel. I am watching a lot of your videos these days and love each and every one of them (and my gf does too!). Keep it up and much love! Jasper, the Netherlands

it’s been a while since i’ve clicked on one of your videos, mostly because the content has been a bit niche these days. but this was so interesting!! thank you for all the valuable info

Really good video idea, appreciate the insight!

What a fun video. Particularly loved “Twilight exists.” My fam and I live in a small NY apartment so space is limited and my books tend to be downloaded but some of those are stunningly beautiful. Really cool.

For affordable special editions (I wouldn’t always call them deluxe) I would go with The Broken Binding, Goldsboro, illumicrate, and Fairyloot. For more expensive deluxe editions, I love dragonsteel and folio society. I want to get more of them. But they are very pricey. Definitely a special occasion type of price. I can’t wait to see the Year of Sanderson and how those editions turn out!!!

Fine. You finally convinced me to pick up the Eye of the World 30th Anniversary Edition. That thud when it was launched offscreen was just too satisfying.

Am I the only one that hates dustjackets? They easily break and a book looks much better without them. I don't dare to buy hardback books online for the fear of them having dustjackets.

I LOVE the Folio Society - I received the The Silmarillion as a gift. It is so true I had a hard time reading it and finally gave up because I was so worried that I would damage it lol! They do sometimes have sales that can make them more affordable but yeah..."so nice but I'm hesitant to read them". Thanks for another awesome video, it was a great list!

I’ve got the Folio Society Howl’s Moving Castle and follow on books and they are absolutely stunning and fairly affordable considering some of the other stuff on the site. I absolutely love them!

I’ve gotten so used to a dance with dragons being the last asoiaf book, I’ve just accepted it at this point

Easton Press makes some good books too. They tend to not go crazy with the cover art and are pricey, but good quality.

To support the point on unfinished series, many years back there were deluxe Discworld editions published as The Unseen Library. They were gorgeous, but the company ran out of money and only published the first 18 books (pre crowd funding days).

All your friends you’ve brought on are crazy. I love them.

awesome video and great advice

I got my Easton Press signed copy of Stormfront last week, and I am thrilled at the quality.

Surprised there was no mention of Easton Press. I totally agree about only spending the big bucks on books that are meaningful to you. My signed edition Gaiman novels from EP are the most treasured pieces in my collection.

I needed this video about 20 minutes ago. Thank you

Idk if they’re considered deluxe edition but the barns and nobles leather bound editions are one of my favs, and u usually find them in thrift shops!

A review/shout out to some small press publishers would be a great follow-up to this. Centipede Press, Subterranean Press, Dark Regions Press, Grim Oak, Cemetery Dance and so on. Peace

Totally agree about the Discworld books - so great inside and out

My signed and leathery Warbreaker arrived a few weeks ago, and it’s delightful

I think the Barnes and Nobles editions are nice as a gift to a non "serious " reader or collector. I love my H.P. Lovecraft version due to it having all of his stories, along with forwards about the story (what inspired it or what he was doing g at the time). It helps put into perspective what he's doing. I also have the foundation trilogy in this version and it's great for anyone who wants to read the trilogy.

I love my Kindle and mostly read on that, so deluxe editions don't really tempt me. With one exception. And now I treasure the illustrated Lord of the Rings that came out last year with illustrations by Tolkien himself. So I really appreciate your point that an edition is valuable in how it relates to the reader's own experience and preferences on their collection.

What company makes the special editions that catch your eye the most??

I’m heading to powells today to hunt for some cool editions, gonna try and snag that dune for sure!

I'm so glad I checked and managed to find a recent reprint of the illustrated (watercolours by Alan Lee) version of LOTR in one big tome. I grew up reading the illustrated versions and for so long there was only that one old printing of them (in 3 volumes).

I just have to correct a couple of errors that have come out of your mouth. The special editions from e.g. the Folio Society are usually of such high quality that there is very little risk of reading them, because they are sewn together. Whereas Dune, for example, is a pile of paper stuck together with glue. I have worked with books that are from the 16th century that are in better condition than some of my newly published "special" editions, precisely because they are sewn and not glued together. And then you have an extra prologue in The Eay of the World, but I totally agree that they could have spent a little more time on that edition. And then you have an extra prologue in The Eay of the World, but I totally agree that they could have spent a little more time on that issue. They have removed Nicolas Cage for goodness sake.

I have to defend the B&N editions a little bit. I can see if you don't personally like the style, that can happen with anything, but I really like how most of them look. I really love the look of a leather-bound book, and I like the cover art they add as well, for the most part. I love my copy of Dracula from them more and more every day, and their Divine Comedy was also beautiful, everything I wanted, even had Gustave Dore's illustrations. But the price tag is the real kicker. I would love to collect beautiful true leather bounds from some of these companies, but I will never be able to afford that. I don't think there will ever be a time that I could bring myself to spend $100 or more on a single book. Honestly, these are already near the top of my range. I want it to be beautiful, but it also needs to be practical, and usable, I don't want a book I'm scared to read. I think the B&Ns hit that sweet spot really well. Also, I hate dust jackets, they're in the way and get bent and damaged and they just bother me so much. I want the actual book itself to be pretty, so I can't really imagine spending those premium prices for a book that's relying on a dust jacket for much of its art. That's kind of a personal gripe though.

Thanks for doing this video, the market is being absolutely flooded with special editions and it can b overwhelming not to mention expensive

Recently started working a real, big boy job and one of my first purchases was 3 Sanderson leather bounds....they now sit prominently on my mantle :)

I have yet to read Leviathan Wakes and I literally bought that pink special edition just because it was so stunning

Thank you for sharing.

I just ordered my first "special edition" book the other day. I've never splurged on a book. I honestly don't know what to expect, haha. It's The Folio Society edition of Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. He's my favorite writer, so I figured why not.

Folio Society editions of Mort AND Small Gods! Goblin be hoarding treasure like a damn dragon!

That Dune book is so beautiful and the design/theming perfectly reflects the intrigue and style of the story.

Nice video, I would have liked to see more about how to spot well made books to pretenders - e.g, glued vs sewn or acid free paper, type of paper etc. Maybe another video!

I have the library Collection of Discworld and it looks amazing. It is worth it

nice to see the Berserk Deluxe volumes in the frame 😋

I am a monster and DO read my dragonsteel leatherbound cosmere books. I JUST got the Warbreaker leatherbound that I missed the first time around. They live on their own shelf in my bedroom because I love looking at them.

Instantly spotted the Discworld books. My absolute favorite covers.

A note on the Discworld books: They are NOT published, produced or designed by Discworld Emporium. The publisher is the large SFF imprint Gollancz, and they also produce similar naked hardcovers with cool designs combining print and foil for other books, like Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn or Stormlight Archive. There is an actual Pratchett special edition publisher, Dunmanifestin, though. They produce for the upper end of the spectrum.

I will buy ALL of the deluxe books in the world for EVERY series on earth. Then I'll follow your book cleaning tutorial.

For someone that doesn’t own a single hardcover (I read to much to afford it) I’m having some serious book envy. Great video as always.

Sometimes simplicity is key though not all the time but sometimes. I actually think it seems like a good look with that blue. I also like the silver overall I think it kinda has that old style 60 to 80's fantasy look to it.

I am collecting the folio edition of asoiaf, and trust me, they be sturdy. Especially the first one has been slapped around a lot both by me (accident) and my nephews (age 2-5 because shiny cover), and the cover barely shows scratching, and it's not very pronounced at all. A few areas at the edge of the pages are scuffed, but not nearly as much as a regular deluxe or anniversary edition would in the same situation.

I still buy those editions you can buy at a Barnes and noble I particularly like those editions because of the price point if all I want is the stories themselves.

Is that Peroni Beer? Lol I just had it for the first time, put it to a taste test, and having never had it before, it was surprisingly good. Excellent video, I seen your Wheel of Time edition and looked it up. You weren’t kidding about the price. 💰

I know it's a manga and not your usual "special edition" but the Deluxe volumes of Berserk are awesome. Black faux leather hardcovers, and they're significantly bigger than standard manga which allows the gorgeous artwork to REALLY shine.

I recently nought a leatherbound mistborn and absolutelly love it

Just ordered the Way of Kings Leather-bound (for me), and The Road, special edition from Folio for my brother in law. 😀

What I will say for the book store special editions is my kids love them. One of my daughters favorite books is the cheap Alice in wonderland special edition she got from barns and noble. For me I love the Folio society books most of all. But for my kids I buy them the cheaper ones from Barns and noble.

New subscriber here, love this!!!!

You could maybe check out some more obscure special edition publishers to showcase them. There are some really cool books out there, that not many people know of (like Amaranthine Books).

thank yoo daniel a couple weeks ago I went to the largest bookstore in the world for the first time (Powell's) and I met Brandon Sanderson signing books to sell in the coffee area. He signed Mistborn 2 and 3, as well as The Way of Kings for me. He also added little notes!

I completly disagree with your dislike of books like the Barnes and Nobles Collectible Editions. (Canterburry Classics btw are also phenomenal) Yes, maybe the covers are not always the most beuatiful, but there are certainly absolute bangers like the Jurassic park, Stephen King and Agatha Christie editions. They are also extremly affordable compared to other special editions. Additionaly I did my research and there are for many of these books no other special editions. Where else can you can similar good looking special editions of classics like Les Mis, the works of Jules Verne etc. ? So it is quite clear at least to me that these versions will not die out.

I appreciate/hate the approach book subscription boxes take when they make their own special editions. When they want to do special, they _DO_ special, and they mean it. For example, there's this ultra mega special collector's edition of the Nevernight Trilogy, officialy endorsed by Jay Kristoff. They are designed to look like books of an in-universe library that is important on the series finale, bounded in faux leather (I personally preffer real leather, for it is, believe it or not, a much more durable and less polluting option than faux leather and I will fight people about that, but still, "vegan" option), with debossed designs of the cover that are reinterpretations of the art on the much popular UK covers that were only available in hardback on their first year or so. The sprayed edges have colours that represent the three suns of the world, and the quote "NEVER FLINCH. NEVER FEAR. NEVER FORGET" written on them. They have SIX illustrated end pages on quality art paper, 5 illustrations per book + a bonus one, they entire trilogy is signed by Kristoff and best/worst of all is that they are all annotated by him. In total there are abround 650+ annotations and drawings made by the series author, commenting on it. It came with a slipcase, and has even more bonus content: A letter from Jay Kristoff adressing the fans, 1 bonus chapter in Godsgrave and 3 bonus ones for the final book in the series. It also came with an adventure card and the maps were in full colour. That sounds incredible, right?! So why am I so frustrated? Well, remember what I said about this being a book subscription box's take on a special edition? Sadly, they can't change their entire bussines model each time they come out with a new one. It was announced on the 10th of march, then on April 13th sales were open for those already suscribed to the box, the next day to the general public. You could order the book box or just the box set, but still, of the limited quantity, those who bought a suscription before or almost immediatly after the announcement had first dibs. The box set alone was priced for 189 dollars plus shipping. Which is a very good price, considering all the bonus content that this edition includes, until you take into account that these are open internationaly and thus fans of the series from countries with economies that weren't as good as the United States had only one month to get the money. For example, a regular book is listed around 20 dollars, which is, roughly, 250 mexican pesos. The minimal wage in Mexico was _rised_ up to 141.70 pesos for a _day._ If you work a week on minimum wage, almost two entire days of work would go to one hardcover book in english. And those are cheaper than regular paperbacks in spanish. Now, if you have to work 2 days a week for 1 regular book listed as 20 dollars, imagine having a month to save up 189 dollars, without taking into account your meals/commute/services. In México, if you work one week of minimum wage, you'd be payed 1,037 pesos. 50 dollars with 65 cents. Now, assuming that you walked to a whole bunch of supermarkets and did not waste money on gasoline or public transportation, the cheapest Market basket by the end of february of this same year was listed as 1,043.79, if you only bought 1kg of everything listed. A week's minimum wage wasn't enough to pay for it. So, take that out of your salary twice for a month, and... Yeah, a mexican minimum wage employee who was a fan of Nevernight could never get the money in time. But Litjoy is not to blame for the economic crisis in the world, nor the accesibiliy of the market basket in México when they made the announcement. And as I say, I don't expect them to stop giving preference to their previous subscribers for the sales. This is an incentive for people to keep paying for the services the company provides. I don't think they are to be held responsible for any of this. And you can still get the box set as of today, the 3rd of august, almost four months after the sales went live and one month after the sets started shipping. There is a chance that someone who started saving the money on the very same day it was announced out of faith of it not being sold out has managed to save the 3,868.44 pesos needed, plus the shipping. That's good. _HOWEVER_ there are times when companies collaborate with the author to create new content for Deluxe Editions that are not only advertised as special, but _limited_ in number. Meaning once they are sold out, they cannot be printed again; unlike Brando Sando's leatherbounds, if you didn't get them the first time, you won't find another chance, except, maybe, on an Ebay auction. _Those_ are the ones that frustrate me a lot, because all the new, canon stories included as bonus and all the Word of God info on how the series was written will only be read by the lucky few who happened to have the money before they ran out of copies. I wrote all this not to condemn the "BE THE FIRST ONE TO GRAB OR DON'T GRAB AT ALL" mentality that capitalism pushes down our throats, even though that is certainly an awful way of living. Rather, I'd like to say that I'm worried that Collector's Editions can very easely be turned into an international competition where some fans already have the advantage. And last decade, some YA publishers started this trend of allying with bookstores only found in Canada and the States to create Special, Limited Collector's Editions that were in all regards the same as the regular edition, with the exception that they included the _EPILOGUE_ to said novels/series. And once they sold out, the only way to read them was to find someone online who bought the book and was kind enough to post the extra content they payed for online, for free, with pictures taken by their phone. I am certainly worried that maybe, just maybe, there could come a day where the Limited Super Special Awesome Collector's Editions are adverticed as having "the true ending" of a series many love, and that out of those fans, only a few will be able to keep it in their personal libraries, for the regular editions will have only 3/4 of the story. Hopefuly that day never comes. I love collecting books. It's one of my passions to see a beautiful work of art of a story dear to me, and one that happens to have bonus content to make it even more special. But we need to remember that these _have_ to be a love letter to the fans who supported these stories out of passion, and that they should never be used to take advantage of them. We can't let buying the Deluxe product become the only way to fully enjoy a story.

I agree with your thoughts on Folio….

My dust covers for my LotRs are torn so this is perfect.

I bought that Wheel of Time special edition when I was replacing my soft covers this year. Got it on Amazon for $5 less than the standard hardcover, but totally agree. Compared to my other special editions, it's trash. You should look at what Michael J Sullivan is doing for his limited editions. Faux leather, foil, etc. Amazing quality, and they always deliver.

I’ve just gotten into collecting, I personally am only going after Easton Press for the classics like Treasure Island, Three Musketeers, etc because I feel like the overall design make it look like something of importance. As for special editions I definitely will jump on one for like a newish book especially if it’s illustrated and if it’s a completed series I will look for a set that is all from the same press or publisher. I personally won’t buy paper backs because I destroy the spine 😅 and I’m not above buying nice used complies especially Easton press because I don’t think a lot of people even open half of them.

Haha loved this!

Great informal video

One defense of the hitchhikers guide collection: it matches the layout of the collection I've seen in three different libraries. It's not much, but it's a specific nostalgia.

This is interesting to me as someone who barely has interest in hardcovers in general, let alone super expensive books. I've always been a paperback / mass market fan - I like to beat up my books and feel okay about it. A book that you don't/can't read makes no sense to me.

Hates DUNE but loves Twilight?! Those are fighting words!

Personally, what I want is a focus in elegance, not so much color. And leather is always the best.

I would love a mistborn deluxe thats etched in metal, im sure its not possible but that would be really cool

Damn I love the black tongue writing tattoo...the whole time through the video I was looking at that instead of the books XD

The Percy Jackson special edition that came out after the new show is absolutely gorgeous and is full of new details!🤩 I don’t usually buy repeats of a series I already own, but I will do it again if they make one for book 2!!

Suntup Press, Centipede Press, Subterranean Press, Curious King, Lyra Press, Arete Editions. All top end publishers worth exploring if you’d like to see some truly astonishing works of art. Curious King in particular has a strong focus on fantasy.

Expected the Dune special edition. Saw it in the first 4 minutes. Not disappointed.

3:55 the 20th anniversary clockwork angel book is great for this! Amazing spine and cover, and loads of original artworks and designs! It s a bomb

I'm at the point now where I almost only buy Folio Society, and I totally read them. Beautiful things should be enjoyed. It should be noted that FS have a lively second hand market on ebay, sometimes markups but sometimes good savings. It depends on what you're looking for.

I’ve been waiting on Red Rising to end before buying the (hopefully) updated Juniper covers that encompass the whole series.

Man I wish Folio Society would do another run of Small Gods like that, it’s amazing

I hate when I am looking at a hardcover book online and the store doesn't have a picture of how it looks without the jacket.