Ethics and Ebay

Browsing around the internet this evening, I've come across two
interesting examples of Ebay selling which appear to flirt dangerously
close to unethical behaviour.

First up there is the publisher who appears to be selling-off his own
letters and the proofs submitted to him by authors he has published.
For example, John Pelan (user name at Ebay 'jpelan') described a set of
Thomas Ligotti proofs that he sold thus:

"Ligotti, Thomas - THE AGONIZING RESURRECTION OF VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN &
OTHER GOTHIC TALES

(Silver Salamander Press 1994)

A once in a lifetime opportunity! These are the publisher's working
page proofs of the rarest of all Thomas Ligotti books. The 500-copy
paperback sells for around $250, the 140-copy hardcover for about
$600.00, the 40-copy black leather state for around $1200.00, the red
leather contributor copy (of which there were a dozen) sells for
$2500.00

But this? This is the ONLY copy of this item. Loose page proofs in
display folder with letter from publisher John Pelan inviting Mr.
Ligotti to assemble a volume of his uncollected work and a letter from
Mr. Ligotti agreeing to the project and signed in full! The page
proofs themselves bear several hand corrections. I cannot emphasize
strongly enough how unique an opportunity this is for the serious
collector. Should bids exceed the $2000 mark payment arrangements may
be made so long as a downpayment of at least 50% is tendered.

Winner will pay $7.00 for insured shipping within the US (more if
overseas)

Photos will be added tomorrow or e-mail me at for a
scan. If you are collecting ephemera of this type please e-mail me or
book mark us; I am in the process of liquidating my rather extensive
collection of manuscripts, proofs, galleys, and whatnot. Authors
included in this collection include myself, Edward Lee, Elizabeth
Massie, Lucy Taylor, Jack Ketchum, Michael Shea, and many, many more.
I've simply run out of room and it's either the books and magazines or
the ephemera which has to go... My loss is your gain!

Cheers,

John Pelan"


Obviously no law is being broken here, but I wonder what other
publishers and writers (indeed, collectors) think about the ethics of
this type of opportunism? And where might it end? Could folk start
producing 'unique' letters and new sets of proofs and galleys to feed
Ebay demand? And should writers be wary about corresponding with or
submitting to a publisher who may later sell on their private letters
and manuscripts?


Case Two involves the seller who is apparently pirating-on-demand DVDs
of BBC and BFI in-copyright material.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...80976 37&rd=1

Speaking as the owner of several rare never-since-repeated video tapes,
I have always been extremely wary about making copies for even close
friends. Certainly I would never dream of making DVD copies and
mass-marketing them through Ebay, though I do sympathise with people
who feel forced into procuring even an illegally pirated copy. But what
of the ethics?

CB

On 12 Jan 2005 16:59:04 -0800, wrote:

The comments of a bitter failed bookseller with an eBay
feedback of less than 20 are hardly relevant to anything. I certainly
wouldn't buy anything from such a source. Nor, do I imagine will
anyone else.

The list of authors and publishers that sell off such ephemera is
simply endless, but one could hardly expect a semi-literate layabout
such as Barker to know that.

jpelan

What Barker says is unimportant, so we do not hear his words.
Kevin L. O'Brien

John Pelan wrote:
On 12 Jan 2005 16:59:04 -0800, wrote:

The comments of a bitter failed bookseller with an eBay
feedback of less than 20 are hardly relevant to anything. I certainly
wouldn't buy anything from such a source. Nor, do I imagine will
anyone else.

The list of authors and publishers that sell off such ephemera is
simply endless, but one could hardly expect a semi-literate layabout
such as Barker to know that.

jpelan

Every reasonably argued comment is of relevance.

"A bitter failed bookseller?" How amusing. I suppose you could add to
that a failed astronaut, actor and accountant, since I haven't tried
any of those professions either. Besides, with me bookselling is an
occasional hobby. With you, it seems to be a careful and deliberate
manipulation of the Midnight House customer through a policy of maximum
income extraction. What's next? The auctionning-off of a hand-written
letter from the world-famous genre author John Pelan to his granny,
with said granny thrown in for free?

Conversely, one could argue that *you* are a 'bitter failed' publisher,
because of your need to sell on your own business papers. Why not sell
the large collection of signed Evelyn Waugh's and Graham Greene's that
you once lied about owning? They'd raise funds far quicker than the
listing of your rejection letters from Wrestlers Weekly.

Oh, and you forgot to remind your potential Ebay customers that your
business ephemera comes with an authetication certificate from the HWA
Chairman Of Trustees, "Validating its Supreme Importance in the History
of Horror Fiction."

CB

You clearly don't know your Mark Twain.

CB

Whatever.

On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 10:33:14 -0000, "michael adams"
wrote:

trimmed to rec.collecting.books

wrote in message
roups.com...

Obviously no law is being broken here, but I wonder what other
publishers and writers (indeed, collectors) think about the ethics of
this type of opportunism?

...

Where's the opportunism?

He's not attempting to disguise his identity as the publisher.

And this material is his property to sell.

And clearly the market can decide what it thinks.

How else do you imagine such material can come onto the market?


Do you imagine the fairies steal it from the drawers of forgetful
publishers, and deposit it on the shelves of equally forgetful
and unquestioning booksellers ?




michael adams

Now we know why Hoppy failed on ABE!!!! He was waiting for the fairies
to bring him new stock! Poor Mr. Barker, things just seem to move
along too fast for him...

Cheers,

John