Packing Iron

[Ruff]

Howdy pards,

Was thinking of getting a backup copy of Packing Iron, have checked Ebay and Amazon and was shocked by the prices. Am I just being cheap or is $100+ the going rate? Anyone have a copy that want to sell?

Thanks,

[Camano Ridge]

Ruff, it is currently out of print. Believe it or not if you can find it for $100.00 thats a decent price. I have seen it for as much as $140.00. Having said that I just checked Amazon and they have several used for $69.00 and change one of them is listed as first edition 1993 the others are fourth edition.

[St. George]

Once a book reaches the secondary market, and reprinting isn't an option - prices rise fast.

Buying a backup copy is usually a good idea, but the rub in that is often, the potential buyer doesn't quite place the same value on it as he may have, were it the initial copy - so he balks.

'Packing Iron' is an exceptional book - cast about on ebay or Amazon, and you might be able to connect with one - but if you do - act quickly.

Scouts Out!

[Advertising]

[Buck Stinson]

We used to sell Packing Iron on our web site, but is has been well over a year since we've been able to get them from Zon Publishing.  I talked to Bill Manns early last winter and he said that he may reprint again this next winter, but the project was still up in the air.  I have several 1st editions, but many of the items pictured in the book are from our collection and the copies I have are going to our kids and their families.  I agree with Camano Ridge.  If you can find a copy in fine condition, especially a first edition, the $100.00 price tag is a bargain. 

[Ruff]

Howdy pards,

Thanks for straightening me out. Actually saw a couple priced well over $500. Will do a search again and see what I come up with. Another question, besides the 1st edition being more valuable as a collectable. Which would you get for a back up?

I need to check which edition that I have. I bought it from a pard to $15.00 about 10 years ago.

[Major 2]

Mine is a 2nd Edition... I just looked for my own elucidation, never really noticed before 

I've used it for years as a reference, but I enjoy it as well as a fine browser 
I copied several Holsters and a belt or 2 from its pages...

[olered]

Noticed on a book web site that they sell the fourth edition (1993?) for about $36. booksamillion.com May be worth looking into if someone is ok with a newer edition.

[Camano Ridge]

Books-a-million has the book listed, however they do not have it to send and do not know when they have it available When I called they did not have an estimate for availability. When you order they have fine print that says the avalability and price may change.

[Hargrave]

Ruff old buddy ... Sorry to hijack your thread, but I have a question about old out of print books and thought I might solicit a thought or two ....

A few years ago, I came across a digital copy of McDowell's book, "A Study of Colt Conversions and Other Percussion Revolvers". Now this book is selling from $245 to $466 on Amazon. I was doing some research at the time and ordered a copy from inter library loan. While I was waiting, I found a downloadable 457 page PDF of the book. I can't recall if it was a college library or where it was available from, but I was overjoyed to find it.

Now here is my question ... Does anyone know of (or can conceive of) a service that would take old out of print books like this and make them available via PDF e-book format? I know Google and a few other places are doing this with scholarly works in order to digitize them for posterity. I can't imagine any of those sources would consider doing that with "gun books", But what people think of the idea?

I look at my own library and I have quite a collection. Many of them are out of print, rare and so forth. Some of the books I have from the 60's through the 80's are pretty cool. I started several years ago building a world class gun library. Living in North Eastern Illinois, it was not easy to get out and shoot as often as I did in college when it was all corn fields. So I built a library to keep my heart warm. How great would it be to be able to scan and offer some of the more unique pieces up to fellow friends and like minded people.

Some food for thought and everyone have a great weekend!

Jacob

[Buck Stinson]

Hargrave,
You have a good idea, but this has not been done in the past except in rare occasions, simply because these books have a copyright.  This means that a book, any book, can not be copied in any form for resale purposes, unless you have written permission from the author.  This goes for internet use also.

[Camano Ridge]

If you are looking to have them scanned for your own purpouses and or to protect out of print or rare books, there are many Book scanning srvices that can scan them into just about any format. Here are  some for you to look at they tell you what they can do.
http://www.blueleaf-book-scanning.com/  also 1Dollarscan.com do a search for book scanning services.

[Arizona Cattleman]

Just looked and my copy is a 6th edition.  Paid about $45 several years ago.

AC

[bedbugbilly]

I look and refer to my copy often - wish i had purchased a second one as well.  Just goes to show how much demand there is after a book is out of print.  Won't be long and they'll have to start putting extra shelves in gun safes to site books like these to prevent theft!