# Tales of Beedle the Bard



## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

I realize this is the wrong part of the internet to ask this question.  But still.

Has anyone gotten a shipping notice on "Tales of Beedle the Bard" yet?  It's supposed to get to the house on the 4th, and as of this morning, Amazon is still showing it as preparing to ship.

Yeah yeah.  I know.  It's a DTB, and JK Rowling at that.  But it's pretty.  And as anyone can tell you, I am all about outward appearances.


Anyone heard an update?  Anyone?  I'll take anything, even the most hideous unsubstantiated rumor.

~robin


----------



## Guest (Dec 3, 2008)

My "ToBtB" shipped from Barnes & Noble on 12/1. My scheduled delivery date is 12/4, which is the release date. So, I should get it tomorrow along with DD's Christmas present. Two UPS boxes for me tomorrow.


----------



## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

NICE!!!!  I love UPS boxes.  In many states, I am legally married to my UPS man.


~robin


----------



## Guest (Dec 3, 2008)

LMAO.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I always go for the free super-saver shipping, so my copy isn't shipping until 12/8.  That's why I'm going to WalMart tomorrow to pick it up.  

I read the synopses of the Tales on Amazon not long after they acquired the original.  My favorite is The Fountain of Fair Fortune.


----------



## Guest (Dec 3, 2008)

I was able to get the expedited shipping from BN.com because I bought several other books at the same time including what was supposed to be Jim's Christmas present. Which he spoiled, but that is another story all together. I should be used to it by now. He did warn me of his psychic abilities.


----------



## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

robin.goodfellow said:


> NICE!!!! I love UPS boxes. In many states, I am legally married to my UPS man.
> 
> ~robin


Robin, I have to say that so many of your posts just crack me up.


----------



## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

> but that is another story all together


Come on, you gotta tell us now.



> I read the synopses of the Tales on Amazon not long after they acquired the original. My favorite is The Fountain of Fair Fortune.


You mean there are actually stories in it? lol, I feel so bad. I bought it b/c it was pretty. I wish I was joking.


----------



## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

> Robin, I have to say that so many of your posts just crack me up


Thanks! I'm working on my stand-up comedy routine. When I get done with it....I'll probably have to move to another town.

~robin


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

robin.goodfellow said:


> Come on, you gotta tell us now.


Yeah, we all love a good BJ story.



> You mean there are actually stories in it? lol, I feel so bad. I bought it b/c it was pretty. I wish I was joking.


Did you get the $100 one? I haven't even looked at the cover of the paperback. I just love Potter. WB is having a sale and I got a Sorting Hat for half price. See, it has this hand puppet insert so you can make the mouth move, which I think is really neat. That's my excuse.


----------



## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

> Did you get the $100 one


I did. What? It was pretty! lol, I picked my last 8 boyfriends on the same principle. Some call me an optimist. Some use a word that is far less kind.

You have a sorting hat?! Cool!!!! I would never get anything done around the house if I had one. I keep putting in on things trying to make it talk. But I did buy a wand from Allivan's wand makers.

I like to say I'm not superstitious (and people who know me like to roll their eyes a lot at that), but last year I was at work on Friday the 13th, and kinda bored b/c we didn't have anything to do....so I started poking around the net. And I stumbled on the Allivan's site from another Potter fan site, and found these wands. They were great! They have this collection called the solitaire collection, where they only make one of the wand (as opposed to the regular collections, which are probably for, like, kids, where the wands are lower in price and the edition sizes are not limited.) and then don't ever make another one like it, and I found one! It chose me in the little game they have on the site. (full disclosure: I find that very expensive things often choose me, whether there's a flash game involved or not). So now I have a wand in my Harry Potter collection. If you don't yet have a wand, I highly recommend that site. The amount of detail they put into the site alone is, to me, worth the price. And, they make their wands by hand, which I feel should always be rewarded.


----------



## Guest (Dec 3, 2008)

Robin,

Jim has a bad habit of spoiling most "surprise" presents. He has this uncanny ability of picking up a present and just "knowing" what is in it. This time the surprise was supposed to be the latest Repairman Jack book by F. Paul Wilson, which he had neglected to find out was being released. I made the mistake of looking for some upcoming release date and that made him decide to "check" all his favorite authors and series. I knew I was sunk immediately. Repairman Jack is his major weakness. I had to tell him "You can't order it", so he knew I already had instinctively. Oh well, c'est la vie.


----------



## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

D'oh!  I have an aunt that can do that.  It's weird.  Like, freaky weird.  I've started trying to throw her off by getting her gifts that fit inside other gifts.


That is not working well, in case you want to try it.


****Woo hoo!  Just got the ship notice from Amazon!!!!


----------



## Guest (Dec 3, 2008)

I actually did fake him out a few years ago when I bought him the "Lord of the Rings" version of Trivial Pursuit. I broke it open and wrapped the cards separately from the rest. He was totally shocked.


----------



## Guest (Dec 3, 2008)

Oooooooh!  I'm "physick."  Better not come around me if you have any sekrets.


----------



## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

> Oooooooh! I'm "physick."


Wasn't that the big guy in "The Princess Bride"?


----------



## Guest (Dec 3, 2008)

robin.goodfellow said:


> Wasn't that the big guy in "The Princess *Bride*"?


I thought you were on my _side_.


----------



## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

Look, if you're the same size as Andre the Giant, pretty soon we're all gonna be on your side, b/c the board's gonna tilt.



~robin


----------



## Guest (Dec 3, 2008)

robin.goodfellow said:


> Look, if you're the same size as Andre the Giant, pretty soon we're all gonna be on your side, b/c the board's gonna *tilt*.


I can't help the way I'm _built_.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

robin.goodfellow said:


> NICE!!!! I love UPS boxes. In many states, I am legally married to my UPS man.
> ~robin


ROTFLM*O.

Robin, I am SOOO waiting for the Dead after Dark book club. I think I just hurt myself.

Betsy


----------



## Gables Girl (Oct 28, 2008)

Robin, I picked it because it was pretty too.  I just got the notice it shipped and I should have it tomorrow.  

The UPS guy must think I live in Amazon boxes since he delivers them all the time to me.  I'm thinking of stacking the boxes up from largest to smallest in a pyramid and claiming they are my Christmas tree.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

robin.goodfellow said:


> I did. What? It was pretty! lol, I picked my last 8 boyfriends on the same principle. Some call me an optimist. Some use a word that is far less kind.


Somehow I knew you got that one.



> You have a sorting hat?! Cool!!!! I would never get anything done around the house if I had one.


I can't wait to get it. I'm going to use it in the HP Book Club I'm running at the school. Then it's coming home with me to a permanent spot on my HP shelves.



> But I did buy a wand from Allivan's wand makers.


I know about Alivan's, but I got my wand from Whimsic Alley. They have a lot of great stuff. I also got my Dumbledore's Army bag, my Weasleys Wizard Wheezes sweatshirt, and my Hogwarts patch from them (I made my own robe).

From Amazon, Gryffindor's Sword, Golden Snitch 20 Questions and the SS Chess set. I love playing chess with this set. It's a lot of fun.

I think I'll stop, now. I've got so much HP stuff, I don't have time to play with it all.


----------



## Guest (Dec 4, 2008)

LR made some hand-knitted Gryffindor scarves for some friends of ours in Europe a few years ago.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Bacardi Jim said:


> LR made some hand-knitted Gryffindor scarves for some friends of ours in Europe a few years ago.


That's so nice. I'm a Ravenclaw with Slytherin leanings. That means when I want to be really nasty, I read a book instead.


----------



## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

> I'm thinking of stacking the boxes up from largest to smallest in a pyramid and claiming they are my Christmas tree.


If you do that, you should totally take a picture of it and post it here. Actually, that's such a great idea, I'm kind of kicking myself for not doing that in my library.

I just checked on UPS.com (where I'm a preferred member. I'm also on their Christmas ham list.), and ToBB is out for delivery! Woo hoo! So I'm only going to be making my co-workers bananas today trying to get out early so I can go home and check it out. I am SO excited to see it! And my co-workers will be so excited to see me go today! (Full disclosure: This is the case most days.)

Whimsic Alley? Really? I am not (yet) familiar with that site. lol, more fun for today! I also got the Time Turner from the Noble collection, which I'm a little ashamed to say I saw in a SkyMall magazine. But it doesn't work. It won't turn back more than about a day at the time.

~robin


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Woohoo Robin!  Have fun with your delivery!

Betsy


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I picked up a copy at WalMart this morning. $7.44. It's the same type of hardback as Harry's School Books.

Here's the back cover blurb.



> The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers' attention in the book known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger's new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J.K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore. Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: The Wizard and the Hopping Pot," "The Fountain of Fair Fortune," "The Warlock's Hairy Heart," "Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump," and of course, "The Tale of the Three Brothers." But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter.


It's really quite beautiful. Robin, post a picture of your collector's edition if you can. I'd love to see it.

Off to read. Won't take long. I'll report back.


----------



## Gables Girl (Oct 28, 2008)

Whoo Hoo, mine shows as delivered.  I think I'm not feeling well and need to go home now.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Having now read the full stories plus Albus' commentary, I still say The Fountain of Fair Fortune is my favorite.

We hear from Brutus Malfoy, and find out the origins of Lucius' enmity toward Albus. We also find out that Aberforth's favorite tale (not contained in this book) is


Spoiler



Grumble the Grumpy Goat.


 Not surprising.

The Warlock's Hairy Heart is a dark tale with its own obvious moral.

I'll be reading these tales to my HP Book Club. I think they will enjoy them. I certainly did.


----------



## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

> It's the same type of hardback as Harry's School Books


Is it the biting one? I would pay big big money for a book that could attack people (my neighbor is convinced that I'm the evil undead. Nothing, not even routine appearances at church functions where I don't burst into flames, will convince him otherwise. Also, he keeps killing my bluebirds). My very favorite scenes in the HP books were the ones in Flourish & Blott's. I long for a bookstore that interesting in my town.



> Whoo Hoo, mine shows as delivered. I think I'm not feeling well and need to go home now.


You look a tad feverish, too. Perhaps you should go home and lie down with a book.
Are these boxes the owl delivery boxes Amazon used for Deathly Hallows? I thought those were so cute. I love it when a non-related company follows a theme. I don't know if it shows interest in their customers, really, but it certainly shows that they're following along with the story.



> It's really quite beautiful. Robin, post a picture of your collector's edition if you can. I'd love to see it.
> 
> Off to read. Won't take long. I'll report back.


I shall take pictures and bore everyone to death with them. You are deputized to go read and issue a full report. What kind of HP book club do you have? And do you have members by correspondence?

~robin


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

robin.goodfellow said:


> Is it the biting one?


No, it's not the Monster Book of Monsters. Hagrid holds the copyright on that one.



> I shall take pictures and bore everyone to death with them. You are deputized to go read and issue a full report.


My report is above. I didn't want to say too much, cuz I know y'all (I can say that to you, right?) will be reading yours shortly. There are some tantalizing tidbits, such as how many remaining limbs Professor Kettleburn has.



> What kind of HP book club do you have? And do you have members by correspondence?


Fifth and Sixth graders only.

The kids will be sorted into houses, earn house points, play HP related word and trivia games, and I'm planning a Tri-Wizard Tournament.

I'm also working on a Quidditch Card Game. I know there is one available, but everyone complains about the instructions being too complicated. I've download the new, supposedly easier instructions, and they are nearly as ridiculous. I'm going to base the cards on the fanart I did of Harry's first year Gryffindor team. Not that I'm at all artistic, mind you, I'm just very creative. I have maybe three months to work it out. Hope I can do it. In the meantime, I'm keeping that one to myself.

I'd love to do a Muggle Quidditch league with the 7th and 8th graders, but I'm afraid I'm already overwhelming the volunteer coordinator. I also work with the chess club and I have to wait a while before I suggest a live chess game as the finale for our end of year tournament.

You may have noticed I tend to go a bit overboard. The school authorities haven't noticed yet, and I'm trying to work them into it gradually. I want to get my other grandchild into this school, and I don't want them to think if they accept her they'll be stuck with the crazy Grammy for another eight years.


----------



## Guest (Dec 4, 2008)

Gertie:  No Arkansas Baptists or AOG (the two main groups calling for the banning of HP books from schools and their members' homes) at your school?


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Bacardi Jim said:


> Gertie: No Arkansas Baptists or AOG (the two main groups calling for the banning of HP books from schools and their members' homes) at your school?


Guess not ... lucky me. When the principal found out I was a Pottermaniac, she told me in no uncertain terms that she wanted me to form a discussion group and right away. The books are in the library and a lot of kids have read them. I didn't get as many kids signed up as I wanted to, so I guess a lot of parents are closet anti-Potterites.

There are also groups that want to ban the Judy Blume books, but I think they're wonderful for teens and pre-teens. Geez, there are 13 year old kids reading Twilight and they want to ban Harry, who just happens to be a kid who can do weird things with a stick and constantly battles evil.

Go figure.


----------



## Yollo (Nov 10, 2008)

So, I just finished reading my Collector's Copy of Beedle. I loved the presentation and the stories, and thought it was well worth the money. However, the editing was horrid! I found three obvious errors in my copy, and was wondering if everybody's copy had these errors. Here are the errors I found, page numbers are for the Collector's Edition.

Pg. 40 - Dumbledore's Commentary on Hopping Pot - The word "flames" is repeated (ie. 'flames flames') for no apparant reason.

Pg. 78 - Dumbledore's Commentary on Fountain - Armando Dippet is misspelled, spelled ?rmando Dippet in my copy. (Not sure what the first letter is, its definitly not a capital A, see the beginning of Malfoy's letter on the opposite page to see what a capital A should look like.)

Pg. 156 - Tale of the Three Brothers - "Tnd so Death took the second brother for his own." They misspelled "and"? REALLY SCHOLASTIC?!?!?!?!

So, if you have the Collector's Edition, could you tell me if you had these errors, and if you have the Standard edition, could you tell me if these errors are present in your copy? It would be greatly appreciated. (I wonder if mine is the only copy with these mistakes....it could be worth a lot!)


----------



## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

My standard copy was delivered at 10:07 this morning.  Why am I at work??
It looks like my Kindle will be abandoned this evening for the first time since I got it.
Andra


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Kimblee said:


> So, I just finished reading my Collector's Copy of Beedle. I loved the presentation and the stories, and thought it was well worth the money. However, the editing was horrid! I found three obvious errors in my copy, and was wondering if everybody's copy had these errors. Here are the errors I found, page numbers are for the Collector's Edition.
> 
> Pg. 40 - Dumbledore's Commentary on Hopping Pot - The word "flames" is repeated (ie. 'flames flames') for no apparant reason.
> 
> ...


None of those errors are in the standard edition. You're right, if yours is the only one (doubtful), it could be worth a lot, sort of like a register error in a sheet of stamps.


----------



## Yollo (Nov 10, 2008)

gertiekindle said:


> None of those errors are in the standard edition. You're right, if yours is the only one (doubtful), it could be worth a lot, sort of like a register error in a sheet of stamps.


I don't really think mine is the only one. Thanks for reporting back on the Standard Edition. Now if only I could hear back from someone else who has the Collector's Edition...


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Kimblee said:


> I don't really think mine is the only one. Thanks for reporting back on the Standard Edition. Now if only I could hear back from someone else who has the Collector's Edition...


Robin is probably reading hers as we speak.


----------



## Gables Girl (Oct 28, 2008)

Hooray!  This was a double delivery day, I got my Tales of Beedle the Bard and my new M-Edge cover in marine blue.  Now to open the boxes.  Which one first shall I open first? This is a hard one.  Perhaps if I give my Kindle his new cover he won't sulk because I'm reading a DTB tonight.  This could work out well.


----------



## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I just ordered the Tales for my son for Christmas. I debated a while about ordering the Collector's Edition, but what he really wants is money for his month-long trip to Jamaica in January. So, I figured I'd save $90+ on the book and have more money to give him for his travel fund.

L


----------



## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

I'm home! I ran out to get something to eat before it got crowded. But I have pictures! 

















































I haven't even stopped to read it yet, but wanted to go ahead and get the pictures of the outside up. It was HEAVY!!!! That little tiny book weighs as much as Gone With the Wind! lol, I'll have to order a ham for my UPS man this year. But the packaging from Amazon was well done (and well marked as "Beedle the Bard" on the outside of the box, which I feel is a risky move, but that's just me), and the actual book part is amazing. Very nice. I think it's all leather. And there are a stack of limited edition prints with it, but I don't know how many yet. I didn't stop to count. rofl, and you can say y'all all you want, as long as you're not referring to just one person. Although I understand that "all y'all" is the appropriate way to refer to a group of people.

~robin


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Robin, it's gorgeous. I may yet have to get one. On my HP Board, one person said she's never going to read her collector's edition. I hope she got the standard edition to read.

Here's a link to The Telegraph with a review and a video of the release party at Waterstone's.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/12/04/bobeedle104.xml


----------



## Gables Girl (Oct 28, 2008)

Robin,  It's beautiful, I went cheap and got the standard edition, I figured that leaves me enough money to buy an Oberon cover for my Kindle.  Now I'm not sure I shouldn't get it.


----------



## Yollo (Nov 10, 2008)

You done yet robin I'm dying to know if I'm the only one with errors.

Also, I noticed you have a light patch right where the central skull is on your velvet bag, mine has one too....I thought something was wrong with mine, looks like everybody's is that way.


----------



## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

> You done yet robin I'm dying to know if I'm the only one with errors.
> 
> Also, I noticed you have a light patch right where the central skull is on your velvet bag, mine has one too....I thought something was wrong with mine, looks like everybody's is that way.


Good morning! I haven't finished mine yet, but I got thru the Hairy Heart story (how weird was that?) last night. I did notice the "flames flames" error, and it looks to me like it says "Prmando Dippet" in the fountain story. I agree: no way that letter is an A. It's a little weird that the errors are in there at all, unless Amazon was in a real rush to publication on the collectors edition.

The only other thing I can think is that the original book was handwritten, and whoever transcribed it just couldn't read the writing, so they went with "true to original" over "correct spelling".

lol, I know I shouldn't laugh when you say that you're dying to know if anyone else has errors, but I can't help but remember the friends episode where Rachel put "excellent compuper skills" on her resume. She was horrified, and said something to the effect of "Do you think they're all like that?" and Chandler replied, "No, Rachel. I'm sure the copy machine caught some of them." If one book has those misprints, all of them do due to the miracle of reproduction technology. I was looking to see if the collector's edition was limited, but if it is, Amazon doesn't say to how many. Hmmmm.

And I suspect the rub on the bag was caused by the amount of time these have been packed up.

Looking forward to finishing these tonight. i may have to turn my phone off!

~robin


----------



## Yollo (Nov 10, 2008)

Thanks Robin, I really knew mine wasn't the only one. I just had that glimmer of hope I had a super rare copy...

I never considered the fact it might be a word for word copy from the original, but it seems like those spelling errors are so trivial they might as well just change it.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Kimblee said:


> Thanks Robin, I really knew mine wasn't the only one. I just had that glimmer of hope I had a super rare copy...
> 
> I never considered the fact it might be a word for word copy from the original, but it seems like those spelling errors are so trivial they might as well just change it.


Are you going to return it (silly question) or ask them to replace it with a good copy?


----------



## Guest (Dec 6, 2008)

gertiekindle said:


> Are you going to return it (silly question) or ask them to replace it with a good copy?


Where's LR's "pokey stick" smiley when I need it?


----------



## Yollo (Nov 10, 2008)

gertiekindle said:


> Are you going to return it (silly question) or ask them to replace it with a good copy?


Nah. If everybody's is that way, and a limited number were printed, I'm not gonna send it back in. I doubt they have any "correct" ones, anyway. Nope, I'll keep cherishing my copy!


----------



## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

> and a limited number were printed


Were there really 100,000 collector's edition copies? I read that, but it was on the Amazon board, and everyone there was already very angry anyway, so I couldn't tell for sure.

~robin


----------



## Guest (Dec 6, 2008)

robin.goodfellow said:


> I read that, but it was on the Amazon board, and everyone there was already very angry anyway, so I couldn't tell for sure.
> 
> ~robin











"Rabble rabble rabble rabble"


----------



## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

robin.goodfellow said:


> Were there really 100,000 collector's edition copies? I read that, but it was on the Amazon board, and everyone there was already very angry anyway, so I couldn't tell for sure.
> 
> ~robin


What were they angry about?

L


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Leslie said:


> What were they angry about?
> 
> L


Probably the three errors. What should be "flame" is "flame flame," Armando Dippet is spelled PRmando (or something like that) Dippet, and there is an "and" spelled "Tnd." That's only in the $100 collector's edition. The Standard Edition is fine. I'm guessing they used two different typefaces, so each edition was done separately.


----------



## Yollo (Nov 10, 2008)

I remember reading only 100,000 were printed, and I don't think it was on Amazon...


----------



## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

> What were they angry about?


How long do you have? First they were angry about some race (I honestly don't know how I missed this) on Amazon, but 1000 copies were put in a holiday race. Initially it looked like those books would be $50, but I think they ended up being $70. So everyone was mad that, apparently if you pre-ordered the CE, you were ineligible for the race. Then everyone was angry that Amazon was devaluing the entire edition by selling 1% of the edition for less than full price which was also set by Amazon. And then Amazon announced that 35 of _those_ books would be authographed by JK Rowling, which inspired a good deal more wrath, and a round of letter writing. Many many many of the posters felt that any autographed copies should be randomly distributed to people who had pre-ordered.

Then came the release-day delivery guarantee. Now, I fully remember that Amazon gave me the option of electing release day shipping for a reasonable fee, or getting free shipping but getting the book a couple of days later. Having no discernible financial skills, I opted for release-day delivery, and opted to pay for it. But it was a choice. Amazon didn't require me to make the choice one way or the other. Many felt that release-day delivery should have been free with a pre-order. Also, someone in that thread was from Alaska, which is apparently another kettle of fish entirely.

Then Amazon issued a statement saying that the outside book would be a leather alternative, which satisfied the anti-animal cruelty people, but angered the people with latex allergies.

....It occurs to me that I should put a disclaimer in here right about now, which is this: ALL of this is true. I read the Amazon boards for more than an hour Friday, and it was one of the more entertaining hours I've spent lately. But there's a huge Beedle the Bard discussion board. I would invite those who think I am exaggerating to please check it out. Don't read it while drinking. End disclaimer....

Apparently alternative leather products contain latex. So that led to a discussion of what sort of gloves one would wear to handle a book wiht latex in it. Then Amazon further irritated the fan base (I pre-ordered my book in August. I had no idea about any of this til Friday.) by saying that the inner book in the CE would be bonded leather, which also inspired a great deal of anger, b/c bonded leather is apparently strips of leather bonded together, and not a piece of hide. Apparently, among those favoring leather as a book covering, bonded leather is considered one step below pulp-fiction paper. Apparently. For those not in favor of leather as a book covering, it was insulting.

Most of the anger and arguments boil down to Amazon de-valuing the book before it hit the market. I have a number of thoughts on that, most of which I'll keep to myself, but I would like to address a couple of them:

1. It's impossible to devalue something that has an initial issue of 100,000 copies, none of which are numbered. For that matter, it's impossible to verify how many copies were made, especially since a later story mentioned that there may actually have been 200,000 copies of the CE, 100k in America, and 100k for Amazon.uk.

2. Even if there was a value to these books beyond the intrinsic value of owning something that you love and want to have, most of the people buying it won't live long enough to see a return on it. I used to work for a store that sold Barbie dolls, and I can't tell you how much time I spent explaining to distraught women why their collection wasn't worth a million dollars. A _lot _ of time. Items become "worth something" when they are scarce. An edition of 200,000 is not scarce. And for that matter, until 2004, Barbie didn't actually have a limit on "limited edition" dolls, unless it was specifically noted on the box (like some of the Bob Mackie Barbies, or other special collections). In 2004, Mattel said that henceforth, a limited edition would be 100,000. which is a lot of dolls. So I am not an advocate at all of buying an item because it will be "worth money one day". Not for dolls, not for books, not for art, not for anything. It's one of my pet peeves. lol, if you have time, I'd be glad to tell you all about it. I worked part time for an art gallery too, and the owner finally got to where he would send people to talk to me, even if I was working at my real job, to discuss whether or not to buy a piece of art because of it's potential value. He said he just liked to see me get irritated at perfect strangers. So he was constantly amused. Of course, he would have been far less amused if it had actually cost him money. Fortunately for him, and for the lady that owned the doll store, very few customers actually believed me. And to this day, many of them cannot understand why they aren't seeing a return of at least the original sale price of "Barbie loves Elvis".

Ah well. I know it's impossible to please everyone, but it appears to me that Amazon has found a market of easily displeased customers, and is just riding that train to the end.

~robin


----------



## Susan M (Nov 8, 2008)

Thanks for the recap Robin - your concise version was pretty entertaining.

I ordered one of the collector editions for my HP obsessed daughter (way back when they first announced it) and two copies of the standard book so that she could take the stories to school with her.  I'm sure she would like to have the collector edition with her at college - but I am afraid it would grow legs.  I had no idea about all the controversy over it.


----------



## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

> I had no idea about all the controversy over it.


Isn't it hilarious? I feel compelled to paraphrase Mark Twain:

I don't know if the Amazon complaint boards are populated by smart people who are putting us on, or imbeciles who really mean it.

~robin


----------



## Gables Girl (Oct 28, 2008)

All the Amazon boards lately seem to be populated with the whiners and complainers.  I have a feeling that the moderators over there have given up and unless someone really goes over the edge they just let it ride.  I'm so happy to be here with sane happy people.


----------



## Guest (Dec 7, 2008)

There are still Amazon boards? Once I found this one, I have never been back.


----------



## Gables Girl (Oct 28, 2008)

I read them every so often so I can laugh and then come back to sanity.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

robin.goodfellow said:


> Isn't it hilarious? I feel compelled to paraphrase Mark Twain:
> 
> I don't know if the Amazon complaint boards are populated by smart people who are putting us on, or imbeciles who really mean it.
> 
> ~robin


That's how I feel about the fools they have on Jaywalking on the Tonight Show.

Betsy


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Robin, I certainly agree with you about things being "worth something someday."  Maybe if you want to leave something for your great-great-grandchildren to have something of value, and that's only if everyone else throws theirs out, it might be a good philosophy.  Of course, that rarely happens, and as you say, we won't be around to see it.

The last I checked, my Ginny doll (with original headband and tons of original clothes) was only worth $75, and that's because the redheads are rare.  

If I bought the CE, it would be to put a beautiful book on display.  In the meantime, I'll enjoy my standard edition.


----------



## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

> The last I checked, my Ginny doll (with original headband and tons of original clothes) was only worth $75, and that's because the redheads are rare.


You have an original Ginny? Cool! I like the Ginny dolls, myself. But I bet for $75, you wouldn't part with yours. I mean, that's a nice return, but it couldn't replace your....idk, childhood memories, maybe? Mom has a Shirley Temple doll that she feels the same way about. The $100 she could maybe sell it for would be a scarce replacement for a doll she's had forever. And honestly, for something to bring in big dollars, it pretty much has to be in unplayed with condition still in a box that hasn't seen daylight in nearly a century. And what's the fun in that? (Barbie collectors think I am a complete heathen b/c I take mine out of the boxes. But why have something if you can't enjoy it? Also, I still like to play with dolls. So nyah.) But many people don't realize that. I had a woman crying in the store one night, trying to get us to pay her $1000 for her original Barbie. She said she really needed the money, and she was sure that her doll was worth that much. While I certainly sympathized with her, I was still obligated to point out that the doll had no shoes, and her original ponytail had been cut off (wow, I can't believe how many kids get to play with scissors and dolls at the same time.), and she appeared to be wearing a Malibu Barbie bathing suit. So, indeed, while collectors guides do say that original Barbies can be worth a mint, condition is everything. I was quite gratified to hear an appraiser on Antiques Roadshow say much the same thing one night in appraising a Barbie collection. It still didn't stop people from bringing their dolls in, but at least we could quote experts.

Also, I have found that CE books read just as well as any other edition (book collectors pretty much think I'm a heathen too. I read my first editions.).


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

robin.goodfellow said:


> You have an original Ginny? Cool! I like the Ginny dolls, myself. But I bet for $75, you wouldn't part with yours. I mean, that's a nice return, but it couldn't replace your....idk, childhood memories, maybe?


Mine is over 50 years old. I got the second edition for my daughters. They are completely different. The only thing they have in common is they are 8" dolls.

You're right. I wouldn't part with my Ginny for anything.



> Mom has a Shirley Temple doll that she feels the same way about. The $100 she could maybe sell it for would be a scarce replacement for a doll she's had forever. And honestly, for something to bring in big dollars, it pretty much has to be in unplayed with condition still in a box that hasn't seen daylight in nearly a century. And what's the fun in that? (Barbie collectors think I am a complete heathen b/c I take mine out of the boxes. But why have something if you can't enjoy it? Also, I still like to play with dolls. So nyah.) But many people don't realize that. I had a woman crying in the store one night, trying to get us to pay her $1000 for her original Barbie. She said she really needed the money, and she was sure that her doll was worth that much. While I certainly sympathized with her, I was still obligated to point out that the doll had no shoes, and her original ponytail had been cut off (wow, I can't believe how many kids get to play with scissors and dolls at the same time.), and she appeared to be wearing a Malibu Barbie bathing suit. So, indeed, while collectors guides do say that original Barbies can be worth a mint, condition is everything. I was quite gratified to hear an appraiser on Antiques Roadshow say much the same thing one night in appraising a Barbie collection. It still didn't stop people from bringing their dolls in, but at least we could quote experts.


I watch Cash in the Attic (BBCA) a lot, and even 200 year old rare dolls don't seem to bring in much.



> Also, I have found that CE books read just as well as any other edition (book collectors pretty much think I'm a heathen too. I read my first editions.).


I've only got one first edition, Men of Albemarle by Inglis Fletcher. I got it used on Amazon Marketplace. I really doubt it's worth anything.

As for my HP books, I buy the hardbacks because I want the book as soon as it comes out. I have the paperbacks for rereads. Easier to handle.


----------



## Susan M (Nov 8, 2008)

gertiekindle said:


> I have the paperbacks for rereads. Easier to handle.


It sure would be nice to have them in Kindle version for rereads - much easier to handle.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Susan M said:


> It sure would be nice to have them in Kindle version for rereads - much easier to handle.


Yeah, but we all know JKR's thinking on that. Too bad she doesn't realize that she would have more control over e-book distribution if she allowed authorized publication.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I wrote to RDR Publishing about the possibility of the HP Lexicon book being published on Kindle.  Here's his reply:

Thanks for your note.  We will definitely look into this.  The book itself will ship right after the first of the year and after we've met all the demand we will certainly look into Kindle, something we are doing for other books.  Take care.

Roger Rapoport 

I asked him to let me know as they Kindleize books.  Some of their list looks intriguing.


----------



## Guest (Dec 7, 2008)

We have the trade PB editions, simply because that's the format in which we somehow ended up with the first three, and LR wanted them all to match.  For later editions, we actually sold our HB copies to get the trade PB's.

In retrospect, looking at how tattered some of them have gotten from LR''s incessant re-reading of them, this was probably a mistake.


----------



## Guest (Dec 7, 2008)

Yes, they are getting quite battered. I have even had to doctor a couple when the spine broke from the weight. 

If only, JK would see the light. Then, I could re-read to my heart's content without doing any damage to the book.


----------



## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Gables Girl said:


> All the Amazon boards lately seem to be populated with the whiners and complainers. I have a feeling that the moderators over there have given up and unless someone really goes over the edge they just let it ride. I'm so happy to be here with sane happy people.


They don't even have moderators which is why it can get so tiresome over there. Same with IMDb (for those who like to discuss movies).

Thanks for the recap, Robin!

L


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

LuckyRainbow said:


> Yes, they are getting quite battered. I have even had to doctor a couple when the spine broke from the weight.
> 
> If only, JK would see the light. Then, I could re-read to my heart's content without doing any damage to the book.


Maybe that's her plan. As we continually reread, we have to buy new books.

I've been holding off since I want to read SS with the kids in my book club, and I don't want to read HBP before the movie comes out so I won't be disappointed.


----------



## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

LuckyRainbow said:


> Yes, they are getting quite battered. I have even had to doctor a couple when the spine broke from the weight.
> 
> If only, JK would see the light. Then, I could re-read to my heart's content without doing any damage to the book.


Really. I don't know how much I've spent on multiple copies of all the HP books, plus the CDs. And I'd buy the whole series again if I could get it for my Kindle.

L


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Really. I don't know how much I've spent on multiple copies of all the HP books, plus the CDs. And I'd buy the whole series again if I could get it for my Kindle.
> 
> L


You and me both, except for the CD's. I keep buying SS and giving it to kids to read. JKR keeps coming up with different excuses as to why she won't allow the books to be digitized, but I think, based on a lot of her actions, it's just a matter of control with her.


----------



## iamc (Dec 4, 2008)

I ordered both.
The collectors edition was an EVENT just to open, and well worth the $100. I love the details in every part of it.

The standard copy is what I will actually read....although I wouldn't have ordered that one if JKR would loosen up. If it were on my Kindle, I would have already started reading it.


----------



## chobitz (Nov 25, 2008)

I got the collectors edition also. It is beyond beautiful, well worth the money. If its an author I like I will buy the collectors edition. I also bought King's latest book as the collectors version , it came with a dvd.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Here's an interesting idea from the L.A. Times.


What to do onscreen with J.K. Rowling's 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard'
01:46 PM PT, Dec 16 2008

Bard It's already become the fastest-selling book of the year, so it's no surprise to hear that Warner Bros. is interested in making a movie out of J.K. Rowling's latest book, "The Tales of Beedle the Bard," a collection of fables set in the (pre-"Harry Potter") world of wizards and muggles Rowling knows best.

The titular Beedle the Bard wrote five tales, each accompanied with commentary from Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts' now-late headmaster who met his end in the penultimate "Potter" novel, "The Half-Blood Prince."

For those, like myself, who've already zipped through the vignettes more than once, it's hard to imagine crafting a single movie out of any or all of them, however much we'd like to indulge in another big-screen adaptation of Rowling's magical characters. Each story exists separately from the other, and each averages 10 pages (in a double-spaced, large-font-ed-children's-book way).

Though the author packs "Tales" densely with the sort of attention to detail that brought the wizarding world -- with its quidditch, house elves, horcruxes, and dementors, etc. -- to life, each story is little more than a morality tale told in a few pages (spoilers start now): "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot" warns against the evils of prejudice in a story about a wizard whose negligence of his neighboring muggles manifests into one horrid pest of a pot. "The Fountain of Fair Fortune" concerns a trio of sisters searching for a magical fountain to cure life's troubles, but find that the right attitude is the best cure. "The Warlock's Hairy Heart," which would surely frighten young children, tells the story of a literally heartless warlock whose vanity ends in tragedy. "The Tale of Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump" cautions against the disregard for the laws of magic. And "The Tale of the Three Brothers," Dumbledore's favorite of the five, teaches that trying to cheat death will always result in disappointment. Throughout, Dumbledore peppers the narratives with backstory, personal asides and a rather saucy sense of humor.

So what to do with the Bard's tales? How best to bring them to life? A few suggestions:

Make a "Potter" prequel using Dumbledore's commentary. We follow a new batch of wizards and muggles in the 17th century, when anti-Muggle sentiment was growing and the witch hunts for pro-Muggle wizards began. We've already got the era's "fruity epithets" from Dumbledore: "mudwallower," "dunglicker," and "scumsucker" and a lead villain in Brutus Malfoy, a distant relative of Draco, who's mentioned as a vocal opponent of the non-magical. It could be darker, to be sure, but we'd get to see how and why the magical world went into self-concealment.

Expand "The Warlock's Hairy Heart" -- and don't fuss with the ending. The darkest of the stories is also the most ripe for fleshing out into a two-hour movie, should Rowling be interested in picking the unconventional fairy tale back up. We'd need to see the Warlock before he decided to stow away his heart, lest we watch the selfish wretch for two hours straight, it'd be kind of gory, and without a happy ending. But there are directors who know a thing or two about dark fantasies. ("Pan's Labyrinth" anyone? Looking at you, Guillermo del Toro.)

Ask Rowling to write a few more fables and spin off an animated TV series. Think "Wallace & Gromit." Think "Creature Comforts." So much said in just 12-15 minute episodes. The same could be said for the Bard's cautionary tales. Also, while the "Harry Potter" movies were able to pull off dazzling feats of magic using special effects, wouldn't Rowling's shorts be just as adaptable -- if not more so -- using CGI animation or claymation or hand-drawn cartoons? Kids, not to mention their parents, would be grateful for the addition to children's TV lineup.

Make the greatest "Harry Potter" DVD extras ever. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" doesn't come out until July, and there are two more films after that (remember "Deathly Hallows" was split into two), so there is plenty of time to whip up five shorts as DVD features. Live-action, animated, it doesn't matter as long as they're there. And hey, Pixar gives us fun shorts all the time without us even asking.

Other ideas and suggestions? Leave a comment below. Between us, we can figure a way to bring these stories to the screen.

-- Denise Martin


----------

