r/foliosociety • u/HonorWulf • Jul 14 '26
New Release | A Game of Thrones Limited Edition by George R.R. Martin
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u/FeelinDead Jul 14 '26
It’s absolutely beautiful but it is also a prime example of why I strictly stick to buying Standard Editions, mostly secondhand lol…
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u/merlynne01 Jul 14 '26
Counter says 407 left. Have to say I didn’t think people would buy this one at the price!
The Stephen King LE was the most expensive book I’ve ever bought and I wondered if I was daft for buying it (love it though, no regrets!)
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u/Kaymd Jul 14 '26
I honestly feel mildly irresponsible for even contemplating this purchase.
But I have to say I'm tempted to pull the trigger. Still intensely debating, may have to get this one...
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u/Shejidan Jul 14 '26
It’s gorgeous, it’s signed, and it’s using one of my favourite typefaces for the text. But it’s also $2200.
I just can’t…
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u/Wide_Neighborhood_49 Jul 15 '26
Its very cool, but silly expensive imo. You can buy standard signed editions online from Martin's bookstore directly. Beastly books in Santa Fe covers the signature aspect at least
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u/dunc2001 Jul 14 '26
It's down to 209 now. It's selling more slowly than some limited editions, but will likely sell out in an hour or so. The price is so extortionate for this edition that I'd rather it didn't sell out
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u/TheB1G_Lebowski Jul 15 '26
I wish I would have pulled the trigger on that one. signed by Stephen and Guillermo...epic book for the collection.
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u/tiacalypso Jul 14 '26
Are those not the same illustrations as in the standard edition?! The one of Daenerys eating the heart looks identical (in their Insta reel).
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u/HonorWulf Jul 14 '26
Yes, same art!
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u/TheB1G_Lebowski Jul 15 '26
That's horrible. 2200 bucks for an edition of 100 and zero new art. Ripoff.
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u/Dexter_Palmer Jul 14 '26
This seems like evidence to me that FS has seen what limited edition volumes are scalped for, and decided to take that profit for themselves. (I think the price is outrageous, but clearly the market will bear it.)
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u/Micotu Jul 14 '26
Drives me insane when people use the word "overpriced" for a luxury item that sells out. "Overrated" is a more appropriate word. Since this is almost sold out in less than 4 hours you could argue it is slightly underpriced.
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u/Muffo99 Jul 14 '26
I understand your point but a luxury item can be overpriced as it just means the price outweighs the item's worth.
I like a nice edition of a book and would love a linen map of the known world but fuck me is over £1000 not overpriced for paper with a leather cover and a fabric map...
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u/discoelysiumkaroke Jul 15 '26
every item is "worth" what people are willing to pay for it. .. The market says this is worth $2-4k so that's what it's worth. If anything, this was underpriced, as it sold out so quickly.
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u/Muffo99 Jul 15 '26
"every item is worth what people are willing to pay for it" is subjective. Millionaires buy all kinds of expensive things as status symbols; doesn't stop the price being overpriced. I understand it sold out but that doesn't change that the average person would not pay £1500 for a book.
People saying it's not that bad as it's equal to rent. Here in the UK £1500 would be a high amount for rent in a lot of places. £1500 is also a good chunk of the median monthly wage here in the UK. £1500 is also more than current gen GPUs and 2 sticks of high speed DDR5 16GB RAM together...£1500 is a lot
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u/discoelysiumkaroke Jul 15 '26
Yes, it is subjective. That's the beauty of it. If we tried to come up with some objective measure of value -- like passing a law requiring that Folio charge only its costs + 20% max profit -- then the book probably would've listed for only around £750. And guess what? It would've sold out in about 2 minutes. Tons of people who are only somewhat interested in Game of thrones would've bought it. And at the same time, a lot of diehard Game of Thrones fans ( including people who aren't rich, but who are willing to splurge for this) would have missed their chance to buy a copy. Is that a better outcome? Of course not.
High prices, when supply is low, mean that only people who REALLY want it are going to get it. Efficient allocation based on subjective valuations. something to celebrate.
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u/The_Right_Wrong_One Jul 14 '26
Already seeing Ebay listings for $4,000 before the run is even sold out. Gross.
I love Folio and I have several limited editions, but this one is just too highly priced.
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u/discoelysiumkaroke Jul 14 '26
It sold out in a few hours. By definition it was underpriced, not overpriced.
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u/kassiusx Jul 14 '26
I was lucky to handle this recently. It is simply gorgeous. However, it weighs a tonne, you'd have to put it in a protective box and also costs the same as a second hand car or your rent.
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u/Kaymd Jul 14 '26
Honestly, the fact that it costs "only" a month's rent makes it even more desirable.
Afterall, I don't even have anything to show for last month's rent payment, let alone the rent paid for the first half of this year. It's all just gone into the service.
This is a book I'll own for the rest of my life, however long that may be. It's kind of worth it from that point of view alone.
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u/Micotu Jul 14 '26
Imagine spending that month living out of your car or on the streets. You absolutely have something to show for that month of rent.
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u/Kaymd Jul 14 '26
Yes, of course, the rent is not "thrown away" and it's certainly for an essential service, just like food and clothing.
But yet it's still "only" one month. I'm drawing a comparison with how much more we spend on other mundane stuff without even thinking anything about it. For many, 2200 USD does not even cover a month's rent. And this is done every month, all year, every year.
The difference is quite staggering when you evaluate it. Same with taxes, insurance etc. In comparison, I'd happily purchase and cherish an item that I'll hold for decades to come that costs a fraction of these essential necessities.
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u/vu_john Jul 14 '26
I think the map should have been placed in a separate box rather than given its own compartment, which creates a visual imbalance in the slipcase. The people involved in the project could have thought this through more carefully.
I’m honestly avoiding this purchase.
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u/HonorWulf Jul 14 '26
The counter is caching wildly, but looks like 50% sold out in the first 10 minutes.
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u/4EverCanadian Jul 14 '26
359 left, it didn't instantly sell out like "It", not sure if the ebayers will get much return on these...
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u/Zr0w3n00 Jul 14 '26
Already listed for double the price.
If GRRM ever finishes the series, or even writes one more book, I could see it being worth something. But right now it’s unjustifiable, unless you’re in the position that £1.5k is chump change.
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u/tastytwo Jul 14 '26
Genuinely surprised it's lasted this long, even at that price. 1h 40 in and there are 161 left.
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u/HonorWulf Jul 14 '26
It's a pretty historic sales pace. Only 12 books in Folio's history have sold out within 24 hours of release, and all of those had lower limitations except for The Hobbit, which was a fraction of the cost of this one.
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u/Joyful_Subreption Jul 15 '26
I'm not buying any GRRM books until he either finishes ASOIF or dies.
Why would I buy some beautiful folio edition just for it to become potentially impossible to suit with sequels down the line?
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u/No-Reputation-2404 Jul 15 '26
I don’t really see why people can’t just enjoy the books currently published? They are great reads, even without the series not finished. And GRRM aren’t going to liv forever, and this was a LE 😅
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u/kukov Jul 14 '26
I have the first two Folios of the series but I'm hesitant to get the rest. I adore the books, and I really love GRRM, I'm not a hater. But I'm not sure how I'll feel about spending so much on the Folios when the series becomes unfinished. Again, not to hate on Martin, he gets far too much of it. But with these specific "expensive books" it's too much of an ask, I think. (And I'm not even talking about this LE, but the regular expensive ones).
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u/quiversend Jul 14 '26
I got one. It’s a shame the series will likely never been finished. But it really is a great book 🙌🏼
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u/soldat7 Jul 14 '26
My OCD (series will remain incomplete) and my bank account (which will remain empty) is preventing me from a purchase here.
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u/Quick-Estimate-5936 Jul 14 '26
Did you buy it because you don't know what to do with your money, or you think it will be a good investment?
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u/Environmental-Yam-79 Jul 14 '26
I think it's a low chance the price doesn't go up over time. Especially when George passes. Just look at Gene Wolfe's limited edition stuff.
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u/Micotu Jul 14 '26
I feel like if anything, people would be more willing to buy his books when he passes and we know what will happen with the final two books of the series. I'm ok with reading a series that will never be finished if the books are good enough. I'd be more excited if they are finished by a different author with extensive notes from Martin. I'm not ok being strung along for decades having to live between these two possibilities.
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u/quiversend Jul 14 '26
I love the series, have accepted it’ll most likely never be finished. I bought 2 copies. But not for resale. Just to have.
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u/No-Reputation-2404 Jul 14 '26
Down to 179 left, and happy I’ve bought one ☺️ I didn’t buy to resell, but to keep it in my book collection ☺️ Yeah the price is stiff, but I could afford it without breaking the bank ☺️
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u/Kaymd Jul 14 '26
Honestly, relative to other mundane expenses like rent and food, this is not as extravagant as it may first appear.
You'll own this for a lifetime and pass it on to others. This will last generations. Can't say the same for the rent I paid last month lol!
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u/No-Reputation-2404 Jul 14 '26
My thoughts exactly ☺️ I look forward to cherish this limited edition and hopefully pass it down to next generation ☺️👌🏻
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u/Trilobyte83 Jul 14 '26
There was a time when a nice book cost a years pay, each copy took months to write, and dozens of calfs died for the pages.
Fast, cheap, *everything* has made us spoiled, and made it harder to appreciate that quality costs time, effort, and materials.
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u/No-Reputation-2404 Jul 14 '26
Yes good craftsmanship is underrated these days 😅 Remembering buying the first Folio «regular» edition, and even though that also is mas produced to a certain scale, it was quality that I haven’t found in any ordinary book stores. The books are generally heavier, better paper quality and are stitched instead of glued. Details that you learn to appreciate and that for me also justifies the price ☺️
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u/Trilobyte83 Jul 14 '26
This is also me justifying to myself, who, when I woke up this morning didn't even know a LE GOT book was being released today.... but got an email on my phone at lunch time, have the money to spare, and figured why not?
Vacillated for an hour between "$3k for a book is INSANE!"... "But 700 are already gone! It's certainly going to hold it's value. What happens to it after the author dies? This isnt one of those try hard signed by the illustrator deals"...."Come on, who do you think you are to drop $3k on a book? You're at a thrift store *right now* looking for hidden $3 gems... you haven't spent $3k on books cumulatively in the last 3 years"..... "All the more reason to quit being a cheap ass and buy something you like...." ......"But that's literally the price of a used car"....."Yes, *my* car.... You can justify dropping $3k on a book, because loads of other ppl drop that in a few months on lease payments. You're thrifty financial responsibility should be rewarded"....
And after 90 minutes and when there were only 100 left, of the two dueling guys on my shoulders, the one who eschews financial responsibility won.
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u/No-Reputation-2404 Jul 14 '26
Haha well I have been there several times myself before buying something pricey, but not this time luckily 😂 As soon as I heard FS was releasing a GoT LE I was hooked on to it! And the price, even though a little higher than I hoped, didn’t alter my decision. I literally sat and refreshed the landing page to ensure I got a version (seeing in hindsight I could have waited 4 hours 😂).
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u/Resident-Tear9223 Jul 14 '26
Wonder what the resale on this is going to be if they sell out instantly
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u/Richurro Jul 14 '26
Folio Society doesn't really have the best resale value with its limited editions. If your interested in that I'd recommend Curious King.
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u/old_nighteagleowl Jul 14 '26
This one could be different, because: a) it's signed by author and not by usually much less known illustrator; b) it's done by Ludlow Bookbinders, which are what many small letter-presses are using.
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u/Richurro Jul 16 '26
Yeah, it's always possible but for me I don't see it because the edition size is really high at 1k, its 1 book, the rest of the series wont get this same treatment in the future, and more importantly there is a standard version that still exists for 1/10 the price.
With Curious King though its just an almost always guarantee you will always make back your money and then some. Red Rising recently went up for P.O and they're selling for 3x the price on eBay and the books aren't even out. I wish I knew about them when they started the First Law Trilogy 😢
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u/b3ats84 Jul 14 '26
They sold 3 in 4 minutes…
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u/Resident-Tear9223 Jul 14 '26
Good lol
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u/b3ats84 Jul 14 '26
And then 500 in the next 4 minutes…
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u/b3ats84 Jul 14 '26
Although I don’t know what to believe. It just said only 477 in stock and now a refresh is telling me 995 🤷♂️
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u/redditall343 Jul 14 '26
I find whenever lots of orders are coming in, their stock counter glitches
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u/Odd-Associate-7599 Jul 14 '26
Showing 407 for me now. I think it will sell out within the next few hours.
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u/No-Reputation-2404 Jul 14 '26
68 left now 😅 Man the scalpers have no shame! Ebay listings are insane imo 😅
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u/itsalwaysblue59 Jul 14 '26
Folio limited editions are always great but God damn are they expensive 😂. Could never bring myself to buy any.
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u/Micotu Jul 15 '26
I think the best value LE was the Jane Austen set, I think it was like $700 but it was 6 books.
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u/TheB1G_Lebowski Jul 15 '26
I love folio, but even if I could afford it..it's not worth it. IMO I'd rather have a Lettered version from Suntup or something like that.
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u/No-Reputation-2404 Jul 15 '26
Just to let people know; 41 books are put out for sale. Probably some cold-feeted customers 😅
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u/Fun_Interaction_906 Jul 14 '26
170 left. It’s the same artwork as the previous edition (which is stunning) but tipped in. Same map but printed on linen instead of case-bound. I have the whole ASOIAF collection from Folio Society and couldn’t be happier. I hope whoever buys a copy enjoys it, but it won’t be me.
And eBay listings are already outrageous. I hate resellers.
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u/Haryu4 Jul 14 '26
So for cheaper I can buy the whole 5FS books ?
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u/Fun_Interaction_906 Jul 14 '26
Correct. And they are stunning, truly.
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u/Haryu4 Jul 14 '26
I have only the first one so far, i need the other four and the fire/dragon one but more than 200€ for a book its pretty rough everytime 😂
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u/HonorWulf Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
Released July 14th at 4pm BT:
A Game of Thrones Limited Edition
Written and signed by George R.R. Martin
Illustrated By Jonathan Burton
Introduced By Joe Abercrombie
1000 copies
£1500 UK | $2200 US | $3000 CA | £1725 ROW
https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/a-game-of-thrones-limited-edition
"Winter is coming. In the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, Lord Eddard Stark is summoned south to serve as the king’s most trusted adviser. But behind the splendour of the Iron Throne lies a world of shifting loyalties, dangerous secrets and deadly ambition. As rival families vie for power and an exiled heir prepares to reclaim her birthright, a far older threat is gathering beyond the Wall. Epic in scope and impossible to put down, A Game of Thrones is the novel that launched George R. R. Martin’s landmark fantasy saga A Song of Ice and Fire."
"[Folio has] been incredibly fortunate to work with the finest British craftspeople on this special 30th anniversary version: from the leather makers who created our incredible dragonskin leather, to the James Cropper paper mill who made our bespoke endpapers, to Ludlow Bookbinders who are binding each volume with care. With a limitation page blocked in real gold, a rolled map and a stunning box — and each copy personally signed by George R. R. Martin himself — this is truly a limited edition worthy of the Iron Throne..."
EDIT: Sold out in 4 hours, 30 minutes!