New Rhino Handmade Stones Book

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Okay, so I get an email from Rhino Handmade announcing a new book on The Rolling Stones 1969 US Tour with photographs by Ethan Russell. As I'm reading the description, I'm thinking "Wow, sounds looks like a beautiful book" and thinking something price-wise like Recording the Beatles-maybe $150.00/200.00. Then I see $650.00 and $950.00 for the deluxe edition!!!!
As I said it looks like a gorgeous book and I know it’s a limited edition (2500 copies), plus signed by the photographer/author (although for that money it I kinda expected Keef & Mick's scrawl).
I know that some of these limited edition rock photograph collection books have been done before and I was just wondering if this price is typical.
I'm afraid this is way out of my price range, but I was just wondering if anyone is going to take the plunge.

[rstamberg]

Okay, so I get an email from Rhino Handmade announcing a new book on The Rolling Stones 1969 US Tour with photographs by Ethan Russell. As I'm reading the description, I'm thinking "Wow, sounds looks like a beautiful book" and thinking something price-wise like Recording the Beatles-maybe $150.00/200.00. Then I see $650.00 and $950.00 for the deluxe edition!!!!
As I said it looks like a gorgeous book and I know it’s a limited edition (2500 copies), plus signed by the photographer/author (although for that money it I kinda expected Keef & Mick's scrawl).
I know that some of these limited edition rock photograph collection books have been done before and I was just wondering if this price is typical.
I'm afraid this is way out of my price range, but I was just wondering if anyone is going to take the plunge.

For once ... something that's just too rich for my blood. And you just know it'll come out in paperback next year.

[Black Elk]

It's pretty typical of the prices charged by Genesis, a UK company specializing in such books:

http://www.genesis-publications.com/

[rstamberg]

It's pretty typical of the prices charged by Genesis, a UK company specializing in such books:

http://www.genesis-publications.com/

... which is good news because that stuff almost always gets released in "regular" form later on (POSTCARDS FROM THE BOYS, I, ME, MINE etc.).

[John Cantrell]

Then I see $650.00 and $950.00 for the deluxe edition!!!!
http://smilies.stevehoffman.tv/faint.gif

[Yankee8156]

I just had a look at the Rhino Handmade site.....it is a gorgeous book, but I'm afraid the price is excessive. Too bad.

[audiomixer]

Too much for my blood...
And it's not silver and spins round and round in a machine...
And it doen't make any noise!

[JohnG]

It is truely a collectors item. Not for the general public.

[rhavers]

I have just got a copy of Ethan Russell's book and it is truly amazing. It is a work of art. It is without question one of the best books not just about the Stones but also about rock and roll. His photography is sensational; his research meticulous, and the sheer size of the book grabs you and envelops you in its grand sweep.

I've blogged about it here...

http://haveringhavers.blogspot.com/2007/12/ethan-russell-let-it-bleed.html

[signothetimes53]

... which is good news because that stuff [books from Genesis publishers] almost always gets released in "regular" form later on (POSTCARDS FROM THE BOYS, I, ME, MINE etc.).

"Almost always" is not an accurate statement. A few of the books published by Genesis have later been published in much cheaper regular editions, but most have not. For instance, several books done about the Rolling Stones have only been issued in their expensive editions. If you don't buy the expensive editions, you won't see the books at all. I bit for the Genesis "Exile" book featuring Dominic Tarle's photography, and it's fantastic...but it was $750.

I'd love to have the Rhino book, but my budget is saying no right now.

[rhavers]

Dominic's book is brilliant but I have to say that Ethan's Let It Bleed is actually even better. Both books chronicle two wonderfully pivotal periods in the Stones history.

[shepherdfan]

.....and ends up leaving Stones fans who dearly love this period of the band's history out in the cold. I can only hope that an affordable ($50.00) edition for us peons will be in the offing in the near future. It almost gets me to wondering if some people are now hip to what were a band's classic periods and they've decided to make people pay through the nose because of it.

[SoundAdvice]

Do these usually go up in value in a couple years?

[signothetimes53]

Do these usually go up in value in a couple years?

Sometimes.

The longer term question is what happens to various rock collectibles once the 60s "rock music" generation retires and *shudder* dies off. Will our collectibles gain in value to a generation that doesn't know who the Rolling Stones are?

Some people I know have been dumping their collectibles of this ilk now, rather than run the risk of getting cents on the dollar 10 or 15 years from now. I'm not sure whether they are doing the right thing or not, but they are calculating that the only people who will want this stuff at a rich price are other fast-aging baby boomers.

[jsayers]

To put it bluntly, making books this expensive and out-of-reach for the many true fans of these periods of rock and therefore available only to the wealthy and "elite" makes me sick to my stomach. They CAN'T be selling that many of them at those prices, if they were priced more reasonably bookstores like Borders and B & N would display them on the shelves and many more books would be sold.
I'm not against a limited edition, signed, fancy binding, etc. version of any of these books, it's just that there isn't a version for the "common man" out there.
I actually can't remember the last time I've been so mad. I wish I hadn't seen this thread or went to the Genesis website!!:realmad: :realmad:

[Hard Panner]

To put it bluntly, making books this expensive and out-of-reach for the many true fans of these periods of rock and therefore available only to the wealthy and "elite" makes me sick to my stomach. They CAN'T be selling that many of them at those prices, if they were priced more reasonably bookstores like Borders and B & N would display them on the shelves and many more books would be sold.
I'm not against a limited edition, signed, fancy binding, etc. version of any of these books, it's just that there isn't a version for the "common man" out there.
I actually can't remember the last time I've been so mad. I wish I hadn't seen this thread or went to the Genesis website!!:realmad: :realmad:

Makes me think of Tom Cruise's character from 'Vanilla Sky'.

[Vidiot]

I wouldn't pay $650 for this thing if Mick personally delivered it.

BTW, we finally finished working on the upcoming 2006 Martin Scorcese Stones concert film, Shine a Light, which is supposed to be out in March. Very nice-looking show, lit by ace DP Bob Richardson. Be sure to wait for the ending, which has a very funny double-joke by the director.