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Black Library Bibliophiles is our occasional series on the collection and display of Black Library books. From diving between the covers of deluxe editions to chasing rare treatments and notable misprints… from collectors’ well-stocked personal libraries to the curated display of trinkets, curios, and other Warhammer memorabilia… we go beyond the pages to celebrate the love of the books themselves.
Few people would argue that the most important thing you get when you order a deluxe edition from Games Workshop is the book, right? I mean, that’s what we’re all doing this for, our love of the stories and tales and legends and- when it comes to the fancier editions- their visual and tactile appeal.
But the book is not the only thing you get when you receive a deluxe edition. You also get a tissue-paper wrapping, color-coordinated with the design of the book within. There’s a circular sticker, with an icon unique to that release, holding the tissue paper together. And, finally, there’s a form-fitted box that keeps the book safe1.
The question we’re looking at today is, what is the value of what we’ll call these extras… and are they worth holding on to?
You can usually tell what a collectible community values by the premium attached to it. How can you tell that the sports card and comic book industries value condition, for instance? Because better-condition copies sell for more than worse-condition ones. Collectible card games like Magic: the Gathering offer additional considerations that fit the bill, such as playability/card power and even exclusivity/scarcity.
A great example of the later recently played out with the most recent set release. Both the cards below do the exact same thing- functionally, they’re identical, and no competitive advantage is gained in playing either over the other. Yet, at time of writing, the one on the left lists on TCGPlayer for about fifty bucks, and the one on the right at $32,0002.
Whenever I bemoan the collector state of the Warhammer hobby3, I count my blessings that it’s nowhere near as commercialized as the sports card hobby and, over time, what’s been happening to Magic: the Gathering4.
All the same, it’s worth bearing in mind that once Henry Cavill’s passion project drops on Amazon, interest in Warhammer will be at an all-time high. If you think a slabbed and graded, PSA 10 copy of the Night Lords Boxed Set seems ridiculous, consider that the Smaug on the right would have been at least as preposterous to Magic players not all that long ago5.
So again, people tend to pay a premium for what’s important to them.
The Market Argument
As someone who spends a lot of time online where Black Library books are bought and sold, when it comes to the ‘extras’ for a deluxe edition- the shipping box, the tissue paper, the label- in my experience these are important considerations for about 10% of the collector public.
There aren’t any great consumer studies done on the matter6, but I’m basing this off of what I see in the sales listings and conversations around them. Potential buyers saying “I’d be interested at that price, but only if you had the original packaging,” for example, would be a tell that the market has a baked-in premium on the extras, but that’s by far the exception rather than the norm. Books sold by themselves versus with the extras sell just as quickly, and for typically around the same amount of money.
So what value, then, are the ‘extras,’ and why would someone want to retain them?
From a market perspective, it certainly makes sense to appeal to the broadest range of potential customers, right? If by throwing them away you can appeal to 90% of consumers but by including them in the listing you get 100%, why wouldn’t you?
As an aside, I’d like to point out that while a lot of the community recoils from the idea of selling their books like a vampire before a crucifix, often the only thing separating a buyer from a seller is one personal tragedy.
Things like having a family member afflicted with a terrible (and costly) illness, or losing your job and falling behind on the mortgage… I pray none reading this ever have to endure that, but “I’ll never, ever sell my books” is like saying “I’ll never, ever get in a car accident.”
Ultimately, friend, it’s not (entirely) up to us. Fortune favors the prepared.
The Archivist Argument
For many, a product’s original packaging is just an inconvenient barrier between the product’s natural state on the retail shelf and the enjoyment they’ll have once its opened and in their hands. Toys are meant to be played with, and books are meant to be read.
But at the same point, is there not some value and enjoyment in seeing a product’s original packaging? Check out ol’ B9 in the above image, standing next to the box you might have seen on the store shelves if you were a kid in the 1960’s. Art and design went into making that box, isn’t that worth preserving as a relic of its era?
To be fair, the cardboard box that Black Library deluxe editions come in is nothing too fancy in comparison- you have to look at the bottom of the box’s product info block to even know what book is contained within- but the tissue paper and sticker that seals the wrapping are the product of the same design process that brings you all of the other elements of a book’s treatment. They’re arguably one component amongst several that constitute the special edition of the book itself, and worthy of preservation.
“This is how it came if you bought it the day it arrived” counts for something- even if it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
Do What Makes You Happy
This, I think, is the most important takeaway. You’ve spent your money, do what you like with it. If you aren’t concerned with a potential future resell or preserving every aspect of an edition’s design components, you shouldn’t give a moment’s thought about tossing the original packaging into the bin7.
At the moment, Black Library and Warhammer remains on the right side of the hobby/investment divide. Scalpers are a problem, for example, but it could certainly be worse- go ask any casual Pokémon CCG player or collector, where an entire cottage industry has parasitically sprung up around obtaining sealed product in big box retailers and flipping them for multiples of price.
That means that ultimately, there’s no wrong answer here. The boxes and tissues have very little intrinsic value outside of book accompaniment, otherwise we’d see them appearing on resale sites like eBay from folks happy to keep the book but looking to recoup a bit of its cost.
I can tell you that storing a large quantity of them is a bit of a pain in the ass, too (note the earlier picture of a box-filled tote that contributes nothing other than taking up space). Even if you take the time to flatten them8, it adds up quickly. If you’re not concerned about potential resale or preservation, off they go to the Great Beyond.
Because the point of the Black Library Bibliophiles series is to look at all elements of collection and “should we save the paper” is a common question from those joining the hobby, it’s a question worth considering- especially if you’re just getting into the hobby.
August’s Deluxe Offerings
Those who have champagne wishes and caviar dreams for their personal libraries at home had several reasons to enjoy what hit the shelves in August.
I’m trying something new this month here, with some short video clips of the books. That’s because I’ve frequently found that the deluxe edition treatments don’t always translate well into still photography, where it’s difficult to make out the full range of textures and hues that are used to make them pop on the shelf.
They’ll be a little rough while I get the hang of it, so consider it a work in progress!
Bjorn, the Fell-Handed (Special Edition), by Justin D. Hill
Galaxy in Flames (Premium Edition), by Ben Counter
Mephiston Box Set, by Darius Hinks
The Wicked and the Warped (Special Edition), by Robert Rath
It was pretty fun to just riff on books vocally for a bit, but if nothing else I hope this helps get an idea of what these books look like in real life, not just the promotional stills.
What a Weekend
It’s difficult to imagine now, but back in the simpler, pre-pandemic days Games Workshop used to hold an annual convention dedicated to all things Black Library. These Black Library Weekenders would have appearances from a number of authors, contributor panels and product previews, as well as merchandise exclusive to the event.
Recently u/yannabus shared one of their more treasured collector pieces, a programme from Black Library Weekend II in 2013. As shown from the shared snaps, yannabus did terrific work making the rounds and getting many of the luminaries present to grab a marker and sign their John Hancock.
If nothing else, take a moment to marvel at what it must have been like once upon a time to get all of those writers into a single event. While the Black Library collector community seems less enamored of philography than some other fandoms9, it’s still quite impressive. Thanks for sharing that, yannabus!
Community Shelfies
Finally, some shelfies that caught my eye recently from around the community, because as much as I like to look at what’s in my own study, it’s a blast to see how others are displaying their own collections!
I’m a huge fan of glass-fronted, lighted cabinetry for book and curio display, and Nick Chopp’s library here is aesthetically magnificent. I particularly like how he’s set the boxed sets at the top, though of course being outside the glass means Nick almost certainly keeps a feather duster nearby!
Here’s Nils Kreutzfeldt’s library, using a square-display type of shelving (an IKEA Kallax unless I miss my guess). Nils has one of those libraries that’s just visually fun to crawl through, as it has pockets here and there of “mini-collections” rather than one big integrated shelving system. I spy with my little eye all four of Steve Lyons’s Krieg Special Editions here, and there is a run of Da Red Gobbo novellas!
And if you like Where’s Waldo-type visual puzzles, bonus points for finding the Jet Medallion from Tempest!
A couple of shelves from Corey Don Sprang’s library here, this is a great illustration of why the print-on-demand series tend to remain in perpetually high demand. Back in 2023, the Black Library began offering POD reprints of the Gaunt’s Ghosts and Commissar Cain series, and both are visually striking examples of what can be done with that format.
Note also Corey’s got the full nine-book run of the Dawn of Fire paperback series on the shelf, with Throne of Light being the gem in that particular collector’s crown.
When u/Mental_Olive269 shared this in the Black Library subreddit with its incredible collection of JOYTOY figures, I had to ask to see more.
I was not disappointed!
While I personally prefer actual Warhammer miniatures in my library over the action figure ranges, there’s no denying they’ve got an arresting visual appearance to them. It’s not hard to imagine putting some of these in and around a particular legion’s deluxe edition books to really make the shelf pop!
Finally, Jon Tod Weiss added some lighting and decoration to his own shelves and the effect is terrific. The plants are artificial, so there’s no worry about moisture or insects interfering with the safe condition of the books. The Ork Goff plush pairs nicely with the plants, too!
That’s it for this month’s Black Library Bibliophiles! Next time we’ll be looking at August’s deluxe edition books, more display inspirations from around the community, and plenty more!
When it comes to GW’s shipping, mileage always varies, but for the most part these boxes are effective at keeping the books in hale condition while in transit.
Not a typo.
For example, all collector markets attract opportunists, which for us are “scalpers.” People who have no interest in owning a collectible, but knowing if they can get one they can leverage scarcity to command not only a premium but a quick ROI to boot. Chum in the water for the sharks.
I haven’t been an active MtG player in ages, but a decade ago I blogged about it with the same dedication as I do Warhammer now. Having started in Alpha, it’s gone through a lot of changes over the years but nothing like what we’ve seen in the last ten years.
Wizards of the Coast first introduced ‘premium’ versions of cards to the marketplace with the 1999 set, Urza’s Saga. These were simply foiled versions of the regular cards, and for most of Magic’s history that was variety enough. At the time there was a bit of concern that WotC was chasing the collector market, but in fairness what’s amazing isn’t that WotC eventually went that way (or really, HASBRO), but rather how long WotC resisted it. WotC has always gotten plenty of pelters for ‘cash grabs,’ but they should get no small credit for largely confining premium chase cards to being in-game offerings (Planeswalkers, the mythic rarity, etc.) rather than what we see today with card treatments. When we fail to cultivate a sense of perspective, folks, the universe has a way of forcing it upon us anyway.
Though perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to introduce this question in the next Black Library Reader Satisfaction Survey in January?
Hopefully, a recycling one.
At different times the Black Library has used different kinds of boxes for the packaging. Some of them easily flatten, while others have a glued-in structure that resists easy disassembly.
That may be a reflection of the fact that many of our books are already autographed by default as part of the deluxe edition treatments.
Well I learned something new today! I would always carefully peel the sticker from the wrapping paper. This has occasionally led to tearing of the tissue paper. But now I know that you can (usually) slide the book out carefully without too much worry of tearing the paper. I generally keep the box and paper, so that was helpful!
while the question of keeping the paper is common enough, it should probably be noted that the tissue paper is so fragile that it can't often be removed at all without tearing, making it impossible to read, display or even check the book while keeping the paper in perfect condition. I think the vast majority of BL collectors are already well aware of this, but I wouldn't be surprised to see newbie collectors (particularly those coming from TCG or comic collecting spaces) to have different assumptions. that's honestly probably one of the major factors that make the tissue paper/box lean more towards the worthless side than not - the tissue paper is far different from a dustjacket which can and should be kept in perfect condition.