Print Quality on the Spell Compendium?

[Palanan]

Just got a look at the Premium Spell Compendium, which the manager had to dig out of the back room. (Gaming books aren't a priority at my local B&N.)

What hit me immediately was a strange haziness to the text and lettering, especially the spell titles. It wasn't just on one page; this was throughout the book. The pages had an odd, faintly glossy quality, which to me looked like a poor color photocopy.

Has anyone else noticed this? I've never looked through the other Premium reprints (they're all shrink-wrapped in the store) so not sure if this is the style of all the reprints, or something specific to the Premium Spell Compendium.

[AWiz_Abroad]

Didn't notice it on the MM or DMG.

I don't have the shiny new PHB.

[Deaxsa]

my friend got all 3 core books, and they all look good. maybe yours is just a bad print?

edit: forgot to tell you, ask for a refund if it's bad. seriously.

[Palanan]

I'm usually the first one to ask for a refund if something's not up to spec, but in this case I didn't buy the book. This was in Barnes & Noble, so no discount of any sort, just the $50.00 cover price.

(The stars. Can't do it. Not today.)

Amazon's been nudging up their pre-release price for weeks now, and if there's a possible issue with the print run, that's another reason to wait. Very sad, since I'd been looking forward to this for months.

*depression*

[Flame of Anor]

I'm looking at the copy I just got in the mail, and the print quality is top notch. I don't know what was wrong with the copy you saw.

[TypoNinja]

I'm usually the first one to ask for a refund if something's not up to spec, but in this case I didn't buy the book. This was in Barnes & Noble, so no discount of any sort, just the $50.00 cover price.


Buy from Chapters. Online.

There is always a discount for buying online, and you still get to add your rewards discount on top of that.

Canadian cover price (because we get screwed on books) was 58 bucks for the core reprints. I ended up getting over 40% off. That's not a typo.

Looks like Chapters is pulling the same deal actually. Spell Compendium for 38 bucks. (http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/books/premium-3-5-edition-dungeons/9780786964482-item.html?ikwid=spell+compendium&ikwsec=Books&gcs_requestid=0CID9rc-T0bYCFchw5wodySgAAA) Before member discount.

Best part is if you live near a Chapters/Coles/Indigo you can get them to ship it to the store for free and not pay shipping.

[Flame of Anor]

Buy from Chapters. Online.

There is always a discount for buying online, and you still get to add your rewards discount on top of that.

Canadian cover price (because we get screwed on books) was 58 bucks for the core reprints. I ended up getting over 40% off. That's not a typo.

Looks like Chapters is pulling the same deal actually. Spell Compendium for 38 bucks. (http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/books/premium-3-5-edition-dungeons/9780786964482-item.html?ikwid=spell+compendium&ikwsec=Books&gcs_requestid=0CID9rc-T0bYCFchw5wodySgAAA) Before member discount.

Best part is if you live near a Chapters/Coles/Indigo you can get them to ship it to the store for free and not pay shipping.

Do they have the Magic Item Compendium for preorder?

[TypoNinja]

Do they have the Magic Item Compendium for preorder?

Yep, similar price.

I'm thinking about picking up both now :P

Wish I could cash in rewards points online, I may go into a store and see what kind of shenanigans they'll let me get away with.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Flame of Anor
I'm looking at the copy I just got in the mail, and the print quality is top notch. I don't know what was wrong with the copy you saw.

Thanks for the feedback there. Do the pages have a slightly glossy feel to them, almost exactly like a color photocopy, or do they look just like the pages in the original PHB, the Completes, etc.?


Originally Posted by TypoNinja
Canadian cover price (because we get screwed on books) was 58 bucks for the core reprints. I ended up getting over 40% off.

I've always noticed how the cover price for books is listed as higher in Canada, sometimes by as much as 20%. Never did seem quite fair.

And XE's Currency Converter (http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=1&From=USD&To=CAD) shows the difference in exchange rates is trivial right now, so that really is some frackage for you guys.

Is there any rationale behind this? I always assumed it was something to do with the exchange rate, but that doesn't seem too plausible now.

[Gnome Alone]

I know that the Canadian dollar used to be fairly consistently worth around $0.80 US, so I figure that's why the prices of books were listed as somewhat higher, and now that's it's roughly equal, it's an opportunity for the usual predatory gouging.

[Palanan]

Well, I went by a second Barnes & Noble and looked through their own copy of Spell Compendium, which was already out on the shelf. (Although they still had to make an issue out of opening the shrinkwrap, etc. etc.)

The print quality on this one was much better. The pages still have a strange, half-glossy feel, very different from the typical 3.5 paper, so they're probably using some faux-fancy bond...but the printing itself looks fine. I'm guessing the copy I looked at yesterday had some sort of production issues.

So the good news is I'm convinced to get it. Now I just have to wait for Amazon to drop their price again.

:smallfrown:

[TypoNinja]

I know that the Canadian dollar used to be fairly consistently worth around $0.80 US, so I figure that's why the prices of books were listed as somewhat higher, and now that's it's roughly equal, it's an opportunity for the usual predatory gouging.

I"m guessing this is probably the case, possibly combined with extra shipping costs*, books ain't light after all.

Back when you got a quarter on the dollar in conversions it made sense, now its just kind of insulting. Not only do we get to pay more, there's a handy little note right on the back of the book showing exactly how much you got ripped off for. The US price, printed right on the back cover.

*from the printer to the store, not store to us, seems likely just based on population that the printers are all somewhere in the US.

[TentacleSurpris]

I"m guessing this is probably the case, possibly combined with extra shipping costs*, books ain't light after all.

Back when you got a quarter on the dollar in conversions it made sense, now its just kind of insulting. Not only do we get to pay more, there's a handy little note right on the back of the book showing exactly how much you got ripped off for. The US price, printed right on the back cover.

*from the printer to the store, not store to us, seems likely just based on population that the printers are all somewhere in the US.

It's nothing to do with shipping costs. If a book is printed in Texas or New York or California, it costs just as much to ship it across the US as it does to ship it to Toronto or Montreal.

Many goods are simply priced higher here in Canada because a. we're used to paying more, and b. I think we're a wealthier country. (The USA has more super-rich people, but Canada has a stronger middle class with more good wage earners in the middle. The average wage might be more or less, but an average can hide a great rich-poor disparity and difference in disposable income).

The same trucks ship kitchen cabinets to the big box stores in Buffalo NY as in Niagara, Ontario, and there are no duties on them, but the manufacturers just bill the Canadian stores for more.

Even Canadian goods are priced higher in Canada than in the USA. Snowmobiles made in Quebec are cheaper in Montana than Quebec. Even Canadian beer is cheaper in New York than Ontario.

Call it the free market or call it price gouging, but manufacturers just have two different price catalogs for Canadian and American retailers.

All that being said, I bought my Spell Compendium and the printing was fine.