Coryphantha by Dicht and Luthy

[tumamoc]

Why is the monograph Coryphantha: Cacti of Mexico and Southern USA, by R.F. Dicht, A.D. Luthy
(2004) so expensive? The cheapest price I have seen it listed for is $137.68 (U.S).

When I bought my copy four or five years ago, I thought I was a fool for paying about $65. It's a great resource, but OUCH! Hopefully, eventually, it will be available in soft cover.

[Saxicola]

Probably went out of print. Supply and demand!

[tumamoc]

For what it's worth, the version "Coryphantha: Kakteen aus Nordamerika" can be had for a quarter of the price. Great if you read German. If not, it still has the pretty pictures and, of course, the Linnaean names are the same .

[majcka]

Or you can take a "schnell course" of deutsch.

[daiv]

Hi, the book is now only available via "print on demand". This is likewise true with all of the "Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants".

Printing is all about quantity. The more you print the cheaper it is. Content and number of pages are secondary.

So while it seems bad because of the high price, the good part is that you can actually get a copy. I get requests almost daily for books that you simply can't get at any price! I've been wanting to get the Thelocactus book which was part of the "Cactus File Handbook Series" and I've never found a copy in perhaps 10 years even used! Just had someone ask me for Steven Hammer's Conophytum book. I see there is now a used one listed on Amazon for $411.

So yes, the price on the Springer books is high, but it still better than nothing or the insane price that the hacks on Amazon sell their used copies for.

[tumamoc]

Ah, that explains it. So then, print on demand will get you the original rather than a facsimile? Years ago, a coworker of mine ordered a print on demand for a somewhat rare anthropology book. When it arrived, there was huge disappointment when she realized she paid big bucks for a crappy xerox copy.

[daiv]

Ahh, right. "The Cacti of Arizona" from Benson is that way through the University of AZ press. You get the content, but might as well just have it in a pdf.

No, the Springer books are hardcover, perfect bound books. However, they do seem to change slightly each time. I have both the original Coryphantha and a recent copy. The cover on the original is more of a matte finish, while the new version is glossy. The new book has brighter white paper, but the picture quality is not quite as sharp. Overall the quality is about the same and it is a difference you would only notice if you hold them side by side.

[tumamoc]

Funny. That poor quality print on demand I mentioned was also UA Press. RE Benson's The Cacti of Arizona, that book is pretty indispensable. I guess when it comes time to shop around for a copy, folks would be better off buying it used.

[daiv]

RE Benson's The Cacti of Arizona, that book is pretty indispensable. I guess when it comes time to shop around for a copy, folks would be better off buying it used.

Definitely! I eventually sold the one photocopy version that I ordered and promptly discontinued it.