Lucky Ray Mears Buy on Ebay

[chas brookes]

HI All
When looking at Ebay I often do a search for Ray Mears, on Tuesday I did a search for Raymond Mears for some reason. The search came up with someone selling a copy of Rays first book
The Survival Handbook by Raymond Mears
I added the item to my Ebay so i could see how much it would go for, it started off at 99p.
ON return from work I logged into Ebay to see how my bid was going on another item to see that the person selling the book had changed it to a Buy It Now listing with a price of £10 my fingers have not moved so quick for a long time.
I am now eagerly awaiting the postman to arrive with my copy !!!!

 

[scanker]

Nice catch.

 

[Nicolas]

Well done

 

[chas brookes]

What a great Ebay Seller Ray Mears book arrived this morning, have just settled down with a cup of coffee for a long read, oh well thats the morning gone !

 

[chas brookes]

sorry pressed button twice

 

[SimonM]

So happy you had to say it twice eh? Good catch!

Simon

 

[Bushcraft4life]

Very good catch indeed, enjoy the book while i sit here and mutter what a lucky git you are

 

[Bushcraft4life]

Hmm, i just got Ray Mears Bushcraft, this version

For £5 off the bay

Not bad considering they are going for £70 on Amazon

 

[Mikey P]

What a great Ebay Seller Ray Mears book arrived this morning, have just settled down with a cup of coffee for a long read, oh well thats the morning gone !

Nice one! I have to say, in terms of a bushcraft manual, I still maintain that this is the best book he's written.

I also think the reason for the vast range in cost for this book is that there were two editions. I'm pretty sure I have the second one (which I believe has the exact same content as the first) but the first editions are rarer and go for a fair bit of cash these days.

 

[dommyracer]

I didn't believe it at first, but here it is.....

Looks like a seller that didn't really know what he was listing. Props on the bartgain - a lot less that I paid for mine...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/the-survival-handbook-raymond-mears-hardback_W0QQitemZ290239107880QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item290239107880&_trkparms=39%3A1|65%3A13&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

 

[spamel]

Nice one! I have to say, in terms of a bushcraft manual, I still maintain that this is the best book he's written.

I agree. In fact, I told him as much last year in Leeds! Funnily enough, it was Ray that pulled the book from print, he wouldn't say why but he didn't seem too impressed when I said it was his best book! Bloody celebrities!

 

[Tourist]

Better start keeping an eye on my copies if they are appreciating.

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

I also think the reason for the vast range in cost for this book is that there were two editions. I'm pretty sure I have the second one (which I believe has the exact same content as the first) but the first editions are rarer and go for a fair bit of cash these days.

Is this the first edition that you're talking about? I've seen the one with the green cover for sale several times, but never seen another one like this:-

Published 1992 by Rider & Co. It's a soft back book that I picked up for £1.00 from a library booksale when they were getting rid of some old stock. It's missing its flyleaf and has got some library stampings in it, but all the pages are there and its in fairly good condition. Even came with a waterproof vinyl cover!

 

[nomade]

Surrey Yeoman wrote:
"Published 1992 by Rider & Co. It's a soft back book that I picked up for £1.00 from a library booksale when they were getting rid of some old stock. It's missing its flyleaf and has got some library stampings in it, but all the pages are there and its in fairly good condition. Even came with a waterproof vinyl cover!"


I also got the same book for £1 (total for a bagfull of books) from my local library's booksale. It was Sutton Library. Did you get it from there too? I was pleased to find this "out of print" edition of the book as it had later appeared with a different cover (and, as was said here, identical content). There is Ffiona Campbell on the cover of this one and they split up later on so it could be one reason why the cover was changed in later editions. Sorry this is pure girly gossip !

How much did the book reach on Ebay?

 

[Mikey P]

No - it's the green covered hardback: "The Survival Handbook - A Practical Guide to Woodcraft and Woodlore"

ISBN: 1-85648-180-8

I think it's a second edition as it says the original was published in 1990 by Oxford Press and this one in 1994 by the Promotional Book Reprint Co (for Bookmart).

Still, a cracking book!

 

[Celt_Ginger]

£70.00!!!. How much will a signed copy go for? Thats what I have.

 

[spamel]

Me too! I think I have about six books signed by Ray!

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

I also got the same book for £1 (total for a bagfull of books) from my local library's booksale. It was Sutton Library. Did you get it from there too? How much did the book reach on Ebay?

My copy came from Woking Library! I still have it and wouldn't dream of selling it on eBay or anywhere else for that matter! I'll be taking it with me in September for my Campcraft course and if The Man is around I'll be asking him to get his pen out!

So anyway, my question still stands, is the white cover the 1st edition or not?

 

[Bob]

Surrey Yeoman

To answer your question - yes - and no!

The white book shown is a 1st edition, but not of the green-covered 'The Survival Handbook' (subtitled 'A Practical Guide to Woodcraft and Woodlore').

It is, however, the 1st edition of a later book titled 'Outdoor Survival Handbook', (subtitled 'A Guide to the Resources and Materials Available in the Wild and How to Use Them for Food, Shelter, Warmth and Navigation') published in 2001 by Edbury Press. The later edition has a photo of RM using a map and compass on the cover.

Clear as mud - hope that helps!!

Bob

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

Cheers Bob!