There is nothing like a trophy shelf full of books that can be grabbed at a moment’s notice. A peaceful room with the enchanting smell of paper, shelves of bright colors, painted edges, and shiny foiling to enjoy the beautiful, special edition collection of your favorite books. Unfortunately, if you don’t have a book subscription or if you miss the open pre-order, then the prices of special editions skyrocket when buying secondhand. But what if I told you that there is an app where you can purchase special editions that will not cost an arm and a leg?
Whether it is a cover no longer in print, painted edges, or an artistically designed dust jacket you can’t find at Barnes & Noble, a multitude of special editions are available at PangoBooks. This app was founded amid the COVID lockdown in the spring of 2021 by Grant Singleton, who wanted to create an app where book lovers could buy and sell their gently used books. Not only does this peer-to-peer marketplace have those sought-after special editions, but they cater to all types and genres of books, including schoolbooks.
A popular series that is a New York Times Best Seller called A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) is a prime example of the difficulty in finding an affordable first edition cover. With the average price of up to $150 USD for the first edition of ACOTAR, I was able to find my copy for just over half the average price. Though $95 USD seems like an exorbitant amount for a singular book, other platforms such as Mercari, Etsy, and Half Price Books sell the book for $170, $206, and $175 US dollars.
Though it is possible to buy an inexpensive special edition book through PangoBooks, the prices are always set by the seller. When asked about the wide range of prices, CMO Dan Orkin stated, “We do not tell sellers how to price their books but do offer suggested price ranges based on sales history.” The app does suggest a price associated with the ISBN, but the final price is up to the discretion of the seller. However, he did mention that if the price is listed too high, the book will not sell.
What makes this platform special compared to other resale book marketplaces? According to Dan, it is all about the book-lover community. “I think the key thing is that we are only for books and nothing else, all our features are singularly designed with books and readers in mind….our community is really passionate and engaged, and that makes a huge difference!”. PangoBooks’ sellers are passionate readers too and will often include notes, bookmarks, or a tea bag with your purchase. I have received all three with the purchases from PangoBooks, which makes you want to make a hot cup of tea and dig into the story.
Whether you are a collector of special edition books or just trying to build your personal library, PangoBooks has a multitude of options available for you. With an organized category section to browse specific genres or an AI chatbot called “Hey Pango” to help you find recommendations based on your interests, you will start adding to your collection in no time. Before you know it, your trophy shelf will be full of bright colors, painted edges, and shiny foiling you can enjoy with a nice hot cup of tea.