On 5 Jun 2006 12:44:29 -0700, "Shelf Space"
wrote:

John (eBay Powerseller) Pelan wrote:

On 5 Jun 2006 02:44:22 -0700, "Shelf Space"
wrote:

Just a short warning to those thinking of buying books from John Pelan
who sometimes trades under the name of MIDNIGHT HOUSE BOOKS.

Pelan lost his job a few months ago and has been desperately trying to
offload his junky book collection on Ebay. These are some of his more
questionable antics:

1. Although he once said he would never sell his own books on Ebay
because it would irritate dealers who themselves are having trouble
shifting stock, Pelan now does. He sells Ashtree Press and Midnight
House books at prices which undercut the dealers, or else he offers
highly tenuous add-ons e.g. 'rare proof copy - signed by publisher'.
(NB. Rare proof copies provided free by the rarely-paid-on-time printer
it must be added!)


Please provide an example of my offering an Ash-Tree Press book for
sale.


Okeydokey, here's your proof:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=841826467 4

Is that proof enough for you?

Come now, do you have any idea who the editor of the book is? There is
certainly a vast difference between offering my extra contributor
copies and your implication that I market MH and A-TP books on a
regular basis.

Oh, I see you've clipped out point 2. Presumably we should deem that
another admission of guilt (to add to the one above).

No, I just see no reason to dignify that ridiculous point with
commentary.


3. Pelan effects extremely amateur and clumsy home-made "repairs" to
books and then omits to detail them in the item's description.

You are a liar.

You're going to have to do better than name-calling. However, I reserve
the right not to produce proof lest other parties become embroiled in
your mess. Suffice to say that I say you do, although I am unable to
quote any specific proof, and for that reason, I simply urge
prospective bidders to inspect aolder books bought from you extremely
carefully lest they get ripped off.

In other words, you are full of ****. Provide proof or shut the ****
up.

After all, if you have nothing to hide, and haven't been busy with your
nephew's chunky paper-scissors and PVA glue tub, then you have nothing
to fear, do you?

I have nothing to fear from you on any account. I was dealing in
antiquarian books when you were still soiling yourself and throwing
your toys out of the pram. While the passing of the years has led me
to have a very nice career as a bookseller, author, editor and
publisher; you remain unchanged. Can it be that the fact that you are
such a dismal failure in the aforementioned endeavors have anything to
do with your odd obsession with me?


4. He also greatly exaggerates the condition of the books that he is
selling. For example, I sold him this book myself:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=842144849 3

I originally bought it from a well-known UK bookdealer for circa £10.
By no stretch of the imagination could it be described as VG-. It was a
pretty ragged copy as both I and my supplier originally stated.
Disturbingly, there are numerous other examples of this overly
energetic fervour to exaggerate book condition.

Odd, you mean the book the book pictured is not the one for sale? How
did you determine this? The buyer seemed to think that the copy he
received was quite nice. Is it possible that there is more than one
copy of this book in existence?

This can be cleared up very easily. I can email the buyer and ask him
to send me a scan of the book's cover and title pages. I can then
cross-check that with the scans I have on file of the book I sold you.
Then I can dig out both my description of the book and that which was
prepared by the person who sold it to me, and thus prove exactly how
much your own description varied from ours.

I use the standards of ABAA. Please explain to us your grading system
so that we may all benefit from your superior knowledge.

There are even more sinister stories to tell, some involving
out-and-out fraud,

Please provide proof or go **** yourself. We do know that you are a
fraud, forger, and thief that sponges off of his mail-order bride.

What a pathetic little man you are.

Cheers,

John

What an unpleasant fellow you are. A prejudiced, foul-mouthed braggart.
I suggest you stick to the facts and stop trying to intimidate people
into submission with your aggressive behaviour or else you will never
evolve into a proper adult.

Now why don't you quit while you are behind? As to your ludicrous
remarks regarding selling off my collection, I've recently added
several nice 1sts by Thomas Disch, Christopher Priest, Brian Aldiss,
William F. Temple, and Arthur C. Clarke. Being the ignorant little
**** that you are, I can't imagine that you've heard of any of them.

As always, I do thank you for calling attention to my eBay auctions.
Since you are unable to afford any of the items I'm offering, it's
very kind of you to alert prospective buyers. I must caution you that
this ng is not for commercial postings and the result may be that you
are held in even lower esteem than you are currently.

"The lowest of the low" - Well known US Book Dealer on Chris Barker

Good day,

John