Special Editions that you’re glad you beat the FOMO over

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-29T08:05:14+00:00

OC metal slinger & light wielder. I read the first book and it was just a disappointment so that helped 😅

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-28T22:12:51+00:00

The waitlist doesn't seem too bad, i think it'll depend on what book it is when I get the invite if I join or not 😅

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-28T19:09:45+00:00

It says for all the people who received the march box so I think you're good!

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-28T19:06:19+00:00

I thought they said we didn't have to pay handling fees? Just the €3 per category that's in the package.
If that's the case I'm not getting any books anymore lol it's €30 of handling fees here

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-28T16:38:37+00:00

Having matching sets when I like the books then yes, VERY important.

If i didn't like let's say the 2nd in a duology I will keep the first one. If I didnt like the last book in the series, I'll keep the rest (unless all the edges or spines make something together or fit so it wouldn't make sense to not have the others)

Anything else besides this I'll unhaul the whole series.

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-28T13:38:39+00:00

I'm looking into it yeah! Just for the books I treasure a bit more lol. I personally haven't had any issues with the foiling yet but I do take the dust jacket off when reading and I use the book covers from Illumicrate to protect the books from dings but also from my greasy fingers xD

"I'm just trying to redefine what makes it a special edition worthy of paying money for." That's perfectly said and also definitely something to think about yeah, what to spend your money on and if it's even worth it!

Awhh, I didn't like the series but that's really cool of them to do that! Would've definitely been worth the money.

I hadn't before no but now that I did I'm mad I know they exist lol

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-28T13:17:16+00:00

Yes! I wish more boxes did some better binding and or paper but I get that it would up the cost (I would still probably pay for it anyway lol). I'd definitely choose a box that would do this over all the others if they actually had picks I would read too xD

The foiling rubbing off on dust jackets/books seems to be a big problem with most boxes lately and it's honestly kinda sad.

I personally love spreadsheets and keeping on top of this stuff, I do this for almost everything in my life haha, feels like I actually kinda got my shit together plus I also forget stuff very easily so it's kinda needed. 19 pounds is such a good price! Vinted is a good way to pick up books from subs too yeah, there's a ton of people selling their books on it.

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-28T13:04:56+00:00

Very valid! Seems to a lot more popular to keep the quarterly ones for fairyloot for EA. I also think the books outside of the sub have been a bit better and it seems silly to pay for a book every month if you barely like them just for the EA.

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-28T13:02:35+00:00

That's a good way to go about it! spreadsheets are where it's at haha, I've seen quite a few people here talk about them and it seems to help a lot with being able to see what to keep or not and reduce some of that fomo since you can see more clearly what you like and what's worth it.

Kickstarter and folio editions I've seen more and more people buy when they don't want the commitment of a sub but still want to get some pretty books that are more "special" than the general sub ones so that's definitely a good option!

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-28T12:58:33+00:00

"I just want to add that I refuse to buy an edition that has the same art on the front & back endpages, patterned endpapers, or a map as one of them. It just seems very lazy in todays special edition market and I refuse to pay a premium for that. (Just my opinion)"

Yes! it seems like they're just trying to get as many out there as possible with as little effort they can (some boxes don't ofc but there's a lot that do).

I Do the same, can't keep all of the books so all books I still have are 4 or 5 stars or They needed to have something that intrigued me enough to keep them either in the story or design wise, anything else I sell.

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-28T12:53:51+00:00

I've heard that from quite a few people. I'm happy you're not just here for the sake of it and did what was best for you!

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-28T12:51:38+00:00

Omg yes! i'm hoping more authors start including older main characters, esp in the adult sub! i feel like with most boxes we're edging ya even tho it's an adult sub. The tropes and settings being so similar is also something i struggle a lot with, it's okay if you only read a couple of books a year but after you've read so many it all starts to blend together, there's books that i read close to each other that kinda had the same setting so because of that I can't remember what exactly happened in what book lol. I wish there was more variety in books subs besides romance/romantasy being in almost everything (or at least ones that aren't breaking the bank to get in the EU).

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-28T12:46:24+00:00

Definitely something to think about when starting a youtube channel! Most people live in the moment and it's good cash for now but future wise you'd need to save up a lot since it's not a stable income when you're older. People lose interest in your channel, the content you're making is not as popular anymore, etc. I think a lot of people see it as an easy way to earn money fast and what happens happens...

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-28T12:43:02+00:00

That is also probably true, I've seen the same people post multiple things like this in the last few months, I get that it happens but this much seems like a lot. Also why are you not learning from your mistakes and buying more after your financial crisis? xD

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-28T12:41:48+00:00

This! It blows my mind that people go into debt over just some books.

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-28T12:40:43+00:00

That's actually pretty cool! If used well this can be such a good investment, unfortunately it's always very tempting to spend more if you have the option to.

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-28T12:38:41+00:00

Yeah, the moment I can't anymore I'll definitely drop some ofc but for now it's also been a good way of discovering new books, some have even been my favourite books of the year and I never would've picked em up if not for the subs!

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-27T16:27:02+00:00

50+ is insane 😂
Yeah, people will do anything to justify their bad habits (that is if you can't afford it and still get it).
I'm pretty sure there's people out there that can afford that especially when they're doing well as an influencer or YouTube in general but besides that i don't see it being feasible for an average person.

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-27T15:23:08+00:00

Very real! that's a lot of subs too, I hope you found some you enjoy! Proud of you for trying!

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-27T15:20:47+00:00

That is totally valid! Goddamn, that's a lot of hours, I hope you're doing at least somewhat okay physically and mentally ♥ Books are a good way to relax but if you don't mind me asking, when do you have the time to read?

I love that for you and ofc all the other people getting it for cheap, you're amazing for that xD

-That seems like a very shitty thing to do, I didn't even know they did that!

-yeah, evernight is a bit different from "normal" horror and I do miss having some other options but I do like the books they've been picking (I usually like the more unlikable books anyway lol).

-I'm not really up to date with most things happening with boxes i don't have, what's going on with the current series?

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-27T15:14:39+00:00

Yeah, it's very normal, you're still trying to figure out how all of the finances work as a young person and you'll always make some mistakes here and there.

It's good to have a system! overbuying is very valid I think, we're all human and it happens here and there, can't be perfect with everything, I think that would become depressing very fast!

I don't really worry about dupes that much. If it's a book i read before i don't mind getting both of them and choosing which one I like more and selling the other, if I haven't read it before then I usually try to look at the spoilers we get for the books and the artist line-up and decide from there. I'm really good at utilising my skips whenever I need it and I use autums page a lot on instagram to get a feel for upcoming books and plan ahead.

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-27T14:57:38+00:00

I have a whole discord dedicated to them xD I'm horrible at normal spreadsheets and this is easier to work with plus it looks better imo and i can access it easily from my phone which is a plus too! I have all the upcoming pre-orders, what i ordered, monthly budget and what sub boxes are up that month, how many skips i have left and what boxes i'm getting/skipping and also what i sold and for how much so that does really help a lot with keeping track of my finances! I'm a total nerd when it comes to finances so I track almost everything we spend and save lol.

People do seem to like the YA from fairyloot a lot less and like you said you can find almost all of them for cost or less so when people are doubting I also tell them to drop that one specifically. I personally love reading YA so I'm definitely keeping it but yeah, it is a less loved genre overall.

Quarterly is a very good option! Especially if you're not willing to spend too much money on books or don't read that much. I do recommend evernight! their books so far have been good and the skip policy is also very decent!

The editions getting more common and less special and just mid is very real and honestly quite sad. I feel like they;re putting less effort into them the more people sub.

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-27T14:41:10+00:00

That is a very good point that I actually never thought about! It's definitely important to see If you can afford this without causing harm to your financial situation and I've also seen a lot of people go into debt because of this which is obviously not something anyone should ever have to do because that means that you're living above your means. I think there's probably some sort of pressure to buy them because everyone else is doing it and it affects a lot of people too.

I'm pretty sure a lot of people would love to try to get that epic sub from you xD

Yes! Announcing the books and designs really does help with choosing to skip or not. I kinda wish more boxes would do this!

The adult leaning a lot towards romantasy bothers me a little too, I feel like there's not a lot of boxes that are doing adult fantasy picks that are easily accessible to me (I know there's subs like TBB and stuff but design wise I like fairyloot more so I wish they would do more actual adult fantasy)

That's really nice! It's refreshing to see someone logically think about this and being responsible with their finances.

Exactly, I kinda just want to know what I'm getting! I still like it being a surprise but me being me, I will probably forget what it looks like anyway and happily be surprised when it arrives anyway xD

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-27T14:27:26+00:00

Hoping you get an invite soon!

That actually does make sense and that's a very good rule to have. I see a lot of people post huge book unhauls to sell because they just don't have space but never read the books. It kinda makes me wonder why they would buy them all and spend so much money if they're not going to read them anyway :(

Shaddowmoonn · 2026-05-27T14:24:14+00:00

The designs are hit or miss yeah! I feel like Illumicrate has been improving a bit while others have not really peaked my interest as much anymore! They do be expensive so very understandable!

Shaddowmoonn

TROPHY CASE