Goldsboro Books Sci-Fi and Fantasy Fellowship (GSFF)

What's in the box: Each box holds one exclusive, signed and numbered limited edition hardback of a new science fiction or fantasy novel.

Goldsboro Books is an independent bookshop that has sold signed first edition hardbacks for 27 years. Its Sci-Fi and Fantasy Fellowship is the membership for genre readers. Members get an exclusive Fellowship Edition of a chosen new science fiction or fantasy title. It is usually a signed, numbered hardback printed in a limited run with special touches such as decorated or sprayed page edges. The Fellowship is listed at £24.99, the same price as the shop's other memberships for crime, debut fiction and literary titles. The main appeal is collectability. Only members can get these editions, so if you want signed firsts and handsome copies for your shelf, this is one of the more trusted options in the UK. The shop also has a strong reputation with authors and readers. The trade-off is choice. You don't pick the book, and the selections lean toward new releases and debuts rather than established favourites, so some books may not suit your taste. The site does not clearly state billing terms, skip options or international postage, so check those before you join. If you mostly want to read rather than collect, buying standard hardbacks or borrowing from the library will cost much less per book.