Pele – The Book, The Art, The Price!

‘Pele – Number 10 Shirt’ is a new book containing 300,000 words and 1,700 pictures that sells for $2500 each(!). Having previously produced a book on Muhammad Ali, the publishers turned their attention to the Brazil legend and went through the photo albums of old players and family friends to find images that have never before been seen by the public. With just 2500 books available worldwide, the publishers hope that buyers see their book as a work of art rather than a sports compendium.

We asked Ben Arogundade, Creative Director of the book, to explain who he thought would spend so much on a sports book – and whether Gloria Books, the publishers, were leading a new trend in publishing. Ben said,

Generally, there are three types of buyers for Pele. City guys and traders who can afford the high price and are big soccer fans. Current and ex-professional footballers and sports fans globally. Collectors of art books — they are not necessarily sports fans, but they love the photography and large format. Also, it is popular with people who see its investment value. Each edition is signed, and will increase in value with time.

We are the first publishers to specialise in doing large-format books on iconic subjects. The books themselves represent a new departure in publishing. In terms of their volume and packaging they represent a cross
between a book, a luxury item and a piece of high-tech product design.

Pele Book Website
Gloria Books