"The paper quality is better as well, as most often they are printed on acid-free paper like a hardback book." - https://biblio.co.uk/book_collecting_terminology/trade-paper...

(I've found this to be relevant when sourcing physical copies of out of print books.)

Just because the book is in the public domain does not mean I want a book that looks like a fanzine.

Maybe it does not scale, I agree. This is why a curator is IMO important.