If you go to the MobileRead Wiki and select
Notable eBook Uploads from the main page you are offered a selection of three of MobileRead's most popular collections -- Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and the
Harvard Classics. Selecting any one of these presents a page detailing each volume available and the formats that it is available. The links take you directly to the current version where you may download the book. It is not perfect; but, it does provide a service that keeps you from searching through the index.
On the topic of "collectors", some time ago Jon (JSWolf) noted that someone had downloaded almost all of the books that MobileRead had provided at the point and posted them on the darknet.
I've posted a few books here at MobileRead and I do monitor people's feedback about the books. I do check on how many have viewed the thread and how many have downloaded a certain book in a certain format. This is how the IMP format was added. We posted some and the download counts were high enough to justify their own section. Today when I post a new book at MobileRead I make it in three versions -- LRF, PRC, and IMP. If we had distributed it via a torrent, we would never have known that there were many people interested in IMP format books.
MobileRead has implemented a service for Kindle (and all other direct connect Mobipocket users) whereby they can download a freshly made copy of an index to the MobileRead PRC books and review them as if browsing through a card catalog. Should they see on that they like they can click on it and directly download it to their reader.
SO for my three cents worth (inflation you know), I do not favor torrents for the MobileRead ebooks.