I collect a lot of Stephen King books. I do not collect his signature. I have one book signed by Stephen King (Under The Dome) and that is really enough to satisfy me. Because. . . I don't get it. How does his marking the page increase or change the books value? I'm serious. Couldn't he just check mark each book, acknowledging that for 1 second he was in contact with that copy of that book?
I do seem to have a lot of signed books! Most of them were given to me. Sometimes I've bought books, only to discover later that they are signed. yes, it does make me happy -- no, I don't know why. I'm waiting for someone in the psychology department to tell me why.
One reason I may hesitate to buy signed items is that I personally have no way of verifying a signature. When it comes to King, I would have trusted Betts Bookstore -- and now the Overlook Connection and Very Fine Books. But ebay. . . no thank you!
Some people collect much more than King's signature on books. When anything the guy signs is instantly of value, I start to wonder what's really up. So people put credit card receipts up for sale because. . . SK signed it.
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I read that the value of a signature is greater when it is "flat signed" instead of inscribed with a note to the person it is intended for. Once again, I think that's nuts! I'd rather have a book that had meaning when it was signed than one that is "FLAT" signed!
For instance, here is a copy of Carrie that has a pretty cool note (espeically if you're Larry!)
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| www.icollector.com |
1. Under The Dome, Stephen King
2. The Dark Tower 7 (signed by Michael Whelan.)
3. The Wind Through The Keyole (signed by Jae Lee)
4. The Talisman (signed by Peter Straud and illustrator Rick Berry. #2849)
5. Stephen King's Richard Bachman, Michael Collins
6. Bone Soup, T.M. Wright
7. BAAL, Robert McCammon
8. Forrest Gump, Winston Groom (inscribed to my wife: "To Rebecca, all best.")
9. The Case for Antioch, Jeff Iorg
10. Money, Possessions and Eternity, Randy Alcorn
11. The Law Of Rewards, Randy Alcorn
12. You The Warrior Leader, Bobby Welch. (Inscribed, "To David! A great warrior leader for our Savior and Souls! Bless you!! Bobby.")
13. The Glory of God, Chris Morgan. (Inscribed: "David, many thanks for investing yourself in teaching our CBU students."
14. The Gift of Valor a war story, Michael M. Phillips (Inscribed: "June 7, 2005. For Pastor David Squyres. Thanks for the support and prayers you offer for the Marines. Michael Phillips.")
I had a book about Alchatraz that I got signed by the author on my visit to the Rock, but I don't know where it is now. It was about his life of crime, hard time on the Rock, and his coming to faith in Christ.
The Largest Collection Of Signed Books
Who has the largest collection of signed books? You'll never guess! According to Guinness World Records, that distinction belongs to Pastor Rick Warren, author of the Purpose Driven Life.
The website states:
Richard Warren of Lake Forest, California, USA, has collected 2,381 books, all signed by their original authors.
Pastor Rick Warren began building his personal library in 1970 at the age of 16. Over the years as he travelled and spoke around the world, he began asking authors to autograph their books for him. Also many other authors began to send him their books autographed. The collection was verified by the bookseller Ed Postal who specialises in rare books and is a member of ABAA (Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America). Of 2,422 books, the total number of books accepted was 2,381.I wish I had room for that many books! I wonder if Rick Warren has any signed books by Stephen King. Or. . . if Stephen King has any signed books by Warren.
I once got a personal letter from Rick Warren, responding to a letter I'd written him in which I thanked him for some insights on preaching. Imagine, some people would have kept that letter just for the signature.
The Sneaky Signature:
This 2007 story is one of my favorites --
A bookstore manager was stunned when she saw someone enter her bookstore and begin writing in the books. The person quickly left, causing the employees think they were the victims of vandalism.
Ms. Ellis said, "So we immediately ran to the books and lo-and-behold here was the signature in several books. We sort of spun around on our heels, [saying] 'where did he go, where did he go. . . So I went over and introduced myself ... He was lovely, very nice, charming."
King signed a total of six books. I don't know, I just find something fun about that story! Imagine going to the bookstore, not a specialty store or something like that, just a regular store, and choosing to buy a Stephen King book -- and it turns out to be signed! Cool.Here is King signing books on The Simpsons:
www.abc.net
I wonder if book signings are one of those things that authors hate. I would! It takes away from time that could be spent writing! And, it forces the writer to have to be nice to all those annoying fans who want to talk about why Carrie's father died before she was born, but managed to save her mother from killing her when Carrie was a baby. And you can't say to these fans, "Because it's just a book. I'm making this stuff up!" No -- they actually think there's an answer!
Tell me what signed books you have.
Hello, the psychology dept. sent me, I'll be your service rep for this comment.
ReplyDeleteTo tell the truth, the more I thought about it, the more two possibilities present themselves.
My first thought was there someone who could answer your question why people collect signatures/certain books etc, only he's not real, he's Calvin Tower as he's portrayed in Wolves and Song of Susannah.
What King writes about Tower in those books may prove enlightening, if not flattering, which is that Tower is what might be called a "Book Junkie" in the way Roland is a "Tower Junkie". In fact, Tower at one point refers to himself as a "Pack Rat" and cites that as a reason for why his wife divorced him.
The other idea is that readers ARE interested in the man more than books, either way it comes to the same thing, to be blunt, "Idolatry" or something like it(of course on that I may be wrong).
Then there's the third, healthy, version, and here I'll use my own experience as example. The only limited edition I own (unsigned) the Special 25th Anniversary edition of"It".
However, the reason I forked over almost half the income I live on, is because:
1. I thought it was an excellent publishing move to make, one worthy of the "story" itself.
2. Underlying it all was (I hope) a genuine respect for storytelling as a process, or thing, however you want to think of it.
That's a lot different, again I hope, than, say the kind of devotion shown the Beatles when they first came to America (what's discouraging for me about all that is the question "Did you even come for the music?).
ChrisC
I'm with you dude. $350 more for a sig?
ReplyDeleteI said earlier I bought the McCammon book and that's signed but I think it was only a couple bucks more or they only sold it signed. I pre-ordered Joe Hill's new book signed bc I think that's the only way it came.
I have the giant Knowing Darkness and that has a lot of artists sigs in it.
-mike
Interesting article. I think like you, i don´t care that much about signatures. I would prefer meet Mr King in person and just talk a few minutes or just take a picture with him.
ReplyDeleteI'm not big on getting books autographed. But, if it doesn't require a great deal of effort or cost me any money (other than for the book), I like to get them autographed.
ReplyDeleteI have an autographed copy of Richard Matheson's Hell House that I treasure. I got the autograph in San Diego while there on business.
I also have an autographed copy of actor Jamie Farr's autobiography. It wouldn't matter much to most people, but I live in Toledo and Jamie Farr is a native son who does what he can do to promote the city to national audiences.
Other than the members of the legendary baseball Big Red Machine, I've never paid for an autograph.
I think that when a reader has some connection to the signature -- went and got it, for example -- then it is kind of cool. But just paying over $300 for the signature, not really so cool. I like books that have a note to me in them. When I give books, I'm one of those annoying people who writes in the front.
ReplyDeleteI have an inscribed stephen king iBook signed just S. can this be Mr. Kings signature?
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