In full disclosure -- David Marancik shared this on Mark Pavia's timeline. Mark Pavia is the director of Night Flier.
As for the cup. . . that's totally cool! Why? Because it's unique.
Showing posts with label Collecting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Collecting. Show all posts
Creepshow Cup
In full disclosure -- David Marancik shared this on Mark Pavia's timeline. Mark Pavia is the director of Night Flier.
Christine For Sale
Have you started your Christmas list yet? Well, if not, shortlist has posted great news -- you could own Christine.
There were actually 23 "Christine's" (1958 Plymouth Furys) used in John Carpenter's film. However -- shortlist notes that only two are known to still be in existence, and one of them is up for sale as part of an Arizona auction from the estate of Ron Pratte.
Pratte is believed to have a personal fortune of $350m (£218m) - it's not known why he's decided to sell off his collection - widely regarded as one of the biggest and most impressive private car collections in the United States, but everything must go at the annual Barrett-Jackson auction, which will take place in Scottsdale, Arizona early next year.
The entire collection is estimated to be worth $50m (£31m); as yet there's no guide price on 'Christine' but we'll get saving anyway.what would you pay for Christine?
Collecting Rules
Every collector has their own "thing" that they like to chase down. Most of us love first editions. But, as you collect, you have to develop some rules, or you'll create a giant pile of stuff that will lead to a divorce or an eviction.
So I used to buy anything with King's name on it. Now. . .
1. First edition hardbacks of books pre Duma Key. So that means book club editions are out. I used to hold on to them; but they're really only worth about $5, and it can get confusing in a collection to keep up with which ones are true firsts, and which ones are reproductions and book club editions. Truth is, after Duma Key, the market seems so flooded with first editions, they don't really matter. Besides, I stopped buying them because I know someone in my family is sure to give me the latest Stephen King novel.
When it comes to some rarebooks, second editions will have to do. Such is the case with The Gunslinger, which is hard to find as a first edition, but hte second edition has the same cover and is almost identical.
2. Post Duma Key, special editions are preferred. A signed copy of Under The Dome, the Cemetery Dance edition of Doctor Sleep and Full Dark No Stars are all good options. When a new King book comes out, usually a specialty publisher will secure the rights to do something really cool with the book. Donald M. Grant has "artist" editions of the Dark Tower books that are pretty cool.
3. No books on tape. The tape days were great, but they're worthless. Two exceptions: The original reading of The Stand and The Mist. As the Mist can only be obtained in tape format, and The Stand in its 1978 format only exists on tape.
In general, audio books have no value. So get them to listen to, not to collect. I recommend a subscription to audible, which will give you the new release at midnight.
4. Toys -- not. Sorry, but I read books, I don't really collect a lot of Stephen King toys. I don't need a Pennywise -- whatever. I do have a toy Christine; but I don't really "get it." I mean, it's blue. . .
5. Red Leather editions are also out. I have some, but I stopped collecting them because they're not that special. yeah, it's bound red leather; but so what? There are no special introductions, no pictures, nothing that makes the book itself more desirable. They don't even look that cool on the shelf.
6. No book cover -- no sale. The book cover is part of the book, and that said, I want my books to have their covers! I've thrown out more than one copy of the mid eighties novels because they didn't have a book cover. Is a copy of Different Seasons without its cover valuable? Not really.
7. Old magazines -- OH YEAH! In the late seventies and early eighties, Stephen King was everywhere. His stories could be found in detective magazines and, well, porn. I don't buy the porn because . . . you know why. But there is a LOT of stuff out there. People magazine, Time, Disney, magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and so much more. Even TV guide with a King article is pretty cool. In fact, it's fun to get these old magazines and get a sense of time warp.
8. Books by King's family members are not really collectible's to me. I don't seek first editions. I've read some stuff by Joe Hill, and liked it a lot. But I don't collect Hill, I read him.
9. Anything signed by King negates all other complaints. Do I take books with no covers? No. Unless it's signed by King! However, I actually prefer signatures that fans got from King as opposed to "flat signed" copies. I know, most collectors prefer the flat signed, but I don't see the point. If King wrote a fans name and a little note to them in the book, that makes it a little more personal. It's connected to someone.
The mass flat signing that happens today is just a cold grab for money on the publishers part. For the most part, I have no interest in slapping down lots of my savings to grab a book that was flat signed.
10. Bachman books are good, so long as they have Bachman's name on them, not King's. This means finding old paperbacks. By the way, the bookclub edition of Thinner with Bachman's name is worth about $5. But find Rage, Roadwork or The Long Walk as paperbacks, and you're in business.
Tell me some of your collecting rules.
How To Charm A Constant Reader
How to charm a constant reader -- A Stephen King charm bracelet.
How to drive them crazy -- tell them it's already sold, and it was one of a kind.
Stephen King: Tots and Terror
Here is an interesting ebay item, a 1981 TV guide with an article by Stephen King on tots and terror. To tell you the truth, this is the stuff that really makes collecting fun. Yeah, it's nice to get a first edition of the latest book -- but old weird stuff is even better.
As a collector, I'm not excited about things made for collecting. Yes, the new covers for Carrie, The Shining and other early books look great. And their limited editions. But limited edition just says to me, "We know you're a sucker." I'd rather goon the hunt than write a big check.
A magazine is fun because it holds the era in its pages. So not only is there the article by King, but it is surrounded by the culture it was crafted in.
I love the art in this. King says Bambie is the scariest movie.
You can still buy it at ebay.com for $5 plus $5 shipping. So that ten bucks.
Larry Fire Shows His Love For Stephen King
Check out Comic Book Resources look at Larry Fire's office -- and in particular his love for Stephen King (and their common love for Batman.)
This is a nice collection!
Fire writes: "I have collected Stephen King books since 1983. He’s my favorite author and I’m also a fan of his son, Joe Hill. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting both authors on numerous occasions and they are wonderful talented friendly people."
This is a nice collection!
Clay Guy Gives Us Stephen King Characters
Looking for something a little different for your collection? Check out these offerings from the Clay Guy (clayguy.com) Some of this is just plain creepy; in a wonderful kinda way. There seems to be a special love for Pet Sematary and the classic work of Stephen King here.
I love seeing the actors with their clay representations.
The images are reposted with permission.
I love seeing the actors with their clay representations.
The images are reposted with permission.
CARRIE
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| Piper Laurie at Texas Frightmare 2012 |
THE SHINING:
THE STAND
PET SEMATARY
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| Brad Greenquist at Horrorhound 2011 |
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| Miko Hughes at Horrorhound 2011 |
IT
THE GREEN MILE
10 Things Not To Say To A Stephen King Fan
1. I love Stephen King, too. I don’t read the books, but I’ve seen the movies. (Great.)
2. Doesn't he just write about monsters? (Sure, that’s what he does.)
3. Have you read the one about the clown? (Yeah, we have.)
4. I don’t read his stuff. I read Insomnia once but didn't finish. (Neither did most of us)
5. I prefer movies like The Green Mile to all that Stephen King stuff.
6. Why can’t I read your copy of The Shining? (Because it’s a first edition)
7. Do you only read Stephen King? (Uh-huh. Made it clear through college and seminary reading nothing but Stephen King.)
8. He’s too scary for me. I read that book – what’s it called? – about the girl with the powers. (Carrie. He doesn't just write scary stuff.)
9. I don’t need to read Under The Dome, I saw it on TV.
10. Stephen King didn't write Stand By Me. (Yes he did)
Nope, I checked his book list, it’s not there. (That's because it's not called Stand By Me.)
See, I told you he didn't write it. (It's called the Body.)
Hey, that's not on his book list, either. (It's in another book called Different Seasons)
Yeah, I don't think you're thinking of the same movie. I'm talking about Stand By Me, about a bunch of kids. (Okay, whatever.)
Finally . . . I'm not a Stephen King fan, I'm a constant reader. What's the difference? I'm interested in what he writes, not chasing around after him.
Carrie Paperback
Carrie paperback -- AWESOME! Notice the lack of giant lettering "STEPHEN KING." In fact, the author is completely underplayed on both the front and back. -- Thanks Shaun Lawton!
Stephen King Postcard
"Dear Sean Mick,
Sorry to be so late in replying, but as usual I'm buried under piles of mail I can't hope to keep up with! Thanks for the good words, and for your continued interest in my work. CREEPSHOW will be out in July, and there will be a "comic" book sometime after that. The next novel will be out in August. Entitled DIFFERENT SEASONS, it is for (sic*) short novels published under one title. Contrary to some of the advertising, it is not horror. Hope you'll like it. Have a great summer. Best, Stephen King"
www.ebay.com
selling price: $495.00
Sounds like a lot of money -- but I think it's cooler than the mass-produced Doctor Sleep.
Christine License Plate
Ever spot strange stuff on ebay? Stephen King collectibles you didn't know existed? Here's one --
Hey folks up for sale is an in person Christine Replica License Plate signed by Stephen King. For those who are familiar with the movie you already know what this is. For those who don't, this was the license plate that was on the red 1958 Plymouth Fury in Christine. This has been certified by PSA/DNA. It's made out of real metal, not plastic and is an exact screen replica. This is a cool collectible for any fan and also makes for a great conversation piece as well. Happy Hunting! PSA/DNA #U28942
Salem's Lot Purse
Here is a one of a kind Stephen King collectible. . . a Salem's Lot purse.
The website says:
This reinvented quality leather bound Stephen King
classic book has been turned into a fun occasion book purse.
Made just the right size at 7 inchesAnd then there is there is this:
from top to bottom. 10 inches from side to side.
6 inches for the opening to reach in
and with a generous spine of 2 1/2 inches, roomy enough..
The inside purse lining is sewn together using midnight black
cotton fabric accented with a embellished pocket.
Using the black fabric showcases the front of the book !
A black gem button hooked with a stretchy ribbon
holds your belongings in nice and snug.
$58.00 USDOnly 1 availableONLY ONE!
Get it -- there's only one -- at www.etsy.com
Maximum Overdrive GOBLIN Goes On Tour
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| photo credit: TOM DODGE | DISPATCH dispatch.com |
The article discusses Ken Shockey's unique movie prop collection, and one particularly interesting find -- the eight food Goblin from Stephen King's 1986 film, Maximum Overdrive. Of course, in the movie it was attached to the front of a truck. When th eyes of the goblin lit up, you knew the fun was about to begin!
Gordon takes us on some of the Goblin's journey since he was last seen in 1986. Seems the prop had found its way to a North Carolina junkyard, and then to Shockey's yard in Columbus, Ohio.
How does Shockey pay to restore the Goblin? He sells "Goblin Dust" for $10 a vile. That is the dust created when he sanded the head. Talk about having something unique in your collection!
Check out the full article at dispatch.com
Which leads to a question -- What SK movie prop would you love to have?
Collecting As Investment
Ed Lin at Penda Daily posted an article I really enjoyed titled, "Making a killing off Stephen King." (barrons.com)
Lin addresses special editions as investments. Do you think of your collection as an investment? I have thought how difficult it would be to break my collection down and sell each piece on ebay.
Cemetery Dance sold the signed limited edition of Doctor Sleep for $2,500 with a print run of 52 books. Even at that steep price, it sold out in 75 minutes. Lin puts the pieces together, adding up that readers paid a total of $130,000 on PRE-ORDERS! Pre-orders create lots of anticipation -- and sometimes you even forget what you bought. I ordered a book called "Scream Plays" YEARS ago -- and am yet waiting.
Selling such nicely produced books with a very small print run creates what Lin calls a "instant rarity."
Lin writes:
“We’ve been publishing limited editions in the 500-to-2,000 copy range since 1992, and the market has stayed fairly strong even when the economy hasn’t been chugging along,” says Brian James Freeman, the managing editor. “We have witnessed other presses come and go over the years, but we have a strong base of collectors who have seen us through good times and bad.”
No matter what Freeman says about customers seeing CD through good times and bad, no one is buying books just to keep the publisher in business! They are selling books because they are producing something buyers want: A high quality product that is instantly rare by a beloved author.
Now, I have a first edition of The Shining, and was anxious for the Doctor Sleep signed editions to be offered. However, when I saw the price of the signed editions (just the signed ones came to something like $350) I could not justify it. I could afford it -- but I couldn't justify it. Kids to send to camp, dance costumes to buy. . . and I want a $350 book. What's different about it? King signed it. Is a signature worth it? I would argue not. I own one item signed by King (Under the Dome), and that's enough for me. (See my article: Signed Books, Do They Matter? talkstephenking)
HOWEVER. . . if you are collecting to SELL, Lin points out that signatures might be well worth it!
By the way, I love special editions! I think the IT edition by King was fantastic. Also Full Dark No Stars was a great production. Simply put, buyers purchase from CD because they keep swinging home runs.
Lin offers the following "rough" guidelines for collecting special editions:
- Sign up for the publishers’ email lists.
- Acquire all the titles in a series.
- Buy books that you would truly enjoy owning.
The full article is HERE.
Signed Books, Do They Matter?
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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| image credit: /www.ashvegas.com |
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.
STRANGENESS, The Backbone of a Good Collection
Where do you start collecting Stephen King? I think the best advice has always been to start with first editions. The earlier the better. My earliest is a copy of The Shining.
A couple years ago, I stopped collecting first editions. I only have so much shelf space, and it seemed that newer books had such a huge first run that the first editions would never be worth much. I chose instead to buy special editions of these books. For instance, Cemetery dance released a beautiful copy of Full Dark No Stars. I chose to invest in that instead of a first edition. Besides, someone usually gives me a copy of the latest Stephen King book! (Hint, hint family – still no 11/22/63)
So what makes a good collection of Stephen King books? Depends on what you like. If you want to line all the books up in chronological order, Carrie to 11/22/63, then first editions are the way to go. Of course, that system leaves nerd questions, like, “What do I do with the Dark Tower books? Put them on their own shelf (yes!) or mix them in (no!)?”
I think the backbone of a good collection is strange stuff. Yep, a little bit of everything makes the collection a lot of fun. If everyone has the same set of first editions – that’s not really so cool, ya know?
Here are some strange things I’ve enjoyed hunting:
1. Magazines. These are cheap, and a thrill to read through. Magazines with Stephen King interviews, magazines that contain his original stories, or magazines about King are all easy to find.
2. Cemetery Dance editions. I like books published by CD. In particular, Blockade Billy, Full Dark No tars and the recent 20th anniversary of IT were all pretty cool.
3. Red leather editions. I’m not crazy about these, because they come out looking pretty uniform – but a few a fun.
4. Trinkets. The world is full of strange things from the world of Stephen King. A matchbox Christine (mine is blue?),
5. Booklets. Sometimes longer short stories were published as separate booklets. I have The Raft as a booklet originally published in Gallery and a small Penguin paperback of Umney’s Last Case. Sometimes the booklets are giveaway’s – just a few chapters of larger novels. I have a copy of a Wizard and Glass booklet – just the first few pages.
6. British editions can also be cool. I have the unabridged version of The Stand. Strangely, the British edition looks a lot thinner! Also a British edition of Skeleton Crew. Actually, this is something I don’t do a lot of hunting for. After all, the only thing really different is the cover, and again – I need the space.
If you can get your hands on the original recording of The Mist read by Frank Muller, I think it's worth it. I'm not sure what the copyright deal is on this book is, but it seems to be out of print.
By the way, there is an abridgment of Thinner that King really didn't like! It was so bad, he decided not to allow future books be be abridged. But then, Desperation was later abridged!
8. Newspapers and periodicals. In particular, the Castle Rock was a neat publication. I only own one. It was very well done and a great way of keeping news out there in an age pre-interent. There were several other unauthorized publications that are fun to dig up.
Phantasmayoria was a unofficial magazine published four times a year. I think this was the work of George Beahm. I have a Summer 1997 edition.
The Red Letter by Greg Hotchkiss was another King news booklet about 10 pages per issue.
Also SKIN: Stephen King Information Network was the work of editior Lori Zucearo. This publication is about 10 full sized sheets of paper – always green. It seems the 90's were really the era for these publications. (See blog post, The History Of Skin)
9. The Dark Tower in its first publication in Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine. I had a lot of fun hunting those down, it became a quest.
10. Original copies of the Richard Bachman books. The only one really hard to find it Rage. The copy I have is pretty tattered. Actually, all my Bachman paperbacks are well worn!
11. Comic books. I don’t purposefully collect these, but have somehow ended up with quite a few. Anyway, comic books can easily make a collection unique. There are some that are more fun to hunt down than others. I think the Batman #400 is pretty awesome. King reveals if he is a Batman or a Superman.
12. Some books about King are invaluable. For instance The Shape Under The Sheets is out of print, and a very unique book! Lilja’s Library is also a lot of fun to just sit and thumb through. (When it comes to books about King, I like books you don’t have to read beginning to end, but can hope around in.)
13. Movies. One Summer I tried to collect all the SK movies. I’m not sure it’s possible! And some I just refuse to invest in, making it impossible to collect them all. Sorry, Sleepwalkers and Langoliers! I don’t really think movies do much in terms of collecting. I don’t even keep the cases, but put them all in one folder of SK movies.
14. Desk Calendar. I have just recently become a big fan of the Stephen King desk Calendar.
15. Books with introductions by Stephen King. King’s introduction to any book is a lot of fun. I don’t collect these, but would gladly sit and read every introduction if given the stack of books.
What is it?
Some stuff I have I’m actually unsure. . . why I have it! I keep it in this big plastic tub, and my wife probably thinks it’s full of old books or something. I just toss srange things in there that I’m unsure what to do with. A lot of it are things that came in grab bags or – stuff I don’t know I got it!
Examples:
- A big red sticker that says: “Buy Desperation and The Regulators and get a gift from STEPHEN KING... an excerpt from The Dark Tower IV.
- A TV Guide from May, 1997 with the Shining miniseries on the front. I’m not sure why I bought this (for something like $2). But now that I bought it, I can’t part with it!
- A VHS box for The Lawn Mower Man, unrrated directors cut. This is only the fox, still flat, never had a VHS tape in it. I’m not sure why I have this – or why I keep it. Hopeful it may for some reason be valuable.
- Stickers with this instruction from New Line Cinema: June 30, 1993, “Dear new Line Home Video Customer: Enclosed are corrected credit block stickers for the new Line Home Video title The Lawnmower Man. Pursuant to a court order, please place this approved sticker on all available copies of The Lawnmower Man in your inventory. The Lawnmower Man is available for sell-through at $19.95 suggested retail price. Thank you for making The lawnmower Man a huge success.” RIGHT!
- Papers. Yep, papers from a court proceeding regarding Lawnmower Man. Nothing interesting – just court docs.
- Charlie Fried’s original draft’s of his articles for SKIN. Including: Stephen King on Audio, Stephen King’s World of Horror, The Lawnmower Man meets the Rock Bottom Remainders Stephen King Plaintiff or Defendant, and more.
The really fun stuff are things that you think no one else has. My favorite is Charlie Fried’s notebook. It’s nothing that incredible – just a scrapbook by a fan. But I like it a lot.
There's so much stuff you could collect! Movie posters, event tickets, signed items, signed baseballs, bobbleheads, action figures, toys, bookcovers. . .
So, tell me – what odd things make your collection fun and unique?
Also see my 2011 article, Building A Unique Collection
The Stephen King Bobblehead
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| image credit: bobblesgalore.com |
It's a Stephen King bobblehead. The one in the picture was a give away -- now sells for $134.95.
I think he needs friends. . . Carrie bobblehead. Flagg bobblehead. Roland bobblehead. Pennywise bobblehead. Cujo bobblehead.
He's pitching. . . but he's a writer. Right? Shouldn't he be writing? I guess it doesn't look as cool to be hunched over a typewriter when you're a bobblehead.
Here's another one, (ebay for $64.99)
IT action figure
IT's a. . . a. . . It's a Pennywise action figure. Just in case GI Joe can't take down Cobra, this clown can take care of business. Wait. . . which side is he on? WHO MADE A PENNYWISE ACTION FIGURE? Rock on.
I found it on ebay HERE. It's at $20 right now, if anyone wants to jump in. My wife won't let me make this investment.
Why Collect?
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| picture credit: WSJ, Anne Isabelle |
I liked Laura Kreutzer article in the Wall Street Journal titled, “Treasure or Trash? It Depends Who You Ask.”
Kreutzer writes:
Take, for example, my husband's extensive collection of Stephen King books. I'm fairly certain that if Mr. King decided to aggregate and publish all of his old grocery receipts, Clay would be standing in line at the bookstore to purchase a first edition.
Although a part of me can appreciate the creativity of demon-possessed automobiles or pets suddenly coming back to life as bloodthirsty zombies, I question whether they need to occupy so much critical real estate, especially when they don't really get used.
"It's a collection," Clay said, defending his right to the complete works. "They're coming."Kreutzer’s full article is at wsj.com
It brings up the question: Why do we collect? Why do first edition hard cover books matter so much? I mean, we could read almost everything King has written right off Kindle, right? Or, we could read paperbacks. So why collections that take so much space?
My thoughts only:
1. Men like to collect stuff. Stephen King is cool.
2. As Kreutzer points out, a lot of King readers wish they could write like King! He writes what we would write if we had his super-powers.
3. For some reason,having an actual hard cover first edition is cool. I don't know why. I like older firsts better than more recent stuff. In fact, I really stopped buying first editions and opted instead to buy limited editions (Cemetery Dance, etc) when they come out.
But, alas, it all still begs the question. . . WHY
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