My Boss was at the party and before he realized what happened, the staff had already cleared the tables. He could have had a nice stash. He also didn't really want to walk back into the room to pick them all up off the table as he was walking out with Marsha and Steve! LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by jhanic
Bit of history for you!
Story I heard was that Marsha gathered them up and they are now in the office safe.Quote:
Originally Posted by NerakMy Boss was at the party and before he realized what happened, the staff had already cleared the tables. He could have had a nice stash. He also didn't really want to walk back into the room to pick them all up off the table as he was walking out with Marsha and Steve! LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by jhanic
Bit of history for you!
I asked her a few months ago to auction them off for the Haven Foundation, but she didn't take up my offer.
Interesting story. Here's another (although admittedly mine is without first hand info): As interesting as it is to know who was invited to the party, it is equally interesting to know who WASN'T invited to the party. In the latter group was the late Bill Thompson who "discovered" King and published CARRIE when he was at Doubleday. According to one source of mine Thompson was very upset and sad at the oversight by King and his staff.Quote:
Originally Posted by NerakMy Boss was at the party and before he realized what happened, the staff had already cleared the tables. He could have had a nice stash. He also didn't really want to walk back into the room to pick them all up off the table as he was walking out with Marsha and Steve! LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by jhanic
Bit of history for you!
At a party celebrating the 25th anniversary of the publication of CARRIE, how can you leave off the man who actually got the book published?
Shocking omission not inviting Bill Thompson. He also 'discovered' John Grisham's first novel, 'A Time to Kill'.Quote:
Originally Posted by carlosdetweiller
But Bill Thompson worked for Doubleday, and if I recall correctly, there was some bad blood between SK and DD when he changed publishers...something about the money he earned from the five DD books being way lighter than it should have been...
I don't know the details, but if it was a snub, it's pretty much a sure thing that money was the root cause...
The problem was not with Thompson but with Doubleday. If you recall, Thompson was fired when Doubleday lost the King account. Thompson got a job with Everest House and, out of loyalty to Thompson, King gave them DANSE MACABRE. Thompson had nothing to do with the bigger finances of Doubleday and was a victim himself of King moving to Viking.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rahfa
Ah...interesting...I didn't know that.
You never know what could have happened...he could have talked about SK behind his back, spread some gossip around about personal business dealings...there are plenty of legit reasons for snubs that never come to light.
Or...Sk just forgot to invite him...haha...
You are right. And it is really none of our business who King invites and who he doesn't. Still, for a 25 year anniversary celebration of the publication of CARRIE, to NOT invite the most important (besides the writer) person responsible for that event seems crass.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rahfa
I didn't know Bill Thompson but I do know someone who knew him well. Bill had many ups and downs in his life. He was experiencing a "down" when this event took place. A little recognition and thanks would have been important to him at that time.
Sometimes you need to do things not because you want to do them but because it is the right thing to do. Yogi Berra got his feelings hurt when he was fired from the Yankees and vowed never to return to Yankee Stadium. After many years George Steinbrenner personally flew to meet Yogi in person, tell him how important he was to the Yankees, apologize, and personally invite him back into the Yankee family. Yogi accepted and is now at the Old-Timers' Games and other important Yankee events. It was the right thing to do.
In my opinion, inviting Bill Thompson to celebrate the book he was very instrumental in publishing would have been the right thing to do.
I completely agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by carlosdetweiller
Well put...especially since SK was on top of the world by then...so there would be no positive reason to hold onto a snub - IF that was even the case...who knows.Quote:
Originally Posted by carlosdetweillerYou are right. And it is really none of our business who King invites and who he doesn't. Still, for a 25 year anniversary celebration of the publication of CARRIE, to NOT invite the most important (besides the writer) person responsible for that event seems crass.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rahfa
I didn't know Bill Thompson but I do know someone who knew him well. Bill had many ups and downs in his life. He was experiencing a "down" when this event took place. A little recognition and thanks would have been important to him at that time.
Sometimes you need to do things not because you want to do them but because it is the right thing to do. Yogi Berra got his feelings hurt when he was fired from the Yankees and vowed never to return to Yankee Stadium. After many years George Steinbrenner personally flew to meet Yogi in person, tell him how important he was to the Yankees, apologize, and personally invite him back into the Yankee family. Yogi accepted and is now at the Old-Timers' Games and other important Yankee events. It was the right thing to do.
In my opinion, inviting Bill Thompson to celebrate the book he was very instrumental in publishing would have been the right thing to do.
Does seem odd, though. SK always looks out for small bookstores and people he's met along the way, so a deliberate oversight seems out of character. Never mind the event was for the publication of the actual book! But an accidental oversight seems even less likely, considering SK has a staff to take care of invites and things like that...
Opinion on the value of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon signed limited:
I know this is a sore subject for some collectors, hehehe you ask Stu at Betts books about it and he turns red in the face, throws things around, and tells you it's an example of corporate greed. With all that to the side:
I'm getting ready to sell my extra copy for $700. Is that a fair price to ask?
It's mint and still in original shipping box.
Mulleins
Cumberland VA
Sounds okay to me. I paid just a little more than that for my copy a couple years ago.
John
can i ask why? whats so... "weird" about this limiteD?Quote:
Originally Posted by mulleins
$700 is a fair price. I paid $730 for mine.
When the book was first announced and orders started to be taken, it was priced at $500. Amazon even had it at that price. As time progressed, the publisher arbitrarily raised the price to $1000 with no explanations. Amazon therefore also increased their price. This left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.Quote:
Originally Posted by herbertwestcan i ask why? whats so... "weird" about this limiteD?Quote:
Originally Posted by mulleins
John
Yeah I guess so...
Also, IMO, its not as worth while a S/L as its what 15 pages long? and is in actual fact an abridgment of King's novel written by someone else.Quote:
Originally Posted by jhanicWhen the book was first announced and orders started to be taken, it was priced at $500. Amazon even had it at that price. As time progressed, the publisher arbitrarily raised the price to $1000 with no explanations. Amazon therefore also increased their price. This left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.Quote:
Originally Posted by herbertwestcan i ask why? whats so... "weird" about this limiteD?Quote:
Originally Posted by mulleins
John
No offense to anyone who has it, but it's the worst S/L of all...a clear money grab...it's weird that SK gave permission to it, considering his old complaint about s/l's.
I don't think there's much reason to hold a grudge about the pricing controversey though...obviosly, the publisher is lame and unprofessional...but once the book has been bought, the only person benefiting is the private seller...I don't why Stu cares anymore - the publisher isn't getting paid twice!
It's the one s/l I've vowed never to own because of the quality, not the price or that controversery...
No offense taken, but I like the limited. The one I'm selling for $700 is an extra one I ended up with in a large trade. I don't need two on my shelf and thought someone here could benefit from it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rahfa
I'll put it on Dtbay anyway.
Thanks for everyone's input.
Mulleins
Cumberland VA
I also think it's kind of a neat, one-of-a-kind thing. I'm glad, though, that I didn't pay full price for one.
John
I have a feeling that the forthcoming Fifty to One by Sub Press is going to rank right up there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rahfa
ah yeah true, i forgot that the pop-up is really short...Quote:
Originally Posted by e_taylorAlso, IMO, its not as worth while a S/L as its what 15 pages long? and is in actual fact an abridgment of King's novel written by someone else.Quote:
Originally Posted by jhanicWhen the book was first announced and orders started to be taken, it was priced at $500. Amazon even had it at that price. As time progressed, the publisher arbitrarily raised the price to $1000 with no explanations. Amazon therefore also increased their price. This left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.Quote:
Originally Posted by herbertwestcan i ask why? whats so... "weird" about this limiteD?Quote:
Originally Posted by mulleins
John
IMO, definitely a steal... 15 pages, a number and a sig... $1000
Not sure why the page number have anything to do with it. It's a Pop-Up book for God's sake. The whole story is played out in this fashion with artist Alan Dingman. I thought it was fantastic.
The night I went in to Barnes & Noble to purchase the book was priceless. I'm sitting on the floor, Indian style, in the middle of the children section reading a Stephen King story with two ladies asking me to boycott the book because they felt it was misleading to the stores. "A King book in the children section" one of the witches, excuse me, ladies said.
I got up, smiled at my wife sitting on the little sofa to my left, turned back to the two ladies and said at the top of my lungs to embarrass them:
I guess next your going to tell me there's NO GREAT PUMPKIN
and stomped my feet towards the counter like a little child and bought the book :rock:
The manager thought it was the funniest thing she had seen. One other person bought the book behind me just because. :P
Again, I personally think the book was done in fine fashion. I wonder what we would do if King and Whelan got together for a 15 page Pop-Up of Dark Tower?
Mulleins
Cumberland VA
Now THAT would be a massive abridgement :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by mulleins
I liked the pop up book too, although I couldn't afford the limited.
Haha...you're right, I stand corrected!Quote:
Originally Posted by tippy4I have a feeling that the forthcoming Fifty to One by Sub Press is going to rank right up there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rahfa
Actually, I think I was a little harsh on TGWLTG...it is unique and something new...I would have a totally different impression of it had it been $500 or so...the price did leave a bad taste, because in comparison to previous limiteds of much better quality it was way below...the Stand only cost $1000!
But, for the completists out there obviously you have to have it - and, if my matching number showed up, then I'd probably buy one too! Haha...