Book Collection: thegreattim

[thegreattim]

So, now that I think I finally have a handle on my massive picture size problem, I am going to being posting photos of my collection. Nothing too outstanding here (mostly trades), I've only been actively collecting King for a couple of years, though I've been a Constant Reader for much of my life. For the last 10 years or so, I was happy to have a nice looking hardcover on my shelves. But in the last two, I've discovered the proper meaning of first editions, printings, etc... Much to my horror, many of my books were BCEs and such. Only in the last 12 months have I even discovered there was such a thing as limited, signed editions!

I'll start my thread off with the reason we are all here, the Dark Tower Books, of course. Those are on the top of my shelves in either case. After that, I will work my way though my King collection (with a few books per photo) in the order they are on my shelves; the only right way to shelve them (right to the OCD in me, anyhow ), by date of publication. To be perfectly honest, I do add new editions of old books next the original, so it's not completely by date.

After my King books are up, I'll do a few shots of some of my other important collections or personal treasures. Enjoy, comments and suggestions are always welcome.

*Unless otherwise stated, please assume all books are US 1st/1st*

[thegreattim]

Here is a newer addition to my collection. The slipcase gift set from the release of The Waste Lands. Of course that's a 3rd printing The Gunslinger and a 2nd edition Drawing of the Three. Did you know that until two years ago, I thought these books and DT:IV were ever only released in paperback?

[thegreattim]

Drawing of the Three and my personal favorite, Wizard & Glass.

[thegreattim]

Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah, and The Dark Tower.



(Grant Dark Tower books updated here.)

[thegreattim]

The Plume DT trade paperbacks. These are my reading copies and all a bit worn. Still, they all are first printings. Pre-2008, these were the only way that you could buy these books, in my mind. Silly collector. Now that I think about it, Plume probably issued trade paperbacks for 5-7 too. I should look those up someday.

[thegreattim]

The Viking DTs. I'm still missing W&G, and unfortunately DotT and tWL are book club editions. These particular BCEs are sneaky bastards. I've yet to see any other book club use actual cloth binding, foil stamping and illustrated endpapers. What the heck? At least the revised DT:1 is a real 1st/1st. I can't believe the prices those are going for on eBay these days!

[thegreattim]

Okay, the next few photos are kinda sad. Keep in mind that most of these books are older than me, and by the time I got around to reading them, never mind collecting them, they were long out of my price range!

Carrie, 17th printing. 'Salem's Lot Illustrated (the poor man's Centipede!) and 'Salem's Lot BCE.



(Carrie updates found here)

[thegreattim]

The Shining BCE, Night Shift BCE, Night Shift B&W, and the first omnibus collecting the first four King works. I've been collecting all the black and white DoubleDay hardcover reprints too (since I don't have most of them in 1st/1st anyway). I'm still missing a couple, this one is the 14th printing, technically speaking.



More to come as time permits...

[frik]

Very nice, Tim.
Looking forward to seeing the rest of your collection.

sk

[thegreattim]

Thanks! It's been fun taking photos and looking at the books again. I so rarely take them off the shelf these days. I am also looking forward to exploring others collections some more too. It is so impressive and humbling to see some of the others, clearly years of time and tons of love have been poured into them (not to mention wads of $$ )!

[Merlin1958]

Very Nice Stuff, Tim!!!! Keep 'em coming!!!!

[1955spartan]

Very Nice!!! I have some items for sale if you're interested!!!

[thegreattim]

Very Nice!!! I have some items for sale if you're interested!!!

Thanks! Yeah, Merlin mentioned that to me. I'm actually quite interested in seeing you collection and will take a peek at it when I get home. Unfortunately my works blocks all the big photo-sharing websites, so most people thread's look blank to me The only ones I can see are those who use the Gallery here at tdt.org. I'll check it out soon (and maybe make an offfer or two as well!).

[thegreattim]

As Jerome recently hooked me up with a Galley account, I'm re-upping all my previous photos for increased clarity and sharpness. I'll be getting to new pics soon.

[thegreattim]

Hey! Finally a page with entirely first editions, first printings. Don't hold your breath though boys and girls, this does not last forever. All of these were acquired this year, when I went on an earnest search to get all the first edition King's I could reasonably afford. There's a bit of wear to the Cujo jacket and Firestarter bears a little UV degradation to the same. The Dead Zone however, is is surprisingly nice condition.

[thegreattim]

Danse Macabre, i actually picked up two weeks ago in a bargain bin of all places, at a local mostly-retail book store. $9 for a 1st/1st was a pretty good deal in my mind, despite the moderate wear to the jacket. In either case, it was certainly in better condition than the second printing that was place-holding on my shelf. Sadly, this Running Man is the closest thing I have to Bachman paperback original. Nothing particular to mention regarding Different Seasons (besides that it is the best novella collection, still).

[thegreattim]

This is a pretty much worthless first of Christine. As you can see some giant douche taped the jacket to the boards and then in an effort to grind salt into the book's wounds, wrote his name in ink on the endpapers. I keep meaning to replace it... Pet Sematary is the 1982 Caretaker's first variant and the B&W is a 14th printing.

[thegreattim]

"Move along, people. Nothing to see here. Go home, you looky-loos." (Not really, just a mundane page, the only thing to report is that second printing of Silver Bullet).

[thegreattim]

"Why sir, is that really a copy of Stephen King's very best short story collection ever?"
"You bet your ass it is, buddy."

First of Skeleton Crew, unfortunately a third printing of Thinner and even more sad, a BCE of The Bachman Books.

[thegreattim]

Whoops, doubled the Bachman Books photo. Nothing special to report here except that from here on out, I'm pretty sure it's all first printings.



(Eyes of the Dragon has been updated)

[thegreattim]

Red and gold (damn, that leaf just flakes the f*ck right off everywhere - I'd love to replace that with a mint jacket someday) first edition jacket variants of The Tommyknockers. Nothing else too special here.

[thegreattim]

I picked up this first state/printing/edition of Four Past Midnight the other day for $2 on a road-trip. Considering it replaced a copy that looked liked it had been chewed on by a small child, I thought it a good deal.



Okay, I'm done for now. More to come later, and I promise sometime in the near future the books pictured will get at least mildly more interesting than this hodgepodge of trades.

[Stockerlone]

Very Nice Stuff !!!

[biomieg]

Good stuff! And you shouldn't be so negative about your non-1st edition books dude! I used to do that sometimes, too, but then I realized that nobody's going to make fun of your collection even if it's just a bunch of trashed paperbacks.

[jhanic]

Nice collection, Tim. I agree, don't forget that most (if not all) of us started the same way.

John