Stephen King Collecting Questions

[Dan]

I have a question about two King items I saw today. Unfortunatly my phone is old and stupid, hence no pics.

I was in a local shop and the owner showed me two items. They are small booklets, full color covers, perhaps 6x8, 7x9. One of them was The Raft, the other The Monkey. They were in plastic bags, so i didnt want to take them out. He said they were complete stories and that they were included with some other magazine. Judging by the condition, the staples in the spine, and the ads on back these were probably released around the time of Skeleton Crew.

They were priced $75 each. Does anyone else know the rest of the story on these items?

Thanks!

The Monkey is an insert in Gallery men's magazine from November 1980. The Raft is an insert from Gallery November 1982. Most collectors want the entire magazine to include the insert. Both Gallery's should be found for half of that asking price including the entire magazine.

[Bev Vincent]

I have a question about two King items I saw today. Unfortunatly my phone is old and stupid, hence no pics.

I was in a local shop and the owner showed me two items. They are small booklets, full color covers, perhaps 6x8, 7x9. One of them was The Raft, the other The Monkey. They were in plastic bags, so i didnt want to take them out. He said they were complete stories and that they were included with some other magazine. Judging by the condition, the staples in the spine, and the ads on back these were probably released around the time of Skeleton Crew.

They were priced $75 each. Does anyone else know the rest of the story on these items?

Thanks!

These booklets are from Gallery magazine and represent the first appearances of the stories.

[Cwalker]

I have a question about two King items I saw today. Unfortunatly my phone is old and stupid, hence no pics.

I was in a local shop and the owner showed me two items. They are small booklets, full color covers, perhaps 6x8, 7x9. One of them was The Raft, the other The Monkey. They were in plastic bags, so i didnt want to take them out. He said they were complete stories and that they were included with some other magazine. Judging by the condition, the staples in the spine, and the ads on back these were probably released around the time of Skeleton Crew.

They were priced $75 each. Does anyone else know the rest of the story on these items?

Thanks!

The Monkey is an insert in Gallery men's magazine from November 1980. The Raft is an insert from Gallery November 1982. Most collectors want the entire magazine to include the insert. Both Gallery's should be found for half of that asking price including the entire magazine.

Thanks for the info. I may tell him the backstory, but i will probably leave out the fact that he is asking way to much!

[needfulthings]

[QUOTE=Cwalker;971481]I have a question about two King items I saw today. Unfortunatly my phone is old and stupid, hence no pics.

I was in a local shop and the owner showed me two items. They are small booklets, full color covers, perhaps 6x8, 7x9. One of them was The Raft, the other The Monkey. They were in plastic bags, so i didnt want to take them out. He said they were complete stories and that they were included with some other magazine. Judging by the condition, the staples in the spine, and the ads on back these were probably released around the time of Skeleton Crew.

They were priced $75 each. Does anyone else know the rest of the story on these items?

Thanks!
The Monkey Gallery Nov 1980.




The Raft Gallery Nov 1982.

[Br!an]

I have a question about two King items I saw today. Unfortunatly my phone is old and stupid, hence no pics.

I was in a local shop and the owner showed me two items. They are small booklets, full color covers, perhaps 6x8, 7x9. One of them was The Raft, the other The Monkey. They were in plastic bags, so i didnt want to take them out. He said they were complete stories and that they were included with some other magazine. Judging by the condition, the staples in the spine, and the ads on back these were probably released around the time of Skeleton Crew.

They were priced $75 each. Does anyone else know the rest of the story on these items?

Thanks!

I bought my copy of Gallery with the booklet The Monkey still attached in fine condition last year for $20. (I see there are a couple on ABE right now for that.) The Raft was also a Gallery chapbook. I don't have one of those yet. I suppose it should be about the same price.

[bdwyer19]

A book signed and dated close to publication date would obviously be worth more. However, if it's signed and dated several years past its publication date, would that have any impact on its value? If so, how much?

[Randall Flagg]

That's such a wide open question.
In general the older the title, the more valuable the book with a dated signature very near the publication date. I would guestimate that A Carrie dated two years after publication would be worth 15-25% less than one dated within a week of publication. That is with both books being in VG+ or NF condition.

I don't think two years would make a 20% difference on a Bag of Bones, but even if it did the dollar amount would be much smaller and thus less of an issue.

[bdwyer19]

Yeah, it was pretty wide open. Sorry. How about a NF copy of Pet Sematary signed and dated twenty years later?

[Randall Flagg]

20% less.
$350 for signature dated year of publication.
$280 for recent dated Sig.
Just my opinion.
Would like to hear others chime in.

[OneFathom]

Did all copies of the hardcover trade edition of Thinner come with the white paper band surrounding the book? For example, see THIS listing. Thanks for the help!

[jhanic]

Not all of them did. I bought mine the day it was published (at Waldenbooks) and not a band in sight. I think the publisher added the band after the Richard Bachman pseudonym was disclosed. I wish I had gone back to get one.

John

[Dan]

Not all of them did. I bought mine the day it was published (at Waldenbooks) and not a band in sight. I think the publisher added the band after the Richard Bachman pseudonym was disclosed. I wish I had gone back to get one.

John

Did you know or suspect that Bachman was King? What made you buy this book?

[OneFathom]

Not all of them did. I bought mine the day it was published (at Waldenbooks) and not a band in sight. I think the publisher added the band after the Richard Bachman pseudonym was disclosed. I wish I had gone back to get one.

John

Thanks for the insight, John. So would you say only printings subsequent to the true first might have come with the band? Your logic makes sense since the band does mention Stephen King.

[carlosdetweiller]

This is from memory and I may not remember all the details correctly. As I recall those of us who were already collecting King and subscribing to catalogs, newsletters, etc. knew (or it was strongly suspected) that Bachman was actually King. We bought copies when they were first released at Waldenbooks and B. Dalton's. Sales of the book were otherwise sluggish and I think I remember copies on the remainder table. When the fact that King was Bachman was confirmed the publisher made up the bands to put on remaining copies to promote sales. They then sold pretty quickly. At least I think that is right.

[Room 217 Caretaker]

This is from memory and I may not remember all the details correctly. As I recall those of us who were already collecting King and subscribing to catalogs, newsletters, etc. knew (or it was strongly suspected) that Bachman was actually King. We bought copies when they were first released at Waldenbooks and B. Dalton's. Sales of the book were otherwise sluggish and I think I remember copies on the remainder table. When the fact that King was Bachman was confirmed the publisher made up the bands to put on remaining copies to promote sales. They then sold pretty quickly. At least I think that is right.

Spot on! You described it exactly how I remember it. I already owned a 1st edition of Thinner and picked up another first edition with the band when announced.

See, your memory is still OK.

Mulleins

[jhanic]

I used to get a lot of my books back then from Robert Weinberg. He let it slip in one of his catalogs that Bachman was really King. I think that was the first announcement. As soon as I saw that, I went and bought the book.

John

[Dan]

Great stories! I was five, so I have no memory of those days.

[herbertwest]

I used to get a lot of my books back then from Robert Weinberg. He let it slip in one of his catalogs that Bachman was really King. I think that was the first announcement. As soon as I saw that, I went and bought the book.

John

Would be interested in seeing that info if anyone has it.

[sentinel]

This is from memory and I may not remember all the details correctly. As I recall those of us who were already collecting King and subscribing to catalogs, newsletters, etc. knew (or it was strongly suspected) that Bachman was actually King. We bought copies when they were first released at Waldenbooks and B. Dalton's. Sales of the book were otherwise sluggish and I think I remember copies on the remainder table. When the fact that King was Bachman was confirmed the publisher made up the bands to put on remaining copies to promote sales. They then sold pretty quickly. At least I think that is right.

Bob, you are right on. I remember the owner of the bookstore I frequented at the time telling me "pick up this Thinner title, it's really King" and there
was no band on it and then there were copies with the band within a few weeks.

[Bev Vincent]

This is from memory and I may not remember all the details correctly. As I recall those of us who were already collecting King and subscribing to catalogs, newsletters, etc. knew (or it was strongly suspected) that Bachman was actually King. We bought copies when they were first released at Waldenbooks and B. Dalton's. Sales of the book were otherwise sluggish and I think I remember copies on the remainder table. When the fact that King was Bachman was confirmed the publisher made up the bands to put on remaining copies to promote sales. They then sold pretty quickly. At least I think that is right.

When we get to Thinner at Stephen King Revisited, I'll be writing at length about the rumors that circulated long before the Bangor Daily News article that was the first public claim that Bachman was King.

[Rahfa]

This is from memory and I may not remember all the details correctly. As I recall those of us who were already collecting King and subscribing to catalogs, newsletters, etc. knew (or it was strongly suspected) that Bachman was actually King. We bought copies when they were first released at Waldenbooks and B. Dalton's. Sales of the book were otherwise sluggish and I think I remember copies on the remainder table. When the fact that King was Bachman was confirmed the publisher made up the bands to put on remaining copies to promote sales. They then sold pretty quickly. At least I think that is right.

That's exactly how I remember it. There was gossip about the book before the band, which led me to buy a hardcover before all the hoopla. (at least in my memory)

What's funny is that happened before things went viral like today - I'm not sure how that gossip even got spread around.

But I do remember getting a copy before the band...I've long since lost that copy. I def. had a hardcover edition, though.

(it is also possible that I bought a hardcover copy AFTER the reveal - and it just didn't have a band)

[needfulthings]

The 1st clue I had was JAN/FEB 1983 When I received the catalog from Andromeda Bookshop (Birmingham, U.K.) listing the U.K. RAGE (Almost 2 years before Thinner was published 11/19 /1984) & they stated this may be Stephen King.

Spoiler:

THE HUNT WAS ON!
& while on the hunt I found this in a 2nd bookshop for $3.50 (but unsigned at the time.)

[herbertwest]

This is from memory and I may not remember all the details correctly. As I recall those of us who were already collecting King and subscribing to catalogs, newsletters, etc. knew (or it was strongly suspected) that Bachman was actually King. We bought copies when they were first released at Waldenbooks and B. Dalton's. Sales of the book were otherwise sluggish and I think I remember copies on the remainder table. When the fact that King was Bachman was confirmed the publisher made up the bands to put on remaining copies to promote sales. They then sold pretty quickly. At least I think that is right.

When we get to Thinner at Stephen King Revisited, I'll be writing at length about the rumors that circulated long before the Bangor Daily News article that was the first public claim that Bachman was King.

Cannot wait to read it. Your SK Revisited are always really good read!

[Ari_Racing]

I remember time ago someone (I think it was Bob Jackson) mentioned there are two different versions of the first four numbers of Castle Rock Newsletter, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. Does anyone know the differences and how to identify the first edition of each number?

Thanks!

[Bev Vincent]

I'm not sure how to tell the difference. The first four were printed on regular printer paper using a mimeograph machine, corner stapled. Once ads started appearing in various places about the newsletter, their subscription base grew quickly. A lot of people (myself included) wanted the back issues, particularly because they contained installments of Dolan's Cadillac. So they went "back to press" and produced more copies of those issues. They might have been marked "copy" -- I can't recall.