With that kind of scratch you could buy yourself a year of college learnin
With that kind of scratch you could buy yourself a year of college learnin
A blast from the past. Would that have been Brian McCardle? That time period sounds about right, as 2004 would have been "The Year of the Dance" and I was able to get him up to $60,000 after $40,000 was turned down. I guess the fact that he was a neighbor got a premium. There was no way I would sell to him because I knew who he represented and had several nasty encounters with him that year. I guess he never got a copy then as I wasn't sure if one of you took him up on his offer. I am glad you didn't.Originally Posted by carlosdetweiller
I don't know of one that has changed hands in years. There was a collector who contacted me several times between the years 2004-2006. He also contacted Hutch, David Aronovitz and, I believe, Chris Cavalier. After some discussion he finally got around to offering each of us $40,000 if one of us would sell him a copy. We all turned him down. I haven't any discussions or serious offers since then. I can't speak for the others but I think it would take a significantly higher offer to get me to sell my copy.agreed. But I would not value that anywhere's near that price... I can imagine big money yes... but a FRACTION of that. Any other thoughts here?
Gerald
Yes. It was Brian McCardle. I didn't talk to him nearly as much as Hutch and Aronovitz did. He never came right out and said so to me but I had a feeling he was working for someone else. I'm pretty sure he never got a copy. Can you say who it was he was representing?A blast from the past. Would that have been Brian McCardle? That time period sounds about right, as 2004 would have been "The Year of the Dance" and I was able to get him up to $60,000 after $40,000 was turned down. I guess the fact that he was a neighbor got a premium. There was no way I would sell to him because I knew who he represented and had several nasty encounters with him that year. I guess he never got a copy then as I wasn't sure if one of you took him up on his offer. I am glad you didn't.I don't know of one that has changed hands in years. There was a collector who contacted me several times between the years 2004-2006. He also contacted Hutch, David Aronovitz and, I believe, Chris Cavalier. After some discussion he finally got around to offering each of us $40,000 if one of us would sell him a copy. We all turned him down. I haven't any discussions or serious offers since then. I can't speak for the others but I think it would take a significantly higher offer to get me to sell my copy.agreed. But I would not value that anywhere's near that price... I can imagine big money yes... but a FRACTION of that. Any other thoughts here?
Gerald
Amazing. He sure got around. Yeah, he was a buyer for Michael Flatley (Lord of the Dance) creator. Michael had just finished building his $50 M castle in Cork, Ireland and was spending about $30-40 M filling his library with the rarest of books from all over the world. Michael wasn't a reader, but was a check-book collector.Yes. It was Brian McCardle. I didn't talk to him nearly as much as Hutch and Aronovitz did. He never came right out and said so to me but I had a feeling he was working for someone else. I'm pretty sure he never got a copy. Can you say who it was he was representing?A blast from the past. Would that have been Brian McCardle? That time period sounds about right, as 2004 would have been "The Year of the Dance" and I was able to get him up to $60,000 after $40,000 was turned down. I guess the fact that he was a neighbor got a premium. There was no way I would sell to him because I knew who he represented and had several nasty encounters with him that year. I guess he never got a copy then as I wasn't sure if one of you took him up on his offer. I am glad you didn't.I don't know of one that has changed hands in years. There was a collector who contacted me several times between the years 2004-2006. He also contacted Hutch, David Aronovitz and, I believe, Chris Cavalier. After some discussion he finally got around to offering each of us $40,000 if one of us would sell him a copy. We all turned him down. I haven't any discussions or serious offers since then. I can't speak for the others but I think it would take a significantly higher offer to get me to sell my copy.agreed. But I would not value that anywhere's near that price... I can imagine big money yes... but a FRACTION of that. Any other thoughts here?
Gerald
I met Brian in Sotheby's that year and was lucky enough to snag one item from a sale away from his grubby little hands. He was in attendance and buying everything from James Joyce's brother, Stanislaus estate. He was on the phone to Michael the entire time but as luck would have it, his battery died about 3 lots before a love letter to Nora Barnacle appeared. When the bidding got to above his limit, he asked Peter Selley, the auctioneer, could he use one of the employees phones to call his client for permission to bid higher. All the phones were being manned, and wth a puzzled face, Peter said 'No'. He asked to leave the room and find a phone outside and again he was turned down. No sale is stopped for anyone, especially since there is active in-room bidding. He couldn't bid any higher and lost it. The next day, Michael sent a nasty op-ed letter to the Irish Times blasting Sotheby's for their treatment of him. They didn't lower themselves to respond. At the end of auction, Peter gave me a little wink and smile. He is my friend, and has been to this day.
For whatever reason, Brian must have discovered about the rarity of "Salem's Lot", although not difficult as it is widely known in the rare book realm for the dust jacket mistake. It is usually associated with the misprint on "The Hobbit" and "The Great Gatsby", so that was probably why you were all contacted. I haven't heard of him in years.
Gerald
You travel in some very interesting circles, Gerald!!! Thanks for sharing these tid bits with us!!! I enjoy the hell out of your posts!!!
28 in 23 (?)!!!!
63 in '23!!!!!!!!!!
My Collection: https://www.thedarktower.org/palaver...ion-Merlin1958
The Houston Astros cheated Major League Baseball from 2017-18!!!! Is that how we teach our kids to play the game now?????
Always interesting reading your posts Gerald.
When reading this :
Does that mean that you own one of them?
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CLUB STEPHEN KING (french website about STEPHEN KING, since 1992) : on : Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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These pieces about the history of collecting are fascinating. I've always thought someone should write a book about the 'supercollectors'.
Please keep posting this stuff. For those of us without the financial means or connections in the book world, it is a wonderful glimpse of another world!
Jon
It is nice to remember a time that is over a decade old. Those were fun days. Yes I still have the "Salem's Lot". I had no interest in selling it then, and still don't. Personally, I love to collect items in the book world that have errors. Like I said, "The Hobbit" and "The Great Gatsby" are another two that come to mind. It is not a coincidence that they are also valuable First Editions today. In the latter two cases, it is simply an extra letter and a lower case letter that made the distinction, but that was all it took. They are great books too.Always interesting reading your posts Gerald.
When reading this :
Does that mean that you own one of them?
Gerald
Bob wins for most "different" signatures, but I own a Moth copy that King signed THREE times, at each of his poems/pieces....can anyone top THREE King sigs in their Moth?So, lets have a fight...
Who has the most signature in "Moth". 13 wins so far...
Dragline : Nothin'. A handful of nothin'. You stupid mullet head. He beat you with nothin'. Just like today when he kept comin' back at me - with nothin'.
Luke : Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Wow. REALLY enjoyed reading all this! So.. how many of these are in exsistance?It is nice to remember a time that is over a decade old. Those were fun days. Yes I still have the "Salem's Lot". I had no interest in selling it then, and still don't. Personally, I love to collect items in the book world that have errors. Like I said, "The Hobbit" and "The Great Gatsby" are another two that come to mind. It is not a coincidence that they are also valuable First Editions today. In the latter two cases, it is simply an extra letter and a lower case letter that made the distinction, but that was all it took. They are great books too.Always interesting reading your posts Gerald.
When reading this :
Does that mean that you own one of them?
Gerald
HELP ME FIND
Insomnia #459
ANY S/L #459
There must be about seven or eight I think. I'm sure Bob and Gerald will chime in. If Hutch still owns his copy, four of them reside in TDT.org member collections: Bob, Gerald, Steve (ur2ndbiggestfan) and Hutch.
I would certainly never tell someone how to spend their money or criticize the way in which they spend it (at least not publicly). But how much fun would it be to build a book collection (or any collection for that matter) and have someone else do it for you? I love this hobby and at times it consumes my thoughts and efforts. I've had the highest of highs from a big find and the lowest of lows when I have just missed something I really wanted. For me it just wouldn't be the same if some guy brought over books he had bought on my behalf and put them on my shelves.
When you are a billionaire you don't have the luxury of doing things yourself. Imagine (add famous person here), trying to buy something on ebay and the seller also sells his personal details to the rest of the world.I would certainly never tell someone how to spend their money or criticize the way in which they spend it (at least not publicly). But how much fun would it be to build a book collection (or any collection for that matter) and have someone else do it for you? I love this hobby and at times it consumes my thoughts and efforts. I've had the highest of highs from a big find and the lowest of lows when I have just missed something I really wanted. For me it just wouldn't be the same if some guy brought over books he had bought on my behalf and put them on my shelves.
True. I guess I really didn't think it through. And if the Sultan of Brunei wanted a book that I had, and I knew it was the Sultan who wanted the book, I would more than likely inflate my asking price knowing that he could well afford it.When you are a billionaire you don't have the luxury of doing things yourself. Imagine (add famous person here), trying to buy something on ebay and the seller also sells his personal details to the rest of the world.I would certainly never tell someone how to spend their money or criticize the way in which they spend it (at least not publicly). But how much fun would it be to build a book collection (or any collection for that matter) and have someone else do it for you? I love this hobby and at times it consumes my thoughts and efforts. I've had the highest of highs from a big find and the lowest of lows when I have just missed something I really wanted. For me it just wouldn't be the same if some guy brought over books he had bought on my behalf and put them on my shelves.
Peter Schneider has written in his essay about collecting King that he found three to five copies folded in half in a file in the art department at Doubleday. I have asked Peter directly how many he found and he said he really didn't remember but he is pretty sure it wasn't more than five.
And Chris Cavalier still has his copy, I believe.
So Bob, is your's and the others... creased where it was folded?Peter Schneider has written in his essay about collecting King that he found three to five copies folded in half in a file in the art department at Doubleday. I have asked Peter directly how many he found and he said he really didn't remember but he is pretty sure it wasn't more than five.
And Chris Cavalier still has his copy, I believe.
HELP ME FIND
Insomnia #459
ANY S/L #459
Yes. I have never heard of one that wasn't creased. The only variation is where it is creased. Some are creased directly down the center of the spine, i.e. once folded directly in half. Others, like my copy, were folded where the rear panel meets the spine. The point of this is that there is no evidence that copies ever left Doubleday in the intact first state (as review copies or early sales before the clipping and repricing). At least none have shown up to the knowledge of the collecting community.
Thank you! FASCINATING... always enjoy this part of collectingYes. I have never heard of one that wasn't creased. The only variation is where it is creased. Some are creased directly down the center of the spine, i.e. once folded directly in half. Others, like my copy, were folded where the rear panel meets the spine. The point of this is that there is no evidence that copies ever left Doubleday in the intact first state (as review copies or early sales before the clipping and repricing). At least none have shown up to the knowledge of the collecting community.
HELP ME FIND
Insomnia #459
ANY S/L #459
Gerald, I just love the stories you have! I really like the phrase "checkbook collector", too.
John
Wow - I must live in a different world! :-)
DT Spoiler - Enter at your own risk!
Spoiler:
Thanks John. I don't know where I originally heard that, but it was probably somewhere in London. I heard of bookstores there that would regularly get large orders from a titled gentleman and the standing order was just fill up a library with a various assortment of rare first editions. Genre, period, it didn't matter. They just wanted their friends to think that they were well versed.
I could not imagine living like that, but as someone said, if you are very rich, you can get an instant library made very quickly. Just open up the checkbook.
Gerald
If Gerald and Bob could continue posting their collecting stories all day long, that would be just fine by me. I love reading this stuff.
Brian
Founder and publisher of Lividian Publications. My other website is BrianJamesFreeman.com. Please always feel free to email me or send me a PM if you have any questions about either!
I agree. It's very fascinating.
Oh and I'm more of a credit card collector myself.
+1If Gerald and Bob could continue posting their collecting stories all day long, that would be just fine by me. I love reading this stuff.
Brian
If anyone would have the time or luxury of doing something his or her self it would be a billionaire. As for buying on eBay I'm guessing, but not assuming, one's identity is kept private. Account and shipping info could likely be set up under a different name and address or as a corporation.
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