My point exactly....there are no marks on the last 5 books I've proofed for Cemetery Dance to mark these as uncorrected proofs. These are just the print outs of what the finished designed pages are going to look like, most often missing the artwork. I don't really know how they get into collectors hands and I can see how easy it would be for someone to make photo copies and resell them again. Be careful out there, folks!Originally Posted by sentinel
~Jonathan
I think they got into collectors hands when CD sent them out in grab bags. I seem to recall a lot of people on this site posting about getting them. Several titles, IIRC, Mr. Mercedes, Blockade Billy, The Dark Man, etc.
While I usually do not have much luck with ABE, I still look regularly, because Carlosdetweiller always recounts his success stories with it. My usual encounter usually goes like this:
I find an interesting book that either has no photo, or a stock photo that the bookseller couldn’t bother replacing with a photo of THEIR actual book. I then write to the bookseller and ask a few questions, request photos (copyright page, DJ, boards, etc.) and their replies are usually something like:
1. The full description is on the site … read it!
2. My camera is not working at the moment, so I cannot do that.
3. The book is MINT, just printed look.
4. The book is in my warehouse and I have thousands of books there, I cannot possibly find your book and photograph it. (this gets me wondering how they will find my book in their Indiana Jones size warehouse AFTER I pay for it)
5. No.
That is usually as far as I get. If I get past 1-5 and actually get my question answered, photo taken, then the fun starts when I tell them I’ll need shipping to Thailand. GAME OVER!
I thought that was going to be the case last month when I found a paperback of “The Dead Zone” from a seller in Switzerland. As usual, no photo, vague description and a quick search of their inventory discovered only one King item – “The Dead Zone” paperback. Great, they definitely don’t specialize in Stephen King. I was going to pass, but I really wanted a nice paperback of this novel to replace my tired one. I wrote to them and asked my repertoire. Her response, “Sorry, I just bought an Estate Sale of over 800+ books and I am trying to catalog them all to sell. It is just me here and maybe I can find time to photograph the book, but I took the most important details when I wrote them down. If the book is not as described when you get it, drop it back in the post and I’ll refund your money. Is that okay?”
I asked her just one question: “Are you sure it is a paperback from Viking?” She said if that was what was in the description, then that is correct. She was very careful about condition and publisher. That was all I needed to hear. I bought it and she said she would mail it as soon as possible. That was November 4th. I forgot all about it until it arrived yesterday (December 5) in a padded envelope. I expected the worst, but it was bubble-wrapped and the book was sealed tight in a plastic archival bag. It was obvious that the seller never bothered to open it up, as she took all the information off the cover.
She was correct, it was a paperback and published by Viking. In her description, she wrote “early copy” which was also correct. What she failed to miss out on by not opening it, was that Stephen was kind enough to sign the proof on August 22, 1979 (eve of publication) and the lucky recipient also clipped out a newspaper article announcing an upcoming book signing in California that they undoubtedly attended. Whether this signed First Edition was with the same collector, I have no way of knowing at this time, but I have been in touch with her today and asked if she found any more Stephen King books, and will keep my fingers crossed she found more.
The reasons I bought this unseen was for 3 reasons only:
1. Viking did not produce a paperback of this novel. NAL / Signet did in 1980.
2. Estate Sales in Zurich are bound to have some rare items as it is one of the wealthiest cities in the World.
3. Very few people will wrap a used paperback of a novel in a plastic bag unless of course they want to keep it in as new condition as possible.
I thought about contacting the seller and letting her know it was more valuable than what they sold it for, but I didn’t for the simple reason that nothing I did was nefarious. The seller was uninterested to open the book up to examine it carefully before posting, and when I requested further information, they were too busy to accommodate me. By doing so, they would have discovered the signature and the newspaper clipping, thus adding more value to the book. I took a chance with my $21 that I could get a piece of junk that was worthless. Sometimes Lady Luck is looking out for you. All I feel sorry for was for the man/woman that passed away. They obviously knew what they had was rare and looked after it for nearly 40 years, in pristine condition. It’s just a shame that their heirs knew nothing of books, nor took the time to learn about it.
Personally, I think that everybody on this forum should take the time to clearly document their books. This is not only for their benefit, but as none of us know the day that we will reach The Tower. If you leave behind an Excel spreadsheet with 300-400 books and there is 10+ entries for “Salem’s Lot”, you can be certain that your loved ones will never know the difference between a Roman Numeral, numbered or gift edition from Centipede Press, if they are not book lovers like you. I have a lot of books, and I am painstakingly documenting them to the most exact detail: measurements, weight, photographs from every angle, signature pages, location (in the stacks), provenance, purchase and owner history, and ultimately approximate market value.
If you have spent a fair amount of money building up a nice collection, like most of you have, you should want the next generation to get what they are worth at the very least. I know this proof is worth more than the $21 I paid for it, and while I can guess an approximate value for it, I have no way of knowing with certainty, because my other proof is unsigned.
I wish I had known of this Swiss collector, as I would definitely have sought them out on one of my visits. I love to meet King collectors because unlike other book collectors, they usually have a very deep appreciation. I have never met the same kind of collector that specializes in say James Joyce or Graham Greene. It’s just a different breed.
I hope you enjoy.
Gerald
Description:
Paperback edition. A nice clean, early copy. Fine in wrappers. Bookseller Inventory # 8548
Bibliographic data
Title: The Dead Zone - King, Stephen
Publisher: The Viking Press
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Very Good
Edition: 1st Edition
Price: EUR 15,50 (approx. $16.95)
Shipping: EUR 3,47 (to Thailand) (approx. $3.80)
Seller: Zurich, Switzerland
😨. What an "awesome deal"!
Simply wonderful !
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CLUB STEPHEN KING (french website about STEPHEN KING, since 1992) : on : Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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Great story, Gerald! I keep thinking your stories and acquisitions can't get any better. And then, they do! Congratulations on this one! The "N.A.L." stamp on the front cover is probably unique.
Great story Gerald and I agree on cataloging the collection.
I use a program call bookcollectorz.com The program allows me to put in pictures, what I paid, current value, and a detail descriptions of the book, like, signed, artist remarqued, slipcase, publisher, dates, rarity, etc.
It's a great practice to get into. My export copy of the database sits at my insurance agents office ( I update his copy frequently), and my wife knows how to use the software and reporting in case something happens to me.
Mulleins
I'm the caretaker of Room 217..............I've always been the caretaker of Room 217
It is a great topic. I use a program called FilemakerPro. It was recommended to me by Jerry Parmer of San Diego who used to sell his own program called Collector Bookstacks. I was running an old Mac version of Collector Bookstacks and wanted to switch years ago to Windows. Jerry said FilemakerPro was so good that he could no longer compete with it and stopped selling his own program. He himself is running his bookstore on FilemakerPro. Basically you create a "file card" for each book creating and entering any fields you wish. It is an entirely searchable and sortable database. I have every item in my collection (currently over 5200 items) cataloged in it. My wife knows of it and, with a little practice, can find any book or magazine and see what I paid for it and when. Lots of other descriptive characteristics too so that one can distinguish, for example, which book of multiple copies is the one in question.
It takes discipline (and something of a compulsive personality) to do this and, often, I might have 10 or 15 books sitting on my desk waiting to be entered. But, once a week or so, I sit down and start cataloging them. I think it will pay off in the long run and it keeps my mind at ease.
You Lucky Bar Steward!
Amazing again...
1 Bid, $50:
Bag of Bones Proof ARC - Stephen King
Great Dead Zone story!
A great buy and story, Gerald! As Bob said, that one with the N.A.L. stamp seems unique.
John
Stephen King Proofs
Amazing story Gerald and what an incredibly lucky find that was. Like a needle in a haystack. Congratulations.
Dead Zone miracle find value?
Wow. What is that even worth? It's in amazing condition too.
Fantastic!
Thank you Alan, but I must admit that I not familiar with this term. As I don't drink, is a bar steward a person that manages a pub and keeps order? Is it someone like 'Dot Cotton' on Eastenders, that provides a central role among a crowd of people? If so, then I appreciate the compliment.
Gerald
Thank you everyone else for your kind words and encouragement. On this instance I feel lucky and if I am fortunate enough to find more King items from the same seller, I hope they are of the same caliber. Unfortunately, I am still sans "The Dead Zone" paperback from NAL. I will keep searching.
Gerald
Amazing find, Gerald. Congratulations!
Congratulations Gerald! I hope the seller comes back to you with a whole boxful of similarly wrapped items.
WANTED
US 1st Printings. I have THESE
#92 IT Portfolio (or the #95 IT to swap for the #92 that I have)
Any #95 SK-related Cemetery Dance Edition
Any #7 PS Publishing Edition
Sleeping Beauties: Signed Tour version.
Thank you Seth. I hope so too. My biggest question is, how does a large estate collection end up going to a book seller, that really doesn't know much about books? When "Unpublished Proof" and "Not for distribution to the public" are clearly written on the cover, I can only guess that there must have been far rarer pieces that they were more interested in. That's okay, I am quite content with my purchase. I would have to check, but I believe it would be the one of the best items I purchased for its price. I know what I paid for my unsigned copy 10 years ago and it was far more. I will let you know if she has any more.
Gerald
Thank you Alan, but I must admit that I not familiar with this term. As I don't drink, is a bar steward a person that manages a pub and keeps order? Is it someone like 'Dot Cotton' on Eastenders, that provides a central role among a crowd of people? If so, then I appreciate the compliment.
Geraldan Irishman that doesn't drink. What's the world coming to?
Good point, but I sold drink to the masses when I lived there. Someone has to have a clear head when your customer base is obviously impaired beyond comprehension. Besides, you get to remember all the silly things that they do and say when they are 'two sheets to the wind'. They never believe you the next day.Thank you Alan, but I must admit that I not familiar with this term. As I don't drink, is a bar steward a person that manages a pub and keeps order? Is it someone like 'Dot Cotton' on Eastenders, that provides a central role among a crowd of people? If so, then I appreciate the compliment.
Gerald
Gerald
Good point, but I sold drink to the masses when I lived there. Someone has to have a clear head when your customer base is obviously impaired beyond comprehension. Besides, you get to remember all the silly things that they do and say when they are 'two sheets to the wind'. They never believe you the next day.Thank you Alan, but I must admit that I not familiar with this term. As I don't drink, is a bar steward a person that manages a pub and keeps order? Is it someone like 'Dot Cotton' on Eastenders, that provides a central role among a crowd of people? If so, then I appreciate the compliment.
Gerald
Gerald
Someone important once said, "An Irishman is never drunk, as long as he can hang onto one blade of grass and not fall off the face of the Earth"!!! LOL
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?????
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