Book Collection Anonymous

[MikeDuke]

They both look outstanding. Congrats.

[Alec]

Thank you all for the generous remarks.
I appreciate we are King based and there is a thread for Tolkien, so excuse me if I get a little enthusiastic and post on this thread.
Which brings me to thank Simon as always for his posting.
Hopefully we shall be meeting shortly so some more King items to follow.
Kindest regards
Alec.

[firemonkey66]

I love that rebound, very elegant!

[dnemec]

Many thanks to both of you.
The rebound seems an incredible piece of work to remove and reposition the paste downs at the front and rear, without any signs of being moved.
Sangorski and Sutcliffe were responsible for a renowned binding of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, known as the "Great Omar".
This book was aboard the Titanic when it went down in 1912. Shortly after Sangorski himself was tragically drowned.

That book was aboard the Titanic?!? And I thought it was cool before. Amazing, Alec!!!!

[Earl of Popkin]

Many thanks to both of you.
The rebound seems an incredible piece of work to remove and reposition the paste downs at the front and rear, without any signs of being moved.
Sangorski and Sutcliffe were responsible for a renowned binding of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, known as the "Great Omar".
This book was aboard the Titanic when it went down in 1912. Shortly after Sangorski himself was tragically drowned.

That book was aboard the Titanic?!? And I thought it was cool before. Amazing, Alec!!!!

So on top of it being an amazing book, you mean to tell me that book has probably seen Kate Winslet naked? My admiration for your collection is devolving into jealousy. So stinkin cool Alec.

[Alec]

My apologies if my previous post was misleading. The book titled the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam was on the Titanic.
If my rebound copy of the Hobbit saw Kate Winslet naked,it would probably mean I had got a lot, lot luckier than usual.

[Father Cody]

Amazing. I imagine there aren’t many Tolkien signatures out there. Congrats, Alec.

[stroppygoblin]

Amazing. I imagine there aren’t many Tolkien signatures out there. Congrats, Alec.

Tolkien signed very few books. To put it in perspective, King probably signed more books in a single session than Tolkien did in his whole lifetime...

[webstar1000]

Amazing. I imagine there aren’t many Tolkien signatures out there. Congrats, Alec.

Tolkien signed very few books. To put it in perspective, King probably signed more books in a single session than Tolkien did in his whole lifetime...

100% right

[St. Troy]

...King probably signed more books in a single session than Tolkien did in his whole lifetime...

Wow; I had no idea.

[HONKYTONKSMASH]

Those are very cool. Congratulations, Alec

[Alec]

Well it is lovely to see the responses and contributions that J.R.R.Tolkien has gathered on this site. Absolutely delighted.
Thank you all very much for the comments and the enthusiasm.
Kindest regards
Alec.

[Alec]

To save further speculation, I feel it time to state that the collection offered through Very Fine Books is indeed mine.

It was put onto the market anonymously with the view that anyone interested in purchasing would not particularly want the itemised collection spread far and wide. Obviously there are far more reasons than just the privacy factor of a possible purchaser. The collection was advertised through Very Fine Books and through Lilja's Facebook site and it was a forgone conclusion that it would end up being per used by members of The Dark Tower.

It is most likely that the collection (if it sells) will be to a bibliophile who wants to acquire a reasonably complete collection with many rare books. It is highly unlikely that a Stephen King collector would be interested, due to the fact that they would be duplicating on many items. Finding that one particular person requires an enormous amount of optimism, however if there is no buyer at the conclusion then the collection will remain where it is. It will not be split up.

I did not elect to choose Betts Books for this exercise, as David is solely King based and as I have stated earlier I do not believe that is where an interested party would be found. Very Fine Books has received three expressions of interest with the refundable deposit clause, none of them King collectors. Emmanuel does tend towards a global market with the benefit of having clientele who collect from a myriad of authors.

One of the very few reasons that has brought about this post, is the speculation that one of our exceptional collectors has been mentioned as the possible seller. It is not in my remit to allow this to happen and thereby you all have a clear picture of the circumstances.

No single items will be sold from the collection as that is not my intention.

I am duty bound to announce that there are several items in my collection (that have not been posted on my thread) that I have promised to offer back to the people I purchased from. Let me reassure those people that everything stated still holds good.

I hope this has gone part way to explaining the emergence of this sale and the fact that if it sells, so be it. If it does not, I am still actively acquiring King books and will continue to do so. I have always had an inquisitive approach to collecting, this is just one of those things to be tested.

I sincerely hope that the initial anonymity has not caused offence to anyone here.

Kindest regards
Alec.

[webstar1000]

To save further speculation, I feel it time to state that the collection offered through Very Fine Books is indeed mine.

It was put onto the market anonymously with the view that anyone interested in purchasing would not particularly want the itemised collection spread far and wide. Obviously there are far more reasons than just the privacy factor of a possible purchaser. The collection was advertised through Very Fine Books and through Lilja's Facebook site and it was a forgone conclusion that it would end up being per used by members of The Dark Tower.

It is most likely that the collection (if it sells) will be to a bibliophile who wants to acquire a reasonably complete collection with many rare books. It is highly unlikely that a Stephen King collector would be interested, due to the fact that they would be duplicating on many items. Finding that one particular person requires an enormous amount of optimism, however if there is no buyer at the conclusion then the collection will remain where it is. It will not be split up.

I did not elect to choose Betts Books for this exercise, as David is solely King based and as I have stated earlier I do not believe that is where an interested party would be found. Very Fine Books has received three expressions of interest with the refundable deposit clause, none of them King collectors. Emmanuel does tend towards a global market with the benefit of having clientele who collect from a myriad of authors.

One of the very few reasons that has brought about this post, is the speculation that one of our exceptional collectors has been mentioned as the possible seller. It is not in my remit to allow this to happen and thereby you all have a clear picture of the circumstances.

No single items will be sold from the collection as that is not my intention.

I am duty bound to announce that there are several items in my collection (that have not been posted on my thread) that I have promised to offer back to the people I purchased from. Let me reassure those people that everything stated still holds good.

I hope this has gone part way to explaining the emergence of this sale and the fact that if it sells, so be it. If it does not, I am still actively acquiring King books and will continue to do so. I have always had an inquisitive approach to collecting, this is just one of those things to be tested.

I sincerely hope that the initial anonymity has not caused offence to anyone here.

Kindest regards
Alec.

I wish you the ABSOLUTE best in your sale and one thing I know for sure is: I met a wonderful man and collector in your Alec AND even if you do not collect at a time in the future.... I hope to have our long-winded fantastic weekly conversations on the phone. Your one of the last true gentleman and a true asset to this world of King. Love ya buddy!

[jon10g]

Good luck with your sale. From our conversations I know you have one of the most incredible collections.

[Father Cody]

Best of luck to you, Alec. I can only speak for myself but I doubt anyone was offended by the initial anonymity. I was just really curious, as a collector, to see the list. It’s not every day we see a million dollar collection go up for sale.

[Alec]

Thank you for the good wishes, it really is appreciated.

Kindest regards
Alec.

[St. Troy]

I am curious as to whether Alec is ending his King collection altogether.

[peripheral]

That’s amazing Alec - certainly no offence - it’s your private business. But a million dollar collection will (has) undoubtedly raise interest in King collectors, for sure. Good luck with the sale - if only I had some loose cash lying around this sofa!!

[MikeDuke]

It was a mystery for sure. And I did not find it "wrong" for you want to stay anonymous Alec. I haven't spent that much time in your thread but I know you have some spectacular stuff. It's sad on one level that you are selling everything. I wish you luck in completing the sale.
But, if on the other hand, it doesn't sell, I will be happy then also.

[Alec]

In answer to the question by St. Troy, am I ending my Stephen King collecting completely, will be determined by the outcome of the possible sale. I am informed by fellow collectors and enthusiasts that no one has yet managed to sell a collection complete in one transaction. So it would seem that the odds are very much against that happening. If it does, I will start again with very strict parameters on the choice of King collectible. Failure to sell would mean a continuation of the King purchases I am making at present.
Perhaps the word addiction rears its head at this juncture.
I have become fascinated by the world of Tolkien, which I am finding far more straightforward insomuch that the variants are a fraction of the King market. Obviously a lot harder to obtain.
I still believe that the very act of trying to secure a particular book, the chase I suppose, is where the most excitement lies.
Anticipation is everything. Shared enthusiasm the reward.
So to answer your question, yes I will still be here.

[MikeDuke]

I will admit that Tolkien is someone who I admire as well although I have never read any of books. A quick look on eBay shows that they can reach lofty prices as well. Good hunting in your new venture of collecting. Maybe one day I will try to find some good books of his in my price range. Not to hijack your thread but I am also sort of branching in a different direction. I am getting Salvador Dali Lithographs. I just secured my third one. Have art on the wall is a great thing as well.
So good luck in finding what you are looking for.

[herbertwest]

Alec, this may be a dumb question, but... why not shared to VFB some pictures of your collection?
Hence : http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/...nonymous/page7

Couldnt it help a bit?

[Roseannebarr]

I agree King does have a lot of variants. I grew up saving and scrimping to buy used copies of his books and found he is the only author I TRULY cant wait to read his next book! I grew tired of Grisham, Koonts, Saul, Higgins Clark, etc...

You are very fortunate to be able to collect TOLKEIN! My second favorite!

In the long run, I believe King will not or ever outlast Tolkein. Some of Kings books might... but not ALL. I would love for you to sell part of your collection if not all and go FULL ON TOLKEIN!! That would open up some signed limited gunslingers! My only missing HOLY grail!

[Alec]

Good evening Glen,
Totally switching to Tolkien certainly sounds appealing, however it's a lightening quick method of depleting your resources.
I totally agree with your comments and logic regarding King against Tolkien in longevity. I am not in touch with all the facts but it is obvious that Tolkien has not only stood the test of time but appears in certain periods to accelerate on sales and popularity with each new generation reading The Hobbit. It is easy to see with the shortage of his signature where the signed copies command such a price.
The Gunslinger signed limited is an interesting Holy Grail, as I regard it as a very reliable indicator of the fluctuation of market prices. It is rare to see anything below $4,750 and the bounce to prices upward of $5,750 is quite common. It is one book that will run alongside Tolkien insomuch that it will always be in demand. (Only my opinion).
It remains to be seen where mine will end up. As I have said before you only ever collect for someone else.
Kindest regards
Alec.