Originally Posted by gguthrie
Great anecdote.
<5 Years
5-10 Years
11-20 Years
21-30 Years
30+ Years
"...that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little." ~ Ray Bradbury
I've been buying/collecting books since I was 15, but I started seriously collecting King in 2001. That's when I got my first real job that paid more then 10 bucks an hour
I soon grew frustrated with not being able to find out exactly what books were out there and how much they were worth. That's why I started my site.
Thanks much,
The Collector www.stephenkingcollector.com
--Your source for info on rare Stephen King--
Great to see you here collector
The kindness of close friends is like a warm blanket
Tomas! So glad to see you!
"...that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little." ~ Ray Bradbury
Welcome Thomas.
Since I was 14, just lately had the money to get some serious shopping done
Good for you. Having money and starting now is a good thing-it's a buyers market. Prices are lower on most things now than 5+ years ago.
But do you think that many of the items that collectors will want are available?
Well - maybe I am wrong because never (until now) had I seen a lettered Firestarter on eBay...
I think that most things a beginning collector wants are readily available.
I agree. Heck, there are still books out there from time to time that I want but pass on bidding for.
"...that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little." ~ Ray Bradbury
I realized I voted in the poll but never posted!
I have been collecting for about 10 years but reading King for much longer than that. The first "collectible" King book I ever bought was a flawless original 1978 first edition of The Stand from Stu at Bett's Books. I remember distinctly paying $250 for it and thinking I must be crazy paying so much for a book.Now, I shudder as to how much $$ I have spent on my collection. Collecting King is a hobby that is never dull for me and offers the opportunity to learn something completely new on a fairly regular basis.
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.
Perhaps some of our newest members would care to vote and comment.
I wouldn't even elevate what I do to the level of being called collecting. There are a few things that I'm working on. I've always wanted a decent set of hardcovers for the entire Dark Tower series, and a few other books.
It's stressful being an other. ~ Juliet
I believe there ought to be a Constitutional Amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. ~ Crash Davis
King was my intro to book collecting. the dark tower intoduced me to the world of limited editions. I have now branched into collecting bradbury, faulkner, hemingway and mccarthy.... The obsession is spreading!
We all start somewhere, my friend.
Please consider starting a thread in the Collections subforum. I'd love to see your King and non-King collectible books.
"...that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little." ~ Ray Bradbury
obsession or disease? lol
It’s nice that you also collect Bradbury.
I honestly think Bradbury and King are the two greatest living American writers. Sure you can pull names like McCarthy out, but when you think about the sheer volume of work Bradbury and King have done, and how both of these writers have influenced just about everything in American culture today, you have to put these two on a pedestal.
Geoff
I'm a big SK fan but probably not a collector, I collect other items (statues lol) so I don't have a whole lot of funds so I can't afford the S/L's.
Since maybe 2005 i've been slowly trying to get a nice hardback edition of each of King's novels, i've got a few signed books and most of the semi-affordable gift editions and of course I pick up a 1st edition of his latest title.
Excellent. Welcome to Calvin's Corner.
Well, I've been a SK fan since the early 1980s, but I actually didn't procure what might be considered collectible until early in 2007 when I got a signed copy of Postscripts 10 (with Joe Hill signature also!). Then I purchased a first edition of The Dead Zone signed & dated 4/5/80 by Stephen King for $140 (I just had to replace the rather old dust jacket), and then the danger spread!
So far I have those two and:
- Signed 1st/4th of Different Seasons
- S/L The Ideal, Genuine Man by Don Robertson
- Signed/Dated 1st/8th printing of Cujo
- Signed 1st/1st of Lisey's Story
- Signed 1st/1st paperback of Best American Short Stories 2007
- S/L #428 of A Life in the Cinema by Mick Garris, intro by SK
- Signed 1st/3rd of On Writing
- Flat Signed 1st/1st British edition of Bag of Bones
- Signed 1st/1st of Duma Key
- S/L #628 of The Gunslinger Audio Cassette from 1989
- Signed (on cover) 1st printing of It
Fortunately, I was able to get Best American Short Stories 2007 just by calling Harvard Book Store in advance of SK’s October 2007 appearance and pre-ordering it at cover price, and Duma Key at cover less 30% from Barnes and Noble in Sarasota by chance.
"God punishes us for what we cannot imagine." - Stephen King, Duma Key
A nice collection so far!
John
I bought my first collectible when I was in 10th or 11th grade. I shelled out $200 for a first edition of The Gunslinger. This was in '87 or '88. If I remember correctly the seller advertised it in the classifieds of Castle Rock. I didn't think of it as a collectible at the time--it was just the only way I could get my hands on the book to read it. And I absolutely HAD to read it. Still have it. It's in mint condition. Worth every penny
If you shelled out ~$200 for it and it is in mint condition, then it certainly is worth every penny-and about 70,000 more penniesI bought my first collectible when I was in 10th or 11th grade. I shelled out $200 for a first edition of The Gunslinger. This was in '87 or '88. If I remember correctly the seller advertised it in the classifieds of Castle Rock. I didn't think of it as a collectible at the time--it was just the only way I could get my hands on the book to read it. And I absolutely HAD to read it. Still have it. It's in mint condition. Worth every penny
Congrats on a wise purchase, and careful handling of the book.
Perhaps some of our newest members can answer the poll.
been collecting for about 25 years or so..I think maybe my prized possesion is the original screenplay to christine signed by the cast and director and some other peeps i dont know...and of course the master himself...
That's a pretty cool item! You must love it! Make sure you feed it and clothe it and tuck it in at night.
A NEW GAME BEGINS
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