Book collecting

[october]

Dennis Lehane

 

 

You've just put a future hole in my wallet. I started working my way through his books last year and love them. He's a great writer, clearly, and he writes authentically about people and places that I know well (we're near the same age and both grew up in Boston.) Very cool.

 

I don't think any of them are all that expensive unless they've gone up a lot recently. Great books (thumbs u

 

Even better. I like small holes in my wallet when compared to large ones...

 

I bought an inexpensive copy of Prayers for Rain a few months ago and discovered it was a signed first. My first semi-collectible book I guess. A nice accident. Not a bad read either, though not as good as Shutter Island. Hope the movie does it justice.

[Reno McCoy]

You know, when it comes to comics, I hate spine creases and spine miswrap. With books, there's nothing I like less than a remainder dot or line on the book. Grrrr, I hate that.

 

But oh man there's nothing like a nice, tight spine. I love a tight spine. The way the binding sort of resists you opening the book, the subtle cracking sound you hear when opening the book every so gently.

[143ksk]

Now that I'm sitting in my library and have all these books to remind me, I also have a bunch of James Ellroy, Aaron Elkins, Michael Connelly and Lee Child. Also a few Arkham house and other REH firsts.

[143ksk]

Dennis Lehane

 

 

You've just put a future hole in my wallet. I started working my way through his books last year and love them. He's a great writer, clearly, and he writes authentically about people and places that I know well (we're near the same age and both grew up in Boston.) Very cool.

 

I don't think any of them are all that expensive unless they've gone up a lot recently. Great books (thumbs u

 

Even better. I like small holes in my wallet when compared to large ones...

 

I bought an inexpensive copy of Prayers for Rain a few months ago and discovered it was a signed first. My first semi-collectible book I guess. A nice accident. Not a bad read either, though not as good as Shutter Island. Hope the movie does it justice.

 

I thought that A Drink Before the War and Darkness Take My Hand were definitely the best of the Kenzie/Gennaro books. Shutter Island was also an interesting book (thumbs u

[Theagenes]

Also a few Arkham house and other REH firsts.

 

Ooh, whatcha got?

[Weird Paper]

Lots of good want list ideas in this thread. Agatha Christie and Ralph Steadman are definitely going to be added.

 

Contact me if you need any information on values, what's out there, etc. I know the Steadman stuff pretty well, and I know where to find many of them. Between what he's written and what he's illustrated, there is a ton of stuff out there -- Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451, Treasure Island, the Alice books, the wine and whiskey books, the children's books, Freud, Leonardo, the monographs and on, and on...

Some of the newer stuff you can buy from his website signed.

 

 

[tth2]

You know, I used to buy books pretty frequently from Subterranean Press, but after awhile, I felt like their books, while gorgeous, are just a money making gimmick. Limited edition versions of the same books you'll find from other publishers...there's just something that makes it feel like a manufactured collectible instead of a book.

 

Exactly. There's nothing fun about owning something that's rare that was meant to be rare. What's fun is owning something that was mass-produced but ended up being rare.

[tth2]

In case you forgot, here's BZ's pic -

Wow, if those are 1st state 1st editions with original dust jackets, those are amazing!

[FlyingDonut]

Wow, if those are 1st state 1st editions with original dust jackets, those are amazing!

 

I'm pretty sure they are - BZ hasn't let us down yet. If you look closely, you can see the Holy Grail behind the comic pile.

[johnenock]

Great thread, Andy. I own about 50 Arkham books...mostly Lovecraft and Derleth.

 

Other than that, I collect books I read, signed if reasonable. Mostly sci-fi and fantasy.

 

Notable firsts I own...

 

Slaughterhouse Five

Left Hand of Darkness

Something Wicked this Way Comes

Every Glen Cook book knwon to man(mostly softcovers though I have the omnibuses also)

..a bunch more

 

Also, I own a bunch of the Subterranean Press books...they are a good source for books that only appeared in paperback...

 

Atrocity Archives

Jennifer Morgue

 

Let's talk, Andy.

[october]

Lots of good want list ideas in this thread. Agatha Christie and Ralph Steadman are definitely going to be added.

 

Contact me if you need any information on values, what's out there, etc. I know the Steadman stuff pretty well, and I know where to find many of them. Between what he's written and what he's illustrated, there is a ton of stuff out there -- Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451, Treasure Island, the Alice books, the wine and whiskey books, the children's books, Freud, Leonardo, the monographs and on, and on...

Some of the newer stuff you can buy from his website signed.

 

 

Thanks. We discussed Steadman in the past by PM I think. I remember asking you about the Fahrenheit 451, which is wonderful and on my wantlist.

[johnenock]

You know, I used to buy books pretty frequently from Subterranean Press, but after awhile, I felt like their books, while gorgeous, are just a money making gimmick. Limited edition versions of the same books you'll find from other publishers...there's just something that makes it feel like a manufactured collectible instead of a book.

 

Exactly. There's nothing fun about owning something that's rare that was meant to be rare. What's fun is owning something that was mass-produced but ended up being rare.

 

But if you only collect hardbacks, they are usually the only source for some paperback authors...See above post for an example. I do not collect them unless they are the only hardback in town.

 

Also, Steven Erickson(my favorite fantasy author right now) puts out hardbacks through P.S. Publishing(England). The only place you can find some of his novellas.

[TheDanimal]

I love Ralph Steadman's work! I really only know of it through Hunter S. Thompson's books though. It has that underground comix feel!

[TupennyConan]

Left Hand of Darkness

 

Love on the moraine

 

 

 

[TupennyConan]

Ralph Steadman

Gerald Scarfe

 

 

[october]

Great thread, Andy. I own about 50 Arkham books...mostly Lovecraft and Derleth.

 

Other than that, I collect books I read, signed if reasonable. Mostly sci-fi and fantasy.

 

Notable firsts I own...

 

Slaughterhouse Five

Left Hand of Darkness

Something Wicked this Way Comes

Every Glen Cook book knwon to man(mostly softcovers though I have the omnibuses also)

..a bunch more

 

Also, I own a bunch of the Subterranean Press books...they are a good source for books that only appeared in paperback...

 

Atrocity Archives

Jennifer Morgue

 

Let's talk, Andy.

 

I am jealous. Even before I had an interest in collecting books, I wanted a first of Something Wicked This Way Comes. Looks like it's going to set me back for a nice copy though.

[Weird Paper]

Ralph Steadman

Gerald Scarfe

 

Steadman light.

[Weird Paper]

Also, I own a bunch of the Subterranean Press books...they are a good source for books that only appeared in paperback...

 

Atrocity Archives

Jennifer Morgue

 

Let's talk, Andy.

I'm reading both those right now in a collected edition called "On Her Majesty's Occult Service." Fun stuff!

[conditionfreak]

I have a collection of the following. All first edition, first printings and many signed by the authors:

 

All Stephen King books, many signed.

 

All Tom Clancy books, all signed.

 

All Sue Grafton books, all signed.

 

And a bunch of old books that are not signed by anyone. Like the 1852 two volume first edition, second printing of Uncle Tom's Cabin (15,000th edition, one month after the first printing). First/first of Gone With The Wind. So many others that I can't list them here without a lot of work.

 

I'm wanting a "To Kill a Mocking Bird", and some others.

[Reno McCoy]

I know there's the comic room thread, but does anyone have built in shelves they designed and built? Maybe a library? I'd love to see pictures. I'm planning to build shelves to cover a few walls in my basement, and some ideas would go a long way.