Do You Collect 1st Editions?

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morgan

Well-Known Member
Jul 11, 2010
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I used to work in a book shop for many years so got a lot of first editions. I even got some books that had errors, for example I have a paperback copy of The Drawing of the Three, printed upside down in its cover. I also have a hardback copy of the Dark Half, the writing on the dust jacket was meant to be silver and embossed...mine is embossed but the silver isn't there...both were free cause no one wanted them YAY me :)
WOW!
 

VampireLily

Vampire Goddess & Consumer of men's souls.
Jul 25, 2013
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New Jersey
I used to work in a book shop for many years so got a lot of first editions. I even got some books that had errors, for example I have a paperback copy of The Drawing of the Three, printed upside down in its cover. I also have a hardback copy of the Dark Half, the writing on the dust jacket was meant to be silver and embossed...mine is embossed but the silver isn't there...both were free cause no one wanted them YAY me :)

That's pretty damned cool!!
 

misery chastain loves co.

MORE Count Chocula please.....
Jul 31, 2011
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I have no idea if I have firsts or not or how many if I do. Never have checked. I think my Revival is a first edition because the bookstore told us it was due to the signing. Never actually looked though. Huh. Maybe I should go through my collection someday and take a peek. I'm not a serious collector as in getting all of the limited editions, I just want the books themselves which I have. I do have the CD Gift edition of IT though 'cause it's my fave =D
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
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I have no idea if I have firsts or not or how many if I do. Never have checked. I think my Revival is a first edition because the bookstore told us it was due to the signing. Never actually looked though. Huh. Maybe I should go through my collection someday and take a peek. I'm not a serious collector as in getting all of the limited editions, I just want the books themselves which I have. I do have the CD Gift edition of IT though 'cause it's my fave =D
The copies given out for all of the book tour events were first edition, first printing copies.
 

jchanic

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Jul 11, 2006
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I have no idea if I have firsts or not or how many if I do. Never have checked. I think my Revival is a first edition because the bookstore told us it was due to the signing. Never actually looked though. Huh. Maybe I should go through my collection someday and take a peek. I'm not a serious collector as in getting all of the limited editions, I just want the books themselves which I have. I do have the CD Gift edition of IT though 'cause it's my fave =D

That's the way to collect if that's what makes you happy. That's the purpose of collecting--to satisfy YOURSELF, not everyone else.

John
 

bigkingfan91

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Mar 1, 2014
190
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I would LOVE to find the CD Gift edition of IT! Since I got back into reading & collecting just this year I missed out on tons of those special editions. Probably could have gotten them cheaper when they were released. The new CD edition of Carrie was pre ordered for a couple weeks ago as a Christmas present, so that will be my 1st CD edition of any book. There is plenty left on that site though still in stock that I would love to get, like The Dark Man, etc. I got the 40th edition Carrie slipcased, signed by 3 people, copy # 580 out of 974 from PS Publishing awhile back for $90 as a early Christmas present. Was my 1st ever "special" edition slipcased, aside from The Green Mile.

Kind of wish now I would have mentioned more 1st editions I needed rather than special editions but for free i'm not complaining lol. Still can't believe when I got back into collecting I didn't think about 1st editions and ended up getting a ton of BC's lol. Does anyone know how much that CD Gift edition of IT was when it came out, directly from CD? It sucks that its like 5 to 600 or so now, will be a long time before I can afford that and the price will probably be jacked even higher by then. That's one of my favorite books, and i've very rarely heard King talk about writing it. I would spend that kind of money on that book, just to read what he said about writing it, if I had it, LOL. Really wish I had never drifted away from reading years ago, so many certain editions and such I missed out on, that will now take me years to collect. Bummer!
 

misery chastain loves co.

MORE Count Chocula please.....
Jul 31, 2011
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I would LOVE to find the CD Gift edition of IT! Since I got back into reading & collecting just this year I missed out on tons of those special editions. Probably could have gotten them cheaper when they were released. The new CD edition of Carrie was pre ordered for a couple weeks ago as a Christmas present, so that will be my 1st CD edition of any book. There is plenty left on that site though still in stock that I would love to get, like The Dark Man, etc. I got the 40th edition Carrie slipcased, signed by 3 people, copy # 580 out of 974 from PS Publishing awhile back for $90 as a early Christmas present. Was my 1st ever "special" edition slipcased, aside from The Green Mile.

Kind of wish now I would have mentioned more 1st editions I needed rather than special editions but for free i'm not complaining lol. Still can't believe when I got back into collecting I didn't think about 1st editions and ended up getting a ton of BC's lol. Does anyone know how much that CD Gift edition of IT was when it came out, directly from CD? It sucks that its like 5 to 600 or so now, will be a long time before I can afford that and the price will probably be jacked even higher by then. That's one of my favorite books, and i've very rarely heard King talk about writing it. I would spend that kind of money on that book, just to read what he said about writing it, if I had it, LOL. Really wish I had never drifted away from reading years ago, so many certain editions and such I missed out on, that will now take me years to collect. Bummer!
Ah, but like John up above you'll enjoy the thrill of the hunt! I've seen the Gift IT go for way less than 500-600 on ebay. I'm sure you can get it for a better price. Not sure if anyone else mentioned Betts Bookstore on this thread yet but it's a great place for SK books and he's an honest dealer.
P.S. LOVE your avatar. R.I.P.
 

bigkingfan91

Well-Known Member
Mar 1, 2014
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WV
Ah, but like John up above you'll enjoy the thrill of the hunt! I've seen the Gift IT go for way less than 500-600 on ebay. I'm sure you can get it for a better price. Not sure if anyone else mentioned Betts Bookstore on this thread yet but it's a great place for SK books and he's an honest dealer.
P.S. LOVE your avatar. R.I.P.

Thank you! And yes I believe I have contacted him through email before... Seems like I found that place while looking up the other bookstore from Maine, that is now out of business or something? Or maybe it was taken over and now it's the Betts Bookstore... Isn't that the guy that has tons and tons of King stuff, from regular books to special editions, and even more? Pretty sure that's who I talked to through email. He had some regular 1st editions at that time for really cheap. Nothing fancy, but 1st editions in decent shape. Very nice guy, glad you brought that up! :)
 

Shasta

On his shell he holds the earth.
I have no idea if I have firsts or not or how many if I do. Never have checked. I think my Revival is a first edition because the bookstore told us it was due to the signing. Never actually looked though. Huh. Maybe I should go through my collection someday and take a peek. I'm not a serious collector as in getting all of the limited editions, I just want the books themselves which I have. I do have the CD Gift edition of IT though 'cause it's my fave =D
I'm pretty sure that most people who bought hardcovers from the 90's on have first editions. That'w when the first edition, first printing quantities got really large because of Mr. King's popularity.
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
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I'm pretty sure that most people who bought hardcovers from the 90's on have first editions. That'w when the first edition, first printing quantities got really large because of Mr. King's popularity.
Recent years have been smaller first print runs and have gone into second printings within a month or two following first publication so you might have to watch out for that if you're a collector. That's why we have specifically stated on the last couple of book tours that the books people would be getting would be first printing and we've made sure the local venue has coordinated their orders for the events to make sure they get enough to have on hand at least for the event itself.
 

Shasta

On his shell he holds the earth.
Recent years have been smaller first print runs and have gone into second printings within a month or two following first publication so you might have to watch out for that if you're a collector. That's why we have specifically stated on the last couple of book tours that the books people would be getting would be first printing and we've made sure the local venue has coordinated their orders for the events to make sure they get enough to have on hand at least for the event itself.
Oops. I come back on and spread mis-information.

Sorry!
 

n1ceguypaul

Active Member
Feb 2, 2015
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South Wales, UK
Not until i joined this place thanks alot you guys lol. Even though did find some in my collection got a mint copy of from a buick 8 and the Green mile series of books and just found out a friend picked up some signed copies of SK in acharity shop. Time for a little sweet talking me thinks.
 

Aloysius Nell

Well-Known Member
Apr 1, 2014
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Not really a rare book guy, but would take it if I found it for cheap! I go to the library's book sale (it's pretty good sized, about 50,000 books) every year and have replaced almost all of my college-era paperbacks with old HBs. Most are book club, because I get them off the general $1.50 table, and the library does a good job of setting the more valuable ones aside in the special section. I really just want one from the right era, with the dust jacket, and of course the right smell!
 
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