Modern Book Collecting discussion

I have been collecting Joe Lansdale for the last 6 months. I have a pretty good collection started. I will post all titles and some pics ASAP.

My list of Lansdale F/F, first edition, first printings. (All signed)



1. Savage Season - signed
2. The Magic Wagon (London) signed
3. The Magic Wagon (Subterranean Press) signed
4. Zeppelins West - signed
5. Flaming London (Slip Case) signed
6. The Drive-in - signed
7. The Drive-in 2 - signed
8. The Drive-in (The Bus Tour) signed
9. Dead In The West (US edition) signed
10. Christmas With The Dead - signed
11. Dread Island - signed
12. Duck Footed (Hard Back Chap Book) only 100 ever printed.
13. Captains Outrageous (signed)
14. Captains Outrageous - ARC (not signed)
15. The Two-Bear Mambo - ARC (not signed)
16. Bad Chili - MoJo Press (signed)
17. Freezer Burn - (signed)
18. Freezer Burn - CP Edition (signed)
19. Freezer Burn (ARC) (signed)
20. The Bottoms - (ARC) (signed)
21. Mucho Mojo - (ARC)
22. In Waders From Mars (signed)

Chap books (All signed)

1. Duck Footed (Soft Cover)
2. Steppin Out Summer Of 68 (Soft Cover)

News Letter (The Orbit) signed issues

1. #1
2. #2

Comics

1. Red Range (signed)

Some actual scanned pictures of my books. If I find the energy I'll take some photos of the signatures.

where did you get that English edition of The Magic Wagon? that is not all that easy to find, nice buy.

Duck Footed arrived today. A very nice copy, fine condition.

JDB wrote: "where did you get that English edition of The Magic Wagon? that is not all that easy to find, nice buy."

That copy of the magic wagon fell into my lap for 60.00 USD. I'm not sure how hard it is to find, but my copy is flawless and signed by the author.

Kevin wrote: "JDB wrote: "where did you get that English edition of The Magic Wagon? that is not all that easy to find, nice buy."

That copy of the magic wagon fell into my lap for 60.00 USD. I'm not sure how h..."

Now you need to find the true first of "Magic Wagon" published by Doubleday in the US in 1986. I also have the one you have and it was published in 1988.

http://www.lwcurrey.com/pages/books/1...

Yep, I found the true first, but I don't want to spend the money on it.

I also have the CD edition, and I believe there is another with a blue cover.

Yes, you are correct sir. I myself own three different editions. The Doubleday, the Gunsomke (UK), and number 295 of 750 numbered copies of the Subterranean Press copies. If you checked out the LWcurry link above, he also offers other Lansdale books at much cheaper price that you may be interested in.

The blue cover edition is Published by Borderlands Press, England, 1991.

I made a mistake in my last post. My other copy is a PC version from Subterranean, not CD.

Kevin wrote: "The blue cover edition is Published by Borderlands Press, England, 1991.

I made a mistake in my last post. My other copy is a PC version from Subterranean, not CD."

A difficult Lansdale to find is "The NightRunners" in the wooden slipcase Published in 1987. A 26 copy de-luxe lettered edition, SIGNED by author, Dean R Koontz and Gregory Manchess

This is my #48 of 100, Duck Footed (Hard Cover)

Karl wrote: "Kevin wrote: "The blue cover edition is Published by Borderlands Press, England, 1991.

I made a mistake in my last post. My other copy is a PC version from Subterranean, not CD."

A difficult Lans..."

Yea, a nice book for sure, but I just cant justify a purchase such as this. I would love to add it to my collection, but closing in at 1K is a bit steep. I have a hard time with the 150.0 to 200.00 dollar books. Sometimes I'll take the plunge, but usually I hold out.

Karl, do you have any idea how many Gunsmoke editions of the Magic wagon are in circulation, actually, how many were printed?

I can not find this information, and my cousin had no luck in his search.

From what I recall from when I purchased the book, they stated it was a rather small print run, somewhere between 500 and 600 copies. I purchased mine from a British book seller who issued catalogs of UK books he had for sale (all new) who also worked at Forbidden Planet (the UK store). This was all pre-internet.

Thanks Karl. I have hunted the net and asked various store owners and have come up empty.

Kevin wrote: "Thanks Karl. I have hunted the net and asked various store owners and have come up empty."

Happy to share what I know.

Two new Lansdale books added to my collection.

1. Captains Outrageous 1st/1st (signed)

Also just landed the ARC which is not signed. I think I can rectify that. :-)

I just received "Paradise Sky" by Joe R. Lansdale 2015 ARC today.

Karl wrote: "I just received "Paradise Sky" by Joe R. Lansdale 2015 ARC today."

Excellent, is the copy signed?

Karl, Hap and Leonard are coming to TV. Savage Season is slated for a 7 part series of 1 hour episodes. It looks like a second season will be offered according to Joe Lansdale.

http://deadline.com/2014/11/sundancet...

Thank you for thinking of me, I posted the info here on GR a couple of months ago (somewhere). You are a gentleman ! and I thank You,

No problem Karl. Have you heard mention of the movie? I heard Savage Season may be coming to the big screen, I just lack the details.

Here is what IMDB has to say:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1570402/

Here is a tiny bit more:

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/...

I added a few new titles to my Lansdale collection.

1. The Two-Bear Mambo - ARC (not signed)
2. Bad Chili - Mo Jo Press Edition (signed)
3. Freezer Burn - CP Edition (signed)

Kevin wrote: "I added a few new titles to my Lansdale collection.

1. The Two-Bear Mambo - ARC (not signed)
2. Bad Chili - Mo Jo Press Edition (signed)
3. Freezer Burn - CD Edition (signed)

These are some good finds! He is a hard man to keep up with. Last time I saw him (here in Phoenix) he was refusing to sign any ARC as "I don't make any money off of those"










"

One of the best Hap and Lenord's I found was in Rogues (the anthology) a 35 page short story called "Bent Twig" .

Karl wrote: "Kevin wrote: "I added a few new titles to my Lansdale collection.

1. The Two-Bear Mambo - ARC (not signed)
2. Bad Chili - Mo Jo Press Edition (signed)
3. Freezer Burn - CD Edition (signed)

These ..."

Usually at book signings you will have to purchase the new book before the author will sign anything else. If the line is very long, I found the author will only sign the new book and nothing else.

F. Paul Wilson is an exception. He is an extremely generous author and his personal email is available to all on his site. He answers emails very quickly. I once asked him to verify his signature via a scanned document and he replied confirming it's authenticity. He also said he would sign my ARC of Black Wind if I mailed it to him along with a stamped return shipper and a pen.

Not many authors are that accessible.
F. Paul Wilson is very kind to his fans.

The only author I ever found that would not sign his own books was Donald Westlake. He would not sign anything written under a pseudo name. Even Harlan Ellison would sign his stuff willingly.

I found some authors such as Stephen R. Donaldson to be extremely stand-offish. You can contact him through his editors secretary to request a book to be signed. The only problem is Donaldson will not accept any books shipped to him for signatures because the volume is too high. They do offer signed dated book plates (max umber of 3) but I have requested the book plates and received nothing.

Here's how you contact Donaldson for request:
Autographed bookplates. Requests should be sent to Mr. Morhaim's assistant at: Alice@MorhaimLiterary.com

Another author who is extremely hard to contact or even see doing book signings is George Pelecanos. When he does do book signings it seems as if he only signs in Washington DC, and a small radius there-a-bout.

I know many stores have a rule that you must purchase a book to get a signature, but for an author to tell you they will not sign an ARC because he didn't get paid for such book is pretty low. I am sure Mr. Lansdale is not hurting for cash, he should treat his fans better, they are the ones putting food on his table.

I have never requested a signature form Lansdale, I wonder if he operates in similar fashion to Donaldson? I know Lansdale has been extremely busy as of late.

Kevin wrote: "I found some authors such as Stephen R. Donaldson to be extremely stand-offish. You can contact him through his editors secretary to request a book to be signed. The only problem is Donaldson will ..."

When George Pelecanos was here in town (he has been here 2 or 3 times) he was quite congenial. He was quite happy and obliging to signing everything folks brought him. He seemed to love speaking about his movie works more than his novels.

I wish Pelecanos would head out this way. I was not stating that he was rude in anyway, my point was he is a hard author to obtain a signature from. I don't believe I have seen him in Chicago, he may have been here, the odds are he has been here, but it wasn't well publicized and I have difficulties tracking him in any way shape or form. I have recently tweeted him, but no reply.

I have a great PC in a slip case "Hell To Pay", that I would love to have signed.

Hey Kev, the Lansdale collection is starting to take shape.

Is that MoJo Press of Bad Chili scarce? I haven't seen it on the market.

Kevin wrote: "I wish Pelecanos would head out this way. I was not stating that he was rude in anyway, my point was he is a hard author to obtain a signature from. I don't believe I have seen him in Chicago, he m..."

Oh BTW the copy of Freezer Burn you pictoure - the Publisher: Crossroads Press Cover: George Pratt Published 07/1999 The only Hard covers of that book were by Mysterious Press (1999) Gollancz/Orion UK (1999) and Crossroads Press ((1999) Cemetery Dance never printed that book.

Karl wrote: "Kevin wrote: "I wish Pelecanos would head out this way. I was not stating that he was rude in anyway, my point was he is a hard author to obtain a signature from. I don't believe I have seen him in..."

Yep, it's crossroads, 396 of 400 printed. Not CD, my mistake. if you look ate the spine of the book the Crossroads emblem looks like it states CD, but it is actually CP, for Crossroad Press. Sorry about the confusion and error.

Kevin wrote: "Karl wrote: "Kevin wrote: "I wish Pelecanos would head out this way. I was not stating that he was rude in anyway, my point was he is a hard author to obtain a signature from. I don't believe I hav..."

I own number 264 of the 400 myself.

Here's the spine. At a quick glance at the shelf I just took it as CD.

It's not an easy book to come across. Congratulations on a good find !

Joe, Bad Chili is from MoJo Press which is now defunct, I believe they closed up in 1999. There are 500 copies of this book in circulation, signed by the author and the cover artist. My copy is a PC copy.

Kevin wrote: "Joe, Bad Chili is from MoJo Press which is now defunct, I believe they closed up in 1999. There are 500 copies of this book in circulation, signed by the author and the cover artist. My copy is a P..."

I'v got number 70 of 500 of "Bad Chili" from Mojo Press

My best "get" for Lansdale was an ARC of "Savage Season" the Ziesing from 1990.

I like my HB of Duck Footed. I haven't come across any up for auction on eBay or seen any for sale at Abes. 100 were printed, so I would imagine it will remain scarce.

Kevin wrote: "I like my HB of Duck Footed. I haven't come across any up for auction on eBay or seen any for sale at Abes. 100 were printed, so I would imagine it will remain scarce."

I believe you are correct ! That will be a rare one, it's great fun to come across an author you like with a small print run like that one though "stuff" seems to crop up every now and then ... what with disgruntled spouses, and folks wanting to move and not wanting to take those heavy books.. It's part of the fun.

Karl, I have contacted Joe Lansdale via twitter to inquire about the signing of ARC's.

This was his reply:

Joe Lansdale
‏@joelansdale @KevinEkstromSMB Reason is on my website.

I checked his website, but for the life of me I could not find the reason he claims is posted.

To be honest I am happy he at least took the time to reply but on the other hand I find his response unacceptable and lukewarm at best. I would have preferred a straight forward, honest answer.

Oh well, at least I have an understanding of who I am dealing with if I ever decide to attend a book signing. To be honest, I'm not sure I would attend a book signing, there are many authors who truly care about their fan base and these are the authors I would put my valuable time into. (Not that I would stop collecting Lansdale)

Here is the link to the reasoning for not signing ARCs:
http://www.joerlansdale.com/arcs2.html
Also, further comments on all requests made to him:
http://www.joerlansdale.com/requests2...

Thanks Donna.

After reading his reasoning I am even more mystified that he would take such a stance with his fans. In the cases where people are not buying his books and only asking him to sign proofs, I can understand the frustration. On the other hand, 9 out of 10 book store make you buy the current book before you can get in line for a signature. So, far I have not had a problem getting proofs and ARCS signed by any author doing a book signing. I have only been denied having multiple books signed when the crowd was too large. Many authors will allow you to ship a book to them with a return shipper for signatures.

I guess Mr. Lansdale feels that collectors are not spending money on his books. I feel his logic is flawed.

It's his call, but I do feel my view of this author has drastically changed.

I think that when a writer reaches a certain level of success, it becomes more difficult for them to separate "true fans" from the opportunists out there trying to make a fast buck. It's one of the reasons why Stephen King stopped "flat signing" books and mostly "inscribes" at book signings.
I have never met Joe Lansdale but have been collecting him for close to 20 years. From what I hear, he is very gracious at official book signings and conventions.
A couple of years ago, a signed limited edition I had ordered from a bookseller was lost in transit to them from the publisher. The bookseller made arrangements with Joe to have the unsigned trade edition personally inscribed to those buyers that were affected. Joe graciously did this even though the problem had nothing to do with him.
There are other writers I refuse to read (and thus line their pockets) because of their political or pseudo-religious beliefs (Orson Scott Card being one of them) but I don't think I would not read someone because they limit how and when they will sign a book, but that's just me. :)
By the way, The Bottoms is probably my favorite out of everything he's written!

I won't stop reading Joe R. Lansdale due to his signature stance. I just will not attend any more of his publicity appearances. I believe him to be an excellent writer with a great sense of humor. He has just taken a misguided stance perhaps due to some misguided advice.

The only author I ever stopped reading due to his condescending attitude was John Irving (I had 2 books for him to sign, and there was no line for signatures or questions), when after attending a reading of his, he stated " I'm so famous, I don't have to sign books any longer" (This was at a reading he did at ASU in Tempe Arizona). And I replied to him "Well Scr*w you, I don't have read you any longer", and have kept my vow.

Fender Lizards by Joe R. Lansdale

To be published in November 2015 (excerpt)

http://subterraneanpress.com/store/pr...

I just landed the 2 issues of Joe Lansdale's news letter "The Orbit" Volume #1 & #2 released by Subterranean in 1999, both issues signed.

This is it for a while with Lansdale. I have other authors I need to catch up on such as Laymon, Gifune, McCammon, and Keene.

Nice! these are the only two issues released, correct?

JDB wrote: "Nice! these are the only two issues released, correct?"

Yes, this is it on the "News Letter". There are still issues floating around, some people want ginormous amounts of cash for these little rags. I landed the pair fairly cheap, so I was very happy.