Suntup Editions - All Books

[Ben Staad]

I do see that at the very bottom of the promotions page now. It took a few more scans to find it though. Thanks!

They clearly state that this one is valid for orders placed through January 26th and one entry per household.

[Ben Staad]

In regards to Let the Right One In AGE. As there are still copies left, and it's sold a little slower, what would be the expected secondary market price be once it's sold out? It's listed at $130 now so would a $200 price point sound about right? I'm considering buying this for my collection and possibly as an investment.

[CyberGhostface]

Just got my shipping notice for LTROI.

In regards to Let the Right One In AGE. As there are still copies left, and it's sold a little slower, what would be the expected secondary market price be once it's sold out? It's listed at $130 now so would a $200 price point sound about right? I'm considering buying this for my collection and possibly as an investment.

It might be higher. It took a while for the gift edition of Horns to sell out and now it's selling for as much as three times its asking price. (FWIW that was signed by the author and this isn't. Then again Joe Hill signs everything so IDK how big a factor that is.)

[Dave1442397]

In regards to Let the Right One In AGE. As there are still copies left, and it's sold a little slower, what would be the expected secondary market price be once it's sold out? It's listed at $130 now so would a $200 price point sound about right? I'm considering buying this for my collection and possibly as an investment.

I don't think you can go wrong buying this one. As far as investing goes, I guess it depends how long you hold on to it. In the long run, you'll probably do better with a ROTH IRA than you would holding onto the book

[JeremyM]

As far as investing goes, I guess it depends how long you hold on to it. In the long run, you'll probably do better with a ROTH IRA than you would holding onto the book

Yep, IMHO - as an asset class, generally, collectibles make poor investment vehicles for a variety of reasons.

[fanatic]

What do you folks think about the AGE of THE AUCTIONEER? I loved the book but so far have resisted paying $125.00 for the AGE.

[Ben Staad]

To start with I know very little about investments. However isn't a collectable "investment" feel a little more like cash on hand then an IRA or other? Those things incur penalties if closed early (right?) whereas a collectable, with inherent risks in regards to value, can be easier to "cash out" of. Right?

Yep, IMHO - as an asset class, generally, collectibles make poor investment vehicles for a variety of reasons.

[Ben Staad]

I'm going to withdraw (without removing) the above as not to detract from the thread. I don't want this thing to go on a tangent.

[sholloman81]

What do you folks think about the AGE of THE AUCTIONEER? I loved the book but so far have resisted paying $125.00 for the AGE.

I have the same feelings. I've never read the book but the description of it sounded really interesting and the production values will obviously be great considering it's being published by Suntup. All that being said, the price point has also kept me on the fence. I have a hard time justifying paying that price for a book/author that I have never read. I also have a hard time justifying the price because it is much higher than some of the previous AGE's that I have purchased by what I would consider to be much more popular authors/books. For example, it is almost double the price that I paid for my Red Dragon AGE and is priced higher than the AGE's for both Horns & Misery. Also, knowing that Suntup has two more announcements coming in February hasn't helped as I'm now inclined to save money for those announcements rather than spend it on a book that I am on the fence about ordering. I'm hoping that one of those February announcements will appeal to me much more than the Auctioneer.

[RonClinton]

To start with I know very little about investments. However isn't a collectable "investment" feel a little more like cash on hand then an IRA or other? Those things incur penalties if closed early (right?) whereas a collectable, with inherent risks in regards to value, can be easier to "cash out" of. Right?

Oh, I don't think it's a tangent -- the key lure (aside from their great editorial choices and beautiful production qualities and pride of ownership) about publishers like Suntup and Centipede, and I choose those two purposely vs. CD and others, is the increase in value that is seen shortly after publication and the thus-far sustainability of that heightened value in the aftermarket.

The key thing about a well-balanced portfolio of investments (not an IRA, which is a retirement account that, yes, has early-withdrawal penalties) is that they are far more resistant against market whims and the aging of their marketplace than the collectible market. Those who invested in Beanie Babies or Hummels or Precious Moments figurines or baseball cards are left with essentially valueless items once their respective markets collapsed for a variety of reasons and there was no one remaining to buy their (and everyone else's) tchotchkes so they could "cash out." The same can be said of books...with a few notable exceptions, e.g. Suntup and Centipede and anything associated with Stephen King, most limited editions do not retain their cover-price value, and their value tends to diminish exponentially as the years wear on and tastes change and authors lose appeal. I remember when the Charnel House S/L HC of Ray Garton's LIVE GIRLS was a firm $250, if not more...last I saw on eBay, it was going unsold for $75, and there are many examples like that...most (not all) Arkham House titles have lost much of their value they had 30 or 40 years ago, as older collectors have completed their run of Arkhams and or aged out (polite euphemism) of the marketplace and the younger generation increasingly eschews the vintage stuff in favor of the Indie books that their friends are reading and talking about on social media. That's why the common axiom that 'collectible books make poor investments' is a good thing to keep in mind when weighing the reason(s) for a book purchase.

Contrast that against someone who invested in a Vanguard fund or a specific stock like Apple or Amazon at that same time period and did extremely well since there was tremendous buyer/market demand (and, no, there are no penalties for selling investments held in a standard, non-IRA market account, one only has to pay capital gain taxes upon their easy, instant sale. There is risk, certainly, with investing in the market, but by keeping a portfolio well-balanced and diversified, the risk is far less than putting all your eggs in one collectible basket and trusting that your full run of Edward Lee limiteds are going to continue to increase in value (spoiler: They did not, as his stuff does not appear to have aged well in the collector market, for the most part...but I use him only as an exemplar of a large number of such authors, given that long-term popularity and collectible cache in the limited market is far more the exception than the rule).

I have no idea what the future holds for the value of Suntup and Centipede releases, but I suspect many Arkham collectors and Dark Harvest collectors and Necessary Evil Press collectors and Dark Fuse collectors and Cemetery Dance collectors all thought their purchases were sound, and from a personal satisfaction perspective they were, of course, right, but as investment speculation they largely were not. So the basic point is that investments in the form of equities, bonds, ETFs, etc. have -- in general -- significantly more stability to weather time and changes in the economy and culture than do normative (i.e. not art, which is on a different level of risk and return) collectibles -- be it toys or figurines or books -- and a far better time-tested track record of increasing in value. In short, buy the books that bring you joy, not the ones you believe will result in a windfall down the road.

[Dave1442397]

Well stated, Ron. I spend money on books because I enjoy them, not because I think they'll be worth anything later on.

I got into some good financial forums a few years back, and have kept to a savings rate of 30% of income, despite my wife wanting a new kitchen

[Ben Staad]

RonClinton Very thoughtful post as usual. Thanks for sharing.

*Side note. Never knew we could do the @ thing here.*

[RonClinton]

With the admittedly close help of several financial firms, I've managed our assets for a number of decades now, so have some fundamental investing experience and knowledge...and one thing I know is the importance of saving, and 30% is outstanding, Dave -- congratulations, that rate of saving is not something most are able or willing to do (myself included, I regret to say).

[Brian861]

I have the same feelings. I've never read the book but the description of it sounded really interesting and the production values will obviously be great considering it's being published by Suntup. All that being said, the price point has also kept me on the fence. I have a hard time justifying paying that price for a book/author that I have never read. I also have a hard time justifying the price because it is much higher than some of the previous AGE's that I have purchased by what I would consider to be much more popular authors/books. For example, it is almost double the price that I paid for my Red Dragon AGE and is priced higher than the AGE's for both Horns & Misery. Also, knowing that Suntup has two more announcements coming in February hasn't helped as I'm now inclined to save money for those announcements rather than spend it on a book that I am on the fence about ordering. I'm hoping that one of those February announcements will appeal to me much more than the Auctioneer.

The Auctioneer was a really good read but I'm personally focusing my collection away from anything not King or Hill related. With a few exceptions being books in a series. Little Books, Graveyard Editions, etc.

[swintek]

Great post, Ron. Way to put things in perspective. So- when are you available to help me with my "portfolio"?