2015 Collecting Goals

[Sock Monkey]

The last couple of months I've been reflecting on my collection and book buying habits and have realized that while I love my collection, I've never set any goals for myself in this area. I've decided to change that this year. I didn't want to get overly-ambitious with my goals as I still want to be flexible in my buying, so the goals I've set for myself are:

1. Add at least 1 more lettered Richard Matheson title to my collection; I actually want all the Matheson books in lettered states, so I've set a goal of at least 1 per year. This will be a very long process as I doubt I'll ever be able to afford more than 2 in any given year...and there are a lot of Matheson titles. (Currently, I've got my eyes set on a copy of Bloodlines on abe; we'll see what happens, though. )
2. Continue picking up the Stephen King Doubleday Years books with remarques
3. Start filling in holes in both my CD Novella collection and Earthling Halloween series (I'm shooting for a book or two each, along with anything new published).

Anyone else have any goals for the new year?

[slayn666]

As strange as it may sound, my primary goal is to buy fewer books in 2015. I tallied it up the other day and in 2014 I added over 300 books to my library. Now don't get me wrong, I love getting new books, but space and money are finite resources, so before I click that Buy button this year, I want to stop and really consider if that book is something I really want or just a momentary thing.

That said, here are some minor-ish goals:

1.) I want to complete my Hard Case Crime set. I have roughly half the books now.
2.) I want to finish out Phase 1 of my Jeffrey Thomas collection. Phase 1 is just getting a copy of each of his books; Phase 2 will be getting a copy of each version, but that's a much more long-term (and expensive) goal.
3.) Pick up the CD slipcases I don't have for the trade editions of King's books. Most likely this will entail buying another copy of the books they go with.

[Theli]

^Holy crap 300 is a rather large number!

My collecting goals this year is to continue my collection of limited edition vampire books. Specifically to pre-order the artist state of 'Salem's Lot, and to hopefully acquire a few remarqued books. We'll see. The year has started off well for my collection though, had a couple arrive early in the new year, and more on the way.

[mhatchett]

Good goals all! As for me, as Peter says, I shall collect as my Wimsey takes me LOL!

[Sock Monkey]

Wow, Slayn! 300 books is a lot of books! That must be one heck of a collection you are amassing!

mhatchett, there is absolutely nothing wrong with following your "Wimsey". I find that part of the joy of buying/collecting/reading books is stumbling upon a gem at random. When I was deciding on some of my goals this year, I definitely wanted to make sure that I had a "Wimsey" factor. For me, too strict of goals wouldn't be a lot of fun as I love a dash of spontaneity in my collecting. Also, you never know what CD is going to announce this year. (I'm keeping my fingers crossed for The Straw Man trilogy by Michael Marshall Smith; a rather long shot, but one can hope ).

[bookworm 1]

I have already made one major purchase from Gauntlet books this year. The 2 book Matheson set one of stries by other authors including Rich. I went with just the unsigned numbered edition. Also ordered First Blood and the slip case from Gauntlet. I plan on buying less and focusing on a few authors. Garton, Lee, King of course. I have a son going off to college in the fall so money will be tight for the next few years. That was one of the reasons I jumped on the King set when it was offered and the Bentley Little set. I don't have to worry about those for awhile. I plan on trying to get a big chunk of my ever growing tbr pile down this year.

[Sock Monkey]

I really want that 2 book Matheson set from Gauntlet. I've been trying to convince my wife that the $500 lettered edition is completely within our budget and reasonable considering it is signed by Matheson, Bradbury and Barker and it's not one but two books. So far she's not taking the bait...

[Highbury]

I have to be more selective (if possible) on books. Sadly it will mean less from small publishers/presses on special editions because of the combo of US dollar right now and shipping costs. Makes it incredibly challenging to be pulling the trigger on purchases and the publishers/presses can't control it. My wallet is only so deep unless one of you fellas won the powerball and need someone to take the money.

[bookworm 1]

Have you thought about going through PS PUBLISHING ? I have ordered stuff from them and shipping is reasonable to the states. You can get CD and Sub press books through them also.

[Lincoln]

I'm going to sit down and work out what holes need filling in my Ramsey Campbell collection, including some promotional items.

Keep adding to my (mainly UK) mass market hardcover collection.

Get together a list of CD/Centipede/Dark Harvest etc, etc, books to keep an eye out for.

Finally get my hands on a signed/ltd of Laird Barron's 'The Imago Sequence'!

[TJCams]

For me for 2015:

I want to keep up and complete my King 1st ed HC collection - most are easy to find, some not so much. As I find them, I use the pb version for trade-in credit at a local used shop.

I also want to complete my Clive Barker collection. And start getting some Philip K Dick books, and read more sci-fi.

There are some books I want to get my hands on as well, likely via the used market as well.

Main goal is not to go crazy this year. I have a few pre-orders from CD to arrive still, plus will be pre-ordering the 2 King books that are coming out this year.

As I am a reader, more than a collector, I may also thin out my bookshelf to get credit (like above).

[zubrig]

My goals are modest. I would just like to receive the $1750 worth of lettered editions that I ordered at the turn of the century !!

[srboone]

I didn't have the funds for the King and Little books in bulk, so those are my main goals for 2015.

[Sock Monkey]

As 2015 winds down, I look back on my collecting goals that I set at the beginning of the year and feel pretty good. I achieved goal number 1 and 2 and partially with goal number 3. I didn't fill in any gaps in my CD novella collection, but I did achieve other new goals that were set through the year which included tracking down all five leather editions in the Elemental line from Thunderstorm, completed the 2015 Book of the Month Club from Thunderstorm, and started and maintained collection of Little Books series 2 from Borderlands. Not to mention increasing my lettered editions from CD. Overall, 2015 has been a good year.

For 2016, I am once again trying to decide how I want to approach my collecting habits. I've been thinking about leaning more towards "Quality versus Quantity", with a focus on lettered editions. My budget doesn't look to be increasing this next year, so each lettered edition would be a large part of my budget. The main argument against this is that there are so many books being put out by CD, Thunderstorm, and Centipede that I want to read not just collect (and, of course my collecting OCD says that if I'm going to buy a book, it might as well be a quality limited hardcover...)so sticking with limited editions would allow me the greatest flexibility in what I can buy.

Anybody else setting new goals?

[Brian861]

Late 2015 was my first year as a "collector" and as many of you know, I jumped in with both feet, arms, legs, etc. LOL!. It's been a wonderful experience, although not without many mistakes made by a new collector but I had the guidance of some great people, many if not all met via this site. It's definitely now a lifelong hobby (obsession). My main goal for 2016 is to start collecting Stephen King U.K. 1st/1st King, continue collecting King Remarques, actually getting around to buying Mylar to protect my DJs and learning how to apply it, and to continue to slipcase as much as my collection as possible. And of course whatever CD comes up with that I can't live without, e.g. a new Tabitha King lettered series .