2018 Collecting Year in Review and 2019 Goals

[Sock Monkey]

2018 was a pretty big shift in focus for me. I went from buying a lot of lower end books to focusing on some higher priced items and I'm happy on how my collection has evolved.

Some highlights from 2018:
1 I added 10 lettered editions to my collection
2. Expanded by Centipede Press collection (LOVE my subscription, but it hurts the wallet a bit).

Goals for 2019:
1. Add more CD Signature Series lettered editions to my collection
2. Add one to two Richard Matheson lettered editions to my collection
3. Fill in holes in the Earthling Halloween series
4. Continue Little Books Series III, might start to track down books in Series I
5. Continue expanding Centipede collection
6. Maybe finally buy a Suntup book...

[jeffingoff]

2018 was a pretty big shift in focus for me. I went from buying a lot of lower end books to focusing on some higher priced items and I'm happy on how my collection has evolved.

Some highlights from 2018:
1 I added 10 lettered editions to my collection
2. Expanded by Centipede Press collection (LOVE my subscription, but it hurts the wallet a bit).

Goals for 2019:
1. Add more CD Signature Series lettered editions to my collection
2. Add one to two Richard Matheson lettered editions to my collection
3. Fill in holes in the Earthling Halloween series
4. Continue Little Books Series III, might start to track down books in Series I
5. Continue expanding Centipede collection
6. Maybe finally buy a Suntup book...

I'm in agreement with a lot of your thinking here. I'm definitely going to be much less impulsive and more focused in my 2019 collecting. That means buying nothing random--no more grab bags or book clubs where I don't get to pick what I'm buying. I do like surprises and I'm still going to get some shipments for forthcoming grab bag/book clubs I bought into (one as far back as 2016). So I'll let those be the random treats for 2019. As far as what I'm going to focus on:

1. Any CD releases that I know I need but haven't been announced yet: Pet Sematary is one (the credit plan and the gift certificates will help me go a distance in 2019)
2. The Little Books Series III
3. The Joe Lansdale collections from SST
4. Whatever Suntup produces (my goal is to own all of Suntup's AGEs at the very least--and all the numbered non-Kings that I can afford)
5. Anything Malerman or Lansdale that pops up in small press publishing
6. Continue with Earthling's Halloween series

And that's mostly it. I'm going to drop Gauntlet out of consideration because I was really unimpressed with their Rusty Puppy lettered edition. I'm still going to check in all the time with SubPress and Dark Regions, but I am going to resist anything I'm even remotely on the fence about. It must be a must-have in 2019.

[Sock Monkey]

Crud, I forgot about SST's Lansdale collections. I received the first one recently and thought the production values were pretty nice, so add that to my list!

[Brian861]

I'm going to keep with my haphazard collecting ways and enter into a payment plan with Suntup every quarter

[jeffingoff]

I'm going to keep with my haphazard collecting ways and enter into a payment plan with Suntup every quarter

I'm going to forever kick myself for not plunking down the $750 for the AGE lifetime subscription. It would have been so nice to have that squared away and automatic forever.

[RonClinton]

I'm going to keep with my haphazard collecting ways

I’m with Brian...”haphazard” is my motto when it comes to what books I choose to buy/read.

[jeffingoff]

I’m with Brian...”haphazard” is my motto when it comes to what books I choose to buy/read.

Just because I'm all cool-headed now and espousing the virtues of controlled/focused collecting in this quiet moment does not mean that I won't be a frothing form-filling maniac the next time an unexpected gem floats through my inbox.

[Brian861]

I'm going to forever kick myself for not plunking down the $750 for the AGE lifetime subscription. It would have been so nice to have that squared away and automatic forever.

I forgot all about the lifetime subscriptions when they were offered. I believe you could even go with a payment plan on those as well. Not in the cards for me at the time whatsoever. Hell, probably never was....

Just because I'm all cool-headed now and espousing the virtues of controlled/focused collecting in this quiet moment does not mean that I won't be a frothing form-filling maniac the next time an unexpected gem floats through my inbox.

You mean this isn't how it's supposed to be done I do need to get my buddy Ralph paid off this coming year. He's been more than patient. Dude's a saint!

[mhatchett]

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m more of a reader than a collector, and I have no plans for the upcoming year, other than to be a more mindful buyer, especially since I’m planning to retire in the next couple of years. I am looking for Sub Press’s/Scalzi’s, Ghost Brigades. Other then that, we’ll see what turns up. From this year, my best find/buy is Ray Bradbury’s Dark Carnival Arkham House, 1947. It made me so happy to just hold that book, amazing! I also picked up a ton of Vintage paperback Bradbuy's. On the fantasy side of the house, RJ Barker’s Wounded Kingdom Series, Age of Assassins, Blood of Assassins and King of Assassins, turned out to be a surprise Favorite. Finishing up and Enjoying GRRM’s Fire and Blood. Happy Hunting Everybody!!

[Martin]

If I remember correctly my goals for 2018 were to get rid of more books than I added and to spend less than I had the year before. I do not think I succeeded in getting rid of more than I purchased but I believe it was close. I was able to show more restraint than I have in the past. There is no way I spent less with the advent of Suntup Press. I ended up buying two of the three limited they offered.

My 2091 goals will remain the same. Get rid of more books than I add and spend less. I will need some help from both Suntup and Cemetery Dance if I hope to succeed. My hope is Suntup offers books I don't care for since they are so hard to pass up otherwise. For Cemetery Dance I hope they wait until late in the year to offer books I can't live without so I can just collect my monthly stipend and spend it late in the year.

[bookworm 1]

For me this past year was one with more focus. Wedding out things I don't want or know I will never get to. I added the Suntup Misery to my collection as well as a few CD novella collection books. And the Bentley Little paperbacks from Cemetery Dance as well.
For 2019 my goal is to collect any new signiture series books that come along from CD as well as Novella series books. I am fortunate enough to have been one of the people who preordered the entire Double Day series.
Other then that any new king, McCammon books as well as the Lansdale books from SST. And possibly add one of two more titles to my Edward Lee collection. And anything by Bryan Smith. That should be good for now. We will see how long I can stick to this.

[Ben Staad]

Goal is simply to pay more attention to the marketplace and pick up good deals, on things I'm interested in, when they are announced. I only buy a handful of "collectible" books per year anymore and due to my scaled back collecting I lost focus and missed out on a few nice items in 2018.