Daninsky's Collection

[Daninsky]

Love the Tolkien and EP collection. I had no idea that they had released a Conan anthology. Very freaking jealous! Can't say I know what the statues are. They do look vaguely familiar, but I can't put my finger on it.

The Conan omnibus is rare, woefully overpriced, and depressingly poorly produced. I'm not entirely sure what sort of licensing shenanigans were involved with EP putting out that book, but the cover is passing decent while the gilt edges are of the very cheap spray-on variety, the text is poorly edited, the map is full of misprints, and the pages are the cheapest, most abrasive paper stock imaginable. Seriously, I have vintage issues of Weird Tales printing some of these same stories that have better quality paper!

[Theli]

That is so sad. I guess my Wandering Star copies will have to do!

[Daninsky]

That is so sad. I guess my Wandering Star copies will have to do!

The Wandering Star editions are great! As are the follow-up editions from Sub Press. Some beautiful books with good, unexpurgated text. You could do a lot worse!

[Daninsky]

The Thunderstorm Books shelf. I really love these guys a lot. Some of the best production value for the price that I have ever seen in small press and a really stellar selection of authors, as well. I do not now nor will I ever understand why they perform so poorly on the secondary market. Small print runs, high quality, great materials, and some really spectacular authors, but I see them all the time on Ebay bringing in barely 50% of List, even when long out of print. It boggles the mind, as they really deserve to do better. Side Note: Those glue spots (at least I think that's what they are) on WALK THE SKY are almost invisible to the naked eye. I had no idea they were even there until I uploaded these photos. The things you notice...

[bookworm 1]

Very nice. I have a few of those Thunderstorm Press books including the whole Ronald Kelly Essential series. They really do put out a high quality book.

[Daninsky]

Very nice. I have a few of those Thunderstorm Press books including the whole Ronald Kelly Essential series. They really do put out a high quality book.

As evidenced in the photos, I have all but ONE of those Ronald Kelly books. The first one in the series, Undertaker's Moon. My shelf is incomplete without it!! If anyone has copy of the Thunderstorm edition of that book, please do let me know. I'd sure love to buy it off of ya.

[slayn666]

I do not now nor will I ever understand why they perform so poorly on the secondary market. Small print runs, high quality, great materials, and some really spectacular authors, but I see them all the time on Ebay bringing in barely 50% of List, even when long out of print. It boggles the mind, as they really deserve to do better.

That's how most limited edition books fare. Any limited I have that I didn't buy direct from the publisher was almost always purchased for at least 50% of the retail price. A fair few I've gotten for less than 20% of retail.

That said, a few TSB book hold value. I paid well above retail for my copy of House of Blood, and a bit above retail for the J.F. Gonzalez set I picked up at the same time. Generally speaking, the first five or ten Black Voltage titles have held their value quite well, with the aforementioned Smith and McBean's Mother always doing extremely well for sellers. I've never actually seen one for sale, but I imagine the first Maelstrom set would also fetch a tidy sum.

[Daninsky]

That's how most limited edition books fare. Any limited I have that I didn't buy direct from the publisher was almost always purchased for at least 50% of the retail price. A fair few I've gotten for less than 20% of retail.

That said, a few TSB book hold value. I paid well above retail for my copy of House of Blood, and a bit above retail for the J.F. Gonzalez set I picked up at the same time. Generally speaking, the first five or ten Black Voltage titles have held their value quite well, with the aforementioned Smith and McBean's Mother always doing extremely well for sellers. I've never actually seen one for sale, but I imagine the first Maelstrom set would also fetch a tidy sum.

Valid points, thanks for the input. I guess maybe I'm just a bit spoiled because the bulk of my collecting has been with Centipede and Subterranean Press, both of which seem to hold (and very frequently increase in) value quite reliably, with a few expected exceptions. So I still sometimes wind up surprised and a little sad to see other really good small publishers whose books (I feel) should hold value, but don't.

[Martin]

Every book I have from Thunderstorm are top notch and in my dealings with him I have nothing but good things to say.

[mhatchett]

Sold only as a complete set, all published at the same time. So alas...

I found my copy. One of the reasons I bought it was the custom slipcase.
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[Daninsky]

I found my copy. One of the reasons I bought it was the custom slipcase.

Ah hah! That must be one of the Meisha Merlin publications! In addition to the complete 46-book set put out by the Heinlein Trust, MM was also supposed to publish a deluxe edition of the whole collection. Unfortunately, they went out of business having only published the first 6 and never did the other 40, much like what happened with their contract to publish GRRM's Song of Ice and Fire deluxe editions. Thanks for sharing!

[mhatchett]

Ah hah! That must be one of the Mischa Merlin publications! In addition to the complete 46-book set put out by the Heinlein Trust, Mischa Merlin was also supposed to publish a deluxe edition of the whole collection. Unfortunately, they went out of business having only published the first 6 and never did the other 40, much like what happened with their contract to publish GRRM's Song of Ice and Fire deluxe editions. Thanks for sharing!

It is! I remember reading about the criticism of the choosing them because of their lack of experience. i would love to get the set, but frankly, as much as I love Heinlein, there are more than a few titles I could do without. I think these copies are kind few and far between.

[slayn666]

Valid points, thanks for the input. I guess maybe I'm just a bit spoiled because the bulk of my collecting has been with Centipede and Subterranean Press, both of which seem to hold (and very frequently increase in) value quite reliably, with a few expected exceptions. So I still sometimes wind up surprised and a little sad to see other really good small publishers whose books (I feel) should hold value, but don't.

Yep, after I posted I realized that your view might be a bit skewed due to having a nearly-complete Centipede collection. I'm half convinced Jerad is a wizard.

[Daninsky]

Pausing briefly before moving on to the next row of books to address the sculptures featured in an earlier photo. They, along with the other two pictured here and the accompanying paintings and drawings were all created by the same artist. The sculptures, carved of various stones found on his family property in the first half of the 20th century, make their home on my bookshelves while the others hang on the walls of my library.

I have actually put more effort into acquiring these pieces than I have any books in my entire collection. Most took me years of searching to locate and some rather rigorous negotiation to acquire, but they are some of my most treasured possessions and I feel both lucky and honored to be able to serve as steward for them while I live. Their connection to some of the 20th Century's most important fantastic/weird fiction is very intimate and it saddens me immensely how many of his works have been lost over the last century.

All of these are original works by Clark Ashton Smith, late of Auburn, California. He originally sold most of these for under $5.00 each through mail order.

[Theli]

Wow. Just wow! I didn't know that Mr. Smith created visual art as well as writing. Honestly I could argue that he was the most proficient writer of the weird circle.