Daninsky's Collection

[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.

[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]

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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[Martin]

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

[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.

[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]

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.

[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]

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...

[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!

[Theli]

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

[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]

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.

[Daninsky]

I was actually curious if anyone here was in a position to recognize the two sculptures I have flanking the Tolkien books in that first EP photograph. I'll take some better photos and discuss them a bit later in the thread, but if anyone can identify them before that, it'll make my day.

[Martin]

Wow is about all I can say!