Martin's Collection

[RonClinton]

Great additions, Martin… By coincidence, I also posted the Ghost Box 3 on Twitter today. You can check out my photos here, if you’d like:

https://twitter.com/ron_clinton/stat...169073152?s=21

Also, consider yourself fortunate to have a Postman that will hide your packages…even though I have a large stone pillar as part of the porch that he could use to hide my packages, more often than not he just puts them right in front of the door, visible to whoever may be passing in front of the house.

[Martin]

An author some of you may have heard of made a stop at Powell's as well.

Mr. Hill appeared at Powell's on Monday night on the eve of Full Throttle's release. On Monday I also received his newsletter and he stated that he had been to a concert on Saturday on Portland. I wondered why he had been in Portland for a few days. He packed the house at Powell's and just before his appearance he entered to room and sat next to a young man, most people did not even notice he was in the room. The person introducing him started by pointing to some single seats so a few people standing could sit. Joe then said he was leaving and someone could have seat. He started by explaining that he had been in town a few days getting his son settled at Lewis and Clark College. He read a bit longer than usual and then took questions. He was his usual funny self. He said he would sign three items and if you wanted to have more signed he would handle the remaining items after they took care of those with three or less. Due to the size of the crowd that never happened as they closed before the line was complete.

Knowing they would have a constraint with the crowd size and time they pulled all his books off the floor early and Joe signed everything as well as a very large number of Full Throttle. The people waiting in line were to get a book personalized or have items they brought signed.

I chose to have My Suntup Horns ARC, Full Throttle ARC and Joe Hill special CD hardcover signed.
Joe Hill 2.jpgJoe Hill Powells 1.jpgP1380731.jpgP1380732.jpgP1380735.jpgP1380736.jpg

[Martin]

Sorry, not sure why joe went sideways on the prior post.

P1380733.jpgP1380734.jpg

Powell's did not have the tipped in signature sheet books out on Monday so I went back Friday and got one:
P1380728.jpgP1380729.jpg

[Martin]

Great additions, Martin… By coincidence, I also posted the Ghost Box 3 on Twitter today. You can check out my photos here, if you’d like:

https://twitter.com/ron_clinton/stat...169073152?s=21

Also, consider yourself fortunate to have a Postman that will hide your packages…even though I have a large stone pillar as part of the porch that he could use to hide my packages, more often than not he just puts them right in front of the door, visible to whoever may be passing in front of the house.

I follow you on Twitter but had not been there yet today. I see your copy also has not stamp on the title for 'Wet Pain'. I am mostly lucking with deliveries. The UPS guy hides the box when it will fit. The mailman will place them in the locked parcel box when he can and if they don't fit or if they are full he try's the house. If we do not answer he takes them to our neighbors. He is usually home and will get them to me as soon as I get home. It works well. The only issue I have is occasionally I receive something that barely fits or needs folded to fit in the regular box and the postman sticks it in. The side he puts thing in is larger than the side I take things out so at time getting things out can be tricky.

[RonClinton]

Yeah, my Postman does that occasionally as well…sometimes I feel like I’m playing tug-of-war with the box trying to pull my package out.

I almost contacted H&O about that missing color, but after looking at it and thinking about it figured it must be some sort of deliberate artistic choice, given that it’s the only chapbook that also has the title in color in the image box area. Seeing your picture was comforting confirmation that I was correct.

By the way, I went down to Oregon yesterday, on Saturday, to help my brother move, and stopped at Powell’s in the early evening on my way back to Seattle. Didn’t have much luck, unfortunately, but it was a fun 2-3 hours of browsing.

[Martin]

Yeah, my Postman does that occasionally as well…sometimes I feel like I’m playing tug-of-war with the box trying to pull my package out.

I almost contacted H&O about that missing color, but after looking at it and thinking about it figured it must be some sort of deliberate artistic choice, given that it’s the only chapbook that also has the title in color in the image box area. Seeing your picture was comforting confirmation that I was correct.

By the way, I went down to Oregon yesterday, on Saturday, to help my brother move, and stopped at Powell’s in the early evening on my way back to Seattle. Didn’t have much luck, unfortunately, but it was a fun 2-3 hours of browsing.

I consider it a victory if I can get out of Powell's without spending. Of course it is only a half hour from my home so I go often.

[jeffingoff]

Great adds!! I regret passing on all those ghost boxes, but it also feels good to let some things go. I enjoy seeing them though.

[RonClinton]

I consider it a victory if I can get out of Powell's without spending. Of course it is only a half hour from my home so I go often.

As someone who has hung out in their Horror and Mystery sections (among others) for almost three decades, I've seen a very significant shift that makes visits there much less rewarding. While this time I left with nothing, I do usually have two or three titles...but that's down from a basketful many years ago.

It sure seems like -- particularly lately -- they are overpricing things that could even remotely be considered collectible. It's gone from always finding treasures on the cheap two, three decades ago...to more often than not finding decent deals once they started funneling their best acquisitions to their on-line store...to seeing interesting books priced at market value or just below...to now seeing relatively uncommon books priced speculatively, above any realistic level they deserve. I get they want to maximize their profits -- and more power to 'em for that, the used bookstore biz is a tough one -- and not everyone is aware of other outlets like ABE, Biblio, Alibris, or even eBay, but there's a reason why I often see the some of the same titles, even a year between visits.

For me, it's changed from a place of bookbuying Nirvana to something that feels almost predatory, and that kinda takes the shine off the pleasure of visiting. I still love browsing there, but it's now become more for the experience of wandering the aisles of the West Coast's biggest bookstore, hoping perhaps to find something that the eagles eyes of their buyers missed and didn't overprice, than any real expectation of finding books to take home. And as a Powell's fan of nearly three decades, I find that a real shame.

Btw, their garage was surprisingly closed (not full, but closed...the metal door was down) on Saturday...do you know, are they renovating or...?

[TacomaDiver]

I found more treasures at Tacoma Book Center the last few times than I have at Powell’s. Powell’s is great but like Ron said, things are priced higher than they deserve, plus they’re starting to look like a Half Priced Books with all of their other merchandising.

We have a chain of stores here called 2nd and Charles that are really bad. Mostly junk merchandise, and I still can’t figure out their pricing. Almost all of their used stuff is marked full cover price (unless there’s a secret you must know about discount or something.)

I miss having a great used bookstore close by.

[Brian861]

Great adds, Martin and glad you got to see Joe again as well!

[goathunter]

It sure seems like -- particularly lately -- they are overpricing things that could even remotely be considered collectible. It's gone from always finding treasures on the cheap two, three decades ago...to more often than not finding decent deals once they started funneling their best acquisitions to their on-line store...

The same thing (the internet) happened with antique stores. My wife and I used to love stopping at antique stores of any size to browse, and we often found things at great prices. But about 20 years ago, as eBay grew, antique sellers started seeing prices items were fetching online, and they started pricing accordingly. As you described with Powell's, we'd go in to a few local stores and see the same items year after year. Well, duh---you've overpriced them, and no one is interested. Plus, they can probably be found online cheaper. It's been years now since we've been to an antique store, and it was, at one time, almost an every-weekend thing for us.

I get the need to make a profit, but greed ends up killing everything.

[Martin]

Here are the two free books from the holiday PS Publishing promotion.
P1380776.jpg

[Martin]

Letterpress Limited version of Revival:

This is a beautiful book with great extras. I can't wait for the next offering from Letterpress!
P1380750.jpgP1380751.jpgP1380753.jpgP1380754.jpgP1380755.jpgP1380756.jpg

[Martin]

More Revival photos:
P1380758.jpgP1380759.jpgP1380760.jpgP1380765.jpgP1380767.jpgP1380771.jpg

[Martin]

I could take pictures of this all day but will stop after a few more:
P1380762.jpgP1380763.jpgP1380764.jpgP1380770.jpgP1380774.jpgP1380775.jpg