Random thoughts...

[RonClinton]

Paperbacks don't seem to have the charm they once did. I got McCammon to sign my paperbacks of Swan Song and Wolf's Hour and I love those formats. But today's mass market paperbacks just don't have the same energy. Although--there's no way I'd be able to read those small format paperbacks.

As much as I adore mylar-wrapped hardcovers -- and I'm now sitting in an office surrounded by thousands of them, almost all of which I have read (and those that aren't will eventually be read) -- I have to say that, inexplicably, my favorite format to read -- not own or collect, but actually read) has always been a trade paperback with French flaps, especially one with deckled edges. No idea why, but for me that's the perfect combination of size/comfort in the hands, easy-to-read font, and a visually pleasant upgrade from its standard form...and I don't feel like I have to baby it like a hardcover costing 10X more.

I also collect vintage crime/noir mmpb paperbacks from the '40s and '50s (primarily), and while I enjoy doing so I do have to admit trying to read that small font is a challenge.

I haven't bought any of CD's tpbs and likely won't as that kind of indie/minor author lineup doesn't do it for me these days (and no French flaps or deckled edges! ;-)), but I am glad it's an option that's available to their customers.

[Dave1442397]

I used to hit the bookstore every Tuesday back in the '90s. I worked near the Garden State Plaza and Paramus Park malls, and they both had a few bookstores back then. New releases were on the rack on Tuesday, and with my crazy $400/mo rent, I had plenty left over for books

Now though, I mostly go for e-books over paperbacks. I picked up a couple of Laird Barron's paperbacks recently, and a few from Jerad's John Pelan sale, but that's about it.

As for deckled edges, back in the day I thought that was just the publisher being too cheap to cut the damn pages properly...I didn't know it was a thing!

I bought myself a new kindle for Christmas. My old one (2014) has 1gb of storage and hold around 500 books before starting to complain about lack of memory. The new one has 30gbs of storage, so...15,000 books? Lol, that'd be close to fifty years worth of reading. There should be a rule that you can't die until you've read all the books on your kindle.

[dannyboy121070]

I used to hit the bookstore every Tuesday back in the '90s. I worked near the Garden State Plaza and Paramus Park malls, and they both had a few bookstores back then. New releases were on the rack on Tuesday, and with my crazy $400/mo rent, I had plenty left over for books

Now though, I mostly go for e-books over paperbacks. I picked up a couple of Laird Barron's paperbacks recently, and a few from Jerad's John Pelan sale, but that's about it.

As for deckled edges, back in the day I thought that was just the publisher being too cheap to cut the damn pages properly...I didn't know it was a thing!

I bought myself a new kindle for Christmas. My old one (2014) has 1gb of storage and hold around 500 books before starting to complain about lack of memory. The new one has 30gbs of storage, so...15,000 books? Lol, that'd be close to fifty years worth of reading. There should be a rule that you can't die until you've read all the books on your kindle.

We would all be immortal!

[jeffingoff]

No worries, Jeff. I don't think many of us can read those PB's either.

I think what may have lead to PB's charm decreasing over the years is the change in shopping habits and the instant news on the internet.

Going to a brick and mortar, finding that your favorite author has a new book, and then purchasing said new book was a thrill. Now we typically know way in advance of a new publication, purchase the book online, and never get that excitement of discovery.

All that being said I think CDs venture into PBs is great for many people. They are way more affordable and may be helping a whole new generation of collectors, readers, and imaginators (not a word), explore many authors they likely wouldn't have been exposed to.

That's a fantastic point about the thrill of discovery. The hunt has evolved and in many ways it's not as hot blooded as it once was.

[sholloman81]

I recently ordered the "Home Video Horrors 2024" calendar from Lunchmeat VHS and just received it today. It looks great, and I can't wait to hang it. I'm one of those weirdos who still likes to hang a physical wall calendar rather than just rely on an e-calendar.

Side note- Lunchmeat VHS is a pretty niche boutique, but since we're all horror aficionados on this forum, perhaps some of you will get a kick out of their website and horror VHS releases.

Lunchmeat (lunchmeatvhs.com)

[Ben Staad]

That is pretty awesome. I'm also a calendar weirdo. Just bought one from Dollar General. It has some sweet waterfalls. LOL LOL

I recently ordered the "Home Video Horrors 2024" calendar from Lunchmeat VHS and just received it today. It looks great, and I can't wait to hang it. I'm one of those weirdos who still likes to hang a physical wall calendar rather than just rely on an e-calendar.

Side note- Lunchmeat VHS is a pretty niche boutique, but since we're all horror aficionados on this forum, perhaps some of you will get a kick out of their website and horror VHS releases.

Lunchmeat (lunchmeatvhs.com)

[Sock Monkey]

I recently ordered the "Home Video Horrors 2024" calendar from Lunchmeat VHS and just received it today. It looks great, and I can't wait to hang it. I'm one of those weirdos who still likes to hang a physical wall calendar rather than just rely on an e-calendar.

Side note- Lunchmeat VHS is a pretty niche boutique, but since we're all horror aficionados on this forum, perhaps some of you will get a kick out of their website and horror VHS releases.

Lunchmeat (lunchmeatvhs.com)

This is really cool. I've never heard of Lunchmeat VHS and I really dug their site. I wish I was an actual VHS collector as all of this would be my jam and I would be buying ALL their apparel.

[Dave1442397]

That is a cool site   However, the last time I watched a VHS movie, it was on a 50" TV that did it no favors. Sorry, but it's 4k Ultra for me.

I bought my Sony Trinitron 32" TV for $1050 in 1993, and my Sony VCR (which still works) for $440. Both came from Nobody beats The Wiz. We used the TV up to 2007, when it went to a friend to be used as a basement TV. 
It's amazing how cheap TVs have gotten, and you can pick up a VCR for $5 at yard sales around here.

[sholloman81]

That is a cool site  However, the last time I watched a VHS movie, it was on a 50" TV that did it no favors. Sorry, but it's 4k Ultra for me.

I bought my Sony Trinitron 32" TV for $1050 in 1993, and my Sony VCR (which still works) for $440. Both came from Nobody beats The Wiz. We used the TV up to 2007, when it went to a friend to be used as a basement TV.Â
It's amazing how cheap TVs have gotten, and you can pick up a VCR for $5 at yard sales around here.

That's funny! You know, while I love blu-ray and have a ton of movies, for some reason, my eyes don't seem to enjoy the look of 4k. I do think it's funny to see how past media like VHS & Vinyl/Cassette tapes are coming back around in popularity/collectability.

[Dave1442397]

That's funny! You know, while I love blu-ray and have a ton of movies, for some reason, my eyes don't seem to enjoy the look of 4k. I do think it's funny to see how past media like VHS & Vinyl/Cassette tapes are coming back around in popularity/collectability.

I never bought many albums on cassette, although I made hundreds of them from swapping albums with friends. Cassettes sounded pretty good back in the day. I used Maxell XLII-S tapes with a Sony Walkman WM-DC6 (which I used to record albums back in the '80s).

I bought a 'retro' system back in 2007 - turntable, Nakamichi cassette deck, and a Cambridge Audio CD player. They were all dirt cheap on ebay at the time, but I haven't used them in years. I should dig them out and set them up again.

 

[Sock Monkey]

That is a cool site   However, the last time I watched a VHS movie, it was on a 50" TV that did it no favors. Sorry, but it's 4k Ultra for me.

I bought my Sony Trinitron 32" TV for $1050 in 1993, and my Sony VCR (which still works) for $440. Both came from Nobody beats The Wiz. We used the TV up to 2007, when it went to a friend to be used as a basement TV. 
It's amazing how cheap TVs have gotten, and you can pick up a VCR for $5 at yard sales around here.

Oh, man.  The Sony Trinitron.  That was like the top of the line back in the day. My buddy bought one for our apartment in like 1998-99, but instead of a VCR, he got a DVD player and it blew our minds.  When I eventually bought my own 32" a couple years later when I was living on my own, my grandfather was all impressed since he still had a 27" television.  Now, I have a 55" in the living room and a 75" in in the bedroom, still Sony, though.  It's funny how times change.

[Dave1442397]

Oh, man.  The Sony Trinitron.  That was like the top of the line back in the day. My buddy bought one for our apartment in like 1998-99, but instead of a VCR, he got a DVD player and it blew our minds.  When I eventually bought my own 32" a couple years later when I was living on my own, my grandfather was all impressed since he still had a 27" television.  Now, I have a 55" in the living room and a 75" in in the bedroom, still Sony, though.  It's funny how times change.

Do you remember the XBR (eXtended Bit Rate) line? It was a level up from the regular Trinitron, and I didn't go for it at the time. I think it cost an additional $250 or so.

I was such a SciFI nerd in the '80s and predicted that one day we'd have huge flatscreen TVs hanging on the wall. Needless to say, my classmates thought I was nuts. Back then (in Ireland) most people rented their TV from a local shop, and if you were lucky it was a color TV. We finally switched to color in 1980, but as you can see in the pic, we still only needed six buttons for channels. Actually, we only need five until November 1982, when Channel 4 started up in the UK. Not me in the pic


John_11.jpg

 

[RonClinton]

Oh, man. The Sony Trinitron. That was like the top of the line back in the day. My buddy bought one for our apartment in like 1998-99, but instead of a VCR, he got a DVD player and it blew our minds. When I eventually bought my own 32" a couple years later when I was living on my own, my grandfather was all impressed since he still had a 27" television. Now, I have a 55" in the living room and a 75" in in the bedroom, still Sony, though. It's funny how times change.

I remember being gifted a VCR player in '88 (when they weren't that cheap) and thinking it was the most incredible, convenient thing ever ..now I didn't have to rent the player at the video store anymore and lug it home in its impact-resistance bulky suitcase, and connect all the twisted, knotted wiring only to disconnect it all in a few hours, and then repeat the entire ugly process next weekend...

Flash forward 35 years later, and now I get irked if my streaming buffers for a second or two. :-/

[Sock Monkey]

I remember being gifted a VCR player in '88 (when they weren't that cheap) and thinking it was the most incredible, convenient thing ever ..now I didn't have to rent the player at the video store anymore and lug it home in its impact-resistance bulky suitcase, and connect all the twisted, knotted wiring only to disconnect it all in a few hours, and then repeat the entire ugly process next weekend...

Flash forward 35 years later, and now I get irked if my streaming buffers for a second or two. :-/

LOL!! No joke, huh? I also get cranky when my streaming resolution dips for a second, while we used to put up with some pretty awful video from VHS tapes.

I haven't thought about renting a VCR in years, but, man, does that bring back memories. And for some reason the ones that I remember us renting were those massive toploaders that weighed a ton. If we're going down memory lane a bit, I'll jump a couple miles down the road and remember how we marveled over the fact that DVDs never had to be rewound. With VCRs it felt like an eternity waiting for the tape to rewind. We were never cool enough to buy one of those separate tape rewinders that were in the shape of a sports car.

[Sock Monkey]

Do you remember the XBR (eXtended Bit Rate) line? It was a level up from the regular Trinitron, and I didn't go for it at the time. I think it cost an additional $250 or so.

I was such a SciFI nerd in the '80s and predicted that one day we'd have huge flatscreen TVs hanging on the wall. Needless to say, my classmates thought I was nuts. Back then (in Ireland) most people rented their TV from a local shop, and if you were lucky it was a color TV. We finally switched to color in 1980, but as you can see in the pic, we still only needed six buttons for channels. Actually, we only need five until November 1982, when Channel 4 started up in the UK. Not me in the pic


John_11.jpg

Â

Unfortunately I don't remember the XBRs from back then. It probably seemed WAY too out of our league, like looking for Corolla but wandering through the BMW dealership first. It's interesting that Sony still uses the XBR branding, though, for their televisions.

To go a bit nerdy, I'm actually a big fan of the picture quality of Sony televisions. My wife's family all go for Samsungs, I think due to their brightness, but I always feel like the Sony televisions give a deeper, richer picture. Of course, that's probably my own personal bias showing as I don't think I've ever owned a television that wasn't a Sony.

That is also a fantastic picture!