Dark Tower - Gunslinger SL #399

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styrophome
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Dark Tower - Gunslinger SL #399

Post by styrophome »

Good evening!

I am an avid collector of books in general but have a fairly respectable signed and signed limited King collection. I actually started collecting book in the early 1980's while browsing a book store inside the Big D Bazaar in Dallas. The seller was a fine man and I bought art from him but he opened his glass case on one visit and held the Dark Tower The Gunslinger Signed Limited #399 and told me it would be a great investment. He said there was a first printing and the book didn't do well and they were going release a new version. When the new version came out, that book would increase in value.

I now own a few hundred signed and signed limited from King, Cussler, Clancy, Koontz, Sandford, etc, but my favorite book is still that first one. Obviously, I hardly ever touch it. It just sits on the shelf and I look at it sitting there and smile a little. However, this afternoon, I took it out because I couldn't remember the number. As I was inside carefully so i don't crack the spine, I look at inside front page of the jacket and IT'S CLIPPED!!!

Why in the world would anybody price clip that book? I've been a bit sad all day and I am just bewildered as to why that book would have been clipped back in the early 80's.

So, I googled King forums, registered and here I am to ask anyone who might have an answer.
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OneFathom
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Re: Dark Tower - Gunslinger SL #399

Post by OneFathom »

Thanks for sharing! In case you didn't already know about this site, there are a lot of collectors who will be interested to know that another Gunslinger S/L is accounted for. You can find the most up-to-date list of owners of Dark Tower S/Ls #1 - #500 (including PC complete set owners) right here - - - > http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/sho ... -owns-them
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OneFathom
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Re: Dark Tower - Gunslinger SL #399

Post by OneFathom »

As to the rationale behind price-clipping a signed/limited (S/L) version...no clue. Unfortunate, to say the least. But kudos to you! That's a great piece and would be the flagship book in almost any King collector's collection.
Mr. Rabbit Trick
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Re: Dark Tower - Gunslinger SL #399

Post by Mr. Rabbit Trick »

Maybe the dust jacket was damaged and someone put on a 2nd edition jacket. They clipped it to hide the fact that it is a 2nd edition.

Either way, the value has been impaired.
styrophome
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Re: Dark Tower - Gunslinger SL #399

Post by styrophome »

Wiki says: The finished product was first published by Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc. as a limited edition in 1982. The following year, because the Pet Sematary cover noted The Gunslinger among King's previous works, many fans called the offices of King, Grant, and Doubleday wanting more information on the already-out-of-print book. This led to another run of ten-thousand copies.

I'm not sure there was enough time for it to be damage. As I said, the fellow who sold it to me said another printing was about to come out. So, I can narrow the date down to the time in between the signed limited was published and second print of 10,000 came out a little later. Any idea the time between the two? At the very least, when I bought the book the 10,000 book run hadn't happened yet so where would a replacement dust cover come from?

Also, if there is somebody who is actually looking to track King's older signed limiteds, I have these others as well.
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styrophome
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Re: Dark Tower - Gunslinger SL #399

Post by styrophome »

Here are a few pix of the book.
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styrophome
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Re: Dark Tower - Gunslinger SL #399

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more
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styrophome
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Re: Dark Tower - Gunslinger SL #399

Post by styrophome »

and
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TheCollector
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Re: Dark Tower - Gunslinger SL #399

Post by TheCollector »

Hi Bill, welcome! I saw your question in the welcome section first, so my main reply is there. But now I see the DJ itself, that's a 1st edition DJ not a 2nd, so no one was trying to swap DJ's to pass them off as a 1st edition.
styrophome
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Re: Dark Tower - Gunslinger SL #399

Post by styrophome »

Thanks for the reply. I'm not sure I'm much concerned about the value. That only counts if I were thinking of selling and I don't think I'll ever sell any of my books and certainly not any of the few dozen signed and limited King books. He is my favorite.

Truth be told, it's a mystery has to why it would be clipped so quickly after publication but that just means I have a fairly rare book. I may have the only price clipped sl edition of gunslinger!!!! lol...

Well, we're both gained a little. I feel better somehow and you now know where edition #399 has been hiding for the last 38 years.
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