For those of you who don't already know this, John Updike (Rabbit Run, 1960) passed away a few weeks ago due to cancer. I had a customer come into Barnes the other day asking for first editions of his books. Unfortunately Barnes doesn't carry older first editions. Can't really rule out that we don't carry first editions because technically new releases of books are first editions. They just won't be worth anything for another 20 years.
Anyhow, when the customer asked me for first editions from John Updike, it suddenly hit me: "wow, my first editions in the Rabbit Run series will be worth a fortune since he just died". I know it's unfortunate but it's true. I think once someone dies, people give them more credit and become more interested in their work. Just look at when Tim Russert passed away. Everyone was flocking to Barnes to pick up Wisdom of Our Fathers and Big Russ and Me. We couldn't keep them on the shelves for weeks after his death.
Over the past week, I've had several people asking for John Updike books that we don't carry in the store. The funny thing is, I've known about and loved his work for years. Now all the sudden, everyone is cashing in on his work. It's a sad and strange thing. When I started collecting first editions, Rabbit Run was one of the first ones I found.
Unfortunately the same thing happened when Kurt Vonnegut (Slaughterhouse Five, 1969) passed away last year. I don't have any of his first editions and I really wish I did. I'm sure they are hard to come by these days since he's so popular among high school and college students.
Recently what I have been doing is collecting first editions of modern authors. And I am not talking about the "paperback writers" of today (ie: James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Lee Child). I am referring to Cormac McCarthy (The Road, 2006), Haruki Murakami (The Wind Up Bird Chronicle, 1997) and Christopher Moore (Lamb, 2002). I think all three of these authors have a following and collectors will be hunting for in the years to come. Their books are fantastic reads, which is also a plus.
Book collecting is so intriguing but I think the best part of it is, knowing that it was written by a living person and being able to connect with their mindset through the story they tell.
Over the past week, I've had several people asking for John Updike books that we don't carry in the store. The funny thing is, I've known about and loved his work for years. Now all the sudden, everyone is cashing in on his work. It's a sad and strange thing. When I started collecting first editions, Rabbit Run was one of the first ones I found.
Unfortunately the same thing happened when Kurt Vonnegut (Slaughterhouse Five, 1969) passed away last year. I don't have any of his first editions and I really wish I did. I'm sure they are hard to come by these days since he's so popular among high school and college students.
Recently what I have been doing is collecting first editions of modern authors. And I am not talking about the "paperback writers" of today (ie: James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Lee Child). I am referring to Cormac McCarthy (The Road, 2006), Haruki Murakami (The Wind Up Bird Chronicle, 1997) and Christopher Moore (Lamb, 2002). I think all three of these authors have a following and collectors will be hunting for in the years to come. Their books are fantastic reads, which is also a plus.
Book collecting is so intriguing but I think the best part of it is, knowing that it was written by a living person and being able to connect with their mindset through the story they tell.
