Signed books

ratsy

ratsy

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I am wondering who has an obsession with signed copies of their favorite authors book. I personally do not own any but it is something I think would be interesting to collect. I recently ordered Elantris signed by Brandon Sanderson, for my brothers christmas present and it only cost me $35.00 american.

Where do you get your signed copies?
 
I've never bought a signed copy, but I have a few copies that were signed after the fact. Much cheaper that way. Of course, the author has to come into your area for a book-signing, or you have to go to a convention and track them down, which limits your choices.

I have a signed copy of The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, and one of The Riddlemaster of Hed by Patricia McKillip. These are two of my all-time favorite books, so I feel especially fortunate to have them.

The Beagle was signed at a multi-author signing at a nearby SFF bookstore, and the McKillip at a mass-signing during a World Fantasy Convention.

I was lucky enough to get a copy of The Golden Key signed by all three authors -- Elliott, Rawn, and Roberson -- when they all appeared together at another bookstore.

And then there are signed copies I treasure not only for the signatures but because they were given to me by friends.
 
I don't have any sadly, nor the money to order or tavel to signings.
I suspec they will be something I will try for in my older years - and then probably regret in a small way that I missed some key authors signings.
 
Unfortunatly no one ever comes to Edmonton, Alberta to sign my books. If I can track down a copy of Goblin moon can I send it to you for an autograph Theresa?
 
If you can track down a copy of Goblin Moon, I can save you the postage and the possibility of the book getting lost in the mail by sending you a signed bookplate you can stick inside.

I am lucky enough to live in a good area for SFF specialty bookstores and conventions. Although some of them have been dying in recent years.
 
I have a number of signed books. All of them I got signed at Cons by the authors. Some were new, some were old. For me its part of going to a Con ;)
 
I do enjoy having books signed and have built up a fair collection (well over 300), which was added to this weekend at NewCon 4 when Iain Banks, Ken MacLeod, Paul Cornell and Storm Constantine all signed their latest for me.

In fact, I enjoy signed books so much I started publishing them myself! :)
 
I have a couple of hundred signed books. Some I got signed at conventions, others I bought signed - from eBay, ABEBooks, coldtonnage.com... Some are signed limited editions, such as, for example, those from PS Publishing or Subterranean Press. I have books signed by the likes of Lawrence Durrell, John Fowles, Anthony Burgess, John Crowley, Iain Banks, Frank Herbert, Bruce Sterling, Gwyneth Jones, Graham Joyce... I even have a couple signed by Ian Whates.
 
Most of the signed books I have were signed at Cons, others are gifts and yet others were bought signed. Getting books signed at a convention is very much a part of the experience for me and I definitely cannot get any books signed here in my part of the world.
 
I love signed books. I go to the source and ask for the signature of authors i meet. You'd be surprised how many authors are nice enough to it if you pay for the shipping and whatnot. Kelley Armstrong is very nice, as is Madeleine Howard(Teresa), Mark Robson, GRRM, Nevada Barr, David Baldacci, Mary Hoffman, and I keep meaning to send something to Bernard Cornwell.
 
I have three signed books. Sean Williams came and did a talk at my school so I brought along the Stone Mage series for him to sign.
 
Quite a few of my Terry Pratchett's are signed, one of the advantages of living in the Westcountry, close to him I guess - it means he does a lot of signings in the area.

Someone sold me a cheap batch of Peter F Hamilton's on ebay (I think £9.99 for the three early Quantum Murder books - original US hardback editions... one of which was signed)

And I've more than a few comic books signed!
 
I used to live in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates. I was browsing in Al Mutanabbi Bookshop there one day - sometime around 1996, I think - when I found a hardback copy of Bruce Sterling's Heavy Weather. Given that the shop sold mostly text books, this was unusual enough. I bought it, took it home... and discovered it was a first edition, signed by Bruce Sterling! AFAIK, he's never visited Abu Dhabi ( or hadn't at that time).
 
I've never been particularly big on getting signed copies -- though I do think they're rather nice, and I've occasionally got someone to sign one. Of course, with most of my favorite writers, getting a signed copy would be either impossible or at very least terribly expensive: Lovecraft only had one book (of fiction) published during his lifetime, and very few copies of that one are around; I believe he inscribed a handful, but that's it. So getting his signature might involve "criminal necromancy", as it were.... As for most of the others... they, too, are dead; many are from the nineteenth century, so even if signed copies are out there, they tend to go for rather high prices.....
 
I think my favourites must be the First Editions that Anne McCaffrey signed for me at Worldcon a few years back. Sadly they were some of her later works, rather than the ones that would be worth a small fortune, but it was an incredible moment for me to meet one of my all time hero writers on my first day as a professional writer in my own right. I don't think I'll every forget it.

I've collected quite a lot of signed books over the past few years - I guess I'm still a bit geeky like that. It's still a thrill for me to meet authors, even though I am one now.
 
I know someone who had book signed by L Ron Hubbard many years after his death. The Scientologists had some woman who was channelling Elron and signing his books. They insisted it was legitimate...
 
I have a lot of signed editions. I also buy them signed on abebooks and other places, and I have a fesish for Subterranean's books. I also travel quite a bit to Seattle and there is a bookstore where the proprietor does a LOT of signings and he always has signed editions on the shelves for sale at list price. I got a bunch of the NESFA editions of the Bujold books they have been publishing there for list price, all signed. Actually, there are a bunch of those places in Seattle. That city just seems to attract SF authors for some reason.
 
I only have a few signed books mostly Pratchett, and I have Good Omens signed, Terry wrote Boooo! and Neil wrote Is 668 the neighbour of the beast.
 
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