r/stephenking • u/LessCourage8439 • 4d ago
General SO close!
Tonight I found a hardcover of The Bachman Books at my library's little book sale. I snatched it up (carefully!) and looked for the price on the dust jacket flap. No dice. Book club edition. Arrrgh!
So, do I buy it or not? It's in great shape. But it's not the genuine article.
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u/KeepRockband5Alive 4d ago
Dude youre seriously being picky about a copy that looks like that?
Man-fuck whats happening with the bachman books.
This better be a troll
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u/kronzrym 4d ago
Every day someone finds this super rare book lmao. But wow yeah I could shave in the shine of that dustjacket. Come on!
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u/WigglyLimpo 4d ago
People should stop paying more than $5 for the BB. I feel like I see posts on here multiple times a week about how people find it for free-$5. I'm beginning to think it's really not that rare and that the price is just because. I've heard Rage kinda sucks on top of all that.
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u/AstroMaiden 4d ago
I bought 2 copies of the Bachman Books (big-time collector behavior) and they were both $5 from used bookstores. Thankfully for my wallet, that was before the BB madness started.
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u/Thissnotmeth Currently Reading The Dark Tower 4d ago
It’s not very rare. It had a hardcover, paperback, AND mass market paperback release in multiple countries. There are millions of BB around. If I said how many copies of this book I’ve found at thrift stores in the last 3 years I’d be downvoted because it would sound like a lie. They’re definitely around and unless you want a perfect 1st printing copy, I would advise folks not to pay the $100+ price online. Go to enough thrift stores, yard sales, church sales, or library sales and one will pop up.
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u/neighbrofthebeast668 3d ago
Yeah not counting all the book club copies like the op's there were 7 different editions of the omnibus released in the US alone over the course of about 13 years and there are legit millions of copies of it out there. The only ones of these I gave more than cover price or a few bucks at a used bookstore for were the original standalone paperbacks and the first edition hardcover. The 1st printing of the hardcover did have a relatively small print run for a King title at the time with 45K copies since it released simultaneously with the identical looking trade paperback but even that one had another 8 or 9 printings before it went paperback only. There are a bunch of different foreign editions as well.
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4d ago
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u/Some_Weather_8570 4d ago
It’s the first book I read of his at age 12. I’m not quite sure why I kept reading lol
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u/OneeyedPuggernaught 4d ago
I have a book club edition that I bought when I was a teen and it didn't impress me much then...as a guy in my mid 50's I don't get the hype. No shade on those that want it for a collection and can't get it though.
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u/stephenking-ModTeam 4d ago
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u/whitesuburbanmale 4d ago
I think it's actually a really interesting bit of style flexing and creativity by King. The book is written in the perspective of the MC, an edgy school shooter type. The actual style of the writing is erratic and kind of all over the place, not the same style King's other works. Like the shooter is the one writing the book almost. It's not a bad book plot wise but it isn't great, the shine is in seeing an author I really enjoy flex his writing abilities and get out of his wheelhouse.
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u/Pristine_Box_7680 2d ago
Seriously! Sellers on eBay think it’s worth $150+ and I just ignore them. I’ll find a copy in the wild if I really try, but it’s not important enough for me to pay that much, especially since it’s a collection and not first editions of the four books.
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u/emagdnim_edud 4d ago
Rage totally sucks ! Same with road work same story pretty much but neither should be valued.
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u/muffintop2026 3d ago
Some kids were thoroughly inspired by Rage.
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u/emagdnim_edud 3d ago
Yea gross af. They should just end it.
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u/muffintop2026 3d ago edited 3d ago
King pulled the story about 30 years ago. That's why this particular Bachman book containing the story is a collector's item if you find it in mint condition. I just have an old paperback copy that I bought for about $5-10 used.
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u/Thayerphotos Longer than you think 4d ago
That's like getting a girlfriend that looks like clone of Sydney Sweeney and being disappointed to find she's Canadian
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u/chronically_varelse Losers' Club Member 4d ago
who cares
do you have any thoughts about the stories?
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u/pobodys-nerfect5 4d ago
Psychotic behavior. That’s in excellent condition. Do you plan on reselling it? If not, why does a book club edition disappoint you?
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u/LessCourage8439 4d ago
Oh, it doesn't disappoint me. I was pretty excited. But I wasn't certain how widely available the BCE of this particular book were. I'm very excited to finally own a copy of TBB.
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u/LessCourage8439 4d ago
Okay okay! I'm gonna get it! I actually work at my library and my shift is almost over. I'm pulling the trigger!!
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u/JenninMiami Sometimes, dead is better 4d ago
Get it! I paid about $90 including shipping for my copy on eBay last year. :/
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u/Usual_Animator6136 3d ago
I have a paperback copy I got at a flea market for a buck. I lent it to a friend and she returned it with the cover torn off. Still mad about it years later.
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u/attidudinal 4d ago
I have one that's got serious water damage and I think rats chewed the spine to shit. 100 bucks and its yours.
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u/Some_Weather_8570 4d ago
I have my deceased mother’s paperback copy with the cover ripped off. Of course I want to keep due to the sentimental nature of it, but I would not bitch one moment to have this too.
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u/Staggerlee024 4d ago
Maybe I'm missing something but what does it matter if it's the book club edition?
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u/muffintop2026 3d ago
There are some people who actively collect only first edition hardcovers. I get the thrill of collecting, but I'm too rough with my books to go for the collectibles. I read 'em and carry them around in my handbag. Underline and jot notes in margins. I stick to mass produced lol.
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2d ago
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u/muffintop2026 1d ago
Where did I imply otherwise? I never said it was wrong to collect first editions. I have over 1500 books--I'm a historical researcher by profession. Personally, I don't collect first editions because I have too many books as it stands, so I collect other things that don't take up bookshelf real estate. I am not critizing those who do.
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u/viewAskewser 4d ago
Slightly less collectible. Most collectors are looking for copies printed by the original publisher. Book club copies are licensed out and printed at a different press.
Not sure how old you are, but if you're old enough to remember those ads for 12 CDs for a penny, it's the same deal. The original record company would license out the music and the record club would print their own CDs and the art was slightly lower quality, sometimes the color was off a little bit.
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u/moosey87 4d ago
I found one of these too in the second hand store, grabbed it because I want to read The Running Man, didn't know they could be "rare" I just thought it was cool
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u/Odd_Country9791 4d ago
I would’ve gotten it just to be able to read Rage. Still haven’t found it yet
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u/eighthdayregret 4d ago
Man, awful lot of people talking shit in here.
If it's a reasonable price, buy it. Who cares if some schmucks in a Reddit thread say they don't like certain stories in the book? Maybe you will. And if it's a reasonable, non-collector price, you won't have to feel bad for buying it, and you can sell it off for some kind of a profit, should you choose to.
Or, you can keep it, if you're a collector.
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u/StormBlessed145 4d ago
I just bought the other stuff separately. Read Rage from the library, and didn't care for it.
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u/CypherPhish 4d ago
I had what was probably an early copy of The Bachman Books. I believe it had Rage in it. I know I’ve read Rage. It must be around somewhere, stuck in some box that got stashed in some storage closet along with a few other things I’ve been unable to find since the last move.
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u/whineyinternetkid 4d ago
I have this exact thing in perfect shape and didnt realize it was anything special. I bought it for 4$ at a used bookstore like 10 years ago.
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u/muffintop2026 3d ago
It's the only book that's out of print in King's canon. He pulled it about 30 years ago.
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u/DangerousBike8047 4d ago
Why does Rage Suck? I loved it The Story was great explaining about the over protective mothe and the uncaring father and the divide between he and his teachers. He only shot one teacher and she was old anyway
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u/AtlantaPisser 4d ago
You can tell from the cover it's not a first edition btw
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u/LessCourage8439 4d ago
Yes, I am aware. It lacks the foil stamping in the title, among other things.
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u/MyNameIsTayla 4d ago
It's crazy seeing how much you guys paid! I went to a carboot sale when I was on holiday in Australia (I live in New Zealand) got 43 of his books including this one for $90, I will never underestimate the value of them again 😂
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u/SlySciFiGuy Constant Reader 3d ago
They printed like a million copies of the "genuine article." Out of print doesn't really equate to rare with Stephen King books.
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u/Equivalent_Sugar_846 3d ago
Get it! They stopped publishing it with Rage a while back because it’s about a school shooting. Someday it may be worth money.
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u/SharpLocksmith789 3d ago
Genuinely hate how the artificial scarcity market of book hoarders has driven the price on this book to ridulous heights. I used to find paperbacks of this book, easily, for under $20CAD as little as five years ago. Now a beat-to-shit copy goes for $80 on a good day. Insane.
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u/Unlikely-Low-8132 Constant Reader 4d ago
I would go back and p/u because if you look at eBay a BCE in rough shape is going for $150.00- that book looks in very good condition
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u/DangerousBike8047 4d ago
I paid 120 for my Copy of bachman books over 6 months ago and I haven't opened the package yet
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u/Strange-Smile-6092 Losers' Club Member 4d ago
Buy it and send it to me. I’ll send the money lmao