For book collectors and lovers of the written word...a perfect Sunday afternoon might consist of roaming the aisles of
a quaint used bookstore searching for a specific title to add to their collection or something entirely new to devour on
cold winter nights nestled in a warm quilted bed or hot summer days at the beach. My favorite such place is a small
used book shop located in the basement of a rambling old mansion in Bloomington , Indiana. Books fill steel
shelves in a seemingly endless maze of tiny rooms with cement walls, nooks and crannies.
There's no telling what you might find. In this particular book store you'll find lots of Bobby Knight and I.U. Basketball
books and even more books by a fellow named Stephen King. In fact...no matter which book store you go to across
the U.S. you're apt to find rows and rows of King's haunting novels.
The most well known of these book stores (and one I hope to visit some day), that cater to King fans is located in
Steve's home town of Bangor, Maine. Betts Bookstore is the store for Stephen King books in the US. Established in
1938 , they are the oldest bookstore in Bangor and stock all of King's books in hardcover, paperback and
signed limited editions. They also carry a selection of new and used Aviation ,Automotive books and the complete
works in hardcover and paperback, of New York Times Best Selling Author, Terry Goodkind.
The following is a Collectors World exclusive interview with owner Stuart Tinker of Betts.
a quaint used bookstore searching for a specific title to add to their collection or something entirely new to devour on
cold winter nights nestled in a warm quilted bed or hot summer days at the beach. My favorite such place is a small
used book shop located in the basement of a rambling old mansion in Bloomington , Indiana. Books fill steel
shelves in a seemingly endless maze of tiny rooms with cement walls, nooks and crannies.
There's no telling what you might find. In this particular book store you'll find lots of Bobby Knight and I.U. Basketball
books and even more books by a fellow named Stephen King. In fact...no matter which book store you go to across
the U.S. you're apt to find rows and rows of King's haunting novels.
The most well known of these book stores (and one I hope to visit some day), that cater to King fans is located in
Steve's home town of Bangor, Maine. Betts Bookstore is the store for Stephen King books in the US. Established in
1938 , they are the oldest bookstore in Bangor and stock all of King's books in hardcover, paperback and
signed limited editions. They also carry a selection of new and used Aviation ,Automotive books and the complete
works in hardcover and paperback, of New York Times Best Selling Author, Terry Goodkind.
The following is a Collectors World exclusive interview with owner Stuart Tinker of Betts.
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Hi Stuart and thank you for consenting to this interview with Collectors World Online.
1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your store and how you started in the business of selling books?
I'm 54 years old and was born and raised here in Bangor. I have always lived next to the Thomas Hill Standpipe from
IT and Dreamcatcher fame. I own on one side of it and my folks own on the other side, so when Steve writes about
the building, it really hits close to home for me! As does most of what he writes about in Bangor. Betts Bookstore was
started in 1938 and is the oldest bookstore in the city. It had changed hands a number of times since the days
of Mrs. Betts, but I had bought my first book from her in 1959 and always thought of it as "my" bookstore. My wife
Penney and I bought Betts in 1991, kind of on a whim, since I was just tired of working for other people. Before we
reopened it, we looked at the other bookstores in Bangor to see what they were doing. The big thing we noticed was
nobody sold King books other than the current release and one or two paperbacks. Being fans, and
knowing what Steve and Tabby have done for the area we really felt it was an insult to them and we made the
decision to stock at least one copy of every title. We set up a corner of the store (at that time we were on Main Street)
devoted to just their books. We were a full line bookstore with magazines, newspapers and both new and used
books, but the King section just got bigger and bigger. When Borders moved to Bangor, and the building we were in
was up for sale, it was time to make a change and we really had no trouble deciding to downsize and become a
specialty store selling just King and Terry Goodkind. Terry lived in Bar Harbor at the time and we had become friends
before his first book. Wizard's First Rule, was published. He did his first ever signing at our store, and today provides
us with signed copies of all his books.
2. How big of a Stephen King fan are you and have you read everything?
We have been reading Steve's books since Carrie was released in 1974. I have read everything with the exception of
Dreamcatcher and Lisey's Story. Both books left me flat and I stopped reading them at about page 300. At some point
I will pick them up and start again, but they just are not high on my list. Steve was a bit put out about the fact that I
stated this on our web page, but I really try to be up front with our customers. Just because I personally did not care
for these two stories is not to say that they are not good ones. The critics and the majority of our customers think
Lisey's Story is probably Steve's best book ever, so they saw something in it that I didn't.
3. The Stand is my favorite King novel and the first one I read...I was blown away and kept stopping to read certain
sentences or paragraphs over again and then to my wife.....awed that someone could write so well. Do you have a
favorite and can you tell us a little about the first King novel you read and what your reaction was?
The Stand is my favorite too, followed closely by IT and The Talisman. My first was Carrie, and it was just so different
from what I had read up to that point that I could not put it down. Looking back, it really was more of a Novella than a
full length novel, at least by Stephen King standards, but boy what a start for him!
4. Are you a collector of King's books and if so is your collection complete?
Yes, we do collect his books, but I am not a completest in any way. We have trade editions of every book, most of
them signed (inscribed to us) and a couple of them bookclub editions. We have 20 or more signed limiteds, but not a
complete set. Owning a store, the number one rule is: You can't fall in love with the inventory! So as much as I would
love to have retained everything, to make the store work and meet payroll, we end up selling them.
5. What are the most requested King titles and which is the "Holy Grail"? Are there one or two books that stand out as
the hardest to aquire?
The most requested title we have is for a signed copy of The Stand. This and IT are extremely hard to obtain as most
people that have a signed copy of either hangs onto it. As for the hardest book to acquire, it would be the first state of
'Salem's Lot. There are only 5 known to exist, and we have handled 3 of them over the years, but it is now
a$20,000.00 or more book.
6. Do you think King's books will be regarded, years from now, as classic literature ,or is King...as he describes
himself "the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and fries"?
I truly think he will be looked upon as one of the greatest writers in the world. As with any great talent, it usually is not
acknowledged until after death, but just the sheer volume of his sales has got to be a source of great satisfaction to
Steve. To me, he is the definition of the American Dream. He came from a very poor beginning, raised by a Mother
who taught him a work ethic that is not readily found anymore, and by his own talent and believe in himself, he
has become what he is today.
7. Has Stephen King ever visited your store? What was that like and did he buy anything or just browse?
Steve used to be in the store about every two weeks when we were downtown. He has purchased many books from
us, including four complete sets of first edition Stephen King books! They had never saved his own books and at
some point decided to put a set together for each of their children and one for themselves. He did a number of
signings for us too. Since his accident, we very rarely see him any more. It has changed his life in a number of
ways.
8. What do you think King's appeal is? How does he relate to so many different types of readers and make hardcore
fans of them?
If anyone knew the answer to this, they would be busy writing the same stories! I think he just is such a great
storyteller, and he writes about things we know. Pepsi, Ford Escorts, just everyday common things that we tend to be
able to relate to in his stories. He is down to earth and it comes across in his books, and people feel it. He has a way
of making you like his characters and feel like you know them, or want to know them. Many authors don't seem to
be able to do that.
9. Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday. What is Halloween like at Betts Bookstore? Do you go all out with
decorations and promotions and is that your busiest time of the year?
No, we don't decorate for any Holiday. Since we moved to Hammond Street, we are mostly n on-line store, but we
keep the store front because of the fans that do come to Bangor. But we do not see any major up-turns in business
for Halloween or even Christmas. It is pretty steady 365 days a year.
10. What would you say is the most expensive King book in existence? The most limited and most sought after?
The first state 'Salem's is the most expensive, followed by the asbestos Firestarter. The most limited is probably The
Plant with only about 200 copies, and the most sought limited edition book is The Stand. There were only 26
asbestos Firestarter done, but there was a numbered version released at the same time. The same is true for The
Regulators, with the bullets.
11. How much does a King autograph or inscription increase the value of a book, and for readers who don't
know...what is the difference (literally and in value) between an autograph and inscription?
Steve's signature on a 3" X 5" index card would sell for $150.00 or more. His signature on a book will add at least that
much and most often more to the value of the book. Just his signature on a book (usually called flat signed) is
preferred by most collectors, but more and more people are beginning to want inscribed books because you are
more assured of the authenticity of the signature. For a living author, it is strange for his signed books to command
the prices they do. If you look at Tom Clancy, Anne Rice or John Grisham, all pretty popular writers, none of them have
the demand for signed copies that Steve does. Most collectors can obtain their limited edition books at a fraction of
the cost of a signed King book. Within the last 4 or 5 years we have seen very little difference in the costs between flat
signed and inscribed copies of Steve's books. The reason is the supply is drying up of authentic signed copies.
Since his accident he has done few public signings and now fans will take anything that they can find to fill gaps in
their collections.
12. Recently there's been an onslaught of fake first edition King books and autographs on EBay and other online
auction house websites (I've seen some obvious and really blatant fakes) ...how can a collectors know what they are
getting is genuine?
The best way is to know who you are buying from. We obtain 95% of our signed books from people we know, from
friends of Steve or in the old days directly from him. It is impossible to fake one of his limited editions, so even on
eBay, you are safe buying one of them. Bad Moon Books in California is a dealer that we always recommend. Roy
has been doing it a long time and is a good friend and honest as the day is long. The other thing is for the collector to
educate themselves. Look at Steve's signatures that are known to be genuine, and be familiar with the changes that
have taken place in them over the years. And his signature has changed several times!
13. How has the advent of the internet helped/hurt business like Betts? As a collector of many things I've developed a
love-hate relationship with eBay....on the one hand it's made the world a much smaller place and I can find almost
anything I am looking for, but on the other...the easy access has made "hard to find" collectibles, not so HTF and in a
lot of instances lowered their value. When eBay is used as a dumping ground for sellers with overstock or who have
already made a hefty profit and are willing to practically give things away, it devalues my collectibles that I paid top
dollar for. This is also relevant to new Stephen King book releases...buyers can get a brand new release for less than
the publishers price in many cases.
The early days of the Internet really helped us. The late Charlie Fried was instrumental in getting me on-line. He was
one of the "Super Collectors" of King and helped guide me through the world of computers. Because of Charlie, we
started our web page and things took off. The past few years has been a little different, for the reasons you stated.
Everybody and their brother could be a "dealer" selling books out of their living rooms. And the sad thing was the
number of "first edition bookclub" books that were sold to unknowledgeable fans. The sellers getting $500.00 for a
$200.00 book. The "very rare" 15th printing of Tommyknockers selling for $100.00. That and the con artists selling
forged signatures. But I see it coming back again as collectors are getting more and more leery of eBay dealers.
There has been one prominent "dealer" selling on eBay for a number of years, but if you look at his auction now, most
items get no bids. Not that his books are not genuine, but his prices were half again what someone could get through
Bad Moon or Betts. It takes awhile but collectors catch on, and they don't forget.
14. The only price guide for Stephen King books that I'm aware of is the 1989 George Beahm "The Stephen King
Companion". Is this the only guide for King's books available and if you are familiar with it...are the prices realistic in
today's market some 17 years later? (I love this book and hope someone updates it!).
We are quite familiar with George's book because we distributed it! There were a number of people that worked on
that book. Marc Brenner, Charlie Fried, Chris Cavalier, Bob Jackson, Dave Lowell, Roy Robbins and myself all helped
George, and we are all quite proud of the finished product. The book is as good a reference today as it was in 1989,
but the values stated have changed, and of course there are a number of books that Steve has published
since. The good news is, George is working now on the updated edition of the book. If all goes well, we will have it out
this summer. It has been delayed for that past couple of years from what we wanted due to many factors, but it will be
worth the wait!
15. Do you know if King has any plans to retire soon?
I personally do not know of any retirement plans. I do not think that Steve will ever stop writing. He may stop
publishing, and has actually slowed down some now, but he will continue to write as long as he lives. The story that
Dark Tower VII was his last book was just to hype the sales of that book. He was busy writing another novel while that
story was being spread. Unfortunately, those stories hurt sales in the collectible market as people decided to start
collecting other writers. The interest in, and the value of, the limited edition Dark Tower series plummeted, and is just
now starting to level off.
16. I have a long list of things that I collect aside from King books, bobbleheads being one. Have you seen the
Stephen King bobblehead doll and do you own one. They were given out at a Lowell Spinners baseball game and a
good friend sent me one. They are too cool.
Yes, I have one of the Bobblehead dolls in my collection, and have obtained a few that we sold at the store. It was a
neat little item!
17. I'm a collector of all things King from movie posters to the Rock Bottom Remainders "Stranger Than Fiction"
CD...What other King items do you sell at Betts?
There are any number of King related items beside books that can be collected. T-shirts, movie posters, movie props,
signed pictures. We try to stock any and all things King. We have a license plate frame that says: "I'd rather be reading
Stephen King" on it. Imagine how true that is while stuck in 5:00 o'clock traffic every night! We usually have coffee
mugs with all of his titles listed on them. And we have a line of small refrigerator magnets that look like the
State of Maine license plates. One says "Stephen King", another says "Derry" and one of the other says "Castle Rock".
They can be seen (insert shameless plug here) on our web page at www.bettsbooks.com.
18. Anything you'd like to add?
No, I think I rambled on long enough! Edit this any way you see fit, and if can't be used, let me know and I'll try again
for you. Have a Happy and safe New Years!
Stu
1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your store and how you started in the business of selling books?
I'm 54 years old and was born and raised here in Bangor. I have always lived next to the Thomas Hill Standpipe from
IT and Dreamcatcher fame. I own on one side of it and my folks own on the other side, so when Steve writes about
the building, it really hits close to home for me! As does most of what he writes about in Bangor. Betts Bookstore was
started in 1938 and is the oldest bookstore in the city. It had changed hands a number of times since the days
of Mrs. Betts, but I had bought my first book from her in 1959 and always thought of it as "my" bookstore. My wife
Penney and I bought Betts in 1991, kind of on a whim, since I was just tired of working for other people. Before we
reopened it, we looked at the other bookstores in Bangor to see what they were doing. The big thing we noticed was
nobody sold King books other than the current release and one or two paperbacks. Being fans, and
knowing what Steve and Tabby have done for the area we really felt it was an insult to them and we made the
decision to stock at least one copy of every title. We set up a corner of the store (at that time we were on Main Street)
devoted to just their books. We were a full line bookstore with magazines, newspapers and both new and used
books, but the King section just got bigger and bigger. When Borders moved to Bangor, and the building we were in
was up for sale, it was time to make a change and we really had no trouble deciding to downsize and become a
specialty store selling just King and Terry Goodkind. Terry lived in Bar Harbor at the time and we had become friends
before his first book. Wizard's First Rule, was published. He did his first ever signing at our store, and today provides
us with signed copies of all his books.
2. How big of a Stephen King fan are you and have you read everything?
We have been reading Steve's books since Carrie was released in 1974. I have read everything with the exception of
Dreamcatcher and Lisey's Story. Both books left me flat and I stopped reading them at about page 300. At some point
I will pick them up and start again, but they just are not high on my list. Steve was a bit put out about the fact that I
stated this on our web page, but I really try to be up front with our customers. Just because I personally did not care
for these two stories is not to say that they are not good ones. The critics and the majority of our customers think
Lisey's Story is probably Steve's best book ever, so they saw something in it that I didn't.
3. The Stand is my favorite King novel and the first one I read...I was blown away and kept stopping to read certain
sentences or paragraphs over again and then to my wife.....awed that someone could write so well. Do you have a
favorite and can you tell us a little about the first King novel you read and what your reaction was?
The Stand is my favorite too, followed closely by IT and The Talisman. My first was Carrie, and it was just so different
from what I had read up to that point that I could not put it down. Looking back, it really was more of a Novella than a
full length novel, at least by Stephen King standards, but boy what a start for him!
4. Are you a collector of King's books and if so is your collection complete?
Yes, we do collect his books, but I am not a completest in any way. We have trade editions of every book, most of
them signed (inscribed to us) and a couple of them bookclub editions. We have 20 or more signed limiteds, but not a
complete set. Owning a store, the number one rule is: You can't fall in love with the inventory! So as much as I would
love to have retained everything, to make the store work and meet payroll, we end up selling them.
5. What are the most requested King titles and which is the "Holy Grail"? Are there one or two books that stand out as
the hardest to aquire?
The most requested title we have is for a signed copy of The Stand. This and IT are extremely hard to obtain as most
people that have a signed copy of either hangs onto it. As for the hardest book to acquire, it would be the first state of
'Salem's Lot. There are only 5 known to exist, and we have handled 3 of them over the years, but it is now
a$20,000.00 or more book.
6. Do you think King's books will be regarded, years from now, as classic literature ,or is King...as he describes
himself "the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and fries"?
I truly think he will be looked upon as one of the greatest writers in the world. As with any great talent, it usually is not
acknowledged until after death, but just the sheer volume of his sales has got to be a source of great satisfaction to
Steve. To me, he is the definition of the American Dream. He came from a very poor beginning, raised by a Mother
who taught him a work ethic that is not readily found anymore, and by his own talent and believe in himself, he
has become what he is today.
7. Has Stephen King ever visited your store? What was that like and did he buy anything or just browse?
Steve used to be in the store about every two weeks when we were downtown. He has purchased many books from
us, including four complete sets of first edition Stephen King books! They had never saved his own books and at
some point decided to put a set together for each of their children and one for themselves. He did a number of
signings for us too. Since his accident, we very rarely see him any more. It has changed his life in a number of
ways.
8. What do you think King's appeal is? How does he relate to so many different types of readers and make hardcore
fans of them?
If anyone knew the answer to this, they would be busy writing the same stories! I think he just is such a great
storyteller, and he writes about things we know. Pepsi, Ford Escorts, just everyday common things that we tend to be
able to relate to in his stories. He is down to earth and it comes across in his books, and people feel it. He has a way
of making you like his characters and feel like you know them, or want to know them. Many authors don't seem to
be able to do that.
9. Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday. What is Halloween like at Betts Bookstore? Do you go all out with
decorations and promotions and is that your busiest time of the year?
No, we don't decorate for any Holiday. Since we moved to Hammond Street, we are mostly n on-line store, but we
keep the store front because of the fans that do come to Bangor. But we do not see any major up-turns in business
for Halloween or even Christmas. It is pretty steady 365 days a year.
10. What would you say is the most expensive King book in existence? The most limited and most sought after?
The first state 'Salem's is the most expensive, followed by the asbestos Firestarter. The most limited is probably The
Plant with only about 200 copies, and the most sought limited edition book is The Stand. There were only 26
asbestos Firestarter done, but there was a numbered version released at the same time. The same is true for The
Regulators, with the bullets.
11. How much does a King autograph or inscription increase the value of a book, and for readers who don't
know...what is the difference (literally and in value) between an autograph and inscription?
Steve's signature on a 3" X 5" index card would sell for $150.00 or more. His signature on a book will add at least that
much and most often more to the value of the book. Just his signature on a book (usually called flat signed) is
preferred by most collectors, but more and more people are beginning to want inscribed books because you are
more assured of the authenticity of the signature. For a living author, it is strange for his signed books to command
the prices they do. If you look at Tom Clancy, Anne Rice or John Grisham, all pretty popular writers, none of them have
the demand for signed copies that Steve does. Most collectors can obtain their limited edition books at a fraction of
the cost of a signed King book. Within the last 4 or 5 years we have seen very little difference in the costs between flat
signed and inscribed copies of Steve's books. The reason is the supply is drying up of authentic signed copies.
Since his accident he has done few public signings and now fans will take anything that they can find to fill gaps in
their collections.
12. Recently there's been an onslaught of fake first edition King books and autographs on EBay and other online
auction house websites (I've seen some obvious and really blatant fakes) ...how can a collectors know what they are
getting is genuine?
The best way is to know who you are buying from. We obtain 95% of our signed books from people we know, from
friends of Steve or in the old days directly from him. It is impossible to fake one of his limited editions, so even on
eBay, you are safe buying one of them. Bad Moon Books in California is a dealer that we always recommend. Roy
has been doing it a long time and is a good friend and honest as the day is long. The other thing is for the collector to
educate themselves. Look at Steve's signatures that are known to be genuine, and be familiar with the changes that
have taken place in them over the years. And his signature has changed several times!
13. How has the advent of the internet helped/hurt business like Betts? As a collector of many things I've developed a
love-hate relationship with eBay....on the one hand it's made the world a much smaller place and I can find almost
anything I am looking for, but on the other...the easy access has made "hard to find" collectibles, not so HTF and in a
lot of instances lowered their value. When eBay is used as a dumping ground for sellers with overstock or who have
already made a hefty profit and are willing to practically give things away, it devalues my collectibles that I paid top
dollar for. This is also relevant to new Stephen King book releases...buyers can get a brand new release for less than
the publishers price in many cases.
The early days of the Internet really helped us. The late Charlie Fried was instrumental in getting me on-line. He was
one of the "Super Collectors" of King and helped guide me through the world of computers. Because of Charlie, we
started our web page and things took off. The past few years has been a little different, for the reasons you stated.
Everybody and their brother could be a "dealer" selling books out of their living rooms. And the sad thing was the
number of "first edition bookclub" books that were sold to unknowledgeable fans. The sellers getting $500.00 for a
$200.00 book. The "very rare" 15th printing of Tommyknockers selling for $100.00. That and the con artists selling
forged signatures. But I see it coming back again as collectors are getting more and more leery of eBay dealers.
There has been one prominent "dealer" selling on eBay for a number of years, but if you look at his auction now, most
items get no bids. Not that his books are not genuine, but his prices were half again what someone could get through
Bad Moon or Betts. It takes awhile but collectors catch on, and they don't forget.
14. The only price guide for Stephen King books that I'm aware of is the 1989 George Beahm "The Stephen King
Companion". Is this the only guide for King's books available and if you are familiar with it...are the prices realistic in
today's market some 17 years later? (I love this book and hope someone updates it!).
We are quite familiar with George's book because we distributed it! There were a number of people that worked on
that book. Marc Brenner, Charlie Fried, Chris Cavalier, Bob Jackson, Dave Lowell, Roy Robbins and myself all helped
George, and we are all quite proud of the finished product. The book is as good a reference today as it was in 1989,
but the values stated have changed, and of course there are a number of books that Steve has published
since. The good news is, George is working now on the updated edition of the book. If all goes well, we will have it out
this summer. It has been delayed for that past couple of years from what we wanted due to many factors, but it will be
worth the wait!
15. Do you know if King has any plans to retire soon?
I personally do not know of any retirement plans. I do not think that Steve will ever stop writing. He may stop
publishing, and has actually slowed down some now, but he will continue to write as long as he lives. The story that
Dark Tower VII was his last book was just to hype the sales of that book. He was busy writing another novel while that
story was being spread. Unfortunately, those stories hurt sales in the collectible market as people decided to start
collecting other writers. The interest in, and the value of, the limited edition Dark Tower series plummeted, and is just
now starting to level off.
16. I have a long list of things that I collect aside from King books, bobbleheads being one. Have you seen the
Stephen King bobblehead doll and do you own one. They were given out at a Lowell Spinners baseball game and a
good friend sent me one. They are too cool.
Yes, I have one of the Bobblehead dolls in my collection, and have obtained a few that we sold at the store. It was a
neat little item!
17. I'm a collector of all things King from movie posters to the Rock Bottom Remainders "Stranger Than Fiction"
CD...What other King items do you sell at Betts?
There are any number of King related items beside books that can be collected. T-shirts, movie posters, movie props,
signed pictures. We try to stock any and all things King. We have a license plate frame that says: "I'd rather be reading
Stephen King" on it. Imagine how true that is while stuck in 5:00 o'clock traffic every night! We usually have coffee
mugs with all of his titles listed on them. And we have a line of small refrigerator magnets that look like the
State of Maine license plates. One says "Stephen King", another says "Derry" and one of the other says "Castle Rock".
They can be seen (insert shameless plug here) on our web page at www.bettsbooks.com.
18. Anything you'd like to add?
No, I think I rambled on long enough! Edit this any way you see fit, and if can't be used, let me know and I'll try again
for you. Have a Happy and safe New Years!
Stu
| Ian's Interview with Stuart Tinker of Bett's Bookstore |
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