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Salem's Lot red roman numeral

Stephen King

Centipede Press

Author signature

Y

List Price

$900

Publication year

Limitation

2004

10

Artist

Introduction

Jerry Uelsmann

Stephen King

Median Market Value

Recorded Sales

No Data

0

Salem's Lot red roman numeral
Salem's Lot red roman numeral

2.a Goatskin binding with metal clasps, signed by Stephen King, Jerry Uelsmann, Forrest Jackson, David John Lawrence, Jim Croft, Stuart Brockman, and Ben Colborn (only 1 signed by Colborn): 2 – NFS
2.b
Goatskin binding with traycase, signed by Stephen King and Jerry Uelsmann: 25 - $900 (15 in black Roman Numerals), NFS (10 in red Roman Numerals)
2.c
Cloth binding with slipcase, signed by Stephen King and Jerry Uelsmann – 392+: $450 (300 in black numbers), NFS (80 in red numbers), NFS (unknown total with “Printer’s Copy” in black ink), NFS (unknown total with “Printer’s Copy” in red ink), NFS (unknown total with “Printer’s Copy” in black ink but not signed)
2.d
Gift edition, not signed – 600 limitation : $150


Published as Centipede Press; 2004
Original price:NFS/$900/$450/$150

Note: Of the two copies of the goat skin edition with clasps, the only publicly documented sale was one copy, offered for sale by the owner in 2008 for $7500. Rather than use this as the "list" price and basis for further speculation, I am going to put the original price as Not For Sale, as with the red numbers and letters, and treat further prices as transactions on the secondary market, almost all of which have been undocumented and are private for this particular state.

First of all, this is the best list of editions and states that I have put together based on my own research and knowledge (and vastly supplemented by The Catalog). But if there’s any book in the CP canon that people on TDT are going to have extensive knowledge about, it’s this one, so feel free to contact us for correction s. Note again that I define a “state” as a book with different physical characteristics, not by the color of ink or designation status. However, there are definitely other ways to view the states, and this is the book on which there could be the most possible interpretations that are all some version of correct.
Second, using my bibliographical system, this book has 4 states. If you were to consider different designations (numbered versus “Printer’s Copy”) and ink color, you could increase this to 8!
Several other early books had 3+ states - if you don’t consider ink color, Salem’s Lot isn’t even the book with the most states
[Based on this system, the book that I can document with the most states is The Other by Thomas Tryon, with 5. But it’s certainly possible that by my definition, there are books with even more…]
Third, as I have showcased before, I have a (franken)deluxe version of this book that I consider non-canonical, because, although it was designed and bound at the direction of Jerad, it was not part of the initial release. 

Fourth, thedarktower.org has a dedicated Custom Bound Salem's Lot thread that puts my speculation here to shame - please go over and look and comment on it.

Fifth, I’m not sure what else to say about this book that hasn’t been said before. The goatskin states represent one of the finest productions of a King book ever, and as such are highly sought after, super expensive, and rarely change hands (at least in publicly known sales). They really have to be held in person to be fully appreciated.

This is also possibly the rarest King book, having fewer copies than even a 1/1 Salem’s Lot (not counting prototypes).

And speaking of prototypes, we added some pictures to the gallery of Jerad’s prototype version and the letter he received from King. These are probaly of Amazon so it might be out there in the world as well. Let me know if you know where it is! [Or again, if you are the owner and want us to take them down.]


Bibliography by Timothy Booksker adapted from thedarktower forum


Synopsis from Centipede Press website

Our edition of Salem’s Lot was widely held to be the best Stephen King-limited edition ever published. The trade edition was printed on 100# Mohawk Superfine and measured 9 × 13 inches. It had Jerry Uelsmann photographs reprinted as gorgeous duotones. It was bound in full black cloth and signed by Stephen King and Jerry Uelsmann.  
       The deluxe edition came in a traycase and was bound in full, top-of-the-line Nigerian goatskin, not the bonded leather that so many other publishers use. In addition, the text was printed on mouldmade Saunders Waterford and had deckled edges.

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