My actual order still says "Delivery estimate: Jan 8 2010 - Jan 27 2010". Here's hoping they actually have a copy en route!
I'll still be patient. I'll have that book some day. (Worst case scenario, I'll have to pick up the non-deluxe verison. But it's way too early to decide yet. I've lots of other books to read right now.)
The Rocketeer
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Amazon.ca e-mailed me a couple of weeks ago to say that they had not, in fact, located a copy of the book for me. Meanwhile, there was a gap on the shelf at my local comic shop where the book would have been (in the alphabetized, oversized section)--- looks like someone bought the one copy brought in.
However, a wonderful friend located a copy for me and I received it in the mail today! It's the most I've spent on a book for a long time (no discount this time, plus shipping was beastly), but it was well worth it. The book is gorgeous, and I love it.
OT for George: Also today, I received a copy of JSA All Stars Archives Vol. 1, purchased on eBay at cover price. That one's out of print already, and with prices rising at Amazon marketplace, I was happy to get it at cover. I still have the "0" and final (Vol. 11) volumes to get in the main All Star Archive line, then will be complete. The JSA All Star Archive is the one with solo adventures of many of the JSA second bananas, including Mr. Terrific and even the original Red Tornado! Very neat.
However, a wonderful friend located a copy for me and I received it in the mail today! It's the most I've spent on a book for a long time (no discount this time, plus shipping was beastly), but it was well worth it. The book is gorgeous, and I love it.
OT for George: Also today, I received a copy of JSA All Stars Archives Vol. 1, purchased on eBay at cover price. That one's out of print already, and with prices rising at Amazon marketplace, I was happy to get it at cover. I still have the "0" and final (Vol. 11) volumes to get in the main All Star Archive line, then will be complete. The JSA All Star Archive is the one with solo adventures of many of the JSA second bananas, including Mr. Terrific and even the original Red Tornado! Very neat.
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I had the exact same experience as Rand...everywhere was sold out and my Amazon.co.uk order was canceled because Amazon could not locate a copy. I emailed IDW direct and their response was that they were "evaluating a reprint", but rather than wait and perhaps inevitably be disappointed in the long run, I took up the offer from that same wonderful friend to have them secure a physical copy for me. We both paid the full price and shipping, but even at a $110 total it is still well worth it, especially since we managed to bypass the customs charges that I was so worried about in importing the book to the UK.
The package actually arrived yesterday, but I didn't get a chance other than staring at it longingly in the corner, to open it up! Settled down this morning to carefully peruse the contents, and wow...just wow. Well worth <I>every</I> penny. Or cent. Or whatever! Money well spent, and a simple "thanks" to that person who helped us can't really cover the appreciation.
Stunning!
The package actually arrived yesterday, but I didn't get a chance other than staring at it longingly in the corner, to open it up! Settled down this morning to carefully peruse the contents, and wow...just wow. Well worth <I>every</I> penny. Or cent. Or whatever! Money well spent, and a simple "thanks" to that person who helped us can't really cover the appreciation.
Stunning!
IDW's "evaluating a reprint?" 
Huh! Some company!
( =Dopes. No question they could sell more copies of the oversize volume. The secondary market mark-up on the first print is ridiculous. A lot of people still want the Over-size/Absolute Rocketeer without paying 100% more for it!)
Well, it's good to hear that Ben got a copy for a price he could live with...
Anyhow, in other news, IDW is reprinting the original Danger Girl mini-series in an oversize (Absolute-like) format.
I kind of thought that would happen after J. Scott Campbell (the series' co-creator/original mini-series penciller) announced he moved the title from Wildstorm to IDW.
The original Danger Girl mini-series had been reprinted by DC as one of the first Absolute volumes and was available from Amazon.com until about 2 years ago.
The new reprint supposedly will have new sketches and drawings that weren't included in the original DC Absolute version.
I'd recommend getting the book if you like either good girl/bad girl art or just high-octane adventure. The rest of the Danger Girl minis are pretty forgettable but the first mini is pretty darn good.
Huh! Some company!
( =Dopes. No question they could sell more copies of the oversize volume. The secondary market mark-up on the first print is ridiculous. A lot of people still want the Over-size/Absolute Rocketeer without paying 100% more for it!)
Well, it's good to hear that Ben got a copy for a price he could live with...
Anyhow, in other news, IDW is reprinting the original Danger Girl mini-series in an oversize (Absolute-like) format.
I kind of thought that would happen after J. Scott Campbell (the series' co-creator/original mini-series penciller) announced he moved the title from Wildstorm to IDW.
The original Danger Girl mini-series had been reprinted by DC as one of the first Absolute volumes and was available from Amazon.com until about 2 years ago.
The new reprint supposedly will have new sketches and drawings that weren't included in the original DC Absolute version.
I'd recommend getting the book if you like either good girl/bad girl art or just high-octane adventure. The rest of the Danger Girl minis are pretty forgettable but the first mini is pretty darn good.
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It's no joke George!
While an Amazon-type online discount would have been welcome, I could easily live with paying full cost and shipping...it was the UK customs charge that would have been added that would have been the real sting. You wouldn't have wanted to pay full charge, shipping AND an extra $40-60 for absolutely nothing either, right? Especially when, as they often do when checking commercially sent packages, they don't put it back together properly and we suckers end up with a dented product that costs more and is a labyrinthine process to even attempt to reclaim on. Heck, they charge a "handling fee" of near $20 just to open it, look inside and poorly stick it back up! But...luckily we were able to navigate around that, which is why I jumped at the offer. It's a gorgeous book and the new inking is amazing.
While an Amazon-type online discount would have been welcome, I could easily live with paying full cost and shipping...it was the UK customs charge that would have been added that would have been the real sting. You wouldn't have wanted to pay full charge, shipping AND an extra $40-60 for absolutely nothing either, right? Especially when, as they often do when checking commercially sent packages, they don't put it back together properly and we suckers end up with a dented product that costs more and is a labyrinthine process to even attempt to reclaim on. Heck, they charge a "handling fee" of near $20 just to open it, look inside and poorly stick it back up! But...luckily we were able to navigate around that, which is why I jumped at the offer. It's a gorgeous book and the new inking is amazing.
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Kind of on topic: Does anyone know of a good place to find out-of-print books that doesn't charge an arm and a leg? I'm starting to collect Marvel's Essentials (focusing on the second or third-teir characters first because I'm weird like that) and there are a few that aren't available anymore. Like, the first volume of Tomb of Dracula is gone (but the other three volumes are still in print) and the price for a used copy is absurd, upwards of $50 for a book with a cover price of $15. I really don't want to pay that, but I don't know where to look to try and find a deal. Any suggestions?
The Official Lugofilm Ltd Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/bartsimpson83
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Re: The Rocketeer is gone... RIP, Dave Stevens
Believe it, or not: eBay can sometimes be a great source for books like that. 
Perhaps not on a daily basis .. but diligent searching occasionally turns up a deal. Some of them come from booksellers who bulk-upload their store inventory to eBay (hoping to make up for the low prices in 'volume'), while a few may be from individuals who either don't quite know the 'secondary market' value of a given title, or who actually have a conscience (there's still a few of them out there!) ..
For example, I've managed to find most of DC's hardcover Spirit Archives for under US$20 each (books which retail for US$50); that's taken a long time, and such listings are sometimes far between .. and there are still a few volumes I'm missing. But the point is: don't assume everything on eBay is over-priced.
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As for searching the inventory of used bookstores online, there's really only one site you'd need: BookFinder.
BookFinder is sort of like 'Google for bookstores'; it trawls pretty much every bookstore listing website out there (Advanced Book Exchange, Alibris, Biblio, and many others -- even megasites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble), then routes you directly to the merchant site, once you've selected a book from the search.
You'll have to pay attention to the sellers' stated 'condition' descriptions (VG, G, 'Acceptable', etc) .. and, like eBay, it may take multiple searches over a period of time to find a book with just the price you'd like.
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Happy Searching..!
Perhaps not on a daily basis .. but diligent searching occasionally turns up a deal. Some of them come from booksellers who bulk-upload their store inventory to eBay (hoping to make up for the low prices in 'volume'), while a few may be from individuals who either don't quite know the 'secondary market' value of a given title, or who actually have a conscience (there's still a few of them out there!) ..
For example, I've managed to find most of DC's hardcover Spirit Archives for under US$20 each (books which retail for US$50); that's taken a long time, and such listings are sometimes far between .. and there are still a few volumes I'm missing. But the point is: don't assume everything on eBay is over-priced.
----------------
As for searching the inventory of used bookstores online, there's really only one site you'd need: BookFinder.
BookFinder is sort of like 'Google for bookstores'; it trawls pretty much every bookstore listing website out there (Advanced Book Exchange, Alibris, Biblio, and many others -- even megasites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble), then routes you directly to the merchant site, once you've selected a book from the search.
You'll have to pay attention to the sellers' stated 'condition' descriptions (VG, G, 'Acceptable', etc) .. and, like eBay, it may take multiple searches over a period of time to find a book with just the price you'd like.
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Happy Searching..!
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And, of course, your friendly neighborhood comic book shop can often have surprising items just sitting there gathering dust, still being sold at cover price. I've sometimes gone to the LCS and found items that I just paid a premium for online, and thought, "Oh, right... I forgot I could buy things locally!" Local independent bookstores can be good, too.
Re: The Rocketeer is gone... RIP, Dave Stevens
I don't think I've paid full price for ANY of my Spirit Archives and I have about 1/4 of the DC run!
I got 4 from the LCS last year (Jan/Feb/Mar?) when they were running 50% off on hardcovers and the Dark Horse Spirit Archive online for 35%-40% off pre-order.
My last 3 Spirit Archives I got from Half-Price Books for 50% each and they were in excellent shape!
You just have to be diligent and follow up on things when your instincts tell you to look...
That's generally how I've been lucky with the half-dozen or so DC Archives I have managed to get very good deals on with used bookstores. A little dinging on the dustjacket is okay because that stuff is usually a lot less noticeable when you get a protective for the books. I get all my mylar HC dustjacket sleeves from Bud Plant...
I second Droo's comments about e-Bay. You can find darn good deals on a lot of hardcover books there. These things generally don't fly off the shelves...
I got 4 from the LCS last year (Jan/Feb/Mar?) when they were running 50% off on hardcovers and the Dark Horse Spirit Archive online for 35%-40% off pre-order.
My last 3 Spirit Archives I got from Half-Price Books for 50% each and they were in excellent shape!
You just have to be diligent and follow up on things when your instincts tell you to look...
That's generally how I've been lucky with the half-dozen or so DC Archives I have managed to get very good deals on with used bookstores. A little dinging on the dustjacket is okay because that stuff is usually a lot less noticeable when you get a protective for the books. I get all my mylar HC dustjacket sleeves from Bud Plant...
I second Droo's comments about e-Bay. You can find darn good deals on a lot of hardcover books there. These things generally don't fly off the shelves...
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Re: The Rocketeer is gone... RIP, Dave Stevens
IDW will publish an even-more-deluxe edition of Dave Stevens' The Rocketeer this summer .. in an even-more-oversized (12"x17"!) hardcover collection, presented to resemble Stevens' original inked artwork as much as possible .. similar to european tirage de tëte volumes.
This book will not be offered in stores. It won't even be distributed through Diamond. It can only be pre-ordered directly from IDW (purchasing info in the link above). The price is a somewhat-steep -- but seemingly-worth-it -- US$100
IDW themselves says that this edition will be 'extremely limited' .. which might very well mean that the book could be 'sold-out' before it even gets printed.
This book will not be offered in stores. It won't even be distributed through Diamond. It can only be pre-ordered directly from IDW (purchasing info in the link above). The price is a somewhat-steep -- but seemingly-worth-it -- US$100
IDW themselves says that this edition will be 'extremely limited' .. which might very well mean that the book could be 'sold-out' before it even gets printed.
Re: The Rocketeer is gone... RIP, Dave Stevens
Think I'll pass...
Money issues have prevented me from even getting the copy I ordered of the oversize FC last year!
Hopefully, I can work something out and still get the HC.
I dunno about inked art/B&W...
I'm not crazy about it most of the the time.
(Pencils are a different story. I've got every issue of the late Rough Stuff magazine because I LOVE original pencil art -- at least reproductions at any rate.)
Comic book art SCREAMS full-color to me.
It's sort of the way I feel about film. I don't care if the film is color or black and white, but I do want dialogue AND music to it. I have a very hard time watching silent film...
Money issues have prevented me from even getting the copy I ordered of the oversize FC last year!
Hopefully, I can work something out and still get the HC.
I dunno about inked art/B&W...
I'm not crazy about it most of the the time.
(Pencils are a different story. I've got every issue of the late Rough Stuff magazine because I LOVE original pencil art -- at least reproductions at any rate.)
Comic book art SCREAMS full-color to me.
It's sort of the way I feel about film. I don't care if the film is color or black and white, but I do want dialogue AND music to it. I have a very hard time watching silent film...
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Re: The Rocketeer is gone... RIP, Dave Stevens
I'm sure that's why IDW is selling this 'direct', and bypassing standard distribution: this format (black-and-white, slavish reproduction of the original line-art) has a limited appeal .. and, indeed, is 'unnecessary' to many who are more-than-satisfied with the deluxe slipcased book.
This is also the case with the specialty publishers' ultra-deluxe tirage de tête format in Europe -- some of which have print runs as low as 40 copies!
I'm certain IDW won't be that stingy .. but I do wonder if they will print enough to satisfy the 'demand' which is surely out there for this Artist's Edition.
After all, they've yet to even do a second printing of last year's seemingly 'instantly-out-of-print' deluxe collection.
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GeorgeC .. I respectfully disagree, in this case. The black-and-white art on the cover above looks just like a newspaper adventure comic strip from the 1930's! One step closer to The Rocketeer's inspirational roots ..
This is also the case with the specialty publishers' ultra-deluxe tirage de tête format in Europe -- some of which have print runs as low as 40 copies!
I'm certain IDW won't be that stingy .. but I do wonder if they will print enough to satisfy the 'demand' which is surely out there for this Artist's Edition.
After all, they've yet to even do a second printing of last year's seemingly 'instantly-out-of-print' deluxe collection.
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GeorgeC .. I respectfully disagree, in this case. The black-and-white art on the cover above looks just like a newspaper adventure comic strip from the 1930's! One step closer to The Rocketeer's inspirational roots ..