MacLeod's Books is a used book store that has been around forever (50 years according to an article…read morea couple of years ago). The store is crammed with piles of books and it looks like a disorganized mess. I've always wondered how they have survived, but there are always people in the store whenever I have gone in, so business must be steady.
I first started reading Stephen King over 30 years ago, and have been reading his books on and off for the last three decades. I have recently gotten back into regularly reading his books, and I have decided to read the books I had never read before (for example, I recently finished reading 'Salem's Lot and The Shining), as well as re-read the books I have read, some of which I have only read once, 25 to 30 years ago (such as The Green Mile and his collection, Different Seasons).
One of the first few Stephen King books I read 30 years ago was The Bachman Books. For those of you who don't know, early on in his career, Stephen King published five novels under the pseudonym Richard Bachman: Rage (1977), The Long walk (1979), Roadwork (1981), The Running Man (1982), and Thinner (1984). After it was discovered that Richard Bachman was Stephen King, the first four novels were published as a collection in 1985 known as "The Bachman Books".
Rage is about a high school shooting, and King has asked that it no longer be published. Therefore The Bachman Books has become a collector's item, and King fans are always on the lookout for a copy in a used bookstore.
In November 2024, I came very close to getting a copy. There is a local bookstore that sells used and new books, and I went to their website to see what Stephen King books they had in stock. I was surprised to discover that they had a copy of The Bachman Books on sale for $11! I ordered it, but ten minutes later the store called saying that unfortunately they had just sold the book that morning, after having had it in stock for several years. So close.
For months, every so often, I would pop into MacLeod's Books when I was passing by, hoping to find that elusive copy of The Bachman Books. Despite never finding it (but one can hope!), MacLeod's has one of the best Stephen King collections. Their stock is always changing from one week to the next, so even if I had just been in the previous week, it was worth stopping in again. Sometimes there wasn't anything I was interested in, and sometimes I would walk out with a book or two. I've purchased several Stephen King books from MacLeod's over the past few months.
A couple of weeks ago, I was running errands after work and was debating whether or not to stop in, as I would have to go a few blocks out of my way and I had been in about a week and a half prior. But I thought to myself, "What if this is the day they finally have it, and I decide not to go?"
After carefully examining the Stephen King stock to be sure I didn't miss anything, I looked at the small pile of assorted books near the Stephen King section, and under several books I spied a familiar red spine. I HAD FOUND IT!
I picked up the book and the store owner came up to me and said, "Hold on, I haven't priced these yet, I am in the process of putting out this new stock." I said, "I really really want this...." And he said, "It's a collector's item." Concerned, I responded, "I know... I'll pay you... $50..." He said, "Hmmm.... well, it IS a collector's item.... I'll sell it to you for... $15." Yes, only $15! I couldn't believe it! The store owner knew how valuable this book was and knew I was willing to pay $50, but he only charged me $15 (as opposed to $5 to $10 that he normally charges for pocket books).
I finally have a copy of The Bachman Books!
[Yelp collections: Libraries and Bookstores]
