Cover via Amazon

I read a great deal and where my budget allows, I purchase signed (autographed) books on eBay as a great way to expand my circle of authors. By searching eBay for signed books, I find authors that I would find in no other way, even by extensive browsing in book stores or libraries. Many of the books in the search results are priced outside my budget, but there are some that fit my budget and are of interest. I use Amazon as a research tool to help decide on purchases. My most profitable purchase to date was The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama which has appreciated between 2000 and 2500% in 4.5 years. I don’t buy books as an investment, just for the pleasure of reading a book held for a moment by the author him/herself. Can’t do that with a Kindle.

Stephen King is a favorite author and someday I may find one of his signed books at a price that I can afford. His son writes under the name Joe Hill, and he signs each book with his name and a small doodle and is affordably priced. Stephen King wrote a small gem of a book, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, about baseball and the terror of a child lost in the woods. I recommend it highly. I saw a signed copy on eBay that I really wanted to purchase although it was priced somewhat more than I could afford. What made the item so attractive was that it included a baseball signed by both Tom Gordon and Stephen King. Tom Gordon pitched for the Boston Red Sox from 1996 to 1999. His career included Houston, the NY Yankees and both Chicago teams.