Among my many pop culture obsessions, the level of love I have for the works of Stephen King ranks exceptionally high – and it’s not just about the books. While I do own every novel, collection, and non-fiction tome he has written, I’m also proud to say that I own every available film and television adaptation. And it doesn’t stop there, as I’m also a collector of memorabilia, including prop replicas and action figures. There’s a wide market of treasures available, and I’ve explored just about every corner I can.
Knowing that I am not alone in this healthy obsession, and recognizing that the holiday season is coming up (driving the search for gift ideas), I’ve put together this feature highlighting some of the collectables that I’ve purchased over the years that other fans may be interested in getting themselves as well. I’ve written about seven of them below – as well as three more that I don’t own, but certainly dream of attaining someday.
Die Cast Christine
There are plenty of people who collect die cast models simply because they love cars, but that makes this scale version of the titular vehicle from Christine extra special. Not only is it a beautiful recreation of a 1958 Plymouth Fury, featuring working headlights and doors, a trunk, and a hood that open and close, but it’s also a wonderful representation of one of literary history’s scariest automobiles. There are two different versions available – one in cherry condition, and the other in disrepair as Arnie Cunningham originally discovers it in the book (I personally own the latter) – but both are amazing and perfect ornamental additions to any Stephen King fan’s bookshelf.
Buy a die cast Christine on Amazon
Creepshow Action Figures
George A. Romero’s Creepshow is a key title in the legacy of Stephen King, as it was the first film that he was directly involved in the making of – having written the screenplay along with Romero. The five stories that unfold are wonderful tales of terror that also serve as wonderful tributes to the classic horror magazines published by EC Comics (material that heavily influenced King’s sensibilities as a kid). Three of the best in the bunch are “The Crate,” “Father’s Day,” and “Something To Tide You Over,” and all three make for great inspiration in the line of 3.75” action figures made by Monstarz. They’re small but awesome, and they look great on the shelf alongside other King collectables.
Buy the Creepshow Crate Action Figure on Amazon
Buy the Creepshow Father’s Day Action Figure on Amazon
Buy the Creepshow Something To Tide You Over Action Figure on Amazon
Stephen King Funko Pop
Popular as Stephen King is, he has only been made into an action figure twice. And while the bad news is that the version from the Simpsons toy line has become hard to find, the good news is that you can easily find the Funko Pop dolls modeled after the author. There are many different variations available – including his character from IT: Chapter Two, one that is covered in blood and holding an axe, and one that is made in black-and-white – but the base version that just has him wearing a black shirt and holding a book is cool all by itself.
Buy Stephen King Funko Pops on Amazon
Roger The Dog Man Mask
Of the many haunting images featured in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, one of the creepiest is the brief glimpse at a man in a tuxedo in a hotel room who is getting real… chummy with a man in a terrifying full body dog suit. This costumed man is known by fans as Roger The Dog Man, and the exceptionally bizarre moment where he’s featured can be relived over and over simply by purchase this killer mask and adding it to your Stephen King collection. I personally keep mine partially hidden behind some other collectables, so that when you spot it, it kind of freaks you out.
Buy a Roger The Dog Man mask on Trick Or Treat Studios’ website
Pennywise Action Figures
Pennywise The Dancing Clown will forever be regarded as an iconic horror villain, first brought to life on the pages of Stephen King’s IT, and that reputation has been brilliantly enhanced by adaptations and coulrophobia-inducing performances by Tim Curry and Bill Skarsgard. The design of both these iterations of the character are spectacular, and they have been brilliantly rendered by NECA as part of their line of 7” action figures. Of course, if Pennywise really freaks you out you may not want to get them, as the level of detail is fantastic.
Buy the IT 1990 Pennywise Action Figure on Amazon
Buy the IT 2018 Pennywise Action Figure on Amazon
Stephen King Book Cover T-Shirts
Not only does Stephen King regularly put out enchanting and compelling prose, but it’s regularly the case that his novels and collections are published with wonderful cover art. Now you can make your own fashion statement with these designs, as Out Of Print has a full line of shirts featuring the artwork from King’s classic books – including IT, The Shining, Salem’s Lot, The Gunslinger, and The Stand.
Buy Stephen King Book Cover Shirts on Out Of Print
Randall Flagg Pins/Magnets
When Randall Flagg is introduced in The Stand, he is notably described as being clad in denim and wearing old cowboy boots, and a standout accoutrement is the collection of novelty buttons that he sports on one of his jacket’s breast pockets. Thanks to Etsy seller MemoraDelia, you can now purchase a collection of these buttons that you can pin to a jean jacket, or you can get them in magnet form and stick them to your refrigerator. Personally, I got both!
Buy Randall Flagg Pins/Magnets on Etsy
Stephen King Collectables I Dream Of Owning
I will openly admit that I’ve dropped a good amount of money on Stephen King books and collectables in my life. Still, however, there are some very special items that I would love to add to my collection, but I simply cannot afford. Below are three of the big ones.
The Gunslinger First Edition Hardcover
Stephen King’s Dark Tower series is now considered by many Constant Readers to be the author’s magnum opus – but it didn’t exactly get a great deal of fanfare when it launched back with the publication of The Gunslinger. The first hardcover edition of the novel was put out by Donald M. Grant Publisher, Inc., and only given a limited run in 1982 that passed most fans by. Eventually the book was discovered, and it has been reprinted many times, but the original first editions remain rare treasures that now carry ridiculous price tags.
Revival Limited Edition
Put simply, Revival is one of my favorite Stephen King books. There are few works by the author that are as bone-chilling and disturbing, as its conclusion is one that haunts the mind long after one is done reading it. As such, I think it’s pretty damn fitting that one of the most gorgeous special editions ever developed for a King novel is the 2019 design for Revival put out by Lividian Publications. The presentations is phenomenal, as the 17” tall tome is constructed with a synthetic leather cover and comes with a beautiful a slip case, and there is amazing original artwork featured inside from artist by Vincent Chong. Sadly, only 1,500 copies were published, and they aren’t easy to come by now without paying a very steep price.
Firestarter Special First Edition
When Firestarter was originally published by Viking Press in 1980, its first standard hardcover got a wide release, but also made available at the time in limited qualities (read: only 26 were made) was an edition that is just all kinds of spectacular. In brief, there is version of the book that sports a cover made of aluminum-coated asbestos cloth – making it fireproof. I’ve come to grips with the fact that I will never own one of these beauties, but that doesn’t stop me from admiring its awesomeness.
To learn how to find all of Stephen King’s books and the adaptations of his works, be sure to check out our guide to building the Ultimate Stephen King collection. And if you want to keep up to date about all of the movies and television shows based on the author’s works that are coming in the next few years and beyond, head on over to our regularly updated Upcoming Stephen King Movies And TV feature.
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