used copies of Vineland

[davemarc]

At 12:26 PM 6/28/96 -0400, Robert Bruno wrote:
>Can anyone enlighten me as to why every used bookstore I go to has at 
>least one copy of Vineland and nothing else by Pynchon?  For instance, 
>the Strand in NYC must have at least 5 copies of VL, but no GR, V., etc.  
>I'm assuming that VL was way-hyped when released and truckloads of copies 
>were published.  

As I understand it, the publishers ordered a second printing of Vineland as
it raced up the Best Seller list.  But the book "only" made the #2 spot on
the New York Times list.  So it's possible that sales dropped off very
quickly (instead of petering off), leaving the publishers with a large
overrun that now turns up in remainder piles.  

davemarc