Con-going fans know Larry Smith and Sally Kobee well as Larry Smith, Bookseller. They were in an accident on the way home from DragonCon, and their van has been totaled by the insurance company, for a very small percentage of what a new van will cost. In addition, Larry was in the hospital for a couple days after the van rolled, for observation. They’re home now, with their stock, which they’re slowly sorting through to see what’s still salable.
Steve adds more details:
We can’t tell you how much Larry and Sally at Larry Smith Books have helped us over the years. Just no way to add everything up in dollars and cents since– besides carrying our big publisher books for years, even having some in stock much of the time we were out of public view between publishers — they also carried our chapbooks when I was running SRM Publisher.
There were conventions where chapbook sales through Larry Smith Books covered our meals, and conventions where Larry and Sally took us to supper of an evening. There were also cons where Larry had no time to go to dinner, since he often runs dealer’s rooms, and sometimes even runs convention bids….
At one convention (where the con chair didn’t know us and hence would give us no program items, no readings, and no signings) it was Larry Smith who invited us behind his table (which never happens) where we signed for so long NESFA went out and bought us lunch. Yes, it was Larry Smith who helped prove that there was indeed “pent-up demand” for our Liaden books and our other work.
Our story is not unique. Larry and Sally and their crew have served convention fandom for decades, helping readers and writers across many interest areas, across many years.
We salute Larry Smith Books, and hope you join us in supporting this effort to keep the books rolling.
Here’s the link to the GoFundMe Page. NOTE: The campaign was started, on behalf of Larry and Sally, by Marcia Kelly Illingworth, who is known to us personally as a reliable person.