Still can’t get enough of Neil Gaiman? Here is your chance to win a SIGNED copy of Neil Gaiman’s Adventures in the Dream Trade (trade paperback edition)!

SIGNED by Neil Gaiman
SIGNED by Neil Gaiman

This giveaway is part of Avalon.ph (still) celebration of our 10th year online. We are one of the longest running online shopping websites in the country. You can read a quick history and timeline here.

Adventures in the Dream Trade is one of Neil Gaiman’s harder-to-find book locally. The book covers Neil Gaiman’s web log during the publication of American Gods, some essays, introductions, stories, poems and song lyrics.

Just how can you win this amazing signed book?

Complete this phrase: “Ten years ago……..”

Be creative, sentimental, funny or just be honest! Feel free to add images if you write your entry in your blogs. I reserve the right to disqualify tasteless entries.

So how to submit an entry?

Easy/basic:

a) Answering in the comments section below gives you one (1) point.

or

b) Answering in your blog, with a link back to this post gives you three (3) points. You must mention Avalon.ph in your blog entry. Note: one blog per person/entry.

On blog entries, I will award you one (1) extra point if I like your post. This will be purely based my personal discretion and I expect myself to be stingy with it.

Basically that’s it, you are now qualified to win this Neil Gaiman signed book.  But wait! Want to have more chances of winning? We are giving options to submit more entries that’s worth the effort.

Advanced:

twitter– Twitter – one (1) extra point. You may also follow our Twitter account: avalonph. Twitter entries can be easily traced as long as you use the following tweet format:

RT @avalonph Win a SIGNED copy of Neil Gaiman’s Adventures in the Dream Trade! Exclusive giveaway only on www.avalon.ph #avalonph

I suggest you copy and paste before you tweet. Helpful comments before RT is okay, the rest must be entered once and as is during the contest period (Aug 26 – Sep 22). Please do not spam.

Sorry, no Plurk entries because their search system isn’t optimize to guarantee your entry gets counted.

– Purchases on Avalon.ph. For every valid purchase worth Php500.00 on Avalon.ph, you will earn one (1) extra point. This is valid during the contest period (Aug 26 – Sep 22) and must already be paid/fulfilled before the end of the contest period. There is no limit to the number of points to be awarded.

shareI’m tempted to include a Facebook point reward system but I believe that’s too much already. However, I will deeply appreciate if you “share” the contest details once it is posted in our Facebook Page. If you are not a fan of Avalon.ph yet, here’s our Facebook Page link: www.facebook.com/avalonph. We also have giveaways exclusive to our Avalon.ph Facebook Page Fans so make sure you add us up.

Adventures in the Dream Trade

This giveaway will run from August 26 until September 22, 2009, 11:59pm Manila time. Raffle is only open for those with a Philippine-based address that’s serviceable by major couriers. Raffle will be through Random.org or other facilities that can handle random drawing.

Raffle winner will be announced before 12:00nn September 23. We will exert best effort to communicate with the winner within 5 days, but if efforts fail we will use our discretion in choosing a new winner either through a re-draw or pick #2.

As much as we want everything fair and square there might be unseen issues. Loopholes or oversights regarding rules- common sense applies!

So what are you waiting for? Good luck! Most of all, reminisce something in your life ten years ago!

www.avalon.ph

64 Comments on Win a SIGNED copy of Adventures in the Dream Trade by Neil Gaiman!

  5. 10 years ago buying a hard to find book online was a frustration because you need a credit card to purchase (I’ve used my card and got unauthorized transaction, so never will I do that again). Now, thanks to Avalon.ph I can order with ease and pay it C.O.D. and with discount. Best deal ever!

  6. 10 yrs ago we were having the 2000 millenium bug scare. I guess it didn’t quite scare me as I had no computers and bank accounts back then.

  7. Pingback: Contest: Win a signed copy of Adventures in the Dream Trade by Neil Gaiman | Mukhang Pera

  9. Ten years ago, I had a 24-inch waist and thought that was happiness. Several inches later, I couldn’t be any happier.

  11. Ten years ago I would sit on a stage in our high school sports complex with my basketball teammates, and watch the sun set just above the grade school library. Every school day the world stops at that moment, as if it wanted to watch with us. Every school day, the rest of the world was forgotten. There was only that moment with dreams and friends.

    Its been a while since I have last seen the sun set.

    They are hardly memorable without the right people to share them with.

  13. Ten years ago i somehow missed out on books by watching movies, tv, comics and other format of media except for books. Just last year my wife gave me a copy of Anansi Boys, and somehow reading it brought back my memories reminiscent of collecting vertigo and sandman comics in high school. Now i try to get my hands on my Gaiman book every chance i get. Thanks to the power of imagination and the wonderful writings and an amazing storyteller, no other than Mr. Gaiman himself, Thank you.

  14. ten years ago i have a dream that by this time i would already be married but here i am now still single but i know that god has good plans for me, but i thank him also that he lets me enjoy my singleness all this years that i may be ready for gods best in my life. thanks abba

  15. Ten years ago, my legs were shorter, my step lighter, and my smile more real. i spent less time looking at the mirror, and more time haggling wih my parents for a one peso coin. when they relented, i felt wealthier than any of my friends. afternoons stretched out endlessly… and i felt like i could do anything. i could watch thundercats. i could ride my bike. i could buy anything i wanted with my one peso. i could learn how to whistle!

    …childhood is like water through my fingers. it is slipping and running out..and i have no way to restrain it.
    except maybe through the portal that is avalon.ph.

  18. 10 years ago, i just entered college life adjusting from high school life to the stressful, sometime fun life in college. In technology im not familiar in internet because we are using DOS program to study computer.

  19. Neil Gaiman has saved me through numerous bouts of utter depression, self-loathing, wallowing in self-pity, and other very shallow and overly-dramatized shenanigans during puberty years ’til now. LOVE THIS! (-:

  20. Ten years ago, quarter life crisis was something grown-ups went through. Now I’m in the midst of it and hating and loving it at the same time.

    Neil Gaiman has transported me to worlds beyond my wildest dreams! He’s the only guy who can convince me to live in a graveyard. Please check my blog entry at http://www.feedmyvanity.com.

    I also twittered about the contest already. My twitter username is minayski.

  21. Ten years ago, I told myself I am going to marry Keanu Reeves after watching The Matrix. Would’ve loved to sport The Trench Coat but RP weather would’ve made me look like I’m taking Zoloft if I did.

  22. 10 years ago, I was wary about what the future holds for me. I was young, lonely and afraid of growing old alone. Now I don’t have enough time for myself because I’m always preoccupied with running after my toddler. But I can say that I am happy and contented now.

  23. Pingback: Ten years ago… | Feed My Vanity

  24. ten years ago i had no cellphone no internet no ipod none,life was simple and easy back then..and it is not that complicated…everything is cheap and affordable even the meals in McDonalds was just around 30 pesos….hahaha!

  25. Pingback: 10 Years Ago… « Bittergrace

  28. Ten years ago I felt this strong energy inside me. As time passes by, I discovered little by little that I am supernatural. People around me thinks that I am not a human. Well, I don’t know either. I can talk to the dead, and I can pass through the walls. In my sleep, I often dream about this another place but the people there at first looks like normal people except that they have something on their faces that makes them different from a normal human. Whenever I get too much stress or get angry, my palms are starting to light a fire.
    I may look like a normal person, but I am different. I also dream and want it to came true like everyone else. The only wish that I am dreaming for now is to learn how to fly so I can explore this world and look for people who possess the same ability as me. I can feel that it is my destiny and that time soon will come.

  30. 10 Years ago I was only 20 years old and was struggling on the corporate world with my first job. Now, looking back I may have experienced a baptism of fire on my first job but it definitely taught me a lot in terms of dealing with people and being meticulous with details..

  32. It was ten years ago when I stepped out from college. I was full of vibrance and idealism to conquer the world. But then again as years passed by, I got to realized how life can be a struggle. It’s different from school where you just have to study well and chances are you will get good grades for the variables are more controllable. But in the “real world”, what life throws at you can be scary but you just have to move forward.

  35. Ten years ago…. hmmm, sands of Oman under my 10 year old feet, with stories yet to tell and be told… And would (10 years later) hope to win (by some twist of fate) a SIGNED COPY OF NEIL GAIMAN’s ADVENTURE IN THE DREAM TRADE!! HAHA!

  36. Ten years ago, I met one of my best friends who I now consider to be one of my sisters (at heart). Even with more than 5,000 miles between us, we still keep in touch and still regard each other as best friends. 🙂

  45. Ten years ago, my oldest friend Fr. Lahiff died, my favorite pet Fat-Fat was alive and wonderful, there was no Fb, I was using ICQ and only with a couple of friends, our family shared one PC, I was showing friends who owned PCs how email worked, I didn’t have laptop, I was playing badminton almost everyday, I had never been a manager, I didn’t know how to blog or use a webcam, we were using diskettes, I went to Malate and Antipolo a lot, it took the good part of a day to line up at the LTO, I didn’t keep all my emails, Reader’s Digest used my anecdotes but changed the sender names and writing style, we had at least two dogs, my favorite uncle was alive, my sister sold our scanner because no one was using it, I became a trainor, I wasn’t doing any accounting or professional writing, I had no purely online friends, I had less than three pamangkins, I would rush home to be with my niece, I didn’t know that there was such a thing as an Ethics Committee, I didn’t have a TV in my room.

  46. Ten years ago, I was fresh out of college with a belly full of fire. Definitely unsure of myself, but certain he world would rule in my favor. I pumped myself up by writing down all these little bits of inspirational stuff in many, many, MANY notebooks which I have since lost. Ten years ago was the the start of the 3 happiest years of my life (so far), and while I was young and ignorant of what was to come my way, I’d take that optimism over any learning experience I’ve had.

    p.s. My birthday is on the 23rd, so here’s to hoping 🙂 Also, twittered.

  47. 10 years ago I thought my lola immortal, now I believe otherwise–we devour knowledge as if we’d live for a thousand years but we have to live as if each day were our last because you never know when that last spark of life will be extinguished.

  49. Ten years ago, I was fat, but I never saw myself fat. I thought I was really cute, and felt fabulous. But now when I look at my pictures back then, the horror! Still, I was very thankful that I didn’t feel self-conscious as a teenager–no Gossip Girl scenario for me–just plain, simple, and wholesome fun.

  50. A decade ago, I was timid teenager who had nothing else in my mind but to set my foot in Manila. I wanted to do something else than assist my father in farming our land.

    Ten years later, I can say that I had my dreams realized. I was able to cope up with life in the city and cut-throat competitions. I am now self-assured. I can fend for myself and my family.

    How glad I am that I made that decision to try my luck in Manila.

  51. Ten years ago..
    Dark times..
    My father broke our hearts..
    My brother took my innocence away..
    I rebelled..
    I tried to end it all..
    But I failed..
    Ten years later..
    I found someone who loved me despite the dark times..
    I had a daughter who is both beautiful and intelligent..
    Although at times my days may seem to darken..
    I know I just have to be strong..
    Not just for me..
    But for those who loved me despite of..
    After the dark indeed comes the light..

  52. Ten years ago, I met an old acquaintance of mine in a mall. He had just arrived from Atlanta and was here in Iloilo City for a short vacation. We decided to grab a bite in a burger joint while we reminisced our past. I was a second year college student at that time and life was a living hell for me.

    As we shared our experiences, something caught my attention. At first, I thought I saw a picture. He kept on talking as I fixed my gaze on another image. Then, it struck me! I was reacquainted with an old flame. It was like a dream come true! I was looking on a comic book.

    Now, don’t get me wrong. Comic books were considered an ordinary thing unless of course if you were staying here in the City of Love. You see, comic books were quite rare in Iloilo. Being a genuine Ilonggo based in Iloilo, I was not blessed as compared to my cousins who were staying in Cebu and Manila.

    And like a 5 year-old kid with eyes wide open, I used my courage and quietly asked my friend whether or not I can see his comic book. He looked at me and with a suspicious look, took out his comic book and showed me. As I set my hands on that book, I looked at the pictures. Being a visual type of guy, the art looked pathetic to me. During those times, I would often go and look for comics illustrated by Jim Lee.

    I looked at the title. The word “Sandman” was visible. I was not impressed at all. I tried to look at the name of the artists. It stated Mike Dringenberg. You have to understand during those days, X-Men dominated my world when it came to comics. I looked at the name of the writer. Neil Gaiman. I thought, “Neil Gay-Man?” I mean, how gay can you get?

    My friend’s lip started flapping and telling me how good the book was. Sure, I told him. I was planning to return the book immediately to him but he told me to give it a try. So, I brought the book with me as we parted ways and cell numbers (he was after all planning to get the book back in a week).

    That night, with nothing important to do, I opened the book. The art was simply rubbish for me. The rendition of hell was too dark for me, not in the same manner as the great Jim Lee. The story was fairly okay, or so I thought. As I finished reading a hundred or so pages, I felt moved as the character Morpheus made his way to hell in search of Nadia. And who better to meet him there than the Almighty Lucifer!

    Boy, this was surely a unique experience! My love towards the comic book turned into an obsession as I raced the through the remaining pages trying to figure out as to whom will Morpheus give the Key of Hell to. I had my assumptions. And as the final pieces were revealed one at a time, I was shocked. But yet again, I was relieved with the logic behind it. The ending was just that – – perfect.

    So, here I am, 28 and a collector of Neil Gaiman books and comics. I personally haven’t met Mr. Gaiman in person but I’d like to say “thank you” to perhaps the best writer who in one way changed my perceptions about comic books.

    As I close this piece, you might wonder as to what had happened with my buddy’s Season of Mist? But that is another story…

  53. Ten years ago, If someone told me that I would meet Neil Gaiman, I would never believe it. The authors of the books/comics that I read are always a big blur to me. They are like ghosts, you are not really sure if the exist, yet there are numerous proofs that they do.

    Around five years after, I did meet Mr. Gaiman. I wasn’t really aware that he is coming here in the Philippines until a friend asked me to accompany him to one of the book signing events. Each person were only allowed 2-3 books to be signed and he had around 6, so he asked me to go with him.

    We were amongst the first few people on the waiting line. While there, I heard other people talking about the questions that they were going to ask Mr. Gaiman. *GASP* I thought. I didn’t have one.

    The guy on the megaphone said that we still have 3 hours until Mr. Gaiman arrives. Hurrah! Atleast I have a lot of time to think of a unique question. However, apparently 3 hours isn’t enough time for me to think for one. The line is now moving and I am slowly inching my way to Mr. Gaiman with no question or anything witty to say to him.

    My heart leaped. I’m the next one. I smiled, looked at the floor and gave him my copy of Death: The high cost of living and one comic book from The Sandman Series. He finished writing on both books, smiled, looked at me and said “Alright.” in a tone that was obviously asking if I have any questions for him. BLANK. A few seconds have passed and there was nothing but silence and people looking at me. I didn’t know what to say, or even how to get out of the situation.

    I cried.

    I heard a chorus of “Awwww” from the audience. Apparently, I’m the first one to cry on that event. Mr. Gaiman stood and hugged me. On the way out, I heard a man said “Uy oh, tingnan mo yung babae, umiiyak!”

    Everyone must have thought that I am a die-hard fan of him, but in fact, I have only read Death: The High Cost of Living. I wiped my tears, and looked at his autograph. On the Death comic book, it read: “Don’t Die”… but I did.

  54. Ten years ago, I fell in love with Toni Kukoc. And I was stupid to think then that I’ll pass for his mistress. 🙂

  55. Ten years ago… was my High School Graduation and I never thought I would see him again. I am talking about the boy, Michael Vincent, who was my seatmate for 4 years. Surprisingly, we never lost touch all these years and now more than ever, since we’re together. <3

  59. ten years ago i thought i would be on the easy life today. wrong… it is still always up and down.

    but thinking about it and looking at my other contemporary friends, i think that is how life is supposed to be. a series of ups & downs.

    you will be dead if your life is represented by a flatline.

  61. Ten years ago I promised myself I wouldn’t cry and shriek for hours (literally) over petty matters. I tried not to, tried hard when my mom forbid me to go outside our house, harder still when my little brother had more than what I have at that time.

    But then again, everything is relative. What others may find petty may bear great significance on me. Cheesy telenovelas make me cry, even Kris Aquino’s funeral speech for her mother made me stifle a sob.

    I guess I can’t keep that ten-year old promise. I’m human after all.

Comments are closed.