We rare book collectors and dealers have, apparently, been asleep. While we’ve been aslumber, the meaning of “rare” has undergone a radical transformation guaranteed to startle us to wide-eyed wakefulness.“RARE NANCY DREW APPLEWOOD THE MESSAGE IN THE HOLLOW OAK Item #200366792295. FROM A SMOKE AND PET-FREE HOME, THIS IS A FIRST OR SECOND EDITION!!! HOLLOW OAK IS A RARITY- I DID NOT FIND 1 ON EBAY INCLUDING COMPLETED AUCTIONS!!!"Once upon a time, Ebay provided auction records for the prior three months. Far from a reliable indicator of rarity at that short interval, not too long ago the time frame was...
Book Fair Blues
The 22nd Annual Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair is in the books. I have exhibited at 15 of them.and boy have things have changed.As my body recovers and my mind wandersThough the exact attendence figuresTouching the books less,The Lost Pleasure of Browsing
Patrolman’s Books Hit Book Patrol
Searching the internet by keywords can sometimes lead to an unexpectedly intriguing result through sheer serendipity. While looking for an older post under the words Book Patrol and the post's title, a hit that popped up that sidetracked me: "The 'How to Be a Better Cop' Reading List."The man behind the list, Dean Scoville, is a retired patrol supervisor and investigator with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, and currently the Associate Editor of Police Magazine. He writes the "Patrol" blog for the magazine's website which is described as: "straight talk [for] officers and deputies working the urban and rural beats."...
The Story of O. Henry House
San Antonio, TX. This burg will never be accused of being a book town. Visiting the city - which possesses one of the loveliest downtown areas in the country - only one rare book shop was found: The History Shop, located across the street from the Alamo. It was not impressive; concentrating on weapons, maps and some books, its diorama of the Alamo is about the best that can be said for it. The Antiquarian Book Mart is located outside the downtown area; I did not have an opportunity to check it out. As far as new book shops, the...
Rare Maurice Sendak "Where The Wild Things Are" Original Art Surfaces
A standard, letter-size envelope featuring Where The Wild Things Are original art by its sender, Maurice Sendak, has recently surfaced.The envelope (3 1/2 x 6 1/2 in; 90 x 165 mm), postmarked New York Jan 27, 1966, is autograph addressed by Sendak to fellow Caldecott Medal award winner, Nonny Hogrogian, with Sendak's autograph name and return address to the flap. Considering its journey through the United States Postal Service and forty-three year life, it is in miraculous condition.Original artwork by Sendak associated with and near contemporary to the publishing of his classic Where the Wild Things Are is exceedingly rare.The...