Look what arrived on my doorstep Saturday morning! A box full of old, musty books!
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| Behold! Old books! |
I found this lot of about 40 vintage books on Ebay and was actually able to win the auction for a fair and reasonable price. I'm not on Ebay much but I'm a bit afraid I may now be hooked. They range in age anywhere from the late 1800's to the 1950's and appear to be in excellent condition. A couple are in French which I find cool as hell. Below are a couple of my favorites from the lot.
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| It's "Profusely" Illustrated! |
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| My husband did not think this an appropriate cover picture for 'Uncle Tom's Cabin". |
I don't fancy myself a true antiquarian...yet. I don't know which books are truly rare and which are just old. And I don't know the different condition ratings and standards for aged books. But I do know I love books and I know that I believe old books are beautiful and should be treasured and protected.
I have a small but growing library - mostly just books I've read over the years, starting from my childhood. But I've picked up some old books here and there at antique stores and estate auctions. I have a love for all antiques - furniture, glassware, vintage jewelry and clothing and yes, books. I always say I would have been much better suited having been born either in the Victorian era or the 1930s or 40s.
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| My library. Ruined by my husband's hunting decor. |
However, recently I met a woman who is a true antiquarian and her friendship has definitely piqued my interest in vintage book collecting and preservation. Her and her husband boast a collection of over 100,000 books, if my memory is correct. They have travelled all over the world collecting rare, old books. They remodelled their turn-of-the-century farmhouse for the express purpose of storing and showcasing their book collection where every available wall and surface contains bookshelves or storage cases. Yet, still they have to keep a large portion in storage due to lack of room. Their collection contains books as small as your pinkie nail and as tall your hips. And her and her husband give lectures on their collection as well as antique book collecting in general. Needless to say, I am absolutely dying to get a foot in her house and take a good look at her collection. Unfortunately - yet understandably - they guard their collection closely and don't let many people in their house. Frowny face.
I don't believe I'll ever have a collection as large or awe inspiring as hers. But I can have this small, yet growing collection of my own. Now, where to put them?
Several years ago, I decided that I would no longer be collecting random books. Either they meant something to me or they didn't. I just didn't have the room for all these books. So all the books that I have now, I have read and liked, will read, or have some other sentimental connection. It was sad...donating hundreds of books to Planned Parenthood and library sales, giving them to interested friends etc... But I figure it was better than them collecting dust at my house. Hopefully someone else can form a connection with them. I still have a bunch of old books, but I have them for a reason besides them just being old.
ReplyDeleteIt is all part of my wanting to be a book lover and not a book collector...they can go hand in hand, but the collecting part often takes over for me and I lose some of the joy because of obsession. My library is not nearly as big as it used to be...but every book in it means something to me.