The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1889-03-14
QUEER THINGS AMONG OLD BOOKS.
How People Buy and Sell Them-A Tru
Story That Sounds Like Fiction.


Story That Sounds Like Fiction.
''There is probably no dealer in old
books" said one of the best known
men in that business in this city the
other day, 'swho has SO much expert
ence and sharpness as not to be caught
mapping now and then. l spend the
most of my leisure time going about
among other dealers, and it is wonder
full to see what valuable things they
will sell sometimes for small price,
and what absurd sums they will charge
for things that are worth next to
nothing The other day I was looking
over the books placed outside the door
of a shop and I found, tied up ina
bundle, a file of a little paper published
at Brook Farm, that experiment in CO.
operation tried years ago at West Rox-
bury, Mass. It is now one of the rarest
of American periodicals. The bundle
was marked so cents. could scarcely
believe my eyes. Is that the price you
ask for this bundle2' | said to the
dealer.
He looked at the bundle and then
said carelessly: oh, no, no; you can
have that for thirty-fve cents, if you
want it.
And in buying books people don't
know, often, when they are getting a
good bargain Here is an old French
book that few know anything about,
but it is exceedingly curious. Libra
rians see it on my catalogue, but they
never heard of it before and think it
isn't worth anything. Well, if some
body doesn't buy it | shall double the
price of it in my next catalogue, and
If it doesn't sell then shall double the
price again, and by that time some one
will be sure to want it.
do you never get hold Of books
that you find it impossible to sell at
all?'
mo, never. I have had SO much ex-
perience that l can tell when see any
book whether have ever had calls for
| it or am likely to have any.
"A good many queer things happen
| in this business, but here is one that
sounds almost like fiction, though ii
| is every word true. A man came into
my shop here one day and introduced
himself, saying that though he had
| had a good deal of correspondence
with me, he had never seen me, but
being in New York he thought ht
| would call, though for no therpurpose
than to say good day. as he did not
want to.buy anything at present. We
talked pleasantly for few moments
| and he looked about the shop. 'Wha
is in that big basket2' he said at last
| '"The basket that he pointed to was
the same one that is there behind you
now, and it was full of old legal dec
uments.
"Oh, nothing of any consequence,
! replied, setting the basket on The
counter for him to look at.
HE turned over the papers, ant
ITfinally asked me what I would take
| for them. 7 don't know l said
sswhat will you give for them2
"'Ill give you $40 for the lot, hi
said, and I took the offer at once.
He picked out two of the paper.
and put them in his pocket, and ther
said: Send me the rest any time
there is no hurry
''But now that you have bough
this stuff and paid for it, said, !
suppose you won't mind telling ms
/ what you want of it.
| Not in the least, was the reply
I am the executor of an estate up IL
One of the northern counties, and
has been impossible to prove the titl'
i to certain parts of it. Nobody eve
disputed the last owners title, and h
was careless about his papers. Ant
now, here in your basket, | find th'
genuine deeds of the property
My customer was naturally de
lighted with what he had found, ant
he wrote to me afterward to say tina
he had collected over $50, 900 in rent
that he could not get before for wan
of those deeds. New York Tribune.