The Washington times., 1901-12-01
OLD BOOK MAN
A PHILOSOPHER
The Light and Shade of a Unique
Calling.
NO LACK OF FINE SENTIMENT
The Dealer in Musty Tones Meets
Many People and Can Usually
Form Correct Estimate of Charac-
ter-Business Not Profitable.

said Pope in his Essay on Man, and
he hadn't lived before my time, l woul
have said the same thing and gathere
Ir the praises that have been lavished o
him." said the owner of little second
hand book shop. The bookworm was i
a talkative mood, and shaking the dus
from his well-worn coat. he settled dow
in his little chair and gave vent to tn
following musings regarding the sale .
printed thoughts. THE second hand bool
shop is the only proper place in which Il
stddy human nature. He who is in searcl
of mental food in the shape OF books j
never able to disguise his intellectual
makeup. l can size a man up by tn,
books he buys, and l have yet to find my
self mistaken. OF all the business yoca
tions there is probably none that requires
so much close attention in order to max,
the cash balance come cut on the Tish
side of the ledger, as the second -hanC
book trade.
often we pay a large price for some
book that is out of print and have it in
stock only a short time, when presto!
some publisher reprints the same thing.
and puts it CT sale for a great deal less
than we paid for it. Isn't that enough
TO jar anyone? Naturally, We are the
losers, and the other fellow has the
laugh en- US. Trade journals must be
closely scanned for the expiration of
copyrights, new editions reprints, and in
formation in general. The buying of
textbooks must he attended to with the
greatest care. New methods aud discov-
cries make the text books that are
brought cut this year often worthless the
next But in great many cases the re-
vision Of book really amounts to moth
ing; very often scarcely a dozen words
are added even including the word re-
vfsed which is invariably stamped On
the back of the book.
This is the method employed by some
publishers to get book on the market
rs a new edition. 1t is then impressed
upon the pupils in the various schools
and colleges that their education will
not be complete unless they secure copy
of this 'lates: edition. Then what be-
comes of all the text books that We have
bought the previous season. Well, right
here the junk man has a harvest But
what's to be DONE sadly grinned the
book-worm. ''All we can do is to grin
and bear it.
''of course, the first and principal requi-
site to make success of this business is
TO have an almost unlimited supply of
ready cash which 1 am sorry to say is
in The hands of the millionaires and multi
millionaires who usually do not embark
in the second hand book business. Other
lines of business have their seasons in
which to buy goods. But we must pur-
chase when the opportunity offers, and
not when We would like to. No matter
how dull business may be. if books are Of
fered to us for sale. we feel compelled
TO buy them. There are long stretches
of time very often when there is scarcely
l book offered for safe The tales of
fabulous profits made on old books should
be elassed with other pipe dreams
There may have been a time when
most people did not know the value of
books. and they could be bought for al
most nothing. but as a rule nowadays
when a person has books TO sell, and is
posing of them. he will call on some of |
ais friends who are able to advise him |
IS to their worth. Then, again, people 1
who have books 10 dispose Of that were
bought years ago and who paid good
'rices for them, never take into consid-
.ration the fact that the revolution in
printing binding. and the manufacture of
'aper, coupled with the competition of
oday, has cheapened very considerably
he price Of all literature
yet We have some adyants ges," the
lealer admitted. Leaving out the Gus
omers who only claim your time and pa
fence to no purpose, we come in contact
With so many well-read men, persons Of
Intellect and refinement that our busi-
less is virtually the institute of learn
ng whereof Pope speaks in his Essay IN
Ian. Men from all walks of life, inter-
sted in particular CT various subjects.
aunt our places of business, seeking new
ooks Of interest There is hardly a sub
ect that has not its collectors OF ne
essity We enter into conversation with
hese men and thereby get the benefit of
heir experience and study.
quite a few people shun a secondhand
ook store, because they claim that they
eed an enormous number Of disease
erms which turk between the covers of !
Id books and are ever ready to penetrate
1to the human system. The idea seems
o me very funny. OF all the book dealers |
hat l have ever heard Of that have pass
d into the land Of the eternal. have
ever yet known of one whose death could
e traced to these book bacill. Our
ooks are thoroughly cleaned and busted
efore they are put on the shelf
Speaking of the various types OF Gus |
1mers that patronize his shop the dealer
a,d. when the contents OF the famous
hamberlin Hotel we're sold a few DAYS
go, We secured among other things Il
urge number Of signed photographs and
agravings, which We offered for sale The
-uH had been In the store no longer than
We minutes before the place was crowd
d with curiosity hunters and collectors.
I the men who collect in one special line,
acre is one in particular, whose collec-
on of engrayings and book plates Is one
the finest In the country. He knows
ie value OF every print, and possesses ,
'ousands of them. but he is still on the ,
unit for the few missing ones that viii !
AXE his collection the peer OF any in the !
Grid. That's his fad, and fortunately he
as money enough to satisfy It, or he !
Ould long ago have been destitute En- .
rawlings are becoming very scarce Very :
sldom now is a book published with steel
lgraved fTontispieces and plates In it,
his scarcity will. I feel sure, increase q
ieir value In ten years 100 per cent. !
Then there is another customer OF /.
NFh c "a gfn |