New-York tribune., 1901-05-26
HLNORS or BOOK HUNTING.
HOW THE IGNORANT BOOKSELLER is
EXASPERATING

EXASPERATING
From Macmlan's Magazine
We have said that second hand booksellers
have very fair working knowledge of their
trade and this is perfectly true; but here and
there may still be found or whose
knowledge Is less than even the knowledge of
the veriest tyro among collectors. At this
imagine We can see the veriest tyrO prickinS
up his and making him ready for bargain:
but let him not he Drecipitate for not even
among the men who know nothing about books
can he hope to turn his own comparative erud-
tton to account The people who sell books in
ignorance of their real value mostly those
who keep old curiosity shops in country towns.
We regret To have to record il, but, from bitter
personal experience know that il is almost
impossible to cheat them in these matters: nay.
more. that it is wellniSh hopeless To attempt u
buy book from them at all, even. may say.
when one is prepared to buy it for fair price
The following dialogue may perhaps help To ex-
plain what
Confirmed BibIiOmaniaC- / have a look
round among the books
Provincial ShOpkeeper-CertainIy. sir. Might
you be- in want of anything in particular?
Confirmed Ribliomaniac-Oh. no. thanks. /
only thought / would like to look at them
He does so. and routs about for min
utes among many volumes of theological works
of the "Paleys Evidences" type a task that
would crush any but maniac really confirmed,
ut last, at the very bottom OF the heap) hooks
are always in heaps in old curiosity shops n
comes across a book of different Sort for the
sake - o. illustration. let US say copy Il
the lt,2 etirfon in quarto Of the miscellaneous
poems of that pleasant Latin versifier Vincent
Bourne Such a book might possibly fetch as
much 1b ShillinES in the metropolis; in the
provinces. therefore, il would he reasonable to
offer three shi.IinGs and sixpence. As il hap
pens the bibliomaniac does not possess it. and
he il. He therefore makes a violent
effort To apnear unconcerned with the usual
result-that he looks a very demon of cOvetOUs-
How much do you want for this:' he says.
1T is a very old book" remarks it's owner
Yes" says the maniac. but how much IS t.
1T Is very old indeed should say Il was
quite one Of the first books printed; wouldn't
Well it is not quite 81 old as all that"
Il had gentleman in here the other day
looking at il. and he said it was very old
book Perhaps you know him. sir? Mr. Jones.
the butcher.
No, haven't the pleasure. What did he
he said it was the oldest book he had ever
seen. and h. wished he could afford To buy it."
Did he. indeed
Yes; he said You never see books like that
nowadays"
That is quite true What else did he saye'
He said that in London they would give
lot for a book like that
"These old Greek books are very hard to come
10y now
Yes: YOU see it is on account Of the printing
Well Mr. Jones said there had been no
printing done worth Speaking of since the days
OF the Greeks and Romans.
Mr. Jones said that
Yes. and he said l was very lucky 10 have
To come the point. how much do YOU
Well sir being such an old book AMI having
been printed in the times of the Greeks. and
Mr.. Jones having spoken highly II il. /
couldn't in fairness 10 myself let it so for less
than t10.'
our illustration is fictitious. but can as
sure the hopeful beginner that ii is in way
exaggerated We remember once coming across
two books a little shop in a country town.
one a Bible and the other prayer book. What
their exact dates do not know. as they
had both lost their title pages and Very
incomplete in other particulars. but neither II
hem can hl Vta hpt ear - Ia. :
each was a large card announcing that they
We're In be- had FOR the moderate prices Of l.,
and tlO respectively This happened not
Very long ago. and imagine they are in that
little shop still. OF course il gives air II
prosperity To he able charge for its goods
exactly two hundred and fifty times what they
are worth, but it is not cheering fO- the col
lectOr.