The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-10
AMONG SECONDHAND BOOKS.
Character of Volumes That Endows
Them With Value.
CFrom the Chicago Chronicle)


CFrom the Chicago Chronicle)
Everyone wants to get something for
nothing that's the trouble" said the Sec
ond- hand book man as he turned the
pages Of a book which was neither very
old nor valuable.
.'Whv. yes: don't your" asked the pos
sible purchaser of that same book.
The book dealer turned to the title page
and eyed it thoughtfully. NO, he SAID
finally. Il don't: l am willing to pay a
fair price and l want other people to do
the same. | have to buy all these books;
what do you think ] can sell them forE
But the possible purchaser did not say
what he thought: he went away ana leit
the book man standing with the book IN
his hand.
Hum grunted the book man. putting
the disputed bit of bookmaking on It's
shelf.
There was still another possible Gus
toner in the room. and toward her the
book dealer ambled.
What can / do for your he asked, NOT
at all wanting TO know.
This customer looked up from a very
good bit of binding she had taken from
the shelves.
The book man looked surprised. because
he did not know this woman and he was
not a man to tell his business affairs. But
this was no ordinary mood she had caught
him in. and after some hesitation he
yielded to the temptation and relieved MS
mind
There is a certain line of people lady,
who come in here and want to get books
given to them just because this is sec
ond-hand shop. | never could see what
they thought / kept a secondhand shop
for. Do they want all the benefit of this
place2 Don't / make ii easy enough for
customers to buy without their expecting
/ am going to give away?'
You make ii too easy" said the woman,
considering the open shelves with their
tempting array.
This isn't any public library and it
isn't reading ROOM" began the book
man again. When l put a book up for
sale here l put it as low as l can, so as
to sell ii. If | could sell it for 81 [
wouldn't mark it 80 cents-thats honest,
isn't il? Well then, / don't want to be
called a robber and thief I'm no such
thing. and ! wont stand it, That's all
Do you sell many good books" the
woman asked him.
The book man was much relieved by his
outburst, and was feeling good humored
again.
Yes he said, I'VE sell more than you'd
think. People come here who wouldn't
Guy anywhere else; and they pay very
fair prices Tor the books too. Now. you
take those Roycroft books. We can't sell
them for any more than we pay for them
II We buy them of the shop, but now and
again they come in here second hand, and
if they are as good as new we take them
and can make something off them. Ii
isn't very often, though, for the sellers
want to make all the money. and we have
trade.
our big sales are in books that come
in sets and are well bound. You'd be sur
prised to see the number of people who
come in here regularly to watch for them.
They want certain authors, all the best,
and then want a pretty good binding, but
they can't pay the first price. So they
watch our windows and our shelves and
when they think they have n good bar
gain they buy. We have lots of regular
customers that way. They come and go,
but mostly they keep pretty regular.
Some of those very same folks Will
come in with books they have bought of
US and want to sell them back and We
make the trade. l have actually had a
and each time bring them back when he
was hard up. You see, they get hard up
and have to sell something, and they
know | Will hold the books for them
DO YOU get many real old books that
way the woman asked.
The book man laughed. Now that's
what everyone is asking for, but | want
TO tell you that real Old books are not 50
them know their value and don't want to
part with them. If they do they either
don't care for them or don't know what
they are worth And that is mighty sell
dem"
Reckoning mysterlously he led the way
to a far corner of the store where the old
books were piled.
They are there" he said. pointing to
the boxes beneath the shelves. "All we
hive on hand are piled away there, and
they aren't worth much.
They were old books, leather bound.
frayed at the corners, yellow leayed, but
sim without particular merit or value.
They were old enough; il was not a lack
of age. but of interest, which made them
marketless. An old book in order to be
valuable must have some particular
merit: its age is not sufficient to commend
il to pubic attention.
1t must be of first edition or of some
particular edition to which was attached
unusual interest. Or it may have come
from famous printing house or bindery,
the name of which alone would give 1t
value If the date upon the title page is
that of the very early book making days.
then it is very valuable. but for medi-
ocrity of age there is no price.
The ma iority of the books in this sec
ond-hand pile were more than 200 years
old. but that is not old for books. They
were all oid-fashioEed enough in printing
and spelling to attract attention, but not
They will bring anywhere from 81 to
s.. but it is hard to find purchasers, be-
cause the real lovers of old books are
looking for some valuable article and
those who are not interested in the age
of the books don't want them" The
book man picked up one from the pile
as lie spoke and handed 1t to the wom-
an.