Collecting Another fairly good source of old, and sometimes rare, books at reasonable prices is the small-town or country auction. These sales, I usually held to liquidate an estate, are attended chiefly by local townsfolk who are looking for bargains in household goods and who seldom have an interest in old books, prints or paintings, or antique furniture, which they would deem old-fashioned and perhaps impractical.

If you plan to try your luck at a country auction, get there early so you will have ample time to look over the offerings. These sales are usually held at the homes undergoing liquidation, and the books and other items for sale will be on display on the lawn or the front porch. Books, which are considered of negligible value, are not sold singly; a half dozen or more will be offered in one lot. Unless one of the country roadside antique dealers is on hand to bid, you are likely to pick up any lot of books for 15 or 25 cents. Some years ago, a retail bookseller took stock at the end of the year and discovered that he had rather a large number of unsold mystery novels on hand. He placed all available second, third, and later editions on a bargain table at reduced prices. First editions were listed in a printed catalogue at premium prices. The catalogues were sent out according to a mailing list and a surprising number of first-edition sales were made—first editions of books by unknown authors that had not warranted second or third editions and were, therefore, of little or no value.




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July 5, 2008