Rare, Collectible, & Otherwise

Tag: Rose District (Page 21 of 104)

Buckets O’ Fun.

Books and water don’t mix well. The repair to the roof was made, but unfortunately, the success of that work isn’t known until it is tested by a good rain.

Well. We’re having a good rain.

The buckets and cans are situated and the floor is drying out. The spot where the water was coming in earlier might be plugged, but it seems to have moved a bit downstream. It’s lucky that the drips aren’t coming directly down on the bookshelves.

But.

There were some books displayed on the conference table that aren’t going to make it and some paperback westerns that were awaiting my attention will now be herded to the west – out to the dumpster.

aRoofDrip

I’m happy that several one-of-a-kind books that were in the immediate vicinity were spared. All in all, perhaps two dozen are headed to that great library in the sky.

Strangely, the torrential rain on Saturday stayed outside the building (or maybe it was just collecting itself for a later release). It does seem that when wind is added to the equation the water is more likely to find its way to the floor.

So, the trash cans and the mop bucket are called into service and those newspapers that I was supposed to drop at the recycling bin are working to sop up the standing water.

Don’t take it as whining on my part. I know there are plenty of folks who are having a tougher time with the weather this weekend. (I passed by two cars who went into the highway median ditch in separate accidents on Saturday, and the strange mixture of inclement weather across western Oklahoma and Texas has been a nightmare.)

Losing a few books isn’t fun for a book person. But I feel lucky enough as it is.

Glad I decided to come down and check on the bookshop on my Sunday off!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow OK!

Outside the rain begins…

Holiday Road Trip!

And the drive back to Broken Arrow made me long for something soothing – like a Stephen King novel. Talk about a white-knuckle ride… our weather forecasters hit the mark and the deluge came as predicted, creating highway visibilities of about two car-lengths.

But, it was a great holiday break! And I hope your own celebrations were filled with as much happiness and camaraderie as ours was.

aSparkleBook

I love seeing so many traditions being carried on, and the beginning of new family customs to be associated with the holiday season. It can sometimes be a time when stress slips in amongst all the good feelings, and I hope as you look back on the season you’ll recall nothing but good times.

On to the New Year!

We’re having a rare break from the day-to-day, but we’ll be serving at lunchtime on Monday, so – come visit!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow OK!

Goodbye, my children. Good buy.

Where do books come from, Daddy?

It wasn’t quite worded that way, but a visitor to the book shop wondered where I found the books that I offer for sale. (For those of you who haven’t yet stopped in, we offer a few new titles, but the majority of the inventory consists of well-kept used books.)

There isn’t a simple answer to the question, because they come from so many different sources.

girondists

The easy answer is – I have a book tree out back and harvest a few every morning. Of course, THAT’S a load of blarney (but I’ve come close to having that one believed…)

The truth is: I spend time looking for books that I feel someone might like to own, and I wind up haunting garage sales, book fairs, thrift stores, and roadside turnouts. There are some folks who bring in books for credit on a trade account, and later use that credit to buy books to take home. On the rare occasion, I’ve accepted donations from people who are moving or (mistakenly) think they have too many books at home.

I answered today’s questioner much the same way, and mentioned that I occasionally buy books at auction.

The thing about auctions – you can make a bid and you may, or may not, be the buyer. I’ve placed bids on any number of books that went to others with deeper pockets. I placed a bid on an 1853 first edition Charles Dickens which – Surprise! – wound up being the winning number. Then I had to pay for it. I’m happy to own it. Love to drag it out to show people.

It’s fun to bid on beautiful books, even when you don’t become the owner.

girondists2

Then, there is that thing they call “buyer’s remorse.” I don’t call it that. For me, it’s more “buyer’s What-Was-I-Thinking?” That was the situation with an 1863 history of the French Revolution. A four-volume set bound in calfskin leather and marbled paper. Solid hinges. Only the slightest aging to the paper. Beauties, the lot of them.

Written entirely in French.

What was I thinking, buying such a set?

Obviously, I was taken by the quality of the books, thinking “What a nice set that would be to own.” And – suddenly – I was the owner.

No remorse here, but I was resigned to the fact that I was going to have the books laid in the coffin with me, so I could read them in the hereafter – where hopefully my French will be much improved. Then, a lunch guest joked about a discount on books for anyone who ordered from the menu.

I’m always versatile.

Told him with a grin that I could work something out – especially on orders over a hundred dollars. “Does that include lunch?” he wanted to know.

Began to sense that he wasn’t just joking around. He wasn’t. He pointed out the French Revolution set, written in French, bound in calfskin and marbled paper and published in 1863.

His wife is a French teacher.

Well!

I have mentioned to any number of folks, only half-jokingly, that the books here are like orphan children placed in my care until I can find them a good and deserving home. And what better home for the French-speaking children than the library of a French teacher?

Their place on the shelf in the front of the shop is still vacant and may be for a day or two. It can serve to remind me that – in the purchase of a beautiful set of antique books – there is no regret that is not offset by the satisfaction of giving them over to someone who will appreciate them just as much.

Au revoir, mes enfants…

We’ll be here early in the holiday week, so

Come visit!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow OK!

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