Wednesday, 8 July 2015

G is for GOING To A Second Hand Bookshop..........

............ I have not been to for awhile to look for a Penguin.
No 1499

 The Red Cross charity book shop is one of the best bookshops in Tasmania for a good selection of second hand books.  I was in the habit of going every week after my play reading class.  My friend Brian used to live in that shop.  After he died I didn't go in much and then I was away on holiday and all the preparation that entailed.

 Yesterday I took them 4 big garbage bags of books that I rescued from Brian's house after he died. His family were interested in selling the house fast and all of his books, several hundred were thrown into a large skiff headed for the landfill.
No 2319
I went over there on a Sunday when no one was around and dug through the grass clippings in the skiff and lots of other junk from the house. I brought home about 500 books. Many of them old Penguins. Not to mention old books from the World Wars I and II, great sporting biographies, good literature. Brian had a keen eye for what to collect.  I have since been distributing them to several different charity shops. 

 Yesterday I took the bags into the Red Cross book shop.  They used to sell Penguins for a dollar a book but that has now gone up to 1.50 and 2.00. Still a good buy.  I found 5 vintage Penguins that I don't currently have.   I have not deliberately gone shopping for Penguin books in several months so this kind of got the blood boiling. I saw these setting on the shelf and I could feel the old adrenaline rush. Not to mention they were all in a good shape.  While I was there a couple brought in several boxes of books and said they were from one of their mother's from 60 years of collecting.  The supervised of the shop prices books on Friday so I might have to get in there before all the local booksellers come in on Monday morning to see what is there. 
No 1950

 I was not familiar with all the authors of the books I found but the books look quite interesting. (all Penguins are interesting aren't they?)  I hope you enjoy the loot and if you have anything to contribute about these books I would love to hear it. 
No D3
I love these designed poetry books.
No D35
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12 comments:

  1. Lisa8 July 2015 at 10:38

    Oh, that adrenaline rush! There is nothing quite like the thrill of hunting through shelves of books, except the thrill of finding a treasure. Love Me Little looks like a fun summer read - judging just by the cover of course.

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    1. Travellin' Penguin8 July 2015 at 11:26

      I think Love Me Little was the favorite of the group as well as the blue Penguin Poets. It is so nice to chat to people who know the excitement of book hunting. Noone I hang around with here in Hobart understands that haha ☺

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  2. Mudpuddle8 July 2015 at 13:03

    hard to believe that one's relations would treat possibly valuable books that way. question: how do you remember what books you already have? i'm forever taking one home that is already there. i just shelve it with a sigh...

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    1. Travellin' Penguin8 July 2015 at 15:36

      Brian was pretty much estranged from his relatives so when he died they just swooped. I think death brings out the best or the worst in people. I was happy to save them and find them homes. I have all my Penguins catalogue on Library thing.com plus a list of all of them on my blog. I can access the list online from my smart phone. Though I still end up with duplicates either from not having my phone or finding incorrect data once in awhile. I do remember quite a few of the covers. A combination of technology and memory. Usually one of them works. 😊

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  3. Lisbeth 8 July 2015 at 16:07

    Wonderful to cone over all these old books. I love going in to second hand book shops. I could stay there forever, just looking at the books.

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  4. Travellin' Penguin8 July 2015 at 16:31

    I could too. It always seems when I visit a book shop I have to leave or have someone with me that wants to go. I need to just go alone when I have nothing on.

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  5. Thomas Hogglestock10 July 2015 at 05:55

    One of my fears is that when I die my books will be trashed because my next of kin won't want to bother. And I think of all the obscure books I have rescued from oblivion. I guess I need to leave a big enough legacy to allow for their rehousing with a like minded young person.

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    1. Travellin' Penguin10 July 2015 at 06:02

      I know what you mean Thomas. The Buddhist have a wonderful teaching on impermanence and eventually everything will be gone but I don't want my books to die in my lifetime or in the lifetime that comes after me. I hope too that someone enjoys them as much as I do. Having no children I have no idea what will happen but I think my will will dater for a mega book auction so at least no landfill, at the moment.

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  6. Christine Harding10 July 2015 at 06:37

    I know exactly what you mean about the adrenaline rush - and I'm always so thrilled if something I want comes to light while I'm sorting/pricing in Oxfam (we do this every day - we'd never cope if we only priced donations once a week!).

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    1. Travellin' Penguin10 July 2015 at 06:41

      I think the supervisor is a bit of a control freak. She does let the ladies on the other days unpack/sort books but not price or sell them before she sees them. Very frustrating if you see something on the pile Tues you want but can't have until Friday. I do tell her the staff are volunteers who love books and not Greek shipping magnate but what can one do? Haha😕

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  7. skiourophile12 July 2015 at 15:23

    I see a number of commenters share my shiver of horror at reading about books being THROWN OUT. Well done on the rescue. It is sad that book appreciation is not a universal virtue.

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    1. Travellin' Penguin12 July 2015 at 15:32

      I know, we all think alike. I am glad to have saved the books. There were some nice ones in the piles of books he had.

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