A Whisper in the Night

[ecosophia]

Buy physical books now. Great ones, good ones, bad ones, ones you happen to like. Store them safely as you would treasures. They are. Some will become unavailable soon, I suspect, for reasons that may not be stated candidly. If I’m wrong, what have you lost?

We, the library

— Walter Kirn (@walterkirn) February 12, 2021

This seems uncomfortably appropriate to me just now...

Comments

[violetcabra]

Thanks for this. It's all the more remarkable that at my local thrift store one can buy classic titles really cheap, like, I just finished reading a paperback of Gogol's _Dead Souls_ that I bought for less than a dollar and before that a paper of _Two Years Before the Mast_ which also cost less than a dollar. In addition, in my last haul I found Epictetus' _Discourses_, Buber's _I and Thou_, Hesiod's works, Erasmus' _In Praise of Folly_, and some beautifully bound Dostoyevsky novels with art deco pen and ink illustrations in the inside cover. Altogether they cost less than $10 and there was a few other titles thrown in. Of course, every time I go there are classic translations of Tolstoy and plays of Shakespeare selling for real cheap. In the education section they have classical mathematical books, and technical works. I mailed a friend a textbook on practical metallurgy recently, hardbound, with what looked like clear technical language and good illustrations. Last week, I found a Dion Fortune title from the 1930's.

Point being, people are just throwing these books away and so they bring them to the thrift store. I would say 85% of the books were printed between the years between 1920 and 1980. I'm not sure what the used book scene looks like in other parts in the country, but here in suburban Massachusetts now is the time to buy! People are throwing out classic and not so classic books and one can get them for almost nothing. Prior to this, most of my books came from access to places where people were throwing out books and I got some real good titles: Hesse, Borges, Twain, Homer.

From my perspective I agree with Mr. Kirn: now is the time to stock up because people only have so many books to throw away until there is nothing left to throw, and when that happens I shudder to think what that copy of _Dead Souls_ might go for, if it could be found at all.

[ecosophia]

I've noticed that. I'm not sure how much of it is people purging their collections of anything that could get them in trouble, and how much of it is the ongoing contraction of the salary class leading people to dump possessions as they downscale their lives...

[(Anonymous)]

My wife and I are now following the good weather around the USA in our RV. My dozens of boxes of books (some of which were passed down to me from my grandmother) now reside with my daughter. I hope they find a home with her children in the future.

[(Anonymous)]

I wonder if it's older people dying and nobody expressing interest in the books. After all, with many obscure authors and plenty of Readers Digest Condensed Books, whatever demand there may have been for those books has long been slaked.

– Godozo

[(Anonymous)]

Being the sort who gets chatty with the folks working at the thriftstore, it's neither. It's folks passing on whose heirs don't want to deal with stuff or don't need more stuff, usually not locally based, and thus donate everything that doesn't sell at an estate sale, or just donate without a sale.

I get wonderful books, suits for my sons, etc, from the local thrift stores.

BoysMom

throwing away books

[(Anonymous)]

I think one reason a lot of books are being tossed is simply generational (in the broader sense), as the older generations downsize/die off. Many younger people rely solely or mostly on electronic media, and don't (yet) see the value of books.

It is also ironic that many rural areas would love to have books to stock fledgling libraries but lack resources to do so. I knew of a way to connect with the rural libraries in my areas in a timely fashion (unfortunately, I learn about book donation drives when it's too late and/or insufficient contact information).

Almanacs

[weilong]

For the last several years, even, used books have been very cheap.
Dictionaries and other reference books can be bought for a few dollars.

I've also found illustrated encyclopediae of plants and animals - the kind that cost a few hundred bucks when new - selling for pretty cheap. I have got a nice little collection of field guides to birds, mushrooms, trees, etc. that didn't cost me much.

addendum

[(Anonymous)]

Addendum to my earlier comment: the family business where I work sells old books as a small sideline (store concentrates on vintage art and oriental rugs, but has lots of 'everything'). I have noticed that customers interested in the books tend to be older or in their twenties. I'm heartened to see younger people take and interest in books - old books in particular. Of course, because they are just getting started (in a world that is more and more difficult to navigate), the younger people would be less able to collect lots of books. It seems to me that if there is a rising interest among the younger set in old books or even new books, that might set off alarm bells somewhere ("Horrors! Young people thinking for themselves? That must be stopped!").