Bright Young Things discussion

Just love book sales. Got an original edition (1918) of the hardback The Black Opal by Maxwell Gray for $2. It's listed online for anywhere between $20-$30. Don't know much about it, can't find anything either. All I know is that it passed the 'flip' test-I scan through the pages and if I am sucked into the reading, it's a keeper.

I like that "flip" test....and I love book sales. I also find treasures in some of the antique shops I wander into occasionally. In our area, garage sales are very popular, and one can find unusual things here...as well as books. I like the small books printed between 1890 and 1930. So many of this era were self published, and rather obscure authors and titles...but I have found some gems.

The 'Garage Sale' hasn't really made it across the pond but we do have great organised car-boot sales in most towns on Sundays during the summer. The books available at these are usually a bit disappointing though. I'm lucky to like near a place called Barter Books in Alnwick which is a big old converted victorian railway station jam packed with second hand books an you can pick up some really unusual finds.

I found a wonderful (and disturbing) travel guide book at the Portobello Road market on British South Africa, published in 1923. It is a window on another time and the advice given to the traveler regarding the indigenous population is the disturbing part but it makes fascinating reading nevertheless.

My favorites are the books that describe parlor amusements at the turn of the century (1900); etiquette books from the same period; and any books on medical procedures for common ailments.

We've been emptying an deceased eldery relative's house and we found an old family diary which had an entry about a wonder speech by William Gladstone in Southport.But it is the routine day to day entries that are a real insight. One entry referred to post natal as 'in her confinement'. Also if you do family history you might find that a lady relative was accompanying a well to do lady on her holiday in the Isle of man, not quite Monaco but you get the idea.

Michael wrote: "We've been emptying an deceased eldery relative's house and we found an old family diary which had an entry about a wonder speech by William Gladstone in Southport.But it is the routine day to day ..."

what a treasure!!