Tag Archives: book selling

If on a winter’s night a traveler

Posted on October 6, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I have been an evangelist for the novels of the Italian author Italo Calvino since my university days. Sadly, he is underappreciated and seldom read here in North America. Over the years, I have had many copies of his better … Continue reading →

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Hands Up

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

A book buyer recently asked about “those little hands” that he keeps seeing in photos of books for sale. Well, that’s exactly what they are, tiny metal hands that safely hold pages for display or photographs. They are cool, though, … Continue reading →

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Goodbye King of the Book Towns

Posted on August 27, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

British bookseller and self-appointed “King of Hay” Richard Booth, who transformed the sleepy Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye “into a second-hand bookshop capital,” died August 20, BBC News reported. Booth, who opened his first bookshop in the town’s former fire station … Continue reading →

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Is It Mold ?

Posted on August 12, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

One of the hazards in collecting and/or selling antiquarian and secondhand books is the frequent presence of mold. Active book mold is usually identifiable, as it is typically damp and fuzzy, but inactive mold can often be confused with dirt, … Continue reading →

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Faux Indies

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Apparently the bookselling behemoth Waterstones has tried to pull a fast one on the British book buying public. Without notice the retailer opened three small branches under bogus names—The Rye Bookshop in East Sussex, Southwold Books in Suffolk, and Harpenden … Continue reading →

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Libros Schmibros: Great Name, Great Concept

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Libros Schmibros is a community-based, not-for-profit bookstore/lending library located in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles. Run mainly by its dedicated founder and a team of volunteers, the project champions the pleasure of reading and its power to change lives. … Continue reading →

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Free Books For Life

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Brian D. Butler

One of my all-time favorite London bookshops, Heywood Hill in the heart of Mayfair, is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the purveyor of antiquarian, rare, secondhand, and new books has launched “the worlds first major … Continue reading →

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