Every four to six weeks we publish illustrated lists of maritime books, documents, manuscripts and ephemera here on our website. If you wish to be informed when these lists are posted, sign up for our mailing list by going to the “Keep Informed” section at the bottom of the page, and filling in your name and email address. When a new list is posted, you will receive an email from us. Please bear in mind that many of the items in our lists sell within a few days, so it’s important to read and respond quickly!
Our Most Recent Catalog
List 355 – Books About Books
January 6, 2025
Back in the old whaling days, processing the carcass of a mighty cetacean was crude and straightforward. They’d peel the blubber off the whale’s body, separate the head, and extract valuable oils therefrom. If they were lucky, a probe of the whale’s innards might reveal a hunk of ambergris, worth its weight in gold. Other crewmen would chop the blubber into smaller pieces. When they’d finished peeling, chopping, and probing, they’d cut the denuded carcass loose, to be feasted upon by sharks. It was a terrible waste of tons of whale meat, but the economies of the trade and primitive technology left no other option. Then the chopped-up blubber would be boiled in giant pots, producing commercially viable whale oil.
That’s how I’m processing the contents of the Great White Whale parked in my front yard. I’ve identified the few rare books – the ambergris. I’ve stripped out more books for book fairs or catalogs – the head matter. I’ve dug out and identified the internet fodder, books worth $20 or more, which represent the rendered blubber. The rest, about half of the total, is destined to be cut loose. (My son the contractor has a dumpster ready and waiting, but if you want to bring your pickup truck around, you’re welcome to the haul. I’m sure there are valuable mistakes to be found.)
This list, according to that metaphor, represents a cask of rendered blubber – by no means rare, but still of some value. So, read away, me hearties! And buy what you can. I’ve still got 200 cartons to boil down.
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