Have you noticed how much stuff is sitting on the side of the road these days with a FREE sign printed on cardboard, propped up against the (fill in the blank) moldy teddy bears/broken office chair/couch that smells like old shoes/old-fashioned baby carriage/worn out tires/glass front bookcase with broken glass/85-pound color TV circa 1995/box of […] More >>
Archives for August 2020
Authenticity
Had an interesting email conversation with an IOBA colleague the other day. Although he dealt mainly in fantasy and science fiction, he had just acquired a letter written by a US Navy admiral. He wanted to sell it with a fantasy novel that, I presume, had a naval theme, but he was concerned about the […] More >>
There really isn’t much more to say…
Dear _____: It’s difficult to believe that I’ve let an entire month pass without sending a response to your thoughtful note. Seems to me this is one of the major effects of the virus – every day is now so much like the ones before and after it that time whisks past with dizzying speed. […] More >>
Salad Years and Leftovers
Got a call from Ron Bourgeault last week. After more than 30 years of operating the prestigious Northeast Auctions firm, he was calling it quits. He wanted to know if I had any interest in purchasing his extensive arts and antiques reference library? We agreed that the market for such books had collapsed, or was […] More >>