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Subject: lds-bookshelf-digest V1 #939
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lds-bookshelf-digest       Sunday, March 3 2002       Volume 01 : Number 939




----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:16:16 -0500
From: "Kim Leavitt" <kleavitt@mediaone.net>
Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] RE: New Yorker article

... and here's a URL:
http://www.newyorker.com/FACT/?020121fa_FACT1

Kim

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com
[mailto:owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com]On Behalf Of EDLUND,MARK
JAMES
Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2002 1:35 PM
To: lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com
Subject: 


Sorry that is off topic, but I thought it might interest people.

In the New Yorker last week the lead story was on Mormons.  It was one of
those Mormons and the Olympics type stories, and by far the best one I
have read.  I would highly recommend it to anyone.  The date of the
magazine was January 21.

Mark Edlund




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------------------------------

Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 19:54:23 -0700
From: "Hugh J. McKell" <hjmckell@xmission.com>
Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] RE: New Yorker article

At 12:16 AM 1/25/2002 -0500, you wrote:

The uninformed and highly prejudicial Mark Edlund wrote the he liked this
New Yorker story!  Ha! There are those among my circle that feel
otherwise!!!!  <g>..


On another note.  Up until now an author whom I admired and books he had
written I had collected with zest was featured in the local Public TU
channel.  I came to the conclusion from the commentary presented that
Stephen Ambrose may be less of an historian than I had previously
thought......... Did anyone else see the blip???


Hugh

Now on a more serious note.  Friday I received a typical telephone call.
This one from a little old lady:

LOL: Hello could you please help me??

Kind me: Why yes,  How can I help?????

LOL: I recently donated some books to Deseret Industries and would like to
know if you could help me determine the value of these books for my taxes.....

Kind Me:  Sure,  What are the titles.

LOL:  Well, the first one was " Temples of the most High".

Kind Me: That book is probably worth $15 to $20 dollars.

LOL:  (short pause)  MY!  I had no idea that I had given away a treasure!!!!


True story...
more to come.

>
>Sorry that is off topic, but I thought it might interest people.
>
>In the New Yorker last week the lead story was on Mormons.  It was one of
>those Mormons and the Olympics type stories, and by far the best one I
>have read.  I would highly recommend it to anyone.  The date of the
>magazine was January 21.
>
>Mark Edlund
>
>


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------------------------------

Date: Sun, 3 Feb 2002 23:37:27 EST
From: RickBook@aol.com
Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] CD-ROMs vs Originals

From time to time, people mention that they no longer have to worry about 
obtaining a certain book, since it is available on CD-ROM.  While that point 
of view holds less appeal for a book collector than for a non-collecting 
reader or scholar, all of us probably depend on CD-ROMs for some texts which 
we simply cannot obtain or afford otherwise.  These are wonderful tools, both 
for searching and for easy copying and pasting into our own projects.

However, as I have mentioned before, there is a real danger of error on 
CD-ROMs, either in something so minor as a page number cited, or something as 
extreme as what follows.  Verifying against hard copy, whenever possible, is 
very important before we quote something in a serious research paper or book 
catalog.  I'm not sure what happened to create so many errors in one 
paragraph, but here is what I encountered this evening:


As it appears in SMITH RESEARCH ASSOCIATES "New Mormon Studies CD-ROM":

Sunstone 13:3/8 (Jun 89)
If subsequent research on the origins of the names Moroni and Cumorah point 
to the Comoro Islands as a source, must the whole Mormon story be labelled a 
myth in the pejorative sense of that word? I think not.  As a Scot, and a 
nationalist at that, I have some special reasons for not getting too 
concerned about that particular possibility.  In the eighteenth century, 
James MacPherson claimed to have "discovered" an ancient Celtic epic which 
gave Scottish culture a great boost at a time when it was almost submerged by 
Anglifying influences.  The publication of Ossian also molded the course of 
European literature by helping to shape the emerging Romantic movement.  Now 
there is no doubt that MacPherson's manuscript was not as ancient as he said 
it was, but modern scholars are more charitable in their assessment of the 
man.  He is no longer considered the deliberate forger which Samuel Johnson 
branded him, but a creative intellect who made a real contribution to our 
literary heritage.



As actually printed, at least in MY copy of Sunstone:

  If subsequent research on the origins of the names Moroni and Cumorah point 
to the Comoro Islands as a source, must the whole Mormon story be labelled a 
myth in the pejorative sense of that word?  I think not.  I have always had 
an almost religious commitment to being a Scot and am fiercely proud of my 
homeland's traditions and history.  However, as research sheds new light on 
those traditions I have had to adjust my perceptions and be content with the 
meaning which can be derived from the past even if it cannot be proven in a 
factual sense.  Two examples may illustrate this point.  In the eighteenth 
century, James Macpherson claimed to have "discovered" an ancient Celtic epic 
which gave Scottish culture a great boost at a time when it was almost 
submerged by Anglifying influences.  The publication in 1760 of Fragments of 
Ancient Poetry Collected in the Highlands also molded the course of European 
literature by helping to shape the emerging Romantic movement.  Now there is 
no doubt that Macpherson's manuscript was not as ancient as he said it was, 
but modern scholars are more charitable in their assessment of the man.  He 
is no longer condemned as the deliberate forger which Samuel Johnson branded 
him, but a creative intellect who made a real contribution to our literary 
heritage.



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------------------------------

Date: Tue, 05 Feb 2002 19:42:48 -0700
From: "Hugh J. McKell" <hjmckell@xmission.com>
Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] CD-ROMs vs Originals

At 11:37 PM 2/3/2002 EST, you wrote:

Thanks Rick!  It was the Sunstone article that prompted me to acquire a
copy of "The Poems of Ossian "

I wonder where Sunstone got the 'corrected version" that is now on the
CD-ROM! AH, the prerogatives of the editors.......


Hugh



>
>>From time to time, people mention that they no longer have to worry about 
>obtaining a certain book, since it is available on CD-ROM.  While that point 
>of view holds less appeal for a book collector than for a non-collecting 
>reader or scholar, all of us probably depend on CD-ROMs for some texts which 
>we simply cannot obtain or afford otherwise.  These are wonderful tools,
both 
>for searching and for easy copying and pasting into our own projects.
>
>However, as I have mentioned before, there is a real danger of error on 
>CD-ROMs, either in something so minor as a page number cited, or something
as 
>extreme as what follows.  Verifying against hard copy, whenever possible, is 
>very important before we quote something in a serious research paper or book 
>catalog.  I'm not sure what happened to create so many errors in one 
>paragraph, but here is what I encountered this evening:
>
>
>As it appears in SMITH RESEARCH ASSOCIATES "New Mormon Studies CD-ROM":
>
>Sunstone 13:3/8 (Jun 89)
>If subsequent research on the origins of the names Moroni and Cumorah point 
>to the Comoro Islands as a source, must the whole Mormon story be labelled a 
>myth in the pejorative sense of that word? I think not.  As a Scot, and a 
>nationalist at that, I have some special reasons for not getting too 
>concerned about that particular possibility.  In the eighteenth century, 
>James MacPherson claimed to have "discovered" an ancient Celtic epic which 
>gave Scottish culture a great boost at a time when it was almost submerged
by 
>Anglifying influences.  The publication of Ossian also molded the course of 
>European literature by helping to shape the emerging Romantic movement.  Now 
>there is no doubt that MacPherson's manuscript was not as ancient as he said 
>it was, but modern scholars are more charitable in their assessment of the 
>man.  He is no longer considered the deliberate forger which Samuel Johnson 
>branded him, but a creative intellect who made a real contribution to our 
>literary heritage.
>
>
>
>As actually printed, at least in MY copy of Sunstone:
>
>  If subsequent research on the origins of the names Moroni and Cumorah
point 
>to the Comoro Islands as a source, must the whole Mormon story be labelled a 
>myth in the pejorative sense of that word?  I think not.  I have always had 
>an almost religious commitment to being a Scot and am fiercely proud of my 
>homeland's traditions and history.  However, as research sheds new light on 
>those traditions I have had to adjust my perceptions and be content with the 
>meaning which can be derived from the past even if it cannot be proven in a 
>factual sense.  Two examples may illustrate this point.  In the eighteenth 
>century, James Macpherson claimed to have "discovered" an ancient Celtic
epic 
>which gave Scottish culture a great boost at a time when it was almost 
>submerged by Anglifying influences.  The publication in 1760 of Fragments of 
>Ancient Poetry Collected in the Highlands also molded the course of European 
>literature by helping to shape the emerging Romantic movement.  Now there is 
>no doubt that Macpherson's manuscript was not as ancient as he said it was, 
>but modern scholars are more charitable in their assessment of the man.  He 
>is no longer condemned as the deliberate forger which Samuel Johnson branded 
>him, but a creative intellect who made a real contribution to our literary 
>heritage.
>
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------
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>-   "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body.
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>
>


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------------------------------

Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2002 19:45:30 -0800
From: "Steve Eccles" <Steve.Eccles2@verizon.net>
Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] Customers

After Hugh's last story of a customer, I thought I'd pass this one on. It is
from today's Los Angeles Times in the column by Steve Harvey called Only In
LA:

Staying in character: Visiting the Mystery Book Store in Westwood, writer
Hank Rosenfeld asked a clerk at the front desk, "Where is Dashiell Hammett?"

"He's dead," the clerk responded.

It struck Rosenfeld as the type of terse wisecrack that Hammett's Sam Spade
might have uttered.


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------------------------------

Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 14:06:33 -0800 (PST)
From: "EDLUND,MARK JAMES" <medlund@ucla.edu>
Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] JWHA Conference and new bio of Joseph Smith

Bookshelfers,
	Most of you are probably familiar with the John Whitmer Historical
Association.  For those who are not, JWHA is loosely affiliated with the
RLDS church (now Community of Christ), and is similar to the Mormon
History Association in that they publish a journal and hold a conference
each year.  However, LDS historians also play an active role in JWHA.
	This year's JWHA conference at Nauvoo will be particularly
interesting, as many outstanding scholars have committed to coming.
Undoubtedly the highlight of the conference will be the roundtable
discussion that Newell Bringhurst has organized on the "1844 United States
Presidential election and why Joseph Smith, Jr. decided to run for
office".  This discussion will feature Richard Bushman, Michael Quinn,
Klaus Hansen, Mark Scherer, and Robert Remini.  In my opinion, this is the
most distinguished and varied panel that have ever appeared together in
any MHA, Sunstone, or JWHA session.  Quinn and Bushman of course need no
introduction.  Hansen has written three books:  Quest for Empire: The
Political Kingdom of God and the Council of Fifty in Mormon History,
Mormonism and American Culture, and Mormonism and the American Experience.
His work on the Council of Fifty was pioneering.  Mark Scherer is the
Community of Christ church historian.  So who is Robert Remini?  This is
taken from the JWHA site (as is the above quotation):   

"Robert V. Remini is professor emeritus of history and the humanities at
the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has been called the oremost
Jacksonian scholar of our time. He has authored a definitive three volume
biography of Andrew Jackson as well as biographies of Daniel Webster and
Henry Clay. He is known as an artful teacher capable of capturing the
character of his subjects and make the American past come alive.  His
forthcoming (October, 2002) biography of Mormon Church founder Joseph
Smith from Viking Press is highly anticipated and JWHA will be the first
scholarly forum for consideration of the text.  Advanced copies of
Professor Remini's book will be made available for conference attendees by
Viking Press."

The conference is held at the end of September.  More info can be found at
www.jwha.info.  

Mark Edlund




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------------------------------

Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 15:32:21 -0700
From: "Morgan Adair" <MADAIR@novell.com>
Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] JWHA Conference and new bio of Joseph Smith

>>> medlund@ucla.edu 02/21/02 03:06PM >>>
>
>forthcoming (October, 2002) biography of Mormon Church founder Joseph
>Smith from Viking Press is highly anticipated and JWHA will be the
first
>scholarly forum for consideration of the text.  Advanced copies of
>Professor Remini's book will be made available for conference
attendees by
>Viking Press."

I think this is going to be a volume in the "Penguin Life" series
(along with biographies of Mozart, Proust, Rosa Parks, Crazy Horse, Mao,
Saint Augustine, etc.). It will be interesting to see how he places
Joseph Smith in the context of Jacksonian America, but I'm not expecting
the book to be groundbreaking (like Bushman's likely will be, if he ever
gets it done).

MBA


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------------------------------

Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2002 13:21:47 -0800
From: "Keith Irwin" <irwinkw@earthlink.net>
Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] A Winter with the Mormons

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

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I looked forward to receiving the limited of David Bigler=92s new book,
=93A Winter with the Mormons.=94    The book is nicely bound in leather =
by
Handbridge Bindery, a bookbinder I=92ve often used to do fine repair and
restoration.  Nice quality paper and good looking =
endsheets=85=85..but=85=85=85the
registration on the pages is screwed up.  =BC=94 top margins with 1 =
=BD=92=94 on
the bottom.  Even then the top registration is slightly off on each
page,  easily evident if you fan the pages and watch the page numbers
jump up and down.  Disappointing.    I=92m told the trade edition has =
the
same defect. =20

Keith



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<P ALIGN=3DLEFT><SPAN LANG=3D"en-us"><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">I =
looked forward to receiving the limited of David Bigler&#8217;s new =
book,&nbsp; &#8220;A Winter with the Mormons.&#8221;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =
The book is nicely bound in leather by Handbridge Bindery, a bookbinder =
I&#8217;ve often used to do fine repair and restoration.&nbsp; Nice =
quality paper and good looking =
endsheets&#8230;&#8230;..but&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;the registration on the =
pages is screwed up.&nbsp; =BC&#8221; top margins with 1 =
=BD&#8217;&#8221; on the bottom.&nbsp; Even then the top registration is =
slightly off on each page,&nbsp; easily evident if you fan the pages and =
watch the page numbers jump up and down.&nbsp; =
Disappointing.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I&#8217;m told the trade edition has =
the same defect.&nbsp; </FONT></SPAN></P>

<P ALIGN=3DLEFT><SPAN LANG=3D"en-us"><FONT SIZE=3D2 =
FACE=3D"Arial">Keith</FONT></SPAN></P>
<BR>

</BODY>
</HTML>
- ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C1BC6D.0F5C5110--



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------------------------------

Date: Sun, 3 Mar 2002 13:51:29 EST
From: RickBook@aol.com
Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] Weird Bookmen

A fellow bookseller forwarded me comments from a recent visitor to a book 
fair in the East.  The following line particularly caught my attention, and 
opened my floodgates of perplexed resentment, which I now heap upon fellow 
'Shelfers for their comparative experiences or reflections.  (I do not use 
gender-neutral language below, because I find most women booksellers to be 
utterly delightful and attentive.  One kisses me on the lips whenever I see 
her at fairs.  I think it would be rude to pull away.)


<<  In truth, I felt many dealers were more interested in talking to other 
dealers than to customers. >>


[I responded:]

"Thank you for forwarding this newsletter.  I found it very interesting 
indeed.  The particular sentence which I quote from it, above, struck me with 
particular force and familiar ring.  As a somewhat timid, unassertive 
personality, I have passed over many book fair booths over the years without 
buying, simply because I could not get the dealer's attention in order to ask 
him a question.  Most of us do not want the dealer to "be all over us" at his 
booth while we are attempting to browse.  Yet we still appreciate a moment's 
attention in order that we can pass along our wants, or inquire if a Book of 
Commandments might recently have come to hand.

"One prominent [Upstate NY] dealer is especially bad this way.  Let me call 
him "John," for sake of anonymity . . .   He knows I spend good money for 
local Mormon-related history, which he carries, and I have bought from him 
off and on for nearly twenty years.  Yet whenever I stop by his booth, he is 
so busy pontificating to some collector or fellow dealer that I would be 
forced to cut in very forcefully if I were to get his attention.  As often as 
not, he is rambling on about his latest vacation trip to some exotic place.  
I generally pass by his booth two and three times, and at some fairs never 
gain his attention.  He loses potential sales to me, as a result, and surely 
he must thus lose sales to other buyers as well.

"Just for fun, let me gripe about bookseller eccentricities even further.  
After you and I chatted on the phone, Friday, I went to [a small NY State 
city] to see my accountant.  I have made this annual excursion since the 
1980s, and used to stop at various used & antiquarian bookstores in that 
area, where I used to live.  Over the years, sadly, I have been so put off by 
the surliness and blatant weirdness of virtually all these personalities that 
I have pretty much stopped visiting them.  They scarcely remember me, if at 
all, and act as if it is an imposition to listen to what I would like to buy 
from them.  In my declining years, I finally begin to equate the antiquarian 
world with religion:  not a place which makes people weird, necessarily, but 
a likely place for weird personalities to seek refuge!"

Rick Grunder

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------------------------------

Date: Sun, 3 Mar 2002 15:25:41 -0800
From: "Keith Irwin" <irwinkw@earthlink.net>
Subject: RE: [LDS-Bookshelf] Weird Bookmen

From my experience, I would add that the "bigger the book fair, the
worse the treatment I get.  Smaller local fairs, like Sacramento or
Nevada City, seem more personal.

At the same time, I know that book dealers have regular customers and I
understand completely taking time with them when they show up at a fair.


A question for the dealers - One dealer said to me that the best part of
a fair is the buying they do from other dealers.  Would you agree or
disagree?

Keith 

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com
[mailto:owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com] On Behalf Of
RickBook@aol.com
Sent: Sunday, March 03, 2002 10:51 AM
To: lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com
Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] Weird Bookmen


A fellow bookseller forwarded me comments from a recent visitor to a
book 
fair in the East.  The following line particularly caught my attention,
and 
opened my floodgates of perplexed resentment, which I now heap upon
fellow 
'Shelfers for their comparative experiences or reflections.  (I do not
use 
gender-neutral language below, because I find most women booksellers to
be 
utterly delightful and attentive.  One kisses me on the lips whenever I
see 
her at fairs.  I think it would be rude to pull away.)


<<  In truth, I felt many dealers were more interested in talking to
other 
dealers than to customers. >>


[I responded:]

"Thank you for forwarding this newsletter.  I found it very interesting 
indeed.  The particular sentence which I quote from it, above, struck me
with 
particular force and familiar ring.  As a somewhat timid, unassertive 
personality, I have passed over many book fair booths over the years
without 
buying, simply because I could not get the dealer's attention in order
to ask 
him a question.  Most of us do not want the dealer to "be all over us"
at his 
booth while we are attempting to browse.  Yet we still appreciate a
moment's 
attention in order that we can pass along our wants, or inquire if a
Book of 
Commandments might recently have come to hand.

"One prominent [Upstate NY] dealer is especially bad this way.  Let me
call 
him "John," for sake of anonymity . . .   He knows I spend good money
for 
local Mormon-related history, which he carries, and I have bought from
him 
off and on for nearly twenty years.  Yet whenever I stop by his booth,
he is 
so busy pontificating to some collector or fellow dealer that I would be

forced to cut in very forcefully if I were to get his attention.  As
often as 
not, he is rambling on about his latest vacation trip to some exotic
place.  
I generally pass by his booth two and three times, and at some fairs
never 
gain his attention.  He loses potential sales to me, as a result, and
surely 
he must thus lose sales to other buyers as well.

"Just for fun, let me gripe about bookseller eccentricities even
further.  
After you and I chatted on the phone, Friday, I went to [a small NY
State 
city] to see my accountant.  I have made this annual excursion since the

1980s, and used to stop at various used & antiquarian bookstores in that

area, where I used to live.  Over the years, sadly, I have been so put
off by 
the surliness and blatant weirdness of virtually all these personalities
that 
I have pretty much stopped visiting them.  They scarcely remember me, if
at 
all, and act as if it is an imposition to listen to what I would like to
buy 
from them.  In my declining years, I finally begin to equate the
antiquarian 
world with religion:  not a place which makes people weird, necessarily,
but 
a likely place for weird personalities to seek refuge!"

Rick Grunder

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------------------------------

Date: Sun, 3 Mar 2002 16:14:05 -0800
From: "Steve Eccles" <steve.eccles2@verizon.net>
Subject: RE: [LDS-Bookshelf] Weird Bookmen

I heard a lot of complaints at the ABAA Fair in L.A. about this ...
buying between dealers. Several people I overhead in the common areas
noted that they dealers took all of the good stuff for themselves.

This is a pretty vague way to measure this, but it does go with Keith's
comment.

- --Steve

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com
[mailto:owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Keith Irwin
Sent: Sunday, March 03, 2002 3:26 PM
To: lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com
Subject: RE: [LDS-Bookshelf] Weird Bookmen

From my experience, I would add that the "bigger the book fair, the
worse the treatment I get.  Smaller local fairs, like Sacramento or
Nevada City, seem more personal.

At the same time, I know that book dealers have regular customers and I
understand completely taking time with them when they show up at a fair.


A question for the dealers - One dealer said to me that the best part of
a fair is the buying they do from other dealers.  Would you agree or
disagree?

Keith 

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com
[mailto:owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com] On Behalf Of
RickBook@aol.com
Sent: Sunday, March 03, 2002 10:51 AM
To: lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com
Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] Weird Bookmen


A fellow bookseller forwarded me comments from a recent visitor to a
book 
fair in the East.  The following line particularly caught my attention,
and 
opened my floodgates of perplexed resentment, which I now heap upon
fellow 
'Shelfers for their comparative experiences or reflections.  (I do not
use 
gender-neutral language below, because I find most women booksellers to
be 
utterly delightful and attentive.  One kisses me on the lips whenever I
see 
her at fairs.  I think it would be rude to pull away.)


<<  In truth, I felt many dealers were more interested in talking to
other 
dealers than to customers. >>


[I responded:]

"Thank you for forwarding this newsletter.  I found it very interesting 
indeed.  The particular sentence which I quote from it, above, struck me
with 
particular force and familiar ring.  As a somewhat timid, unassertive 
personality, I have passed over many book fair booths over the years
without 
buying, simply because I could not get the dealer's attention in order
to ask 
him a question.  Most of us do not want the dealer to "be all over us"
at his 
booth while we are attempting to browse.  Yet we still appreciate a
moment's 
attention in order that we can pass along our wants, or inquire if a
Book of 
Commandments might recently have come to hand.

"One prominent [Upstate NY] dealer is especially bad this way.  Let me
call 
him "John," for sake of anonymity . . .   He knows I spend good money
for 
local Mormon-related history, which he carries, and I have bought from
him 
off and on for nearly twenty years.  Yet whenever I stop by his booth,
he is 
so busy pontificating to some collector or fellow dealer that I would be

forced to cut in very forcefully if I were to get his attention.  As
often as 
not, he is rambling on about his latest vacation trip to some exotic
place.  
I generally pass by his booth two and three times, and at some fairs
never 
gain his attention.  He loses potential sales to me, as a result, and
surely 
he must thus lose sales to other buyers as well.

"Just for fun, let me gripe about bookseller eccentricities even
further.  
After you and I chatted on the phone, Friday, I went to [a small NY
State 
city] to see my accountant.  I have made this annual excursion since the

1980s, and used to stop at various used & antiquarian bookstores in that

area, where I used to live.  Over the years, sadly, I have been so put
off by 
the surliness and blatant weirdness of virtually all these personalities
that 
I have pretty much stopped visiting them.  They scarcely remember me, if
at 
all, and act as if it is an imposition to listen to what I would like to
buy 
from them.  In my declining years, I finally begin to equate the
antiquarian 
world with religion:  not a place which makes people weird, necessarily,
but 
a likely place for weird personalities to seek refuge!"

Rick Grunder

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------------------------------

Date: Sun, 3 Mar 2002 22:23:04 EST
From: RickBook@aol.com
Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] Ramblings

In a message dated 3/3/02 7:14:49 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
steve.eccles2@verizon.net writes:

<< I heard a lot of complaints at the ABAA Fair in L.A. about this ...
 buying between dealers. Several people I overhead in the common areas
 noted that they dealers took all of the good stuff for themselves.
 
 This is a pretty vague way to measure this, but it does go with Keith's
 comment. >>


This is one of the reasons fairs are held, in the end.  The common adage 
among dealers is that if you cannot sell well at a fair, perhaps you can at 
least "buy well."  A dealer only survives on the "sleepers" he discovers, 
since one cannot hope to make a living marking up ordinary books by 10 or 20 
percent.  And a book fair is a rich source for sleepers - BEFORE the show 
starts, the sleepers change hands, and the prices are adjusted.  It is like 
the mission field (as I experienced it):  you tract all day, week after week, 
perhaps month after month, and get almost nowhere.  Then suddenly, your 
barber or the local grocer mentions that he has a friend who is interested in 
the Mormons, and presto:  a golden convert.

We dealers around here buy from one another so much that we joke about how 
much easier it would be if we would simply fill one trunk with our goods, and 
pass it around among ourselves from time to time.  We dealers get together 
socially, but we always bring our checkbooks, even if we are to meet at a 
restaurant ("I have something in the car for you . . .").  In 2000, I had 
dinner with a dealer at a steakhouse while a first edition Book of Mormon 
waited, uninspected, out in his van.  (I collated it by parking lot light 
after dessert, scrawled a simple receipt promising to pay for it, took it to 
my car & drove away.)

The really great dealers were the "dealers' dealers":  some grand old guy who 
seemed to have sources reaching back to the times when he was only fifty or 
sixty years old, long ago.  Such a dealer would arrive on set-up day to 
exhibit at a small fair, and the other dealers who were setting up would rush 
over to see what he had.  The expression applied here is,

"He never had to unpack . . ."

. . . meaning, he had such great (and underpriced) treasures that the other 
dealers simply opened his boxes for him, asked how much for this, for that, 
and made their piles and wrote him checks.  I had such a friend who would 
call and offer the most wonderful stuff!

We dealers say that such guys have mostly died off, now.  But it goes on.  In 
about thirty years, young Mormon dealers will come to LaFayette and see if 
old Grunder will sell to them at prices from the year 2015.  I will hobble 
downstairs, open boxes of junk which I filled in the early part of this 
century, and be amazed at the prices the youngsters will offer!

Rick Grunder

- ----------------------------------------------------------
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- -   "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body.
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------------------------------

Date: Sun, 3 Mar 2002 20:50:53 -0800
From: "Steve Eccles" <steve.eccles2@verizon.net>
Subject: RE: [LDS-Bookshelf] Ramblings

I understand that dealers have to get their wares wherever they can,
Rick. Since the ABAA fair is put on by an organization of very
accomplished book dealers, the top books would be available here.
Dealers must look out for their customers who can't attend. No question.

However, it is frustrating. I agree with Keith that the smaller fairs
are better then the big ones. If for no other reason than there are more
books in my price range.

- --Steve

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com
[mailto:owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com] On Behalf Of
RickBook@aol.com
Sent: Sunday, March 03, 2002 7:23 PM
To: lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com
Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] Ramblings

In a message dated 3/3/02 7:14:49 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
steve.eccles2@verizon.net writes:

<< I heard a lot of complaints at the ABAA Fair in L.A. about this ...
 buying between dealers. Several people I overhead in the common areas
 noted that they dealers took all of the good stuff for themselves.
 
 This is a pretty vague way to measure this, but it does go with Keith's
 comment. >>


This is one of the reasons fairs are held, in the end.  The common adage

among dealers is that if you cannot sell well at a fair, perhaps you can
at 
least "buy well."  A dealer only survives on the "sleepers" he
discovers, 
since one cannot hope to make a living marking up ordinary books by 10
or 20 
percent.  And a book fair is a rich source for sleepers - BEFORE the
show 
starts, the sleepers change hands, and the prices are adjusted.  It is
like 
the mission field (as I experienced it):  you tract all day, week after
week, 
perhaps month after month, and get almost nowhere.  Then suddenly, your 
barber or the local grocer mentions that he has a friend who is
interested in 
the Mormons, and presto:  a golden convert.

We dealers around here buy from one another so much that we joke about
how 
much easier it would be if we would simply fill one trunk with our
goods, and 
pass it around among ourselves from time to time.  We dealers get
together 
socially, but we always bring our checkbooks, even if we are to meet at
a 
restaurant ("I have something in the car for you . . .").  In 2000, I
had 
dinner with a dealer at a steakhouse while a first edition Book of
Mormon 
waited, uninspected, out in his van.  (I collated it by parking lot
light 
after dessert, scrawled a simple receipt promising to pay for it, took
it to 
my car & drove away.)

The really great dealers were the "dealers' dealers":  some grand old
guy who 
seemed to have sources reaching back to the times when he was only fifty
or 
sixty years old, long ago.  Such a dealer would arrive on set-up day to 
exhibit at a small fair, and the other dealers who were setting up would
rush 
over to see what he had.  The expression applied here is,

"He never had to unpack . . ."

. . . meaning, he had such great (and underpriced) treasures that the
other 
dealers simply opened his boxes for him, asked how much for this, for
that, 
and made their piles and wrote him checks.  I had such a friend who
would 
call and offer the most wonderful stuff!

We dealers say that such guys have mostly died off, now.  But it goes
on.  In 
about thirty years, young Mormon dealers will come to LaFayette and see
if 
old Grunder will sell to them at prices from the year 2015.  I will
hobble 
downstairs, open boxes of junk which I filled in the early part of this 
century, and be amazed at the prices the youngsters will offer!

Rick Grunder

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- ----------------------------------------------------------
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- -   "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body.
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------------------------------

End of lds-bookshelf-digest V1 #939
***********************************