The end of a novel, like the end of a children’s dinner-party, must be made up of sweetmeats and sugar-plums. — Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope.
Looking for a new quote to feature on the upstairs chalk board I happened upon this one. What a great quote! I can certainly relate to it. But then I have a miniature tea set display in the store. And helper elves upstairs so what can I say? I have to confess that I have taken most of the fairy books home. I know! Can’t sell what isn’t here. My intent is to create a window display during the spring months along with fairy houses and wanted to feature the books. That started my collection. I always feel bad when someone comes in looking for any books on fairies. I’m sure my face turns all red and I start apologizing…. Why the confession, I wonder to myself. Oh yeah, rambling.
Today I want to start a new page on the blog with titles of new books that have arrived into the shop. I don’t have our stock inventoried unfortunately. One friend suggested that I at least provide some photos and titles to let readers of this blog know what I have. Especially since I’m not selling on line yet. Which brings up a discussion, do I? I feel I need to in order to supplement the store’s income but doesn’t that defeat the purpose of used book shopping? To me it is all about the hunt. The hunt for a long sought after book and the reward of finally finding it! That is what used book shopping is all about. I do admit that there are times when I’ve felt the need to find a book RIGHT NOW and will go online and look for the cheapest version I can find. Need to take into account shipping costs. Sometimes I find out the cheap issue really isn’t so since the seller has tacked on a hefty shipping charge. I suppose they are taking into account their time and costs to prepare the book for mailing. Then there is USPS versus UPS. Hint, UPS tracks. And UPS Stores are individually owned. Yes, they are individually owned. (Confession time: my husband and I own the local UPS Store here in Middlebury. It is family run and operated as opposed to like-Staple stores. Sometimes ‘chains’ or ‘franchises’ need to be fully investigated especially when there is a ’shop local’ campaign going on. Yes, we pay a royalty but we try to live, too. So double-check and shop local. We do. We live, shop, even were educated here. Enough ranting! Phew!)
Oh yes, this is rambling. Sometime in the near future I’ll post about the store’s ghost. Yep, a ghost. Cool. Every used bookstore needs a real ghost. Later!
So as I price books this afternoon I will feature a few books and you can find them on a separate page. We’ll see how that works. And I’ll try to get some images up, too.
Otter Creek Used Books and Green Mountain Shoe & Apprarel
