then got depressed a bit. It feels sort of like I’m giving away my children? Not really, but sort of. What I’m doing is giving away my unique “family.” Years & miles ago my sister & I had a discussion about Dad’s estate. I told her she could have the money, I’d take the books. She thought I was crazy, but the books WERE my inheritance. My parents met because my mother sold my dad, a book collector, books.
Giving away or selling books isn’t hard. Purging the books out of my life that I no longer intend to keep for myself is. Not because of getting rid of things, but it is essentially grieving for the family I never had, and could have. If my mom had lived, wouldn’t we have made a kick-ass partnership in the book business? Makes me smile to think of it. But, it is what it is.
So, I guess I’m grieving the family I never had, the business I could have had, the business I did have, as well as just the book business in general. Almost every book dealer & collector I know is grieving to some extent or the other. NONE of us expected this, in this fashion. Even those of us who saw and used the net from the very beginning with enthusiasm never expected that print would just wither as a medium. It’s a continual topic of conversation. Things sell you don’t expect ever would and the things you think will fly off the shelf just sit there.
Bizarre for those of us who spent 20-50+ years in the business!
jkd
