A little over a week ago I went shopping at my favorite Nashville used bookstore, McKay Books. As usual while waiting for my books to be processed for trade credit, I browsed through the Foreign Language section (typically, somewhere between half and 100% of the books I buy during these visits are non-English-language works) when I stumbled upon a curious slipcased book:
When I pulled the book out of its slipcase, I saw that it was leatherbound and that it looked similar to a certain set of high-quality, higher-priced French books that I had pondered ordering online whenever I had enough money to justify spending $70 or so. So I opened this book of Paul Claudel's poetry to its title page to see that my suspicions were confirmed.
Yes, I had a 1967 Bibliothèque de la Pléiade edition of Paul Claudel's poetry in my hands, with only the slipcase, yellowed with age, bearing any marks. I glanced again at the price. Only $4. While more expensive than most foreign language books I buy there (most French and Spanish fiction paperbacks are 10¢ or 15¢ in price), I would have to say that finding a very good to excellent condition Pléiade edition for 1/16 of its list price to be quite a bargain.
Any of you have similar discoveries of expensive books being sold dirt cheap (and in good condition) in a used bookstore?
Yes, I had a 1967 Bibliothèque de la Pléiade edition of Paul Claudel's poetry in my hands, with only the slipcase, yellowed with age, bearing any marks. I glanced again at the price. Only $4. While more expensive than most foreign language books I buy there (most French and Spanish fiction paperbacks are 10¢ or 15¢ in price), I would have to say that finding a very good to excellent condition Pléiade edition for 1/16 of its list price to be quite a bargain.
Any of you have similar discoveries of expensive books being sold dirt cheap (and in good condition) in a used bookstore?
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I once managed to find a large bible for the late 1800s at a library booksale, which was sold to me for $1. It's only worth about $40, really, and I don't have any interest in it from a religious point of view, but I couldn't pass it up. It was found right in the middle of my phase where I collected North American textbooks from the late 1800s, too, so it just seemed right to buy it.
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