{"id":3808,"date":"2026-07-12T15:47:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T19:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jeffmichaels.org\/?p=3808"},"modified":"2026-07-12T15:47:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T19:47:51","slug":"a-recent-library-acquisition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jeffmichaels.org\/?p=3808","title":{"rendered":"A Recent Library Acquisition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“The thrill of the chase is only surpassed by the thrill of the find.” <\/em>– Unknown<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a collector of antique classic books, I frequently visit antique stores to see what I might find. And from time to time, I discover a volume that I’m pleased to add to my growing library. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, Dee and I visited one of our favorite stores. It’s out of town, so we visit only once a year or so. As we wandered through the various booths and displays, I picked up a very old book of poetry by Robert Burns. Although there was no actual copyright date, the book certainly dates to the late 1800s and the condition was very good, so I decided to make the purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arriving at the checkout counter, we struck up a conversation with the friendly woman, who remarked about the book I had selected. That led me to mention that I am a teacher and a collector of antique books by classic authors. The conversation continued and she asked me to look at a set that was in the glass case below the counter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The set turned out to be five books in excellent condition by Horatio Alger, Jr., with a bit of historic documentation. The books were written in the 1880s and four of the five were signed by the author. In addition, at least one was a first edition, so I was certainly impressed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The marked price seemed fair and the set was definitely desirable. But, I experienced some dissonance, as I had not intended to spend so much, even if the books were highly collectible. Then, she offered a discount, stating that she would like to sell the books to someone who would appreciate and care for them. Her offer was more than significant – nearly 60% off the marked price. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I decided to buy and yes, I am quite pleased to have the set in the library. The purchase led me into a bit of research about Horatio Alger, who, as a writer, specialized in novels for young boys. In the mid to late 1800s, his books were very popular and although his popularity waned following his death in 1899, Alger enthusiasm is enjoying a bit of revival today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So then, it certainly pays to look carefully while visiting an antique store. It also pays to engage in polite conversation with people when you have the opportunity. One never knows when unique opportunities will come!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a9<\/strong><\/strong> 2026 Jeffery J. Michaels \/ Plain English Publications<\/strong>
(Quotations allowed with attribution to this blog)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“The thrill of the chase is only surpassed by the thrill of the find.” – Unknown As a collector of antique classic books, I frequently visit antique stores to see what I might find. And from time to time, I discover a volume that I’m pleased to add to my growing library. Recently, Dee and … Continue reading A Recent Library Acquisition<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[22],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeffmichaels.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3808"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeffmichaels.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeffmichaels.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jeffmichaels.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jeffmichaels.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3808"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/jeffmichaels.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3824,"href":"https:\/\/jeffmichaels.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3808\/revisions\/3824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeffmichaels.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jeffmichaels.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jeffmichaels.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}