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| Topic: Books: Fantasy fans? | |
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I used to hold on to books that I read just to build a library for the family I planned to have some day. But books get old, the binding falls apart....especially on paperbacks. So, I unloaded most of my books to a local used book store. Anytime I want to build a library, I can go there, and buy a few hundred books for $1 each. A lot cheaper than buying new, and the business is so successful it isn't going anywhere for a loooong time. That depends on how well one takes care of them. My folks have books that are 30-40 years old, hardcover and paperback, and while there is some wearing, they are still in good shape, no breakdown in the glue and binding. We reread and use many as resources, and are in them fairly consistently, and even with moderately heavy use, they still look good. I fully expect to get them in 30-40 years when my folks pass away. Mom and I after the holidays go through and pull all 3000 books off their shelves, wipe the books down and shelves down and put them back up. Heck, the majority of mine are sitting in plastic containers in a storage shed, and they look terrific. Bugs me no end that I can't get them out, but I go through them often enough looking for things that I can keep an eye on them. Yep, I still have all of my books that I've had since the 70's and 80's. And the ones my parents have passed down to me. And my dad still has books from when he was a kid, he has a copy of a Tarzan book from the 1800's. I've only had to replace one book from it falling apart. The only other books I've replaced are ones I've loaned out and never got back. Two things: I think the bindings on paperbacks are of poorer quality in recent years. ...and... The only room I have to store books in lacks both heat and A/C. The only windows are skylights cut into the roof, so no way I can put A/C in. I cannot put heat in without running wires to the second floor which means cutting holes in the walls and ceilings just to install baseboards heaters. The result: 45 to 50 degrees F during the winter, but about 100 to 110 degrees F during the summer. Such a wide temperature variation wreaks havoc on a glue-based binding. Still, I do plan to build a library at some point. It is something I have always wanted within my home. Too bad someone had to tear in half the second volume of the original printing (first 60,000 copies) of Uncle Tom's Cabin that my grandmother had. If those books hadn't been mistreated by certain family members, my grandmother was going to leave all her books to me. There were several antique books in that collection with Uncle Tom's Cabin being the most valuable. |
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Two things: I think the bindings on paperbacks are of poorer quality in recent years. ...and... The only room I have to store books in lacks both heat and A/C. The only windows are skylights cut into the roof, so no way I can put A/C in. I cannot put heat in without running wires to the second floor which means cutting holes in the walls and ceilings just to install baseboards heaters. The result: 45 to 50 degrees F during the winter, but about 100 to 110 degrees F during the summer. Such a wide temperature variation wreaks havoc on a glue-based binding. Still, I do plan to build a library at some point. It is something I have always wanted within my home. Too bad someone had to tear in half the second volume of the original printing (first 60,000 copies) of Uncle Tom's Cabin that my grandmother had. If those books hadn't been mistreated by certain family members, my grandmother was going to leave all her books to me. There were several antique books in that collection with Uncle Tom's Cabin being the most valuable. Sounds like some crappy thing my family would do. I know my grandmother wants me to take her plants when she passes, but I also know its very likely that they will pitch them before I could get up there. Mom has sent a few books to her for Christmas, with a note inside requesting them back, but there's no guarantee that will happen either. Yeah, that might be a problem keeping the books together, then. |
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