Paper Back Super Score: Best day ever?

 

 

    When i woke up this morning I had no idea it would be such a great book hunting day. I decided I take my $10 and go to the Book Rack after work, which is right near my house. I've been here as mentioned in one previous post, where i wrote about the sheer selection and how friendly the owner was with me. What an awesome and depressing choice to make.. I'll explain.

 

 

     She told me she is selling the store to a family member as soon as i walked in the door. I asked her how much, and she responded that it was under $10,000. Mind you, there are at least 250,000 books on the shelves in this store. My dream would to be own a store like this, but alas, it was not meant to be. She talked with me for a while about the years gone by while i made some choices in her huge Fantasy section. Of course, I got the best deal and found a few pretty cool things I must have overlooked before. Remember what these shelves look like? It tough to find something.

 

 

   Yeah, it's a lot of books. Anyways like I was saying I found some gems I had overlooked before:

 



    

     All first editions! Not a dud in the bunch. Highlights are The Silmarillion first edition paper back, ringing in at around $30, Star Giant coming in at about $30, and Mind Mix at around $50. The others clock in at around $10! Fucking awesome score. I made my purchase and started to leave when she chatted me up again saying she has a box under her desk she saves for people like me who appreciate books. Having come here for years, once in a great while she would pop a rare book on me she knew i could not resist. I wanted to see what was in this box. Behold!

 

 

     Click the image to enlarge and zoom. Some pretty cool rare books in here. I quickly got eBay out and looks some of them up.. all around $15-$20 or a little higher. Price as marked around exactly what they were worth. She told me for sitting down one last time with her she would let me have my pick at $1.00 each... Drum roll please.

 

    

     Some of the books its hard to put a value on because they don't show up for sale often, but from the top left you have a War of the Worlds 1953 print first/first with the authors name in pink. (super rare). Inside/Outside by Farmer. Spotted on eBay for around $50. Ernest Hemingway first edition paper back, awesome condition and i could not find another like it for sale. I estimate it at around $50.  A Norton book, Galactic Derelict reprint with a seriously cool cover but near worthless. I love the book, and i love the art so it was a home run for me. Arthur C. Clarke Expedition Earth First/First.. sells for around $50.00 in the absolutely mint condition it is in. I mean it's just perfect. All the books are actually almost flawless. Recap: Spent $15 (over my budget!) and got around $250+ of rare science fiction and fantasy shit. Best day ever. Or is it?

 

      

      Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. The book. With pictures. You guys know I live for this shit. This book is worthless, but has a full page black and white picture of Blaster-Master in it. This is some serious fucking shit ladies and gentlemen. Score of the decade. Random memory: My brother and I when going to the beach would put mud in our hair and say we were the kids from Mad Max. Yeah. I paid more for this book than the War of the Worlds first edition paperback. Why? Because fuck you for asking, that's why.

 

 

These are mud children whom my brother and I would imitate at the sand bar.