CappuccinoandArtJournal

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Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Big Book Sale

The SFPL Library Big Book sale is one of my favorite events of the year....

And, it is set in an incredibly beautiful location right on the water...

So, when you are waiting in line to get in you have a great view.  I skipped the member's preview this year and went to Dollar Day on the last day instead.
It worked out perfectly.
This was the line at 10AM on the last day but everyone got in fast and I scored lots of great art supplies....er.....vintage books.



Vintage Rubber Stamp Catalog? $1? I think I will....


I loved this cover and considered it for a Paris altered book for my upcoming trip but it was so beat up I passed it up...
what was I thinking?
I scan the tables for the most tattered, old looking books....my favorites.

How could I resist this?


It was filled with cool old illustrations....I feel a collage coming upon me.

I cannot resist old, foreign language dictionaries. Especially ones in Farsi or Russia or an Asian language with a different alphabet.
I did get about six or seven vintage French dictionaries and language-learning books...


Can somebody tell me what language this is? Copyright1884!!! It amazes me I can get paper from 1884 for only $1.

Big book with gold edges and filled with old illustrations of London...



So, I have an endless supply of old paper to make things with. I have made a bunch of collage cards with the bits and pieces already....



And, I wrapped some tiny presents in book pages for a mail art pal in NYC.

I definitely find treasures just flipping through old books  -- like this! That Postage Due stamp is the icing on the cake.

After dragging 25 books to my car, I had 30 minutes left for parking so I did a last look through and found these!
It was meant to be.
I said I wouldn't get too many but old books are like catnip to me. Can you blame me?
I'll see you next September Big Book Sale!!
I think I have enough books to keep me busy until the next day.
But then they do have a $1 Steps Sale every week....hummmmm

I was considering to making up some paper packs to sell...
anybody interested in those?

Ok, back to tearing and pasting....

GET GOOD MAIL --  GET GOOD MAIL

26 comments:

  1. Like catnip to me too! Wonderful finds and I love your ideas for packaging items up - so nice to receive.

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    1. Thank you, Jewels -- I love using those book pages to wrap small packages -- so pretty.

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  2. howdy pamela:
    well, here i was waffling on attending our library book sale this weekend

    partly b/c on e of the bookshelves in my study is perilously close to buckling in two from the weight!
    & then i spy yr blogpost!!!
    and change my mind in a heartbeat

    thanks, as ever, for the inspiration
    xo, miss p

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    Replies
    1. Oh Miss Polly -- I tried resisting too and skipped the members preview but resistance is futile. I hope you go forth and find treasures.....and let me know how you you do. I too have too many books but then really.....how many is too many?

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  3. OMGosh. I paid $4.00 for my cheapest book at our book sale and I got NOTHING this incredible. Catnip to you, paper envy to me! These are all fabulous. I wish you had picked up that Paris book. The cover alone made me swoon.

    I believe the book you were questioning is German. I have two books that look like that font.

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  4. I wish i picked up that Paris book too but who knows? Maybe next year....You would feel like you died and went to heaven if you saw all the foreign language books and dictionaries on the tables....and at $1, who can resist? I don't think it is German.....but I could be wrong....

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  5. I too went on the on dollar day only. In fact, I see myself in your photo of the line waiting to go in. Unlike you though, I didn't bring a cart and brought a backpack, hoping it would help curb my appetite. I ended up with books on my back and another bunch in my arms. Next year: the cart!

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    1. Grace -- next year let's meet in line! How fun. I brought my cart thinking I'd never fill it up...and....well, you can see. But it is less than the year before. You can see yourself in line? That is great...

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  6. What fun! So many possibilities...it would be hard to choose. But, except for leaving that Paris book (what were you thinking??? LOL), you did a great job! I received a fantastic envelope of happy mail from you yesterday, thank you! I will work on some for you which hopefully will be waiting for you when you return. Have a great trip!

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  7. WOW and WOW Score big time Pamela!! Wish you had picked up that Paris book as well- it was way cool!

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  8. More beautiful paper! I will find out what Cork has to offer me soon, I hope something nice. Wish me luck!

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  9. Great finds! I love going on the last day of our book sale, when I can be Wonder Woman and swoop in to rescue the rattiest old vintage books that the organizers probably plan to send to the landfill if no one buys them. :)

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  10. Wow! You did really great shopping, Pamela. Lucky you! What a great stash of books. I especially LOVE the vintage rubber stamp catalog...I wish I could find something similar in Germany.

    The book you were questioning IS German!

    Gaby xo


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    1. Hi Gaby -- thanks for confirming the language of the book. I'm surprised I was confused. Maybe it was the pretty font that threw me off. If you were here, I'd give you the rubber stamp book....

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  11. You found some outstanding books and I love the dictionaries in particular. I always love your photos! Unfortunately our Chandler library book sales do not have these grand old books. There is one big book sale in Phoenix every year but I haven't been to it yet.
    I find most of my old books at yard sales, estate sales and thrift shops. My latest scores were an old Chinese language book (hard to find in AZ) and a book called "Italian Lessons" from 1914 with a San Francisco bookstore stamp in it.

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    1. Garci -- we are really lucky (at least those of us who love old books) that the SFPL library book sale has so many old ones -- and so many foreign language too. I know others tell me that they can never find such old books at their sales so I'm lucky. But I don't find anything at estate sales or garage sales and our thrift shops are really picked over......

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    2. PS What is the name of the SF bookstore in your old Italian book?

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  12. Oh, yes, i would buy a paper pack...always need more paper! I just love your finds, and your collage cards are gorgeous on the kraft paper!

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    1. Thanks, Dawn....I will let you know if I do it.....and thanks for the nice comment on my cards. As I recall, you make wonderful cards too.

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  13. I am simply drooling and the next time you see that French Grammar book, buy it and I will pay you back!!! xoxo

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    1. Cat -- i have NUMEROUS French grammar books.....I seem to think I can put them under my pillow and wake up speaking perfect French. OhLaLa
      I can mail you a selection of pages if you want....

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  14. Maybe you already know this, but that 1884 book is a language-learning book. It looks to be an elementary German reader for Norwegian speakers. So, the text in the ornate looking old Fraktur is German and the normal-looking text is Norwegian. There are some wonderful sentences in there, such as "the wind was favorable for the ships" A great find!

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