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....

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Ephemera Just Finds Me

Truly, vintage ephemera just seems to find me. Ok, I admit I am open to the possibility....I just love old paper.
Want to see some?

You can never really have too much wonderful old paper, can you?

September seems to be peak ephemera month.....There is this sale a friend puts on up in Marin and the Vintage Paper Fair (we all know how much I love that one) and the SF Public Library Big Book Sale ......

Old book parts anyone?

Tarot cards

And, let's not forget, the fabulous SFPL has an outdoor library "Steps" sale every week -- $1 for any book your heart desires. I have posted a lot of photos of these on Instagram #tornandtatteredbooks
(PamelaArtsinSF)

My favorite spot for .25-cent postcards and this year I found eight passports.
I will show you those in another post -- they are amazing. I cannot wait to alter them.

Look at these beauties! I collect them for the beautiful cursive writing, the stamps and the postmarks.

No Sharpie cancellations here.

That cursive....

This one I didn't get -- it was in a set of six called "Spy Passports" and the guy had a bunch of UK passports with all different information -- only $600.00 for you to bring home....

Peek-a-boo!
They just don't make postcards like they used to. People keep asking me where I get ephemera....
Maybe I should be a PERSONAL SHOPPER? You think?

Look around for library book sales, old foreign language dictionaries, 1950's National Geographic magazines, thrift shops, estate sales....ask your old relatives if they have any stacks of old letters in the attic......
The Big Book Sale is THIS WEEK -- Wednesday thru Sunday and everything is $1 on Sunday (always good stuff to be found). So, if you're near SF, you can go.
Anyone want to go with me?
A few more old books just might find me this week...

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Mountains of Collage Materials

You can never have too much paper ephemera for collage

That being said, you know where I stand. So, of course I had to go to the Library Big Book sale not once, but twice, again this year.
I had my coffee this morning surrounded by birthday presents and old books. Not a bad start to the day.

People here in SF are big for standing in lines.I see people in lines all the time but I'm not one of those people. That is, until the book sale rolls around. 

And, if you've got to stand in line, Fort Mason Center is a good place to do it.

I seem to head directly to the foreign language sections. There is just something about book in other languages that I love.....I saw Japanese, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Greek, Russia, Spanish, French, Arabic......and I may have gotten quite a few of them. They often have charming drawings inside -- the older the books, the better.

Photo: Monica Lee
I bought these amazing dictionaries for $1 each. Good thing they weren't selling books by the pound.

The Haul
Not all mine...don't get too excited.....(but actually I went twice so I did get too carts filled with books).

Here we are -- me and Monica Lee -- my pal the Artful ReCrafter. And if you click on  her blog, you'll see her photos and version of our trips to the sale.
The Artful ReCrafter

I am now back at home and overcome with all the ephemera I have for collage. I have enough to last the rest of my life....I am so excited to get started making things that I don't know where to start....

I always look for bird books.....

And I seriously scored on old yearbooks this year.....I love to read all the comments...

How could I possibly resist?

I got these because I loved the colors/covers. I am going to tear off the covers and backs and make altered books from these....

View from the cart
Today was DOLLAR DAY. Be still my heart. There is always still a lot of good stuff on the last day. Monica and I went to the member's preview first trip and back today for the last day -- and I made a whirlwind driving trip to LA in between the two. I am seriously behind on everything in my life at the moment.

And now, it's all over till the next sale...but I am pretty sure I have enough ephemera and ideas to keep me busy until then.
I'll show you what I make. And -- what would YOU make with some of these books?
Maybe you'll think of some things that I wouldn't think of....

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Oh! And, by the way -- here is a good link
What IS Mail Art??