I've been debating for some time whether to include the antiquarian book business as part of this blog. Today I decided that I should. The castle is, after all, filling up with old books, so why not. Books play a role in my life daily. Several years ago my brother started a book business called Best and Fastest Books that turned into a full time career. He sells used books mostly through Amazon and employs the whole family. Through the years he has acquired a wealth of antiquarian books that have been piling up. Antiquarian books have no ISBN so it's not very easy to list them or price them. Each old book requires research, photographs, and an elaborate description in order to sell. You then have to wait for the right buyer to come along which can take days or years (taking up valuable inventory space). My brother didn't have the heart to throw out these books, he kept amassing them in boxes in a corner of his warehouse–that is until I bought the castle.
With ample storage space in the library and barn it became feasible that I could take the old books off his hands–he urged me to. Once I started learning a bit about the business I got really excited. I am a book person, a bibliophile, a lover of all things old and historical. I love unraveling a good mystery. In short, I was perfect for the job, and so I was hired.
I began lugging books, boxes upon boxes of old books and started storing them in the barn. The collection has grown to several thousands. With my 9-5 job, the novel I'm writing and life, I don't have much time to list books, but I have managed to create a nice presence for them online.
I love the smell of these old time travelers. I love learning about the lives of these dead authors; finding out about these stories. I love the antiquarian business so much I've branched out into buying and reselling not just old books but old folios, book plates and other assorted ephemera.
This house has a wonderful, magical aura. It inspires us to build, to create to thrive–it creates ideas that would have otherwise never occurred to us. I do see myself moving further into the antiquarian book business. I simply love it. Soon I will have to find a way to organize myself. I need bookshelves for the barn, a numbering system, etc.
There are old books everywhere in the house from the living room to the dining room to the kitchen. They are stacked in neat piles, waiting to be discovered...and I will get to them in due time.
What do I envision for the future...putting a thought out to the universe if I may...
I envision a day when I can move away from my 9-5 job; when I can make a living from my art and from my writing and from wonderfully crusty old books.
