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Unit 8
TEXT I
On Buying Books
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Time spent in a bookshop can be most enjoyable, whether you are a book-lover or merely there to buy a book as a present. You may even have entered the shop just to find shelter from a sudden shower. Whatever the reason, you can soon become totally unaware of your surroundings. The desire to pick up a book with an attractive dust-jacket is irresistible, although this method of selection ought not to be followed, as you might end up with a rather dull book. You soon become engrossed in some book or other, and usually it is only much later that you realize you have spent far too much time there and must dash off to keep some forgotten appointment — without buying a book, of course.
This opportunity to escape the realities of everyday life is, I think, the main attraction of a bookshop. There are not many places where it is possible to do this. A music shop is very much like a bookshop. You can wander round such places to your heart's content. If it is a good shop, no assistant will approach you with the inevitable greeting: "Can I help you, sir?" You needn't buy anything you don't want. In a bookshop an assistant should remain in the background until you have finished browsing. Then, and only then, are his services necessary. Of course, you may want to find out where a particular section is, but when he has led you there, the assistant should retire discreetly and look as if he is not interested in selling a single book.
You have to be careful not to be attracted by the variety of books in a bookshop. It is very easy to enter the shop looking for a book on, say, ancient coins and to come out carrying a copy of the latest best-selling novel and perhaps a book about brass-rubbing — something which had only vaguely interested you up till then. This volume on the subject, however, happened to be so well illustrated and the part of the text you read proved so interesting, that you just had to buy it. This sort of thing can be very dangerous. Apart from running up a huge account, you can waste a great deal of time wandering from section to section.
Book-sellers must be both long-suffering and indulgent. There is a story which well illustrates this. A medical student had to read a text-book which was far too expensive for him to buy. He couldn't obtain it from the library and the only copy he could find was in his bookshop. Every afternoon, therefore, he would go along to the shop and read a little of the book at a time. One day, however, he was dismayed to find the book missing from its usual place and was about to leave when he noticed the owner of the shop beckoning to him. Expecting to be told off, he went towards him. To his surprise, the owner pointed to the book, which was tucked away in a corner, "I put it there in case anyone was tempted to buy it," he said, and left the delighted student to continue his reading.
By Robert Best (slightly altered)
TEXT II
Hallo, Good Buy
You don't have to be mean or poverty-stricken to buy second-hand goods. Charity shops, street markets, second-hand shops, jumble sales and classified ad columns are not only the places to find useful bargains, they're also a great source of rare, collectable and sometimes valuable items.
Whether you're interested in decorating your room, brightening your wardrobe, starting a collection or making some extra cash, our beginner's guide will introduce you to Britain's network of second-hand outlets.
Buying second-hand demands a new attitude to shopping. You can't expect to walk into a shop and come out with exactly what you wanted. You have to enjoy browsing and to be able to persevere. You'll find you develop a hunter's nose for the right sort of shop — usually it's not the one with a few wonderful bargains in the window and not much else besides, but the one with tables overflowing with unorganized jumble. Don't be put off by "Antique" shops that look a bit posh. They often do house clearances and end up with items they want to sell off cheaply because they don't fit in with their stock. And don't be alarmed by an absence of price tags. Often it shows the owner is prepared to negotiate.
It sounds obvious, but second-hand goods don't come with a guarantee or a manufacturer's recommended retail price. It's up to you to ensure that your purchase is all it seems to be, and that you're paying a fair price.
Books, magazines, comics and annuals fall into two categories — valuable collector's items and a good cheap read. Serious collectors must check the condition of publications: magazines with missing pages and books with torn jackets automatically lose value, whatever their contents. First editions, even recent ones are worth seeking out. If you find a hardback book with the words "First printed in Great Britain in", followed by the date and no information about reprints, you'll probably be able to make a small profit on it in a few years. Names to watch for at the moment are Martin Amis (he's taken over from his dad as a collectable author), Graham Greene, Ian Fleming, P. D. James and Angela Carter.
The most collectable old magazines are those devoted to music, movies and fashion. Ones with stars on the cover fetch the highest prices. News and picture magazines from earlier this century can be valuable too, but avoid the ones with stories about royalty — they're the ones everyone kept. If you discover a magazine featuring the sinking of the Titanic, you could have something worth ￡ 15 — ￡ 20 on your hands.
Old comics and sci-fi magazines are great fun but not usually worth much unless they're pre-war and in good condition. If you just want to fill up your bookshelves for a rainy afternoon, go for second-hand paperbacks. They're always cheap — but have a flick through to make sure there are no pages missing.
By Bridget Freer
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