Wednesday, June 2, 2010

And the Research Goes on...

So we're now in day --- what? -- five of the research project for one stinkin' book?

Today, a dose of reality hit. A dealer friend who helped look up yet another site to see if there was any information regarding this title mentioned that MAYBE I should just let it go, stick a price on it and fuggeddaboudit  (IE: LET IT GO!)

She's most likely right.

What I'm LOOKING for though, is specific info on whether it is possible to identify this book as a first printing without having access to the dust jacket.  Next up, I'll have to try the publisher I guess. Or take a trip to the Library of Congress to actually hold the book in my hand (if that's even possible).

Otherwise, I put it down as a probable first edition / first printing, slap a price on it and see if anyone bites.

Maybe I will.  And then I'll let you know what happens in the end.

I've got a couple of ephemeral items that are tricky in this same way (about one of which I'd really like to do some detailed research - but first I'll need to take upper level physics classes to understand exactly what's being discussed).

In other news, life in the used book world really sort of sucks currently -- no sales. No pay check coming in because of sales, and it's summer time. For fifteen years my husband has been able to work summer school to help earn some much needed extra money -- this year,  summer school was one of the things that got cut just as quickly as every other program in California. So, he's home moping, I'm home hoping he'll find something to do to keep him occupied, and we're both not really happy with the finances.  Doesn't make for a wonderful summertime.

I am continuing the on-going (and probably Sisyphusian) task of culling books that are fifteen or more years old, cleaning and reworking the shelves and generally trying to make heads or tales of what I have and why I still have it in stock.  It's a work in process. It will probably continue forever and it's a rather sad project -- seeing what stuff HASN'T sold -- but it is necessary.

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