What luck. I didn't expect to set up shop today, as the forecast called for a lot of rain. But when I went outside at eleven AM, I saw a substantial swath of blue sky. I thought I'd give it a shot, hoping to get in an hour or so. A Latino laborer who has purchased several CDs noticed the new batch and took ten, including two holdovers from Marie's previous donation, obscure works I figured would never sell. Gracias, amigo. I have three left: Best of Warren Zevon (ah oooh!), the Best of the Hollies and a standard compilation featuring modern artists, which I will test out on my car's CD player tomorrow.
A while later an 84-year-old veteran, who has donated a couple of bags of romance novels he picked up at the VA, brought me a beautiful coffee table book, A Celebration of the Friars Club, which he asked that I not sell but keep. Needless to say, I was touched, as it features famous caricatures of Al Hirschfeld, including Jack Benny, Groucho and Jimmy Durante. And it's in mint condition. I will treasure it, even though I don't have a coffee table. Selling it would be, as my mother used to say, an infamia. The gentleman also gave me a large, unusual tome, Tatiana's Magical Compendium, which contains spells and rituals to help the lovelorn. Thank you, sir.
And the day was made complete when lovely young Alisa came strolling along, headset in place. She noticed a small hardcover copy of A Farewell to Arms, which actor-singer Johnny Feets donated when he moved. It is a 1932 Modern Library edition. I had Arlynn, who sells books through Amazon, look up its value, just in case. She almost had a heart attack when she saw $17,000, but that was for the 1929 edition. The 1932 is worth two to seven dollars. I let Alisa have it for one. She walked away sniffing it, as she loves the smell of old books. Thanks, miss. She has such a positive demeanor.
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