Yesterday I took my daughter to the pre-sale for the local library book sale. We pay an extra $10 to get to go on this day for both sales. In the last few years it has been plagued with internet sellers who come and take over the whole area. They block off sections and have out their phone scanners and hoard the books. I overhear them saying "oh we can get $15 for this book" and it really nauseates me.
I love these small town book sales....the smell of old library and old ladies, the musty volunteer fire department hall, the dust of ancient books, strangers having conversations over the stacks, and the long lost art of treasure hunting. The atmosphere has been ruined by these people that flood in and take the books that I WANT TO READ, not resell for a profit.
I understand to a degree that this is how it goes. I have heard people complain about this in reference to other book sales as well, but I can't help but get upset over it. I love books. They comfort me, they teach me, they give me a perpetual sense of wonder.
This morning while I was trying to wake up (I slept an ungodly 9 hours) I was reading an article on empaths. Something clicked in me and I am not sure why I had not thought of this before. I identify with all the qualities an empath possesses. I have had these feelings for all of my life. I have been called "too sensitive" and a "cry baby". I cannot stand large crowds unless I am drugged or drinking which explains how I made it through all those Grateful Dead concerts. I thought I was agoraphobic for a long time except for the fact that I find people fascinating. I don't think you can admire the human condition while being an agoraphobe. I just don't think it is possible.
What does this have to do with the library sale? I think it has a lot to do with it. I could feel the distress in that room, not just my own, but for all the local people who love to linger and ponder over books. Now there is a feeling of panic and frantic looking. We have to try and get the books we want before those scanner fools get to our section and buy up all the books. I couldn't stay there very long because the sad feeling was overwhelming. Michael went to the sale today by himself. I just couldn't really build myself up to do it.
I did find something nice for Michael there yesterday....a collection of trade paperback "Bone" series which he loves. I found some collected stories from Carol Shields and a Murakami book. Chloe found a few fantasy books and dragon books so it wasn't a bust, but my heart felt a little broken at the feeding frenzy it has become. So today I am going to relax, read so more biography on Van Gogh, and sew. This is going to be a "few people as possible day"
You and I are on the same page on this. I love hunting for books, especially at thrift stores. but cannot abide crowds and aggressive resellers. I've learned to avoid special sales and do my scavenging on weekday mornings. Even then, should I ever go to the main Goodwill store in Seattle, for years the world's largest Goodwill retail outlet, I'd have to wait in a scrum of hardcore dealers to get in the door and the manager told me that many a time he had to break up fist fights. Most of the time these barracudas were not in direct competition for the books I wanted though in the eighties I was always bumping into one dealer who had the best hole-in-the-wall store in downtown specializing in literary books and who had the annoying habit of rifling thru my basket.
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