At the Book Fair

I went to a book fair at the Crown Hotel yesterday and spent a good hour or so rummaging through the books, maps and prints on offer. I came across a first edition of JRR Tolkien's Hobbit with an asking price of £350! There were several copies of Mrs. Beetons book on household management to be had, as well as first editions of the Tale of Tom Kitten and The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin. Several vendors carried an assortment of Observer's books and I added two guide books (Farm Animals and Golf) to my collection. I first noticed these pocket-sized hard back books at a charity shop. I picked up the one on Cats to send to my sister in the States. I remember chuckling over the naivete of the writing and classification; I believe they listed black cats as a breed in America. Anyhow, these little books kept cropping up here and there at charity shops, church jumble sales and car boot sales. I began to realize the Observer's books are highly collectable. The first Observer's book was British Birds and was published in 1937. The prices vendors charge for them vary according to age, condition and rarity. There were a few at the fair with a price tag of £15 and higher. Until yesterday I haven't spent more than £5 on a book and consequently my collection is quite a modest one of 15 books. There are at least a hundred in the series. I forked out £7 a piece for my latest acquisitions and had to bargain for them. They were titles I really wanted and are somewhat rare. Since we'll be moving from the UK this summer, I figure my browsing days are limited and I'd better snatch them up now while I can.