The Genesis of a Good Idea

Please! Just for a moment! Look at it from my point of view. In February 2008 there was I minding my own business, namely that of being retired, when my cousin said, ‘Why don’t you sell some of the many thousands of books that have collected over the years. Well! What could I say?

He made a good point. My house has a floor to ceiling, wall covering of books. I have recovered enough of my mental faculties to sell books; it was over a year ago since I had my last stroke.

I needed some space. Yes! I was ready for a challenge.

So? I set up Alsoldbooks to find good homes for the eclectic collection accumulated over three person’s lifetimes. I soon discovered that since my time as an auctioneer in the 1980’s, book prices had plunged. A quick foray into book fairs cost both time and money, but achieved minimum sales. I perceived new opportunities to sell, thanks to the internet, and I warily entered the eBay auction learning curve.

From the very beginning I realised that Alsoldbooks would need a shop, where the more specialised books could be displayed on a long-term basis. My one fingered, laborious and inaccurate typing has eventually produced this quick survey of my progress. Hopefully, I shall add daily to the shop contents. I will list as the mood takes me, but if any reader of like me to list any particular category sooner, rather than later, then please let me know. The larger categories of books are history, historical biography and photography. However, the range is large and I will try to list something for everyone as I go. 

email: stevenhunt@talktalk.net             18,wind hill,TN27 0BD

MY LATEST EXCITING FIND                                     27 May 2008

In digging through the family archives over the holiday weekend I found a small box containing letters connected with the Clossman family business in Bordeaux during the early 19th Century. These pre-stamp letters/covers from nearly 200 years ago caught my interest, especially because of their similarities to international business letters used in business by me, within the last 50 years. Also, I was amazed by the incredibly fast ‘postal system’ across Europe at a time before Queen Victoria’s Penny Black had been invented. The few letters I have glanced at so far are dated between 1807 and 1853, a few are in English, a few in German but mainly they are in French; most are in remarkably good condition. Largely these are business letters; some relating to bills of lading and some to invoices. These letters go backwards and forwards, between Bordeaux and London, Hamburg, Naples and more, even Valparaiso. The early letters seem to show Clossman as a company providing facilities for moving money. The latter show the rise of the great name of Clossman as a wine producer and shipper. I shall be putting these on sale before long, when I have had the time to look through them. If you have any interest in or knowledge relating to these items, I would welcome your input to my researches.