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Writing In Books: Sub-Question

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Coolest thing you've ever found in a secondhand/used/borrowed book?

I guess for me it would be an old two dollar note (Australian, many years after they were replaced with coins) inside an old Bible at a bookstore. Naturally I took the note but left the Bible. Bibles and dictionaries generally have the best stuff in them.

― writingstatic (writingstatic), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 01:32 (twenty-two years ago)

That gives me an idea for something to do the next time I visit a used bookstore.

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 01:46 (twenty-two years ago)

what, ransack the bibles?

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 01:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Old second world war ration coupons, lots of em.

― pete s, Tuesday, 13 January 2004 01:54 (twenty-two years ago)

what, ransack the bibles?

Yes, and the dictionaries.

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 01:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I bought a used copy of Martin Luther King's last book for a dollar
and found that he had autographed it!!!

― Steve Walker (Quietman), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 02:10 (twenty-two years ago)

my brother found a copy of a Joyce Carol Oates book at a library sale that was inscribed by her to William Styron.Kinda mean of Bill not to hold on to it.

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 02:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Bought a signed copy of Peter Mayle's "Toujours Provence" at a used store. Sweeter that it wasn't personalized.

― Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 02:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't buy used books if I can help it. I don't like books that are dirty, wrinkled, creased, written in, and so on. Drives me insane.

Well, I'll buy a used book if it's out of print. But otherwise no.

But I have found five Canadian one-dollar bills (which are no longer circulated, and haven't been for some time) in a copy of The Once & Future King that a friend bought for me at a garage sale.

― August (August), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 04:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Not a used book -- but the comics artist Jeffrey Brown did a small run of his graphic novel Clumsy (maybe 150 copies?), where into each book he slipped some personal item. I didn't notice this until after I found the Cast Away ticket stub in the one I bought; I went back to the shelf and saw copies with plane tickets, receipts, etc.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 06:19 (twenty-two years ago)

My second hand copy of Tristam Shandy has the follwoing biro inscription, "this book is an ego head wank"

It should preface every edition.

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 10:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I bought a used copy of The French Lieutenant's Woman wherein the pervious owner had written disparaging comments about the blurbs taken from reviews at the front of the book. Really very appropriate, I thought.

― Prude (Prude), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 20:55 (twenty-two years ago)


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