Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Paperback Rider

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So there I was at the flea market, buying a cup and saucer,

When a dealer grabbed a bunch of paperback books from a overturned box, and threw them into the back of his truck.

They were not your everyday-run-in-the-mill-type-of-books either,

No sir-ee, these books were old….

In my excitement, I nearly dropped the cup and saucer, and instead spitted out:

"Hey-hey-hey, what are you doing with those books?"

"Throwing them away." He answered.

"Throwing them away!! You cannot throw them away! Those books are nearly two hundred years old! I’ll buy them!" I offered, like a hyper-active, enthusiastic buyer. Giving him every opportunity to sock a price to me.

He looked at me like I had a screw loose.

Adding double measure to his impression of me, I repeated the same request, "Please, let me buy them from you?!" 

"Buy them? Are you kidding, I’ll give them to you."

Happy me, saving history from the flames of the incinerator.

Photo: A stack of 18th century, French paperback books… standing proud and pretty with the other antique paperback books that I have at my house.

p.s. Shelley told me to tell you that she received many many wonderful emails, and that she is overwhelmed by the outpouring of generous love that she felt from you. Thank you !!

Comments

47 responses to “Paperback Rider”

  1. Merisi’s Vienna

    Thank goodness, you didn’t drop the cup! The book pages look lovely. Would you be willing to show us where you gave them a proper home? I love old books too, yet since I spent month going through my shelves of books, trying to decide which ones to keep and which ones to give away (I donated all in all five vans full of book boxes at the end), I hesitate to buy on impulse.
    Your antiquing post make me want to join you (I seldom go to fleamarkets, honestly).

    Reply
  2. Marie-Noëlle

    This is you, Corey!
    spotting antique seller “tidying up”…
    saving old books from bin or flames…
    getting antique books as a gift by a flea market seller…
    Can be nobody else but you !

    Reply
  3. Jeanne

    Your treasure troves are amazing darling.
    My what a collection you must have.
    Blessings!

    Reply
  4. la tourterelle

    Oh! Corey! c’est une merveille tous ces livres anciens! C’était ton jour de chance…encore que…avec toi c’est tous les jours notre jour de chance, tellement tes trouvailles sont belles et si en plus elles sont gratuites ;-))

    Reply
  5. mymelange

    Wow. What a score! Lucky you!!!

    Reply
  6. Shannon

    I’m happy to hear that our emails lifted Shelley’s spirits. You know I wish I could do more.
    You are a hero for saving those precious books. I gasped when I read they were 18th century. Man are we going to have fun treasure hunting when I see you!!

    Reply
  7. nel

    Go Corey! what a wonderful find! I love the character in old books and these look so delicate, almost like they would crumble if you touched them.

    Reply
  8. cruststation

    Ah, beautiful pages lovingly restored to the rightful enthusiast. I love the look of these, I’d probably make collages out of them though you’d probably think that is criminal! (I wonder what French husband said about the stack of paperbacks you brought back?) 🙂

    Reply
  9. sheila

    One man’s junk..!
    I imagine the hands that held these down the years, read the words and mused over them, just as you will.

    Reply
  10. tut-tut

    Good for you; what will you do with them all?

    Reply
  11. Paula

    Corey ~ I can’t help but laugh!!!! I’m glad you rescued the books.
    I want to come visit and go to the flea with you.

    Reply
  12. constance

    Good score!

    Reply
  13. T Sheeley

    Look at all those yummy pieces of paper. They look so soft and inviting to touch. Way to be assertive!!! Go after what you want, I love it!!!
    Teresa
    xo

    Reply
  14. Lilly

    So great that you were there just then to save these books. After a book sale at an old library in Massachusetts I went by their dumpster by chance and saw that they’d thrown out everything they didn’t sell! I was dumpster diving and carting books home that day because I just couldn’t stand to see those old books headed for the dump! Some of them were beautiful old children’s books with illustrations…

    Reply
  15. AnnieElf

    Touchdown! The crowd roared!!

    Reply
  16. andrea

    I can not believe these were headed for the fire. Stories like this make me gasp. Wonderful you for saving them.
    Hugs,
    a.

    Reply
  17. Star

    One man’s trash…
    I’m glad they have a new home with you (how big did you say your house is?)

    Reply
  18. susanna

    What a cool find!

    Reply
  19. Andrea S.

    oh, lucky you! Serendipity for sure!

    Reply
  20. Britt-Arnhild

    Paperbacks are not just a bunch of old papers, they tell stories – both with the words written in them, and about the owner of the hands which have cherished them through the centuries.
    Sometimes I don’t need to really read the books, I can smell them and imagine them………
    Happy books being owned by you.

    Reply
  21. ParisBreakfasts

    Hmmm…
    Yummy-looking paper!
    I wonder how those pages would take watercolor..?

    Reply
  22. Alison Whittington

    Whew… that was close. Bravo!

    Reply
  23. angela marie

    I have not been to the flea market for years… I miss that!
    One man’s junk is another man’s treasure!! I am so glad that you saved those books!

    Reply
  24. Lisa Oceandreamer

    You are now officially a book wrangler! I am sure in between their aged pages you can hear a sigh of relief for your kindness!
    XOXO

    Reply
  25. Colette

    Corey, fabulous rescue job! I have some of those paperbacks so I know the feeling. xoxo

    Reply
  26. Vanessa V

    Oh My Goodness! Those are the kinds of things that happen to me. I seem to be a treasure magnet. Mr. Lovee says it is not magic, my treasure finds, it is that I am very very open to factors that make up a treasure. “Whatever” I say. Bottle caps, rusted on the road, Treasure. However, those books you got, beyond treasures!!!! How wonderful!

    Reply
  27. Fran aka Redondowriter

    I read about you at Carolyn’s site and I can see we are kindred spirits. Nice blog.

    Reply
  28. Laura Florand

    That’s what I love about French brocantes–finding things older than my country and yet the person who has them considers things that old fairly commonplace. I’m glad you rescued those books! You’ve a genius for finding treasures.

    Reply
  29. pam aries

    Yowza! What a SCORE! How cool is that! Whatcha gonna do with them?

    Reply
  30. tommiea

    they almost look like fluffy pastry….baklava…

    Reply
  31. Gypsy Purple-Chamara

    So glad you were at the right place at the right time…another treasure….another one saved

    Reply
  32. ~jolene marie

    Corey, did you hear a *gasp* across the ocean?!
    I would have been hanging on to the tailgate of his truck had he drove away!
    As you know, I am now at almost 57 (Le Cinquième Mai) following my passion of making handbound journals.
    To see the pages of the books you saved made my heart beat like a drum!

    Reply
  33. katie

    wow – some people have no soul! how could anyone throw such treasure away! trouble is – the house starts to look like a junk shop – speaking personally of course!

    Reply
  34. Paris Parfait

    So glad you rescued the books! Yesterday I found three antique gilt frames that someone had thrown out, because of some slight imperfections! Of course I brought them home with me for restoration.

    Reply
  35. Beachy

    Thank goodness you were there to save those treasures! And what treasures they must be!

    Reply
  36. BOSSY

    Bossy is too blown away – by the photo of the stacked books on your sidebar – to be funny. She’ll return to the regularly scheduled silly Bossy tomorrow.

    Reply
  37. Debbie Schramer

    how incredible. some people just don’t realize the beauty and history of something….how wonderful that you were there to save all those beautiful books. my husband and i did something like that once. we were driving home one time and noticed a man tearing down a wonderful old barn (a small one). we decided to ask him what he was going to do with the barn wood. (it was a dark earthy colour and was fantastic!!) he was going to burn all the wood, too! we said we would love to have it as we could use it to build our own little barn and fences. he said we could have it if we tore the rest down, so we did!! it was a lot of work, but so worth it as we built the most wonderful little barn for our pony and chickens!!

    Reply
  38. tinker

    Thank goodness for your quick thinking! I’m so glad you saw them in time to effect a rescue – and give them a good home, where they will be treasured.

    Reply
  39. Liz Ness

    Oh my goodness! From one book lover (especially, of those beautiful old ones) thanks for saving them from the flames!

    Reply
  40. kimberly Carney

    I am thinking, at the right place at the right time. You are a genious 😉

    Reply
  41. Veronica TM

    oh wow, corey! you lucked out! they look beautiful.

    Reply
  42. Irene

    Oh, you did so well! (And I loved your narrative!)
    What kind of books are they? Do they have any gravures?

    Reply
  43. Lesley

    Dear Corey,
    I am just rediscovering your journal and am so glad I dropped by to see this entry…..they are look so large and generous and yet so delicate. They make my paper-heart flutter! I have never seen anything like them in the US, but will be keeping my eyes open from now on. I think it must be comforting, somehow, to have them sitting around in all their soft glory.

    Reply
  44. Ani

    Corey,
    When I was at the Sunday market in l’Isle sur la Sor-gue. I so thought of you when I saw all these old papers at an antique stand!I have to say they looked pretty cool!

    Reply
  45. Mandy

    trying to send email using
    your emailwww.coreyamaro@aol.com>
    having no luck
    could u email me with details
    Thanks

    Reply
  46. Mandy

    Hi thanks for getting back to me so fast.
    I tried sending u a email and it came back ?
    I’m in australia and would love to buy of you….

    Reply
  47. Tracy Tuason, 25, Manila, Philippines

    I’m a love of old things too. Sometimes, I think of myself as someone who really belong to the 18th century. An antique piece can tell a million stories by just staring at it. It’s a beauty preserved by time. Like wine, as it ages… it tastes better.

    Reply

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