Tag: bookselling

Rare Sun-bonnet Babies Book Sold

Are you familiar with the Sun-bonnet Babies, the creation of Bertha L. Corbett? I first met them in greeting card form, and then a few years ago, I met them in a book I had Acquired, published in 1900.

Every once in a while in a bookseller’s life comes the opportunity to acquire a special book. One of the special books I had the opportunity to own for a time was The Sun-Bonnet Babies.

Sun-bonnet Babies Introductory Picture
Sun-bonnet Babies Introductory Picture

Most people aren’t old enough to have seen this book by Bertha L. Corbett, since it was published in 1900. If you follow the title link above you will learn more about this book, which I sold yesterday. I thought of taking it down, but since I had such a hard time finding any information on it when I was researching it, I decided to leave it up for anyone else who might happen to come across it.

I probably could have gotten more than I did for this book, but I was feeling generous and did not make the buyer a counter offer. It is, after all, close to Christmas. I was not sure exactly what the true value of the book was, so I went by the old adage that a book is worth what a willing buyer is willing to pay willing seller.  If someone took advantage of me, so be it.

I suppose this book was special because in my days as a card buyer I met the Sun-bonnet Babies in greeting card form. The greeting card babies were in color, but other than that they looked like the ones in the image above, except they were larger. Have you met the Sun-bonnet Babies before seeing them here?

Begin at the Beginning

‘The time has come,’ the Walrus said, To talk of many things: Of shoes — and ships — and sealing wax –Of cabbages — and kings. So I thank Lewis Carroll for my title, and you can expect to find me talking of many things in this blog.

Since I’ve chosen a blog name from Lewis Carroll, I might as well quote him in the title of this first blog. “The Walrus and the Carpenter” is one of my favorite poems. And I’m also rather fond of the Cheshire Cat. Sometimes when the moon appears as just a big smile in the sky, I’m reminded of the Cheshire Cat’s grin when that’s all that’s still visible of him. Another of my favorite scenes is when Alice encounters the caterpillar. I didn’t intend to talk about this, and I’ve no idea where my copy of Through the Looking Glass is right now, but I think these references are to scenes in that book.

'The Time Has Come the Walrus Said To talk of many things: Of shoes -- and ships -- and sealing wax -- Of cabbages -- and kings -- And why the sea is boiling hot -- And whether pigs have wings.'

As the blog name indicates, the topics may change from day to day. I am a affiliate seller of new and used books, and most of them are for teachers or children. Others, especially the used ones, are about topics I’m interested in — gardening, cooking, biography, history, humor, etc. Because I read a lot of books, I’m likely to talk about them often. I may also share experiences I have had as a bookseller or a blogger. And if it’s been a beautiful day, I just might mention my garden or what I’ve seen on a walk. Likewise, if something has inspired me, or if I’m thinking over something, I might share that here.

 

‘The time has come,’ the Walrus said,
‘To talk of many things:
Of shoes — and ships — and sealing wax —
Of cabbages — and kings —
And why the sea is boiling hot —
And whether pigs have wings.’ (from “Through the Looking Glass” by Lewis Carroll)

And that’s what I will do in this blog — talk of many things.

I hope you’ll join the conversation by commenting and asking questions. Maybe you have a new twist on something I’ve said here.Feel  free to disagree with me, too. We can all learn from each other.