One Man's Trash: Vintage Book Stash

Recently, my husband scored a bit of magic at an early morning rummage sale.  He came home grinning from ear to ear, saying he had a surprise for me.  I wasn't sure what he had come up with, but I was pretty sure that it was going to be good.  And IT WAS!  He found a stash of vintage classic books for sale and carefully picked through them to bring back what has become an instant collection.  Just take a look!

THIS was the book that he was so excited to give to me, and I was equally excited to receive it, for many many reasons.  He knows that I am a long time fan of Alice in Wonderland, so this copy was automatically a winner.

But what's more, it was still in it's original book case, and wonderfully preserved. 

As I pulled it out of it's case and starting gushing over it, I checked to see how old this copy was, and there it was- 1946 (70 years young), and published right here in Tennessee too.  

But there is nothing- I mean NOTHING- that I love more than a book that has been inscribed to someone, and such is the case with this wonderful copy.  It says: "To Patty, with love from Godmother, Christmas '55".  I have no idea who Patty or Godmother are, and I wasn't even around in 1955.  But isn't this a very special part of this book?  It gives it history, and a glimpse into the life that it lived before it found it's new home with me.

Just take a look at the whimsical illustrations all throughout this book.

So, of course, when my thoughtful husband brought this book home to me he knew he hit it out of the park, and I agree.  He DID!!  But the surprise didn't end with Alice in Wonderland.  No, that was just the beginning.  Notice, there's another book from the same publisher here.  It's Pinocchio!  Same wonderful illustrations too!

Here's one that caught my eye- Young Readers Indian Stories.  All of these books are dated to the early to mid 1900s.   And they all came from the same rummage sale, and presumably the same former owner. 

There's Huckleberry Finn, and Tom Sawyer too. 

And two copies of Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates. No good book left behind.  We will take them all!

In total, he came away with 13 vintage classic books, and get ready for this.  He paid $1 for each of them.  ONE DOLLAR for that awesome Alice in Wonderland.  ONE DOLLAR for Pinocchio.  ONE DOLLAR for Little Women, etc, etc, etc.  

I have already completely rearranged my bookcase to make room for these new and very special additions to the old library.  I am still smiling at this find, and in truth, I think these books are too. We are a match made in heaven.