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10/29/2004: "The Wearing of Different Hats"

One of the greatest ironies of the used/rare book business is that to be a bookman, you have to wear many different hats; you have to be able to do so much, often simultaneously. Besides being knowledgeable about books you also have to understand the rudiments of marketing, be adept at bargaining, have reasonable carpentry skills, and be adept at all sorts of communications. I will never forget the time a woman came in and said (this is verbatim--no joke!) "I want the book about the...you know...the woman who was on the show...and talked about the people who weren't there." It was only much later that I realized she was talking about Sylvia Browne! Sure, I'd like everyone to know the exact title, author, and edition they want, but it's rarely the case. So, I have to keep my ears open and my mind sharp.

Computer skills are very much a part of the business, now, of course, but to me that's the crowning irony. Books, the oldest form of communication of ideas, are now dependent upon one of the newest ones! And in increasing numbers. Online shopping continues to grow, and everyday there must be a steadily increasing number of books added to the Oasis database, because more and more are going out into the world to international customers. Just the other day my First American Edition (1886) of Anna Karenina was sold to a customer in New York. Without the computer, it would still be sitting in my Rare Cabinet. A commonplace order, but only if you don't stop to consider the miracle of it all. But, my own fingers keep dancing on the keys.