Minor Brag

Today I acquired very inexpensively a first edition of Arnold Zweig, "Erziehung
vor Verdun" (Querido Verlag, Amsterdam, 1935) in very good condition. I already
have the english language translation - "Education Before Verdun".


Francis A. Miniter

Francis A. Miniter wrote:

This is a perfect example of what I
was talking about in a post last week.
Some regulars in this group are far too
comfortable with themselves. Okay, Mr.
"Miniter Cheevy" you are dangerously
close to becoming a "child of scorn"
and you are growing "lean" as in
"undernourished in the area
of ideation," not while you "assail the
seasons," but you assail other posters
who question some of your posted
poppycock..
(Apologies to E. A. Robinson)

What I mean to suggest with that little
sally against our Newsgroup Minitaur
is this: He and too many others
wax smug regarding their "Minor Brags"
which are nothing more than small
boasts about getting a good buy
on books that have been very well
documentede and catalogued in
various venues. Those minor
brags rarely if ever teach readers
anything they could not learn about
in Addall.com or elsewhere. So,
the real "news" is "Hey, I got this
book real cheap, and if you look it
up in Addall you can see that
people are trying to sell other
copies of it for a lot more than
The Great I paid for it."

Well, lah-dee-dah. Aren't
WE clever...

Last week I reported on my
find of a rare Charles Dickens edition
with a cover illustrated by an artist
who would later develop into one
of the most terrifying comic book
artists ever, somone almost certain
to give readers nightmares, not because
his work is fantastic, but, on the
contrary, it reflects a horrifying
reality of human society that many
would prefer stay hidden, and does
so with a sort of terrible grandeur
that only a few artists, such as
Dore and Harry Clarke, were able
to achieve. Of course, since Ingels'
geartest work involves comic book
stories rather than single book
illustrations, it is difficult to compare.
..
Now, feel free to challenge me on my
discovery.. If anyone can find any
record (published prior to my posting,
of course) of anyone saying that
"Oliver Twist" cover for Books, Inc.,
was illustrated by the terrifying Mr.
Graham Ingels, please let me know.
But you are not going to be able to do
that, because I made a significant
discovery.

But do you fancy that our
Newsgroup Minitaur or anyone
else would compliment me on my
discovery? Of course not. If
THEY would have found that same
"Oliver Twist" (the one with the
predominently red d.j., and the
very rare red boards as opposed
to the more common edition
with the blue boards) and if
they would have picked it up for a
dollar or two, they would post it
as a minor brag. But it is good
for the field of book collecting that I
had the good fortune to buy the book,
(for a rather paltry sum, I might add)..
Had THEY happened to buy the
book at a thrift or wherever, do
you think they would have
discovered that the cover was
illustrated by the uncredited
artist Ingels in his pre-comic
book days? HECK NO THEY
WOULDN"T. THEY ARE TOO
GOSH DARN IGNORANT OF
BOOKS TO NOTICE ANYTHING
THAT HAS NOT ALREADY
BEEN DESCRIBED IN ADDALL..

They would rush home with that
rare Dickens and they would
look it up on Addall to check the
value, but none of the listings
in Addall would mention the
cover artist, of course, since
none of the dealers who are
selling the book had made the
discovery that Ingels had done
the cover. But you just watch --
before long someone will start
listing that book as having
"the rare Graham Ingels
d.j. illustration."....(End of rant.)

Today I acquired very inexpensively a first edition of Arnold Zweig, "Erziehung
vor Verdun" (Querido Verlag, Amsterdam, 1935) in very good condition. I already
have the english language translation - "Education Before Verdun".

Fine. And what significant information
which you can't find in many other
book collectding and/or bookselling
venues did you yourself discover about
the book? Inquiring minds would like
to know...


[Memo from the upstairs office]


Francis A. Miniter

On 15 Apr 2006 18:24:50 -0700, wrote:

[more pompous booshwah]

All this from the guy who thinks cleaning books with BLEACH is a Good
Thing.

wrote in message
oups.com...

What I mean to suggest with that little
sally against our Newsgroup Minitaur
is this: He and too many others
wax smug regarding their "Minor Brags"
which are nothing more than small
boasts about getting a good buy
on books that have been very well
documentede and catalogued in
various venues. Those minor
brags rarely if ever teach readers
anything they could not learn about
in Addall.com or elsewhere. So,
the real "news" is "Hey, I got this
book real cheap, and if you look it
up in Addall you can see that
people are trying to sell other
copies of it for a lot more than
The Great I paid for it."

Well, lah-dee-dah. Aren't
WE clever...

....

Idiot.

I'm not a mind reader. Certainly not when it comes to
having only the words displayed on a computer screen as
evidence. But...

I'd imagine the reason many people post on this Newsgroup
is because they're not surrounded by other book-collectors,
in their everyday lives.

If they tried to boast about brags to their wives, husbands,
families or friends, many of them will be looked on askance.
Just the same as if they were locomotive enthusiasts,
reporting back after the weekend, on having seen their very
first 1974 model cx34(b) double-decoupled freight bogey.
Or birdwatchers, having seen their first ever lesser-crested
nut warbler. Or whatever.

In exactly the same way, only other book collectors will recognise
that feeling of elation in finding a long-sought-after title, hidden
among otherwise neglected and overlooked volumes, in an out of the
way place. At the bottom of a cardboard box, under a table,
or on the bottom shelf at the back of the shop maybe.

The significance of the price Palmer, is that it's testament to the
fact the book has lain unrecognised and neglected amongst philistines
who didn't appreciate its true significe. As indicated by the lowly
price they put on it. And now it's being brought out into the sunshine
- rescued from obscurity - to sit on the shelves alongside its long
lost relatives and friends. Books on a similar theme, or by the same
author, whatever. Where it truly belongs.

Please don't start crying Palmer, it simply doesn't become you.

Francis never mentions reselling, but only this feeling
of elation which all true collectors will share. Based
on a set of values not shared by the general public.
Which is why his, and similarly framed posts will always
have a welcome place in a Group such as this, IMO.


On the other hand, people who frame their boasts solely in
terms of how much they can make, by reselling the books they
happen to chance upon, are showing themselves to be little more
than philistines or cynics at best, with a well developed sense
of market prices. But so what ?

Any grinning buffoon will get a feeling of elation by turning a
fast buck. Perhaps they should boast on alt.greed, where their
self-satisfaction might be better appreciated. The fact that
these people have used their knowledge of books, in order to do
this is neither here nor there IMO. Nor the fact that they may
finance their hobby in this way.

While dealers on the other hand, will be trying to earn a few bob
wherever they can, and good luck to them. But then dealers
typically don't post brags.


michael adams

....

On Sun, 16 Apr 2006 10:38:34 +0100, "michael adams"
wrote:


Idiot.

Call him a "poltroon," Michael. He *likes* that.

michael adams wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

You missed the point of my post.
certainly was not suggesting that
there was anything wrong about
finding a great bargain on a book
you had wanted, and then of
sharing that news with the group.

I was merely suggesting that it
is even better to be able to post
a "minor brag" which relates to
an actual discovery about your
acquisition which could actually
be of assistance to both dealers
and collectors. What I feel is
my discovery about the Books,
Inc., Art-Type "Oliver Twist" not
only can be of help to collectors
with an interest in book illustration,
but of course can potentially be
of value to dealers because it is
exactly the sort of thing which
should go into a rare book listing.

The manner in which my news of
the discovery has been ignored
simply tells me that there are some
smug, complacent snobs in here
who are incapable of escaping
from the box of group-think and
recognizing (even if but to challenge)
a significant book-collecting discovery
by a contributor to the forum.

I don't want to say that some people
are envious, that might be going to
far. No, it is rather that they have
styled themselves as THE serious
minds of the group, so they insist
on marginalizing -- contrary to all
common sense -- someone who
contributes as much interesting
content to the forum as they do,
or perhaps considerably more.
(I said "interesting content,"
not "verbiage.) Sad.

michael adams

...

wrote in message
oups.com...

michael adams wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

You missed the point of my post.
certainly was not suggesting that
there was anything wrong about
finding a great bargain on a book
you had wanted, and then of
sharing that news with the group.

I was merely suggesting that it
is even better to be able to post
a "minor brag" which relates to
an actual discovery about your
acquisition which could actually
be of assistance to both dealers
and collectors. What I feel is
my discovery about the Books,
Inc., Art-Type "Oliver Twist" not
only can be of help to collectors
with an interest in book illustration,
but of course can potentially be
of value to dealers because it is
exactly the sort of thing which
should go into a rare book listing.

Also, some grown ups don't read comic books.



The manner in which my news of
the discovery has been ignored
simply tells me that there are some
smug, complacent snobs in here
who are incapable of escaping
from the box of group-think and
recognizing (even if but to challenge)
a significant book-collecting discovery
by a contributor to the forum.

I don't want to say that some people
are envious, that might be going to
far. No, it is rather that they have
styled themselves as THE serious
minds of the group, so they insist
on marginalizing -- contrary to all
common sense -- someone who
contributes as much interesting
content to the forum as they do,
or perhaps considerably more.
(I said "interesting content,"
not "verbiage.) Sad.

michael adams

...

wrote in message
oups.com...

michael adams wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

You missed the point of my post.
certainly was not suggesting that
there was anything wrong about
finding a great bargain on a book
you had wanted, and then of
sharing that news with the group.

I was merely suggesting that it
is even better to be able to post
a "minor brag" which relates to
an actual discovery about your
acquisition which could actually
be of assistance to both dealers
and collectors. What I feel is
my discovery about the Books,
Inc., Art-Type "Oliver Twist" not
only can be of help to collectors
with an interest in book illustration,
but of course can potentially be
of value to dealers because it is
exactly the sort of thing which
should go into a rare book listing.

....

You mean you'd like to use your brags
to puff your own aquisitions.

....


The manner in which my news of
the discovery has been ignored

....

The fact that a post doesn't get a response
dosn't mean it's being ignored. Many brag
posts don't get any response at all. That
doesn't mean they're not read. Unless you
know something about NewsGroups that nobody
else does of course.

....

simply tells me that there are some
smug, complacent snobs in here
who are incapable of escaping
from the box of group-think and
recognizing (even if but to challenge)
a significant book-collecting discovery
by a contributor to the forum.

....

It's significant to you Palmer maybe.

The fact that it maybe isn't to other people, is
what marks you out as an individual with tastes of
your own.

Ploughing your own aesthetic furrow as it were.

....

I don't want to say that some people
are envious, that might be going to
far. No, it is rather that they have
styled themselves as THE serious
minds of the group, so they insist
on marginalizing -- contrary to all
common sense -- someone who
contributes as much interesting
content to the forum as they do,
or perhaps considerably more.
(I said "interesting content,"
not "verbiage.) Sad.

....

Nobody can marginalise anyone on UseNet, Palmer.

Everyone is free to read whatever and whoever they choose.

It's posters who marginalise themselves.



michael adams

....

I agree with you. I find smug brags about very run-of-the-mill finds
infinitely more nauseating than links to genuinely interesting book
sales or auctions.

Provided that a post is interesting or entertaining and of a vaguely
on-topic nature, then I suggest allowing discussion groups to regulate
themselves. Rec.collecting.books spends two thirds of its time
bickering about what rules are required to control the tiny amount of
spam that gets posted here. And those who try to enforce their arbitary
and totalitarian views on others bear more than a fleeting resemblance
to Air Raid Warden Hodges from 'Dad's Army'.

It beggars belief that adults with a supposed interest in such an
erudite subject can so brazenly repeat the folly of our politicians.

SS

Shelf Space wrote:
I agree with you. I find smug brags about very run-of-the-mill finds
infinitely more nauseating than links to genuinely interesting book
sales or auctions.

Provided that a post is interesting or entertaining and of a vaguely
on-topic nature, then I suggest allowing discussion groups to regulate
themselves. Rec.collecting.books spends two thirds of its time
bickering about what rules are required to control the tiny amount of
spam that gets posted here. And those who try to enforce their arbitary
and totalitarian views on others bear more than a fleeting resemblance
to Air Raid Warden Hodges from 'Dad's Army'.

It beggars belief that adults with a supposed interest in such an
erudite subject can so brazenly repeat the folly of our politicians.

SS


Palmer and Barker--twins separated at birth?

By the way, CB, what happened to posting fearlessly over your real
name?


RPN