by a lady.

Ever see those really cool old books and wonder how people find them and how much they pay for them? I have to say estate sales are really where it’s at. Books are typically < $5 each, even for the fancy leather-bound copies with gilded edges. I’ve gotten some really cool books from estate sales so far and am always on the hunt. I like to find ones in pretty tones that are also classics that I’m interested in reading eventually. I guess you could call it functional art.

Last year, I read Pride and Prejudice for the first time and entered the world of Jane Austen. So far I’ve only read that and Emma (which, the 90s flick Clueless is actually a shockingly faithful adaptation of, by the way) and loved both. I do plan to read her other works as well, as her voice is so unique. I love the way her stories present almost like a mystery, and how many of her observations of everyday life still feel as relevant now, 200 years later.

I went to some estate sales in New Orleans last year. I remember it was October because I wore a thin rust-colored sweater because fall vibes. But that was a fatal mistake because it was like 90 degrees Fahrenheit. And this one house we stopped at did not have A/C leave for one small window unit in the entire two-story house. Needless to say we did not stay there long, but we did go upstairs and look around, and I saw a full set of Jane Austen’s works. The covers were worn and were the patriotic shades of red, white, and blue, but underneath revealed a pretty sage green hardback with gold etched writing on the spines. There was some staining, but they were a great size and look. Running my hands along the pages, I could feel the raised letters. The set is an Oxford Press edition from the 1960s. They wanted $10, so I happily took them home.

Upon taking them home I realized the books did have a very strong odor, so I looked up a trick online where you place books in a storage container along side a bowl of baking soda with some essential oil. I did that and placed the container outside in a shady spot and let the sun take away the smell. Surprisingly it worked really well. Now the books just smell like books.

The printing on the inside is my favorite, as it is formatted the same as the original printing. Notice that Jane’s name is not printed. Here are some shots: