I was flipping through a box of books in a far back corner of the auction house, something I normally do when there are boxes and boxes of books for sale. I’m always on the…
Category: Books
“New Progress of a Race” book on black history
Posted in Black history, and Books
The book was partially hidden under other items on the auction table, but from the title, I instantly knew who – not what – it was about: “The New Progress of a Race.” It had…
I have a friend who loves those late-night TV movies, the ones with actors who never really made it big but whose faces show up over and over again. She’ll spend an entire night glued…
Readers ask about matchbooks & Booker T. Washington
Posted in Books, collectibles, and Ephemera/Paper/Documents
I get a lot of requests from readers about how much their matchbook covers are worth. This blog post offers suggestions on how to determine what you have and the market value. Each Friday, I answer readers’ questions…
Brimfield – African American tintypes and a lot more
Posted in African American women, Books, collectibles, Photos, Tins, and travel
I listened as the owner of the booth told a customer about his radio show and how he could guess a caller’s collectible or antique item without seeing it. I found the notion unbelievable, and…
Readers ask about dream book & stereoview cards
Posted in Books, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, Photos, and Reader questions
Two years ago, I wrote about Prof. Uriah Konje’s dream book of numbers that purported to help you win the lottery or any other similar game of chance. I’m still getting inquires about the book and how…
Each Friday, I answer readers’ questions about items they have. I’m not able to assess the values of their treasures, but I can do some preliminary research to get them started. I’ve chosen only one…
Captain Kangaroo was the morning man from my childhood. I remember well his mutton sideburns, flabby neck and flat-top hair, along with his sidekick Mr. Green Jeans. So, when I came across two books in a…
I missed the news more than a week ago that illustrator Leo Dillon had died. A friend mentioned it to me a few days ago, and for a minute I had a mental block of…
A childhood memory of a Nicodemus book
Posted in Books
I got the email from Donna after she’d tried to find a Nicodemus book on her own. She’d been looking for a book about the little boy and his shoes, she wrote, but couldn’t seem…