Tuesday, 12 March 2013

A book auction and a thank you or two

A Book Auction;

 A few interesting items from a sale of modern first editions, the collection of Clive Hirschorn, Bloomsbury Auctions, London. 25th October, 2012. My reason for selecting these should become clear when you arrive at the second part of the post.

Peril at End House by Agatha Christie, 1932. Murder and mystery with inspector Poirot. The solution is quite unusually ingenious, and well up to the standard of Mrs. Christie’s best stories. Everything is perfectly fair, and it is possible to guess the solution of the puzzle fairly early in the book, though it is certainly not easy.’ The Times Literary Supplement, 14 April, 1932. Pre sale estimate £2,000 - £3,000. Price realised  £4,000.

Watership Down Richard Adams, 1972. Watership Down is a serious, even grim tale that many will find relentless and depressing and others will find poetic and moving. The author's first book and a classic of children's literature. Pre sale estimate £1000 - £1500.00. Price realised £1500.00

Daphne Du Maurier Jamaica Inn,1936. The author's own copy with her signed bookplate to pastedown. Daphne Du Maurier’s classic work of smuggling and intrigue, influenced by her visit to the eponymous hostelry in Cornwall. Pre sale estimate £1500.00 - £2000.00. Price realised £3500.00

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons, 1932. An excellent copy of Stella Gibbons breakthrough first novel. A brilliant satire of the sort of overwrought melodramas fashionable at the time. Pre sale estimate £1500 - £2000.00. Price realised £3500.00

Roald Dahl, The Gremlins, 1943. The author's first published work. Pre sale estimate £1500.00 - £2000.00. Price Realised £4000.00
Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee, 1959. First edition, signed presentation inscription from the author. 
Pre sale estimate £150.00 - £200.00. Price realized £260.00

and a thank you;

My thanks to all at The Secret DMS files of Fairday Morrow for passing along the Inspirational Blogger Award.

The rules are simple: Display the award logo on your blog. Link back to the person who nominated you, State 7 things about yourself, nominate other bloggers for this award and link to them, notify those bloggers of the nomination.

Seven things about me;
I love anything and everything to do with auctions.

New Year’s Resolution - 2014!   Read the Agatha Christie books that are gathering dust on my shelves. I buy them but I just don’t read them – I wonder why? 

I love Watership Down, but have never been owned by a rabbit!

Daphne Du Maurier's Jamaica Inn is one of my all-time favourite reads. I visited Jamaica Inn with my mum and dad when I was a small child. Set high on Bodmin Moor, in Cornwall it felt incredibly remote and romantic back then. It’s a little different now, standing as it does on the road between Bodmin and Launceston, firmly on the tourist trail.
Jamaica Inn as it once looked.

I grew up on a farm and am happy to report it was nothing like Cold Comfort Farm.
A misty morning on the farm, me and three friends.

I found a lovely copy of Roald Dahl’s The Gremlins in a used-book store in Australia. After arriving back in the UK it was sold to a customer in … you guessed it … Australia.

Cider with Rosie and Somerset Cider are two of my favourite things.

I would like to pass the Inspirational Blogger Award on to all my blogging friends. Please feel free to grab the award logo and display it on your own blogs. Each of you deserves to win the award, and I can't choose between you. Thanks for all your support, you are the best!


I was just about to publish this post when Michelle from Vintage Cobweb contacted me to say she had awarded me the ‘Your Blog Is Fabulous’ Award. Thank you Michelle, I'm honoured and delighted to accept it!




This super duper award comes without rules! I don’t even have to pass it along if I don’t wish to – but of course, I do.

My nominations are

AJ Arndt Books Blog

God's Growing Garden

Random Thoughts

The Lazy Designer 

Jill London

So Many Books, So Little Time

Congratulations! If you would like to nominate other bloggers for the award that’s great, but it’s entirely up to you – remember there are no rules!



Thanks for your visit, happy reading! 


at 09:59

28 comments:

  1. bobbi arbore12 March 2013 at 10:53

    Thanks for the award, it's always nice to be mentioned! I loved reading your seven facts. I remember reading Watership down as a child and then i went to see the movie with my mom, but i was above those who found it sad. I guess I was too little: as a child your kinds of rabbits are those fluffy and west ones, possibly wearing an apron and a bonnet! Maybe I should give it a second read.

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  2. Sandy M.12 March 2013 at 11:38

    Hello Barbara :) I am visiting, referred from Vintage Cobweb. I live in Australia, but I love English literature and have read and enjoyed all of the books pictured in this post. I love Cold Comfort Farm, which is hilarious. I hope I don't offend you when I say that Jamaica Inn was not a favourite read for me, although I did enjoy wondering what Flora Poste would find to do in such a setting! :) I do love Rebecca, however. Why don't people read Agatha Christie and other fabulous books like these anymore.. ?

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  3. Jill London12 March 2013 at 12:50

    And now you have made my morning! Thank-you Barbara, you lovely book-lady, for my award! I enjoyed reading your 7 and share your love of Cider With Rosie (and cider), and Daphne du Maurier. I wish I had seen Jamaica Inn looking all remote and romantic but alas, like so much, I fear I have left it too late. I never read Cold Comfort Farm but will put it on my to-read list. Thanks Barbara, and have a great day.

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  4. Petty Witter12 March 2013 at 13:15

    Such a great post. I love 'tree' books and can't begin to imagine the time when e-books will be auctioned like this.

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  5. Bish Denham12 March 2013 at 13:16

    Thanks for award, Barbara! I totally enjoyed Du Maurier's, Jamaica Inn. I need to reread Watership Down, it's been so loooooong. As for Gremlins, it's one I haven't read. I've heard of the others, but haven't read them either. So many books, so little time... sigh.

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  6. barbaraannefisher12 March 2013 at 16:08

    You are very welcome! I always enjoy visiting your blog so passing the award on to you was an easy decision. I was one of those that cried their eyes out while watching the film – it is such a sad story. Strangely enough the film moved me more than the book while its usually the other way around.

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  7. barbaraannefisher12 March 2013 at 16:21

    Hello Sandy, thanks so much for calling in. Vintage Cobweb is one of my favourite blogs. I live in England, but love Australia – my son and his family live in Adelaide, so Australia has become something of a home from home for me. I’m not offended at all, if we all liked the same books, the world would be a sadder place. I also love Rebecca just thinking about the opening line "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again" makes me want to take the book down from the shelf and read it right now! I don’t know why people are not reading Agatha Christie so much any more, but I have a seeking suspicion it’s because there have been so many TV adaptations, we all think we know the stories even though we haven’t read them.

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  8. barbaraannefisher12 March 2013 at 16:34

    Hello Jill, that’s fantastic! It’s lovely to make someone’s morning, and you know you made mine a few weeks ago! Sadly, Jamaica Inn is nothing like it used to be. It's all fast food and coach tours now. When I was a little girl, my dad converted an old dormobile into a ‘motor home’ – just a couple of home-made beds and a camping stove really, but we loved it, and it meant we could visit out of the way places – like Jamaca Inn.

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  9. barbaraannefisher12 March 2013 at 16:45

    I’m with you on that – ‘tree’ books rule. Thanks so much for calling in and leaving a comment.

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  10. barbaraannefisher12 March 2013 at 16:54

    I was delighted to pass the award on to you. I’m never disappointed when I visit your blog. The Gremlins is a lot of fun it’s also Roald Dahl’s first book so it makes it quite valuable as you can see from the result of the auction. Thanks so much for taking the time to call in and comment.

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  11. Hilde12 March 2013 at 19:11

    Congrats on the awards, Barbara! I enjoyed reading the seven facts about you.
    What a nice photo of you with the horses, very sweet :)

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  12. barbaraannefisher12 March 2013 at 22:30

    Thanks Hilde, they were golden days, but I’m not sure I appreciated it then.

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  13. Silvina from Tazas y Cuentos12 March 2013 at 23:07

    Such an interesting post, Barbara! I enjoyed reading your 7 things, and right now I'm visiting the blogs you mentioned, Coming from you I am sure they must be wonderful, as Vintage Cobweb, that I have been visiting lately. So many interesting places to visit but... I have to go to work and do something at home too...!! Help! haha
    Besos!

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  14. Angela Arndt13 March 2013 at 06:28

    Those are some really great auction treasures! Congratulations on your awards, I can't think of anyone more deserving. You always write the most interesting posts and I always learn something new. And finally, thank you so much, I am touched and grateful that you thought of me for the Fabulous Blog Award.

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  15. barbaraannefisher13 March 2013 at 07:24

    Hello Silvina, work does tend to get in the way of reading all these lovely blogs doesn't it? I find myself lost in reading (books and blogs) for a good part of the day then I go to bed and remember all the things I should have done. :)

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  16. barbaraannefisher13 March 2013 at 07:28

    Hi Angela, I’ve spent many happy hours reading your excellent reviews so passing the award to you was an easy decision. Thanks for your lovely comment. Barbara.

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  17. Angelique Tower13 March 2013 at 12:34

    WOW - thank you so much - I'm honored! I will post that badge on my blog & try to pass it on sometime in April (even though there are no rules & I don't have to :-)
    Thanks again
    Angie
    godsgrowinggarden.com

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  18. barbaraannefisher13 March 2013 at 18:42

    Hi Angelique, I shall look forward to reading your post. Thanks for leaving a comment, Barbara

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  19. Vintagecobweb14 March 2013 at 10:03

    That was a nice post Barbara, congratulations on your other award - well deserved.

    A nice lot of books, I was thinking how much I would be prepared to pay for a book I really wanted.

    Is that a cloth print in your last photo? I like it.

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  20. barbaraannefisher14 March 2013 at 22:28

    Thanks Michelle. I guess that would depend on how badly you wanted a particular book. I’ve wanted a 1st edition of five on a treasure island with original dust jacket for ages, but I’m not prepared to pay the £3000+ price tag. I keep hoping I will find a reasonably priced copy but no luck so far.
    The background in the last photo is just lots of individual book illustrations. I often buy bundles from charity shops and flea markets. People tend to throw away books that are falling apart but keep the prints – I hate to see them going to waste so I buy them and use them in whatever way I can.

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  21. Stephanie@Fairday's Blog14 March 2013 at 23:53

    What an awesome post! I read Watership Down in high school and enjoyed it. Loved the 7 facts about you- especially the pictures. I have never been to an auction- but they do sound fun! Your blog is always a bright spot in my day. I look forward to checking out the blogs you nominated. :)

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  22. barbaraannefisher15 March 2013 at 06:53

    Thanks Stephanie, it's nice to know you enjoyed the post. You should get to an auction if you can I'm sure you would have fun.

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  23. Claudine G.15 March 2013 at 12:27

    Congrats on the awards, Barbara! I love the shot of you with your three friends on that magical, misty morning. And how fun to purchase a book in Australia, come back to the UK and sell it to a customer in Australia. That book felt like travelling, is all.

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  24. barbaraannefisher15 March 2013 at 12:59

    and travel it did - a long, long way! I've always liked that 'photo so it was nice to be able to share it. Looking back now I realise just how special those days were. Thank you for the congrats Claudine, that means a lot.

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  25. Lainy SMBSLT18 March 2013 at 00:21

    I saw Watership down as a child and always meant to read the book. I have read one Agatha Christie and mean to read more. Do you take part in the auctions or just go to them? Always thought it was be quite something to go to one.


    Lainy http://www.alwaysreading.net

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  26. barbaraannefisher18 March 2013 at 10:23

    Hi Lainy I’ve been buying at auctions for close on 20 years, but it still gives me a thrill! You should go along one day I’m sure you would have fun.

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  27. Beck2 April 2013 at 00:22

    Oh my, that Agatha Christie cover is beautiful, isn't it?

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  28. Barbara2 April 2013 at 07:02

    Hi Beck, it certainly is. Thanks for your visit. Barbara

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I really appreciate your comment. Thank you!
Barbara xx

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