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A combination of beautiful winter scenery and dangerous travel
The combination of a heavy snowfall and freezing rain today (Sunday) in the Muskoka Region led to many branches breaking under the weight of the heavy snow. Icing road conditions made travel very difficult even around the Towns of Muskoka transforming many streets into skating rinks.
Fred Schulz Photos
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| Original Painting now to grace our Haunted Bookshop! |
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| Winter Scene Penn Lake Huntsville, by Hamilton artist Juanita Symington. |
To Connect With Today's Bracebridge Blog, Part of the Christmas Series Click Here
GRAVENHURST AND OLD BOOKS - OLD PAPER - LIVING HISTORY
MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND AN ANTIQUARIAN'S PROMISE FOR THE NEW YEAR
IT PAYS DIVIDENDS TO STILL HAVE TWO STRAPPING LADS LIVING AT HOME. THE FOOD BILL EACH WEEK IS ENORMOUS, BUT WHEN YOU'RE SNOWED-IN, THESE TWO CHAPS CAN CLEAR A DRIVEWAY IN ONLY A FEW MINUTES, WITH ONLY MINOR OBJECTION. IT WOULD TAKE US OLD GEEZERS THE BETTER PART OF AN HOUR, AND THEN WE'D NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION AND REHABILITATION, FOR OUR INJURIES. I'VE ONLY BEEN STUCK ONCE THIS DECEMBER, AND WITH THEIR SHOULDERS TO THE GRIND-STONE, DISLODGED THE FAMILY TRUCKSTER IN TWO SHOVES AND FOUR CURSES. GOD WAS ASKED TO FORGIVE THEIR VERBAL OUTBURSTS, AS I NAVIGATED THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE SNOW BANK. BIRCH HOLLOW HAS NEVER LOOKED SO PRETTY....IN A RUGGED, PIONEER VEIN. WE HAD TO COME OUT TODAY, IN ORDER TO TEND THE SHOP, BUT I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO LODGE MYSELF BY THE FIRE WITH A COPY OF DICKENS OR IRVING TO CELEBRATE THE SEASON. I'LL MAKE IT AN EVENING BY FIRESIDE INSTEAD. I'M WRITING THIS NOW IN ROBERT'S MUSIC STUDIO, AND IT'S NICE AND COZY.....A LITTLE TOO MUCH, BECAUSE I KEEP FALLING ASLEEP, AND DROPPING BOTH HANDS ONTO THE KEYBOARD OF THIS INFERNAL MACHINE, SENDING MY COPY INTO AN ABSTRACT ILLUSTRATION OF THE DAYDREAM I'M SO DEEPLY IMMERSED. TAKE IT FROM ME, THAT ON THE JOB, YOU CAN BE TOO COMFORTABLE, TOO RELAXED, AND HAVE TOO MUCH SERENITY-NOW FOR YOUR OWN GOOD. I'VE ALREADY RE-WRITTEN THIS PARAGRAPH THREE TIMES.
THE CHARMING LITTLE PAINTING PUBLISHED ABOVE, IS NOW OUR OFFICIAL "HAUNTED BOOK SHOP" ADVERTISEMENT. THE BALDING CHAP UP THE LADDER, LOOKS A LITTLE LIKE ME, SHOULD I ARRIVE, IN SOME FIT OF HISTORIC FERVOR, TO THUSLY CLOTHE MYSELF WITH A SIMILAR VINTAGE FROCK AND SOCKS....WHILE "ABOUT-MY-LABORS." WE ARE PUSHING AHEAD WITH PLANS TO INTRODUCE AN ANTIQUARIAN STYLE, COLLECTABLE SHOP FOR GRAVENHURST, IN THE TRADITION OF CHRISTOPHER MORELY'S BOOK, "THE HAUNTED BOOK SHOP," AND "84 CHARING CROSS ROAD," (MOVIE STARRING ANTHONY HOPKINS), THE STORY ABOUT A WELL KNOWN LONDON, ENGLAND BOOK SELLER. IT WILL BE STAFFED BY TWO REGIONAL HISTORIANS, WHO CAN HELP SHED SOME LIGHT ON MATTERS OF LOCAL HERITAGE. IT WILL START SMALL BUT IN A COUPLE OF YEARS, WE HOPE TO BE BIGGER AND MORE USEFUL TO OUR CLIENTS....IN STOCK OFFERED, AND SERVICES PROVIDED. SUZANNE AND I HAVE LIVED THE LIVES OF HISTORIANS, FROM THE STUDY OF LANDSCAPE PAINTER, TOM THOMSON, AND THE MYSTERY OF HIS DEATH, TO THE EXAMINATION OF GRAVENHURST AND BRACEBRIDGE HISTORY.....OUR SPECIALTY OF COURSE, THE FOLK HISTORY OF MUSKOKA, WHICH WE HAVE MOST EXPERIENCE. WE ALSO HOPE TO SPECIALIZE IN THE HISTORY OF OUR TOWN'S RELATIONSHIP TO CAMP CALYDOR, THE GERMAN PRISONER OF WAR CAMP, DURING THE 1940'S, THAT HAS BEEN WOEFULLY UNDER-RECOGNIZED FOR ITS INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE. WE HAVE MANY VISITORS IN OUR SHOP EACH YEAR, SOME OF GERMAN NATIONALITY OR HERITAGE, WHO WANT TO SEE AND KNOW MORE ABOUT THE FORMER CAMP, WHICH IS NOW A MUSKOKA BAY SUBDIVISION. THERE IS NO PROVINCIAL OR NATIONAL HERITAGE MARKER FOR THESE VISITORS TO SEE....NO FORMAL TOUR FOR THEM TO TAKE. WE'D AT THE VERY LEAST, LIKE TO BE A LOCATION THAT, FREE OF CHARGE, OFFERS INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAMP, AND HOW THE TOWN QUICKLY, AND WITH GREAT PATIENCE, LEARNED TO ACCOMMODATE GERMAN POWS. IT'S A REMARKABLE STORY AND A RELATIONSHIP TO BE LEARNED FROM.....BECAUSE WE WERE VERY GOOD HOSTS, AS ANY POW CAMP COULD BE EXPECTED TO BE, ACCORDING TO AVAILABLE PUBLIC AND PERSONAL RECORD.
AND THEN THERE WAS THE OLD BOOK TRADE!
DAVE BROWN. MY MENTOR. I'VE WRITTEN ABOUT DAVE MANY TIMES, ON THIS BLOG-SITE, AND AS HIS BIOGRAPHER, I POSSESS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT NEVER MADE THE BOOK, PUBLISHED BACK IN 2000. DAVE WAS ALL ABOUT "THE BOOKS" YOU SEE, AND HE HAD A PROFOUND IMPACT ON ME AS A COLLECTOR AND OLD BOOK DEALER. HE WAS AN OUTDOOR EDUCTATOR WITH THE HAMILTON SCHOOL BOARD, AND HAD BEEN AN INSTRUCTOR AT CAMPS COMACK, AND CANDALORE, NEAR DORSET, FOR MANY SUMMERS, BUT WAS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS KNACK OF FINDING RARE AND ANTIQUARIAN BOOKS. HIS COLLECTION, AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH, NUMBERED WELL MORE THAN A 100,000 BOOKS, WITH A HUGE SECTION DEVOTED TO REGIONAL CANADIAN HISTORY. HIS PASSION, BEING AN OUTDOOR EDUCATOR, WAS NATURAL HISTORY OF COURSE, AND HE HAD MANY THOUSANDS GOING WELL BACK INTO THE 1700'S. HIS FAVORITES, WERE THE SMALLER COLLECTION HE HAD ACQUIRED ON THE WHALING INDUSTRY....WRITTEN AT ITS PEAK, NOT AS A RETROSPECTIVE. HIS BOOKS WERE ROUGHLY FROM THE PERIOD OF THE HUNT VIA SCHOONER; YES, AND EVEN FOR WHALES LIKE THE GREAT WHITE, "MOBY DICK." HERMAN MELVILLE, WOULD HAVE BEEN DELIGHTED TO HAVE HAD ACCESS TO DAVE'S COLLECTION OF WHALING INDUSTRY OVERVIEWS.
WELL, AS I WROTE ABOUT SOME MONTHS AGO, WE ARE EMBARKING ON STAGE TWO OF OUR RE-ENTRY INTO ANTIQUARIAN AND COLLECTABLE BOOKS, FOR OUR SHOP IN UPTOWN GRAVENHURST. IF IT GOES AS WELL AS PHASE ONE, DAVE'S MEMORY WILL BE WELL HONORED, BY OUR LATEST FORAY INTO THE REALM OF OLD AND ANTIQUARIAN BOOKS. IF YOU WANT TO SLIP BACK INTO THE PAST, A FEW STEPS FROM THE PRESENT, YOU WILL FIND OUR HAUNTED BOOK SHOP A NICE ESCAPE FROM THE SAME OLD, SAME OLD, OF MODERN DAY RETAIL. WE DON'T PAY OUR GHOSTS. THEY HAUNT THE SHOP FOR FREE.
ONE YEAR AGO, SUZANNE AND I DECIDED TO BECOME SPECIALISTS IN VINTAGE AND OUT-OF-PRINT COOKBOOKS, AND COOKERY NOSTALGIA. I MAY HAVE MENTIONED, THAT WE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGING OURSELVES FROM THE BEGINNING OF MARRIED LIFE. WE ARE BOTH NOTORIOUS FUSS-POTS, AND ALTHOUGH WE OCCASIONALLY ENJOY A FEW STATUS QUO MOMENTS, AT BIRCH HOLLOW, LIFE ISN'T AS INTERESTING TO US, UNLESS WE HAVE A CHALLENGE TO FULFILL. OFTEN TIMES IT HAS NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH CAPITALISM, AND IS DONE FOR SHEER ENJOYMENT. WE DON'T WASTE TIME. EVEN WHEN SUZANNE IS KNITTING HER INVENTORY OF MITTENS, TOQUES AND SCARVES, SHE'S THINKING ABOUT PROJECTS ON THE PROVERBIAL BACK BURNER. I APPEAR TO BE NODDING OFF AT FIRESIDE, BUT ACTUALLY, I'M CONCOCTING SOME CUNNING PLAN TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD. MAYBE JUST GRAVENHURST COUNCIL. SO WHEN WE DECIDED A YEAR AGO THIS MONTH, TO BECOME ONE OF THE BIGGEST VINTAGE COOKBOOK SHOPS IN THE REGION, IT WAS TYPICALLY A DIFFICULT AND POTENTIALLY EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION. WHAT IT DEMANDED, FIRST OF ALL, WAS THE SINCERE BELIEF THAT IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO OUR CUSTOMERS, PRESENT AND FUTURE. WHY BUILD IT IF NO ONE WILL COME? SO WE TOOK OUR INSPIRATION FROM A COUPLE FROM MICHIGAN WHO HAD OPENED A SIMILAR SHOP, QUITE A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, AND HAD ENJOYED OUTSTANDING SUCCESS AND ACCEPTANCE FROM CHEFS AND FOODIES ALL OVER THE WORLD. SOME OF THEIR VINTAGE COOKBOOKS WENT BACK TO THE 1700'S, AND THEY POSSESSED MANY RARE AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE-TO-FIND TEXTS, OF ARCHIVE SIGNIFICANCE, ALL FOR THE BENEFIT OF THEIR LOYAL FOLLOWING. SO AS REGIONAL HISTORIANS TO BEGIN WITH, LONG TIME BIBLIOPHILES AND BOOK SELLERS, AS WELL AS BEING CAREER ANTIQUE HUNTERS AND GATHERERS, THE CHALLENGE FOR US WAS SLIGHTLY LESSENED BY THE FACT WE HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE ON-SIDE, TO MAKE THE MISSION A LITTLE MORE MAINSTREAM.....THAN IF SOMEONE WITH NO SERIOUS BACKGROUND, ALL OF A SUDDEN, DECIDED TO DO THE SAME THING. THERE ARE A MILLION PIT-FALLS IN BOTH ANTIQUARIAN BOOKS AND THE ANTIQUE TRADE, WHICH CAN BREAK THE BANK, IF YOU'RE NOT ASTUTE, AND A WILEY HORSE-TRADING HUSTLER, QUESTING HIGH AND LOW, FOR A GOOD PRICE ON MAJOR LOTS. ESTATE OFFERINGS AND SUCH. SO WE TOOK OUR ADVANTAGES, AND ALL THE LESSONS TAUGHT TO US BY DAVE BROWN, AND HIS FRIEND, ARCHIVIST HUGH MACMILLAN, (I OWN A SIGNED COPY OF HIS BOOK, ABOUT BEING A CAREER PAPER SLEUTH), AND SET ABOUT BUILDING THE FOUNDATION OF A LARGE FUTURE COOKBOOK COLLECTION. AFTER ONE YEAR, WHICH TRANSLATES TO ONLY ABOUT SIX MONTHS OF ACTIVE HUSTLING, BECAUSE WE COULDN'T TRAVEL MUCH BEYOUND MUSKOKA, FOR MOST OF THE EXTENDED TOURIST SEASON (BUSINESS WAS THAT GOOD), WE NOW HAVE A NUMBER OF MUSKOKA CHEFS SEEKING US OUT REGULARLY, MAKING WISH-LIST BOOK REQUESTS; AND WE'VE ENJOYED A MODEST PROSPERITY, SELLING OUT OF PRINT BOOKS TO KIN FOLK, OF THE MOTHERS AND GRANDMOTHERS, WHO USED TO HAVE SIMILAR KEEPSAKE BOOKS, IN THE KITCHENS OF THEIR YOUTH. THUS, SENTIMENTAL PURCHASES, OF THESE WONDERFUL OLD BOOKS, HAVE BEEN BRISK, ESPECIALLY SO FAR THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON. WE DON'T EXPECT TO HAVE THE COOKBOOK COLLECTION UP TO OUR STANDARD, OF THREE TO FIVE THOUSAND BOOKS, FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT WE HAVE EVERY REASON NOW, TO STICK WITH THIS PROJECT AS AN ENHANCEMENT FOR OUR OVERALL BUSINESS.....THAT HAS A HEAVY ART PROFILE.
WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE POINT OF THIS COLUMN. PHASE TWO. AT BIRCH HOLLOW, I RAN OUT OF SPACE WITH MY OLD BOOK COLLECTION. EVEN IN THE SPACIOUS ROOM WHERE DAVE USED TO SLEEP, DURING HIS MUSKOKA RETREATS, IT SUFFERED FROM ITS OWN POPULARITY AS AN ARCHIVES; LIKE THE INFILLING OF QUICKSAND, IT SOON BECAME A VISUALLY CORRUPTED QUAGMIRE OF BOOKS. IT WAS AT THIS SUMMIT, THIS BRINK OF BEING RIDICULOUSLY OVER-FILLED, THAT SUZANNE HANDED ME DAVE'S BOOK, (THE ONE I WROTE) ASKING ME TO FIND THE DIFFERENCE, BETWEEN HIS BIBLIOMANIA, AND MY OWN QUEST APPARENTLY, TO HAVE THE MOST BOOKS ON THE PLANET. AND IT WASN'T THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT TO CONSERVE THEM EITHER. SO WHEN WE OPENED OUR NEW SHOP, AT THE BACK OF THE BOYS' MUSIC BUSINESS, HERE IN THE FORMER MUSKOKA THEATRE BUILDING, I WAS ABLE TO RE-LOCATE ABOUT THREE THOUSAND OF MY BEST VINTAGE BOOKS, TO CASES AND TABLES IN WHAT SUZANNE REFERRED TO AS "MY ROOM." THIS MEANT, "TED'S CLUTTERED BOOK ROOM." LIKE THE ONE AT HOME. I KNEW THIS IS WHAT SHE WAS THINKING, EVERY TIME SHE ENTERED WITH A CUSTOMER, WHO COULDN'T FIND WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR, IN MY LESS THAN STELLAR APPROACH TO BOOK ORGANIZATION AND ORDER. ADMITTEDLY, I HAD TO YIELD TO THE EXPERIENCE OF THE RETIRED SCHOOL LIBRARIAN. IN EARLY SEPTEMBER, I ASKED HER IF SHE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN TAKING OVER RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ROOM, IN ORDER THAT I MIGHT DO MORE WRITING INSTEAD, AND MORE BOOK HUNTING OF WHICH I HAVE CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE. SHE AGREED, BECAUSE SHE COULD NO LONGER LIVE WITH A ROOM THAT LOOKED LIKE MY ARCHIVES AT HOME, AND HAS NOW CREATED A MUCH MORE ORGANIZED BOOK-ROOM, FOR OUR REGULAR BIBLIOPHILES TO BROWSE IN COMFORT.
IN RETURN, I HAVE BEEN CUT SOME SLACK, FROM IN-STORE WORK, IN ORDER THAT FOR ME TO SPEND A BIT MORE TIME OUT ON THE HUSTINGS, SLEUTHING FOR OLD BOOKS AND VINTAGE PAPER, OF WHICH I AM PARTICULARLY DRAWN. IT WAS AN HONOR FOR ME TO HAVE BEEN TUTORED BY HUGH MACMILLAN, WHO I CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DOCUMENT HUNTERS IN CANADA. HE WAS DOGGED IN HIS APPROACH, AND THE ARCHIVES OF CANADA ARE RICHER IN RESOURCES, THANKS TO HIS EFFORTS. HIS BOOK, "ADVENTURES OF A PAPER SLEUTH," IS MY INDUSTRY BIBLE, AND IT IS ON A SHELF HEARTHSIDE, DEDICATED TO THE BOOKS I USE MOST FREQUENTLY. DAVE BROWN'S BIOGRAPHY IS THE SECOND BOOK ON THE SAME SHELF. SO AFTER A PERIOD OF SELF-IMPOSED HIATUS, FROM ACTIVE OLD BOOK HUNTING, SUZANNE HAS GIVEN HER BLESSING TO MY RETURN TO ACTIVE SERVICE. THE DANGER, AS SHE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS IN THE PAST, IS THAT I WILL GO OVERBOARD, LIKE MY MENTOR DAVE BROWN....WHO ADMITTEDLY WAS A TAD OBSESSIVE ABOUT HIS BOOK COLLECTING. I WILL HAVE MORE STORIES ABOUT HUGH AND DAVE IN THE NEW YEAR, TO EXPLAIN, IN PART, WHAT I'M UP TO.....IN 2014, AND TO SHOW HOW MUCH I RESPECTED THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO BETTER UNDERSTANDING BOOK AND PAPER COLLECTING. I DON'T GO MANY DAYS WITHOUT THINKING OF THESE TWO HISTORICALLY INCLINED INDIVIDUALS, WHO USED TO BUNK HERE AT BIRCH HOLLOW.....IN EXCHANGE FOR SHARING THEIR STORIES ABOUT IMMERSION IN CANADIAN HERITAGE, OF WHICH BOTH WERE NECK DEEP MOST OF THE TIME. I WAS NEVER A GOOD STUDENT, IN SCHOOL, BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE TEACHERS LIKE THESE CHAPS. THEY MADE THE STUDY OF CANADIAN HERITAGE ADVENTURE-FILLED, AND EXCITING BEYOND ALL MY EXPECTATIONS.
THERE'S ONLY ONE PROBLEM. IT'S SORT OF LIKE A DRUG ADDICTION. THERE IS A THIN DIVIDING LINE, BETWEEN A BIBLIOPHILE, AND SUFFERING FROM BIBLIOMANIA. THE TRICK HERE, IS TO BUY FOR BOOK IMPORTANCE FIRST. THE PURPOSE IS TO THEN RE-SELL THE SAME BOOK, FOR A MODEST PROFIT. THE BIBLIOMANIA PART, IS WHEN IT BECOMES HARDER AND HARDER, TO SELL WHAT IS PURCHASED; THE MORE INTENSE THE PRE-OCCUPATION TO BOOKS, THE MORE UNHEALTHY THE PURSUIT. THE DREADED "H" WORD COMES INTO PLAY. "HOARDING." AS OPPOSED TO ACTUALLY SELLING WHAT WE NEED TO, IN ORDER TO TURN A PROFIT. IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME IN THE ANTIQUE BUSINESS, BUT OVER THE YEARS, I'VE FOUND SOME COPING MECHANISMS, TO PUT BUSINESS AHEAD OF HOARDING. SUZANNE AND I BOTH HAVE SET A NEW BAR, FOR WHAT WE CAN COLLECT FOR OURSELVES, AND KEEP AT HOME FOR ENJOYMENT; VERSUS WHAT HAS TO BE OFFERED TO CUSTOMERS AT OUR GRAVENHURST SHOP. WE'VE SOLD SOME IMPORTANT PIECES, AND RECENTLY, ONES THAT WE NEVER THOUGHT WE'D PART WITH. THE REASON WE COULD DO THIS, OTHER THAN ECONOMIC SURVIVAL, IS THAT WE HAVE REPLACEMENT PIECES THAT INTEREST US MORE, COMING-IN FAIRLY REGULARLY THESE DAYS. IT'S NOT QUITE THE SAME WITH BOOKS, BECAUSE THE AVAILABILITY OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TITLES, IS LESS ABUNDANT AND EASILY UNCOVERED IN OUR REGION. AND BECAUSE WE HAVE A STRICT POLICY ABOUT MODERATE PRICING, WE SIMPLY DECLINE BUYING ESTATES THAT WE BELIEVED ARE OVER-PRICED....SUCH THAT WE WOULD HAVE A FULL SHOP OF OLD BOOKS, BUT HAVE FEW CUSTOMERS TO BUY THEM.....BECAUSE OF THE PRICES WE WOULD HAVE TO CHARGE AS A RESULT. INSTEAD, WE PURSUE A LABOR INTENSIVE, BUT ENJOYABLE, "HUNT AND GATHER" THROUGHOUT MUSKOKA, HURONIA AND SIMCOE COUNTY, ACQUIRING, HAPPILY, ONE GOOD BOOK AT A TIME. WE PAY THE PRICE WE FIND ACCEPTABLE AND NOT A CENT MORE. IT DENIES US ACCESS TO SOME SOURCES, BUT STRANGELY ENOUGH, IT OPENS OTHER DOORS, TO FOLKS WHO JUST WANT TO CLEAR OUT WHAT A DECEASED RELATIVE COLLECTED TO EXCESS. WE CAN GET A LOT OF BOOKS FOR A SMALL PRICE, AND PASS THEM ON TO OUR BIBLIOPHILE CUSTOMERS, AT A GREATLY REDUCED PRICE. WE ALSO SELL LOTS OF BOOKS TO FOLKS WHO JUST HAPPEN TO SPOT A TITLE ON A SUBJECT OR STORY-LINE, THEY HAPPEN TO APPRECIATE....AND WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT. WE ALSO SELL QUITE A NUMBER OF BOOKS TO THOSE OF SENTIMENTAL HEARTS, WHO REMEMBER TITLES THEY HAD AS CHILDREN, OR THAT THEY USED TO SEE AT THEIR GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE ON VISITS. WE'RE JUST GLAD THESE DEAR OLD BOOKS FOUND A GOOD HOME AGAIN.
SO I WILL HAVE TO AVOID THE TRAPPINGS OF BEING AN OLD BOOK HUNTER, AND AN INTREPID PAPER SLEUTH, BY BEING REALISITC TO WHAT THE MARKETPLACE DESIRES. INSTEAD OF BUYING FOR MYSELF, BASED ON MY INTERESTS, I HAVE TO BE MORE CONCERNED NOW, ABOUT FINDING EVASIVE BOOKS THAT APPEAL TO A MUCH LARGER AUDIENCE. OUR SPECIALTY, AS IT HAS BEEN FOR MANY DECADES, IS TO OFFER MUSKOKA HISTORIES, AND REGIONAL CANADIANA. IT'S WHAT WE KNOW MOST ABOUT, AND FEEL COMFORTABLE BUYING IN VOLUME, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY REGULAR BUYERS, WHO ARE BUILDING CANADIANA COLLECTIONS AT HOME. WE LIKE TO THINK WE'VE CONTRIBUTED TO THE CREATION OF QUITE A FEW CANADIANA AND MUSKOKA LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES, IN THE PAST TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF BUSINESS. SO WITH ALL THIS IN MIND, AND A FEAR OF EVER RETURNING TO THE BIBLIOMANIA I ONCE SUFFERED, I HAVE REMADE MY PROFESSION WITH A MILDER FORM OF ZEAL, TO IMPROVE AND RE-BUILD OUR STAKE IN THE OLD BOOK PROFESSION, OF WHICH WE HAVE ACHIEVED CONSIDERABLE STANDING. AS OUR VINTAGE COOKBOOKS HAVE BEEN WELL RECEIVED, WITH ORDERS BEING SUBMITTED FOR OUT OF PRINT TEXTS, WE FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT A LARGER COMMITMENT TO ANTIQUARIAN AND COLLECTABLE BOOKS, WILL SERVE US WELL. I WON'T LIE TO YOU. IT'S A TOUGH ENTERPRISE, AND HIGHLY COMPETITIVE. I'VE ALSO WATCHED A NUMBER OF OLD BOOKS SHOPS FAIL, DUE TO MARKET DISINTEREST, SO SUZANNE AND I KNOW, THAT IN ORDER TO MAKE THE GRADE OF MODEST PROFITABILITY, WE MUST BE ABLE TO KEEP UP OUR STANDARD OF BUYING LOW, AND SELLING A LITTLE BIT ABOVE THIS. TO SOME IN THE OLD BOOK DOMAIN, THIS WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE. THESE ARE EXACTLY THE ODDS WE LIKE, THAT MAKE US MORE DETERMINED TO SUCCEED.
WOULD THE TOWN OF GRAVENHURST BE A GOOD PLACE FOR A HAUNTED BOOK SHOP? YOU BET! YOU'LL HAVE TO BUY THE BOOKS, BUT THE GHOSTS TENDING THEM, ARE FREE OF CHARGE. THEY MAY EVEN COME HOME WITH YOU, FOR THE PRICE OF A BOOK. COME AND SEE US IN THE NEW YEAR, IF YOU LIKE BOOKS. IF YOU LIKE ANTIQUES, WELL, WE'VE GOT THOSE AS WELL.
HOPE YOUR CHRISTMAS IS GOING WELL SO FAR.
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