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Catalog 264 – August 2023 – fresh summer stock

img794 Click here to read Catalog 264. well, file last updated May 23 – it’s august 1 – back to mostly pamphlets, some books, broadsides – plenty of new stock from recent shows, ephemera from Maine estate, and a visit to the Reese Co warehouse being emptied – spring and summer have offered new norm of whacky weathers – mostly we’ve had too much rain – garden is a disaster and cellar not much better – few sweltering days, currently lovely cooler stretch – should not have paid attention to pea package which promised 4-5’ vines – they hit 8’, flopped over into major mess – potatoes not looking happy with water – good bed of salad greens – root crops mostly leaf, little root – picking collards – broccoli all stalks and greens, few heads – tomato blight took year off but it’s back – some expired – planted many outside fence thinking deer would not eat – they showed me – eggplant persevere after flea beetle damage – few pepper plants failed to thrive – rest limp along – been picking romano beans, yellow squash, zucchini – cucumber vines starting to wilt – garlic looking solid – turned my back and onions got overgrown with weeds – corn happy so far – first pack basil seeds didn’t germinate – just planted seedlings from round 2 – saw infectious diseases specialist who ruled out lyme, so back to long COVID – symptoms seem worse, enhanced with bout of insomnia – have a carpenter undoing some years of home neglect by yours truly – nice to get work done – shame to redo work done not that long ago – your friendly bookseller a septuagenarian by time you read – early brunch with siblings, spouses and longtime dear friend edie brown last Sunday – baby shower for Zach and Lauren in few weeks – then summer papermania in Hartford – so here’s catalog 264– off to Eagle for hard copies and PDF distribution – sent with hopes you’ll be sufficiently seduced – at your service – peter

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Catalogs

Catalog 263 – June 2023 – big book backlog

Click here to read Catalog 263.
well, file last updated March 2 – it’s may 23 – last two having binged on ephemera, bookshelves went full to bursting – Samuel Chamberlain collection bought over a year ago – variety pack from Capen family house in Monson – agriculture, architecture, camping, education – longtime customer’s parents house in Pawtucket – mom taught fashion and marketing at Community College of Rhode Island, dad ran Outlet Store in Providence – more deaccessioned cookery – curious clutch of British military unit histories – larded with miscellany of books sourced variously, not cataloged for wanting repair or research, some can’t recall why – meanwhile the world turns – burned last of firewood not so many days ago – after achieving ninety degrees for a few days – cross-country skis put away – garden tools fetched – plot rototilled, manure hauled, composts turned – much time and money to add 2’ chicken wire along base of wire grid fence to hopefully avoid last summer’s bunny feasting – peas up, potatoes planted, onions, beds of salad greens, turnips, beets, carrots seeded – collard and broccoli seedlings transplanted – Memorial Day on deck – traditional time to plant tomatoes, peppers, other sensitive stuff – thought low-grade symptoms over winter maybe long COVID, seems instead coincidental Lyme infection, so medicating – third time ‘round – highly not recommended – mild winter and ticks abound – zach and lauren visited in April – shared welcome news they expect baby in October – could be a whole new life phase – have yet to hear bad word of grandparenting – cleared spring fair hurdles – will set up at Paper Town in Boxboro early June and Papermania in Hartford in August – hopefully tackle recent ephemera and book acquisitions in between – off to Eagle for hard copies and PDF distribution – sent with hopes you’ll be sufficiently seduced – at your service – peter
cover: item 255

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Catalog 262 – March, 2023 – dumpster-diving history’s scrapheap!

img758 Click here to read catalog.

well, file last updated February 2 – it’s march – binge-city here mostly inspired by need for fresh stock for Ephemera 43, March 18-19, hyatt regency, old Greenwich, CT – we’ll be in our usual space back of the bus – not much news besides forced marches at laptop – woodpiles continue to dwindle – down with cold last week – decent snowfall few days ago – few days cross-country in montague plains – it’s 40 today – less rain than threatened – maybe more snow tomorrow – herein more pamphlets, broadsides, few books – tackled few accumulated piles – atom bomb, atomic power, more from Connecticut lot, national parks – mixed with more usual fare – sent with  hopes you’ll be sufficiently amused to acquire –

at your service –

peter

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Catalog 261, February 2023: fresh stumbles through the scrapheap!

Click here for Catalog 261

well, file last updated November 2022 – it’s whole new year – garden under thin crusty snowcover – basic new England weather platter – maybe more rain than snow, but few modest snowfalls – enough for 2 installments of cross-country skiing – mostly montague plains – short commute – some serious temperature swings – coldest few to date on deck for the weekend – survived fall fairs and papermania in January – thanksgiving at sister’s in westwood – traditional Christmas tree cutting, decorating, gifting here with edie – Christmas day at brother’s in Amesbury – zach and lauren spent Christmas with her family then flew to Israel for five days, five more in morocco – woodstove-centric life here – probably burned through two of four cords – lapswimming at Hampshire athletic club snowless days – we’ll be selling at ephemera 43, march 18 & 19, hyatt regency, old Greenwich, ct – this year’s conference focus is travel – herein we’ve focused on accumulations of various aspects of travel – automotive, hotels, destinations, world fairs, menus, viewbooks – as well as much recently acquired ephemera relating to Connecticut – leavened with more usual fare – off to eagle for hard copies and PDF distribution – sent with best wishes for year ahead and hopes you’ll be sufficiently amused to acquire – cover item: 155 – at your service – peter

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Catalog 260 – fallen leaves from scrapheap of history

Click here to read Catalog 260 PDF.

well, file last updated September – it’s early November – garden reduced to some hardy greens, mustard, turnip, broccoli raab, cilantro – first frost few weeks ago –  mostly mild, wet fall – pulled final tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, corn – cleanup time – heating season underway – woodstove-centric life – laptop cataloging, dining table, reading chair all nearby – Halloween in montague seven-ring circus, haunted houses, storyteller, kiddie train, blazing cauldron, several sorts live music, barbecue, jack-o-lanterns, tons of trick-or-treaters in latest character crazes – passed out peck of candy – few fall fairs been here an’ gone – pretty productive purchasing – Boston on deck and Northampton in December  – herein bit unusual masi mix – montague library deaccessioned civil and Spanish-american war regimentals – significant collection of early cookery – chef’s collection of menus and paul bocuse new year greetings – many dye swatch folders – leavened with more usual fare –- sent with best wishes for coming holidays and new year ahead, thanks for all your past commerce and hopes you’ll be sufficiently amused to acquire – at your service –

peter

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Catalog 258. Summer stock.

Cover image, Catalog 258Click here to read catalog-258

well, file last updated just over month ago – been a bit of a binge on my end – inspired by upcoming ephemera show where we will have a booth – plus usual critical mess of material awaiting cataloger attention – much has been put on hold – housekeeping most evidently – and it will be a tight squeeze – but here it is – things happen quickly these days – Ukraine has displaced the virus above the fold – rare opportunity for western unity – virus number headed south hopefully for good – basic new England weather platter – bit of snow few weeks ago – got in few days of cross-country – today near sixty degrees – tomorrow rain – firewood down by over half but plenty on deck – last of apples in latest pan of apple crunch – some onions and potatoes still in storage – even a pumpkin – bit of pesto in freezer, maybe a jar of pickles – been swimming at Hampshire athletic club, jogging over taylor hill, even few bike rides for exercise and fresh air – zach and fiancée lauren planning july 1 wedding in lansing, ny – edie finally closed on sale of owl pen books – new owners young couple from southern California with no experience as booksellers – boot camp time – edie plans to sell online from home – fair season for yours truly – 3 in a row – Ephemera 42, march 19-20, hyatt regency, old Greenwich – paper town, april 16, Boxboro regency hotel, boxborough, ma – Allentown paper show, april 30-may1, Allentown fairgrounds, Allentown, pa – masi mix 257 in hand – predominantly pamphlets, broadsides – bit strong on architecture, books about books, cooking, travel, textiles, some more dye books, bit of politics – odds’n’sods – hopefully just the thing for you

at your service

– peter