I started a blog of this name in 2006, which turned into a monthly column in Book and Magazine Collector. As the name suggests it was written to encourage book-lovers to take a different approach to building up a collection. There are millions of old books out there, and many are far more interesting than the same old titles and themes trotted out by established authorities like… well, Book and Magazine Collector, for one.
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Gay Love; or, OZ Magazine Leads The Way
13th February 2017Rip it up and start again? My generation had our hopes and opinions forged in the crucible of punk rock. We thought we invented anti-establishment but unfortunately it turns out a load of hippies got there first. OZ magazine was…
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The Ultimate Bibliomystery; or, Death Of A Bookseller.
12th February 2017Bernard J. Farmer wrote ‘The Gentle Art of Book Collecting’ but in this take on the subject he reveals the sordid truth of the matter. Farmer was a policeman, a collector and later an author. I first saw this marked…
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The Letter B; or, Book Collecting
11th February 2017A beautiful gilt binding, yes – and look at that letter ‘B’! It’s in my logo and I had it adapted from this book. Slater writes very knowledgeably about the technical anatomy of books and also the foibles of collectors….
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Bar Broad; or, A Lush For Lust.
10th February 2017Now I don’t know what you’re expecting here but as I’ve got your attention there are two points I’d like to look at. Firstly this is a PBO – a paperback original, the first edition being this paperback rather than a…
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Not Actually Forbidden Love; or, For Women Only.
9th February 2017‘For Women Only’ claims the title, and as it was published in 1969 I suppose anything was possible. The come-on text on the cover must have had the publishers rolling over the desks with laughter – but that’s where the…