Had to pick between a $5 paperback and a $30 hardcover of the same book at the flea market in Portland last weekend

I was at the big flea market on Foster Road and found two copies of the same history book about logging in the Pacific Northwest. One was a beat up paperback for 5 bucks, the other was a near mint hardcover for 30. I stood there for like 10 minutes turning them over. The paperback had some coffee stains and a torn page, but the hardcover looked like it was never even opened. I went with the hardcover because I figure I'll keep it longer and it's a topic I actually care about. Got it home and found a handwritten note from 1987 tucked inside about someone's first day at a mill. That alone made the extra 25 bucks worth it. Has anyone else found anything cool hidden in a used book?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_logan6d ago

Did a buddy find a 1950s polaroid of some lumberjack in a copy of "The Giving Tree" once, crazy stuff.

stellabennett11h ago

Wait, isn't that kind of the whole point though? The book is literally about a tree giving everything until there's nothing left, and that lumberjack photo just makes it more real. I mean, maybe it's just me but that actually makes the story hit harder.