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October 4, 2014

On Having a Love for Vintage Books



A world without books is unfathomable to me (an avid lifelong bookworm), just as I know it is for my very dear friend and fellow vintage blogger, Inky, who shone the spotlight on her deeply rooted passion for vintage books in her wonderful guest post today.

For many who are both bibliophiles and vintage fans, combining these two passions is as natural as drawing breath, and such is definitely the case for the endlessly lovely, Inky, who frequent posts about the books (old school and contemporary alike) that she reads on her site. As someone who is never without at least a couple of books on the go and an ever expanding collection of vintage titles on my shelves, this post is that's entirely after my own heart and I sincerely want to thank Inky for penning it for Chronically Vintage while Tony and I are enjoying the tail end of our splendid trip to Vancouver Island.


   



Hi everyone, I'm Inky from On Shoes and Ships and Sealing-Wax! First of all, I want to thank lovely Jessica for having me do a guest post today, I feel so honored to have been invited! When Jessica asked me to do this one of the first things that came to mind, knowing that we both enjoy reading, was the topic of vintage and antique books.




While I love vintage in general, for me there’s something special about vintage books and, unlike dresses or jewelry, I feel like we get to know just a little bit more about the former owner. In many cases, names grace the inside covers written in perfect cursive or a childish scribble. Some come with things tucked inside them. Letters, receipts, newspaper clippings, each telling us something about the person and the time they were from.




Often you find a new friend in these books. They may have been long abandoned by publishers in exchange for newer more popular titles, but someone treasured them enough to keep them over time. Several such books I’ve picked up have become favorites, such as a Soap Behind the Ears by Cornelia Otis Skinner and Rich Girl, Poor Girl by Ruth Dewey Groves both which delighted me to no end.




Some of my books are for more practical purposes, while others I’ve bought on a whim having taken a fancy to the lovely illustrations or an amusing first line. Others still, have made their way into my collection just because I loved the book to begin with and was thrilled to find an older copy, such as with many a fairy tale book.




I adore how you can learn so much about the time period in which they were written whether it be through the style of the writing, the details in the book itself, or, if it’s non-fiction, the way the information is presented. Each offering a great way for us to take a peek into the past and a look at the way they perceived what was going on in the world around them.







From an early age I’ve had a love for these books starting with a handful from my parents’ childhood and with the Nancy Drew and Judy Bolton books that belonged to my grandmother and great-aunts. In no way has this love lessened over the years and I’m sure it will only continue to grow.




Thanks again for having me, Jessica, and thank you Chronically Vintage readers for reading what I have to say about vintage books!


♥ Inky

15 comments:

  1. The first vintage item I collected as a child was vintage books. I used to love to go to a store the Owl Pen near where I grew up and by vintage books I stillhave them all displayed over 25 years later
    retro rover

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  2. I really enjoyed your post. I have many old books and have enjoyed them all.

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  3. I collect vintage books, mostly school and adventure stories from pre WWII. I always wonder about the people who have written their names in the books; where are they now? Why did they give their books away? Do they miss having them? I sometimes wonder where they will end up once I have gone. I hope vintage booklovers still exist in the future, in spite of technology.

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  4. I LOVE vintage books! Almost as much as I enjoy vintage clothing :)

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  5. Oh yes! I love vintage clothes, but my tastes change a bit here and there, and things come and go from my closet. But my old books can stick around forever. Last year, I found the books When Patty Went to College and Just Patty, by Jean Webster, who wrote Daddy Long Legs. I hadn't ever heard of them, but I loved them, and how progressive they were for the time (early 20th century.) I'm always on the lookout for little literary treasures.

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  6. I also love vintage books, or all kinds of books. And there is no size problem with vintage books. ;)

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  7. Oh my. I adore vintage books. Especially childrens with great illustrations.
    I love to read them also especially Antique ones. The way folks conducted themselves back there really is very, very different then now.
    I sometimes try to find the people online that are written in the old school books.
    Not to contact them of course but just to see what happened to them. I have discovered quite a bit of interesting history. Nice blog post.

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  8. I just love books and vintage fashion and craft books are absolutely my fav!
    http://balearaitzart.blogspot.com.au/

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  9. I liked seeing your vintage books, I collect them too. I love finding ones with inscriptions in, I like that personal connection to the past.

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  10. I usually do not buy vintage books. Where I live its humid and they fall apart so easily that I have slowly shied away from it. However I have to admit that I do have quite a few specialising on the Panama canal, most from the early 1900s. I love it when I have just bought them and when reading it find something from the previous owner. One of my most interesting finds was an insurance document from 1907.

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  11. What a great post! I loved Nancy Drew! I love Vintage books too, especially the needle craft books - I have a machine embroidery book dating from 1961! I also have a needle craft book that contains so much - from lingerie to lace making I believe it may be published in the 1930's. There are techniques covered that have simply disappeared - as a reference tool its invaluable.

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  12. What a lovely post, I enjoy collecting vintage crafting (knitting, sewing, embroidery) and cook books. Thank you for sharing your love of vintage books with us.

    She Knits in Pearls

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  13. I love Inky and think she's such a wonderful young lady and I love the topic she chose! I can resonate with this on so many levels, as a bookworm, writer, and vintage/rockabilly enthusiast. There is something special about antique and vintage books! Great post, Inky!

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  14. I loved Nancy Drew too! I have a lovely collection of vintage books - specialising in career girls books of the 40s, 50s & 60s such as "Sara Gay - Model Girl", "Sally Baxter - Girl Reporter", etc. etc. :)

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  15. Thank you all so much for your lovely comments! I loved reading what you all had to say about your own collections of vintage books! :)

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