Bargaining is something I am not very good at. In fact, it is one among a long list of things I cannot do without breaking into a sweat. But bargaining is perhaps somewhere at the top of the list. It is something I am trying to master by making sporadic attempts that usually end in failure. However, on some days I surprise myself. Last Sunday turned out to be one such day when my uncertain bargaining skills yielded two good books.
Normally I don’t like to bargain with the booksellers at Abids. I like to think they are doing a great service bringing good books to our notice. I don’t grudge them the small profit they make on the books. After all, they have to make a living. I don’t expect them to buy personal jets on the profits they make on the books. So I pay them whatever they ask and if they reduce a bit I am more than happy.
But when I bargain I try not to lose. That way I landed the first book which was ‘The Art of T.S. Eliot by Helen Gardner which the guy quoted for seventy rupees. I told him I was not prepared to pay a rupee more than twenty five rupees. He asked me to quote a second price. I didn’t. So when he put the book in my hands saying it was mine I was more than surprised.
The second find was in a ten rupee heap. It was ‘Bachelor Brothers’ Bed & Breakfast’ by Bill Richardson. It seemed to be connected with books as the blurb on the cover showed a quote from Publisher’s Weekly- ‘This quiet charmer is a bibliophile’s delight’ which seemed a good enough reason to pick it up.
The third and last find was a book I had seen a couple of weeks back. It was a book that was reviewed in ‘The Literary Review’ of the ‘The Hindu’ last year. I hadn’t forgotten the review and I don’t know why but the title stuck in my mind. It was Helene Hanff’s ’84, Charing Cross Road which, as the blurb at the back said- ‘ a must for all who worship books’. But I had to bargain for it. The starting price was seventy rupees but I got it for less than half that amount- thirty rupees.
Here's the review in 'Literary Review' - http://http://www.hindu.com/lr/2007/06/03/stories/2007060350480500.htm
That way I ended up with three more books on Sunday.
2 comments:
I was searching for the address of M.R.Book store in Google and stumbled upon your blog.
I was suprised to note that there were no comments on many of your pages.
Hope you don't mind my comments.
What made me write the comment is my fondness of "84 Charing Cross Road". The book is superb and the movie too was enjoyable.
Though I am older by decades, I too like to browse old books and buy them too.. But sometimes being a female and elderly makes it a little difficult to roam Abids footpaths. So I usually go to Lakdi-ka-pul , the book store near that petrol bunk.
Many times I visit second hand books tores in Bangalore due to my son's enthusuiasm for the store :-)
I have some books which I want to dispose off, ( very few in fact). I would like to give to someone who is interested in them. I would clear up the attic one of these days and list the books.
I took the liberty of writing , since I am a fellow Hyderabadi and slo feel the same way about the traffic as you do.
Happy reading and God bless
Thanks, Vetrimagal.
Yes, not many leave comments here because not many read my blog except a select few. I too drop in frequently at the bookstore you mention. I hope you got MR's address. They have three branches. And I really did not know 84 CCR was made into a movie.
But thanks again. Keep reading the blog. You too have a bilingual ice blog! I could read only the English posts.
Vinod
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