I always seem to be on the short end of the stick. If I want to buy something special for a family member, they have just sold the last one.
I’m allergic to a number of perfume scents, and when I find one I can tolerate, and the bottle runs out, it seems they no longer make it. I can search from store to store, not a bottle can be found anywhere.
This lot in life also seems to apply to any book I am associated with.
In 1977 a number of other Fayette Countians and myself put together the first history book on our county. We, meaning the Fayette County Historical Society, published that first printing at $19 per book.
I think I remember it cost us $11 to print and we were comfortable with that figure. There was a second and a third printing, and of course, our cost to print would go up with each new edition. I believe the third edition was sold at $40 per book.
For some reason, those in authority did not reprint any after that.
The only way one could then be obtained was through eBay.
The last quote I knew about was the cost of obtaining one through eBay and it was over $110. Each. When my children heard this, they wondered how much they could get for their first edition — it’s autographed.
I have such thoughtful children.
In 2004 I wrote a book on a Confederate soldier from Coweta County, who was hanged at the end of the War Between The States. I sell the book at $20, and have autographed each one to the purchaser.
Several weeks ago someone called and asked if I had any more books on hand. I do, and the price is still $20.
When he arrived he informed me he first tried to see if any were available on eBay. They evidently had one and it was $80. He asked me if I made any money from those sold on eBay.
You can guess the answer. Nope.
I just paid my car insurance. How is it that each year your car is a year older, and yet your car insurance is $10 higher than it was this time last year. Hmmm.
Things I wish people would remember: when I moved to Fayetteville in 1966, there were 8,000 folks already here. I somehow figured out that 7,000 of those were native Fayette Countians. I got to know many of them and even what their mother’s maiden name was.
We were truly a family and I worked very hard to fit in and no longer be somewhat shunned because I was a Yankee.
I asked around as to what could I could do to help, joined a homemaking club to really get the feel of “country” living. I was reared in a small industrial town in Ohio.’
Now there are 106,000 folks living here and they come with their hand out demanding this and demanding that.
After 46 years here, I consider myself one of the native-born. We are still family and as always, we look around and quietly see who might need some help. We’ve never demanded anything but mutual respect.
[Carolyn Cary is the official Fayette County historian and the editor of the county’s first compiled history, “The History of Fayette County,” published in 1977. She lives in Fayetteville.]
