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.
However, none were reprinted after that.
The only way one could then be obtained was through e-bay.
The last quote I knew about was the cost of obtaining one through e-bay 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.
Many of those who wrote various chapters are no longer with us and the rest of us have gotten considerably older. As one writer said recently, “thank heavens we wrote that when we did. I’m surprised how many times I have to refer to that history book for certain facts I wrote 38 years ago but couldn’t remember today.”
We made sure there are two copies in all four public libraries – one to never be checked out and one that could be.
The book covers county history from 1822, a year after we were formed, to 1971, when these same folks put together the county’s 150 birthday.
I may be a little prejudiced but I really think pursuing it is more than worth your while.
