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Ad Rates / Articles / Classified Ads / Editorial / Home / Links / Showtime   Antiques and Collectibles Articles   Follow the arrows to other stories Bibliophile gone mad -100,000 books in a bungalow   By Ted Currie My wife and I spent our honeymoon at Virginia's Colonial Williamsburg. I spent a majority of that time in the printing office as you might expect of a bibliophile. Dave Brown and his new bride spent their honeymoon haunting the historic sites of Gettysburg. Then he found the old book shops. Not the best way to start a marriage.   The rest is the history of two wild and crazy book collectors and marriage on the rocks. It has been stated by some of the great legends of print, that once you get "printer's ink" in the blood, you're going to be a writer, reader or bibliophile no matter what.   After my book chum's demise, I was pretty confused about whether the tutor had been of sound mind or not, for all those years of my apprenticeship.   The executors of his estate were forced to remove all the books from the first floor of his Hamilton bungalow because the meaty texts stacked in the basement were literally holding up the floor joist. They found this out after removing one of the "load bearing" stacks, and hearing the creak and groan of the floor's unanticipated adjustment downward.   It is said he had within a hair's breadth of 100,000 books at the time of his death, stuffed into a way-too-small abode. The well-known Hamilton outdoor educator, summer camp instructor and legendary bibliophile, became a mentor for the best half decade of my life.   While I learned more about collecting antiquarian books and documents, than from anyone else, I also picked up a few obsessive-compulsive traits by association. How does something like that happen, you might ask?   Many antique and collecting enthusiasts continually hover over the defining line between sensible buying and reckless endangerment. It often happens subtly, and over decades of adding to a collection. Dave never gave any of us close to him the impression he had a house full of books.   I did suspect there was a problem however, when one day he complained about having to replace his aged refrigerator. I asked him why that was such a problem, because I knew he wasn't suffering for funds.   "Well, Ted, in order to get it out of the kitchen, I'll have to move about 3,000 books that are in the way." Toward the end of his life he was spending most of his money on books, and wouldn't even take a small portion of his earnings to fix the faulty plumbing or upgrade his house.   When it gets to this stage, it's hard to restore sensibility to what had begun as a general interest in the subject matter of old and enduring books.   The reason I often bring up Dave's life and excesses, (I was also his biographer), is many of us do suffer from a similar obsession but refuse to admit it as a problem. For example, in the early part of June this year, I attended an auction in Gravenhurst, when I should have been working on spring fix-it projects around the old homestead. I dragged my wife and son to the sale, and in under three hours had spent half a grand and filled yet another large van with antiquities.   While this shouldn't have been a problem for the antique professional, it is indeed a conundrum when inventory surpasses space tenfold. Again!   "What's the matter with you?" asks my wife. "Where are you going to put all this stuff?" "We'll find a space dear, don't worry." I respond, as Dave once told his wife at the 30,000 book mark of his hobby. She left him shortly after, when the piles of books dominated every open space.   "You're not like Dave Brown, you're the spitting image," my partner reminded, as the van appeared ready to tear in two from excess wares.   Suzanne pointed out the problem of my sculpted piles of books, leaning to yonder horizon, and the reality the only open space in our house, other than a narrow interconnecting path east to west, is in the kitchen.   This intervention by just one non-cookbook, would surely mean a similar marital situation as Dave Brown experienced. When he was asked whether he wanted a wife or the company of a good book(s), Dave chose a lifestyle of limitless collecting. I'm not going that way, at least on purpose.   Auction ploy: book him Dave fell into the collecting obsession largely based on his competitive character. He would set up challenges at auctions and estate sales, with people he believed were going to bid-up, or snatch-up the books he was interested in acquiring. He loved to manipulate sale hosts and auctioneers, and earned a reputation as the "artful dodger" when it came to doing anything according to Hoyle.   On one occasion he wanted a single "stacked" box of books at an auction, in amongst 20 others full to overflowing. He and the local historical society waged a war for several hours, sorting and establishing "target" boxes, of the most desired books. If the auctioneer was to sell the boxes "on choice," either Brownie or the Society folks could pick out the jewel of the lot easily, and leave the rest of the boxes barren of anything historic.   As was his trait, after about the ninth time of re-adjusting the books to suit his interests, and causing great chagrin to the Society dabblers, he waited for the group to drift off toward the refreshment counter. Dave went to the auctioneer and asked if he would mind putting the books up for sale as soon as possible. He trumped up a story about having to leave the sale for another engagement.   When the historical society came back to the auction mainstream, they saw the last of the books being loaded into Dave's truck. "Hey, what are you doing with the books," one bellowed. "I'm taking my books home," he chortled with a trademark smile and wobble of chin, much like a character penned by Dickens himself.   I don't subscribe to Dave's collecting methodology, and as a wide-eyed student I frequently had to veer to a less aggressive, less intrusive plan of action. I have always been concerned about my reputation as a dealer, and his argument was, "I'm a collector..I don't care if they don't like me."   At times we all have to question whether or not our collecting interests are within or out of bounds. As someone who is now tightly wedged between 500 titles of Canadiana and art histories, and wobbling another 300 biographies to my right, I'm owning up to being a tad overwhelmed.   I'm at that same crossroads where blues legend Robert Johnson made a pact with the devil. Making that all important choice between a future as a responsible collector-dealer, or being the clone of my former tutor Miles David Brown. Only time will tell. I'll let you know how it all works out. First, I've got to figure out how to sneak a few more books past the sentry. Wish me luck.   I am delighted to have been asked to continue a column in the Wayback Times, and hope you will help support the new management team and their mission to bring you a high quality publication, continuing a wonderful tradition commenced by my friend and antique collecting colleague, Jay Telfer.   Until we meet again. Good collecting to you!   Other articles by Ted Currie   Regional book collecting Books on local history Books at auction Christmas traditions       Return to top of page   This Is Livin' Publishing © 2007 581 8th Line West, RR1 Hastings, ON, K0L 1Y0 Phone/Fax: 705-696-1833   webmaster