So you know there’s a problem when you go into a library sale and the following happen.
1. Have the romance along the back wall.
2. Have it labeled for sale:
10 for $1.00
“Bodice-Ripper”
Harlequin Style
Romance Only
3. Put Nora Roberts with General Fiction
4. Proceed to attempt to argue with Syb that a Blaze counts as not a Romance.
5. The conversation goes as follows:
Syb: OK so I divided these up. There’s $4.00 in Romance.
Volunteer that doesn’t know books: Oh well some of these aren’t Romance. This one, this one. . .
Syb: Well I was going by what it says on the spine here.
Volunteer: Oh, yes I see. ~picks of Nora Roberts~ though these aren’t Romance. Every book has romance in it no matter what, you know.
Syb: But it says Romance. ~points to the world Romance under the Harlequin symbol~ Right here.
Volunteer: Oh, ok I guess we can go by that. Ok.
6. The dazed and possibly senile woman taking the money doesn’t seem to be able to take the money.
Yep, that happened today. No joke. And Syb is beating herself up too ’cause I didn’t convince her on the spot to buy some early J. D. Robb because she has to have a copy of every romance ever published. Whether she reads them or not is not the point, she has to own them. But that’s why she’s all goodness and light to me. 🙂
1. My library doesn’t sell romances at their library sale, they have a romance paperback swap section of the library that is absolutely pitiful.
2. “Bodice Ripper” — nice
3. Nora Roberts in general fiction, not shocking. We know she writes romance, but the general public that doesn’t read romance doesn’t know they’re romance.
4., 5., and 6. Were you trying to confuse the poor old woman?
Ok lawson leaves out a lot here… hmph
First off I was way annoyed by the sign and did ask, same said chick who later tried to argue with me (and I did have the NR in the pile of ‘fiction’ except the harlequins – cuz hello!)
I asked her what the pricing was, I tend to just throw books in a box as I go along and stop later and try to think if I have a home for it, need for it or if it is new and should go to my favorite ubs.
So I asked and she pointed to said sign. To which I answered “OK, aside from the fact the term “bodice-ripper” is offensive in and of itself, what do you mean by it. It is pretty broad term and could mean a lot. Under it you say ‘harlequin style’ are you trying to say Category Romance only? Or do you mean only lines that are labeled Romance?”
To which I get a blank stare, a well yes, uh no, well…
So I point to the books along that wall, “ok, would it be correct to say this would be ‘romance'” To which she dumbly nodded… we then hand her a box that was all steeple hill, I tell her it is $4 and ask if she would mind putting it up front for me with my name.
I figured it was taking a box out of their way, score, and stop looking at me like that they are for my grandmother. Hmmm although now that I think about it do they even SAY romance?
She counts them again, marks them and goes to hand it back to me. I again ask if she could take it up front or if I could (I meaning lawson 😉 ) and get the blank look again. And a OH sure.
So we go along happily tossing in books, we hit the Robb box, and I wonder if I should get them since I do think I will read them one day. Lawson makes the comment, when? And there is the fact you think you need to own every romance printed.
SO NOT TRUE. hmph, I decide nah, no time and the amount of them scares me and fuck where would I put them? Then I member I thought a few were HTF… which means yes sybil needs them. I am not well, leave me alone.
We decide to call Gwen for she knows all. Sadly the whore wasn’t home. sniff, so I decide to call Jane and some other chick comes along does a double take and starts gleefully throwing them in her bag. Now I honestly think sqqquueeing overrides my want to have books I can’t find. Toss my phone back in my purse and then sqquuee when I notice one of the books in front of me is by Lisa Gregory. So whoever donated all the JD Robb books seemed to be cleaning house. I WANT RAINBOW SEASON, damn it and explain this to a lawson who is looking at me like I may need to be put away. So off we go, I hand a few Robbs to the chick one she didn’t need and she is caught off guard I even knew what she was doing.
She then starts to help look for Lisa G too, sniff the friends one makes at a library sale. I find a SEP and say shit. This is something that often happens, and explain my woe of throwing out a copy of Glitter Baby all because the pages were coming apart.
Sadly neither book was found. But I did buy Solitaire even though I think it has been reissued under Candace Camp (who btw should have a day or interview coming up here at some point).
So then I started going through the book and tossing the books I didn’t want and putting aside some that WERE ROMANCE but said fiction. Because it is a library sale and they need money. So I don’t mind donating it… to a point. All in all we spent about 14 bucks, she didn’t argue too much and lawson didn’t even have to warn her I was close to exploding in general and it wouldn’t be wise to fuck with me at that point.
The woman at the counter though… omg… the fact they were letting her TAKE CASH is beyond me. I had to tell her there was money in her hand I had just given to her to pay. And she sort of nodded and just looked at us like ok, pay me.
hee good times *g*
Heh, those ladies were all so clueless. Or wanting to charge an arm and a leg for things they shouldn’t be.
And you do so need to own every romance ever printed. I’ve been to your apt remember. . . 😉
All the more reasons to volunteer at library sales. You know–so the books would be priced right, categoried right (I made up that word),and the cash drawer isn’t too out of whack. And it’s all for a good cause! So some people can own every romance ever printed.
LOL Nikki I keep saying I am gonna join cuz dude they get first pick too *g*