leo107•1d ago

Picked up 'The Forgotten Door' by Alexander Key for a quarter at a garage sale in Akron... then had to decide between keeping it or trading it to a collector for a first edition of a newer book

So I'm flipping through a box of old kids books at this sale last summer. Found this beat up copy of The Forgotten Door, cover is barely hanging on, pages all yellow. I remembered reading it as a kid and loved it. But this guy next to me noticed it and offered to trade me a first edition of something else I'd never heard of. Said his copy was worth way more. I stood there for like 5 minutes holding both books. Ended up keeping the Door because it felt wrong to let it go. Read it to my daughter that night and she actually liked it. Anyone else ever get stuck between what's valuable and what means something to you?

2 comments

2 Comments

lisa_brown1d ago

Honestly same, used to always go for value but this post changed my mind lol.

sethp261d ago

Wouldn't the collector's first edition be worth less in the long run if nobody bothered to read it and wear it down like a well-loved book should be? Sounds like you picked the one that actually had its job done right.