And it’s all worthless

by

Ten o’clock in the morning. Dina is in into her second coffee contemplating a new collage. The sun peeks lazily through the curtains when Selma suddenly breaks the peaceful silence with an energetic shout:
“Food’s coming!”
This is the unmistakable signal that the supermarket delivery truck is carefully rolling along our hedge —the modern equivalent of the milkman of days gone by. But instead of milk and bread, today it brings us rollmops, capers, bread, liquor, and beer. (There’s no denying a certain prioritization here.) We gather in the kitchen, curious, full of anticipation, and slightly chaotic.

Zehn Uhr morgens. Dina ist bei ihrem zweiten Kaffee und beäugt ihre neue Kollage. Die Sonne blinzelt träge durch die Gardinen, als Selma plötzlich mit einem energischen Ruf die friedliche Stille durchbricht:
„Essen kommt!“
Das ist das untrügliche Signal, dass der Lieferwagen des Supermarkts vorsichtig entlang unserer Hecke rollt – das moderne Äquivalent zum Milchmann vergangener Tage. Doch anstelle von Milch und Brot bringt er uns heute Rollmops, Kapern, Brot, Schnaps und Bier. (Eine gewisse Prioritätensetzung lässt sich dabei nicht leugnen.) Wir versammeln uns in der Küche neugierig, voller Vorfreude und leicht chaotisch.

One side of the hall, quickly captured by Selma with her FairyPhone

The driver, Paul, a friendly young man with a well-groomed beard and the firm grip of a delivery man, carries the boxes through our hallway. His gaze wanders over our bookshelves — brimming with English ghost stories, philosophy, classics, and all kinds of literary treasures.
Then he stops, shakes his head thoughtfully, and says:
“Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many books in one house!”
When he reaches our kitchen, where we have more bookshelves, he exclaims in amazement:
“I can’t believe it!”
Selma: “You haven’t seen our library yet.” She leads the bewildered Paul. He stands there for a long time, taking it all in and saying nothing. Then he turns around, looks at us almost pityingly, and says:
“Isn’t it a pity, it’s all worthless.”

Der Fahrer, Paul, ein freundlicher junger Mann mit gepflegtem Bart und dem festen Griff eines Lieferanten, trägt die Kisten durch unseren Flur. Sein Blick schweift über unsere Bücherregale – randvoll mit englischen Geistergeschichten, Philosophie, Klassikern und allerlei literarischen Schätzen.
Dann bleibt er stehen, schüttelt bedächtig den Kopf und sagt:
“Wow, Ich glaube, ich habe noch nie sooo viele Bücher in einem Haus gesehen!” In der Küche angekommen, wo wir weitere Buchregale haben, ruft er verblüfft aus:
“ich glaub’s nicht!”
Selma: “du hast noch nicht unsere Bibliothek gesehen.” Sie führt den verdutzten Paul. Lange steht er da, nimmt alles auf und sagt nichts. Dann dreht er sich um, schaut uns fast mitleidig an und sagt:
„Das hat leider alles keinen Wert.“

This morning’s collage. Did we mention that Dina loves hares?

We are speechless. Not because we want to disagree, but because the sentence seems almost philosophical in its coolness.
The standard question our visitors usually ask is:
“Have you read all these books?”
And Siri responds immediately with her favourite quote from Umberto Eco:
“Not only those.”
She would like to be like Eco, the man with the legendary library of 30,000 books — and the even more legendary serenity in dealing with them.

Wir sind sprachlos.
Nicht, weil wir widersprechen wollen – sondern weil uns der Satz in seiner Kühle fast philosophisch erscheint.
Normalerweise lautet die Standardfrage unserer Besucher:
„Haben Sie all diese Bücher gelesen?“
Und Siri antwortet dann, wie aus der Pistole geschossen, mit ihrem Lieblingszitat von Umberto Eco:
„Nicht nur die.“
Sie wäre gerne wie Eco, der Mann mit der legendären Bibliothek von 30.000 Büchern – und der noch legendäreren Gelassenheit im Umgang mit ihnen.

But Paul clearly has other priorities. When he returns with the second load — wine, vegetables, liquorice sticks, and honey — he expertly explains that he learned how to talk to customers during his training.
And talk he does:
“Nobody wants books anymore. Even charity shops won’t take them. It’s a shame, but books are worthless now.”
Selma raises her eyebrows slightly and makes it clear that we collect first editions, of course — and signed copies, mind you! Rare books too.
Paul nods politely, as if to say, “Well, everyone has their weaknesses.”

Doch Paul hat offensichtlich andere Prioritäten. Als er mit der zweiten Ladung – Wein, Gemüse, Lakritzstangen und Honig – zurückkehrt, erklärt er uns sachkundig, er habe in seiner Ausbildung gelernt, mit den Kunden zu reden.
Und reden tut er:
„Heute will keiner mehr Bücher. Selbst die Wohltätigkeitsläden nehmen keine mehr an. Schade, aber Bücher sind nichts mehr wert.“
Selma hebt an, die Stirn leicht gerunzelt, und stellt klar, dass wir selbstverständlich Erstausgaben sammeln – und signierte Exemplare, wohlgemerkt! Auch seltene Bücher, versteht sich.
Paul nickt höflich, als wollte er sagen: “Nun ja, jeder hat so seine Schwächen.”

On that Monday morning, along with the pickled herring and liquorice, we also received an unexpected delivery: a new perspective on our passion for collecting.

So bekamen wir an diesem Montagmorgen – zusammen mit Rollmops und Lakritz – auch eine unerwartete Lieferung: eine neue Perspektive auf unsere Sammelleidenschaft.

With warm greetings from the cold sea
Mit lieben Grüßen vom Meer

The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂




© text and illustrations, Hanne Siebers & Klausbernd Vollmar, Cley next the Sea, 2025

152 thoughts

  1. Ihr Lieben, ich bin auch solch ein wohl vom Aussterben bedrohter Bücherwurm. Es gab Zeiten, da stapelten sich die Bücher mangels Platz in den Regalen überall auf dem Boden, die Wände hoch. Eine anscheinend antiquierte Art der Wärmedämmung: Innen wärmt das Buch im Lesen und durch sein Schmiegen an den Wänden empor, bildet es eine warme Decke. So hat jeder seine Vorlieben. Paul wird eine andere Leidenschaft haben.

    Es gibt doch kaum etwas gemütlicheres, als eine Wand voll bunter Bücherrücken.

    Liebe Grüße aus der wärmenden Innen-Bibliothek eines kleinen Ortes in Nordrheinwestfalen.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Guten Morgen, liebe Vera

      das finden wir auch, es gibt nichts Gemütlicheres als Zimmer voller Bücher. Wir finden es sehr wohnlich mit Bücherregalen rundum.
      Allerdings benötigen wir Bücher auch zum Lesen, als Reference und zur Erholung.

      Habe herzlichen Dank fürs Kommentieren
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Books are worth whatever they are worth to the person who loves them and collects them. In most cases, including mine, that is beyond price. I feel sad for Paul that he will never understand that, and sad for a world where this is also a widespread opinion. I have never once had a supermarket delivery. I still like to go to the shop and choose. I also enjoy interacting with the staff, to show them that I value their presence, and their hard work for minimum wage. Sometimes I feel that I am now too old, I have become an anachronism.

    Love to you all from Beetley, Pete. X

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Pete

      One could think about what ‘worth’ means.

      Well, Paul lives in another world with another value system. We are exotic to him as he is exotic for us.
      We get most of our shopping delivered as Kb doesn’t like to go shopping, and it’s more comfy. Here in our little village, nearly everybody gets their food delivered. The argument is, it’s more ecological.

      Love to you too from the stormy coast
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Pete,

      Thanks for commenting. Like you, I always like to chat to the staff and show my appreciation when I shop somewhere. However, we were introduced to home delivery during lockdown and have never looked back. In our village we only have the deli and have to go far for our shopping. The Tesco delivery comes from the superstore in Dereham. 90% of their sales are online shopping (sounds like Amazon!) with home deliveries. The variety is excellent, much better than the nearest small Tesco store.
      Waitrose delivers from a rather small shop in North Walsham where the variety is noway near the Swaffham store.

      Warm greetings to you and Julie from the stormy coast

      Dina-Hanne xx

      Liked by 2 people

    • The huge Tesco in Dereham is where I do all of our main shopping. It is only 5 miles from us, so quite convenient. But we buy all of our meat from an award-winning butcher in Downham Market, once a month. That is 28 miles each way, but it’s easy and cheap to park there, and we make more of it by staying for tea or lunch in the town. X

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Books are so precious and such a wonderful thing to possess, specially rare ones and old books. I could live in a bookshop easily. Your house looks like a bookshop and that is wonderfully cosy and just wonderful. Everybody looks at it differentsly though! Glad I could bring my children up with books and they still love reading now as adults.

    Love your book – home 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Good afternoon, dear Ute

      Thanks for commenting.
      We brought up Siri and Selma with books and they love books liked bookfairies should do.

      We are all brought up in houses with big libraries. But, we have to admit, we got rid of a lot of old books to make place for new ones. Kb used to collect dictionaries, but we don’t need them any more as the net is easier and faster to use. But in general, we prefer real, printed books – the real thing.

      Thanks for liking our book-home
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Everyone has different priorities. I have 3,000 books in my house and some of mine are also collectors’ items in the eyes of the book world. They are all collectors’ items through my eyes. I am sure you were quite stunned by this young man’s comments. I think it would have made me laugh.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Roberta

      Of course, we don’t collect books for their monetary worth – nevertheless, we are happy when we find books in our library that are worth several hundred pounds. But we wouldn’t sell them because they are worth a lot.
      We organise our library of 15.000 books with a library programme to find a book and avoid buying doubles. In this programme, we are asked at the end to add the price. We find that strange and leave it open.

      Thanks and cheers
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  7. Paul’s comments are so sad. He obviously has no appreciation for the written word and no natural curiosity for expanding his mind. I agree that paper books are an older format now, but while electronic books can be wiped out by one small cyber glitch, paper books are much more durable, never mind the aesthetic feeling of the paper, the type, and the binding – and then there’s the one other small thing – the content. Ideas from so many people over so much time.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Anneli

      We prefer the real, printed book as well. We see that Kb’s books sell about double as well in the print version as in the eBook format. But we have to admit that we like to listen to audioBooks as well.

      We always liked to go with Kb to the Bologna book fair, which is specialised in beautiful set and/or illustrated books. We have mixed feelings about paperbacks. With them, the book became a cheap mass product – with all the pros and cons. We once had a high street bookshop in Cologne. We had some customers who only bought hardcover editions. We especially like them when printed on fine paper.

      Thanks for commenting
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  8. The Boomer generation (60s+) was raised on books! I have my share of books, but I also like the freedom of my Kindle for reading. Hubby has his father’s huge collection of German and Chilean books in a trunk. I doubt he’ll look at them often. I finally donated a lot of paperbacks to the used book store, but kept a few.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Terri

      Indeed, Kb and Dina were raised on books. They are still avid readers of books. But the newest statistic (always published at the Frankfurt Book Fair) shows that the Generation Z reads books again. You can see that in the sales of Harry Potter and the Pullman books. Sociologists speak about a split in the Generation Z, there are the readers and intellectuals, and there are those who aren’t interested in reading at all. The gap between these two groups is wider than ever before.

      Thanks and cheers
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Dina, I love hares too, although I’ve yet to see one here, the Irish Hare of course! I’ve been asking questions of our Ulster Wildlife to include hares in their Strategy for 2026! So, fingers crossed the hare’s profile will be uplifted. 🤞

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Ashley

      Fortunately, we have lots of hares here in Norfolk. Hanne-Dina used to go out early to see them in the fields.

      Good luck with Irish Hare 🍀
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Mike

      A lot of what we buy loses its worth very quick. F.e. our car, the loss of its value is drastic.
      Of course, there are different levels of ‘worth’. Our books are valuable to us mostly because of their content. If Paul isn’t interested in the content then his judgment is correct.

      Thanks
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  12. I am not sure where this young man gets his information. The charity shops here take in used books and do a brisk business selling them. Everywhere I go I see people of all ages reading printed books, on the beach, at the pool, on buses, trains and airplanes. I sell more printed books than e-books. When I visit schools to talk about my books, I see printed books on the children’s desk, in their backpacks and in their hands. Books are not disappearing from our lives. I don’t believe anyone collects books to reap financial rewards anyway.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Dear Darlene

      The charity shops right here don’t take books anymore because they don’t have any more dry storage rooms.

      But you are right, the statistics show that people read more than ever. Look at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the sales of the big publishers are amazingly high. We think for our generation and the next, books will not disappear.

      We are not book dealers and therefore we don’t collect books for the financial rewards. We have a book dealer around here who deals with incunabula and illuminated manuscripts. He does it for the profit, and the profits are high in this business.
      Our oldest book is from the 16th c. but unfortunately not illuminated.

      Thanks and keep well
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Yes, dear Darlene, damp is the killer of books. Unfortunately, we lost beautifully illustrated books about plants, which were standing on a shelf in our conservatory. Conservatories are never really dry and therefore not a place for books. Now we know.

      We love to collect books. It’s actually Kb’s only hobby.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. E books seem to be the way of the future, but I still enjoy holding a book in my hand. About 20 years ago, we downsized and moved cross country. At that time, I donated my books and book cases. I am now a well known patron of our local library, and the partnership works well for me. I read about 3 books a week so it also save me quite a bit of money. I’m sure I’d be in awe of your book inventory.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Hu Judy

      We are not so sure that eBooks are the future. Here in Europe Kb and all the authors we know sell more print versions of their books than e-versions. We like to buy real books because we want to write our comments on the sides of the pages and underline with different colours.

      As we run open bookshelves for our community, we donate books all the time, especially paperbacks, outside our field of interests.

      Thanks
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  14. Shocking, isn’t it? But that young man might sadly be right. I often look at my 3,000 books library. Three thousand, not thirty, as Eco.

    And I wonder where they shall end up? My daughters probably will keep a few. The rest? Might end up at the French Lycée’s library, but I doubt they have enough space. The rest may end up for sale at the same Lycée. 50pesos each. (About 2 Euros) But even that space is limited…

    It’s all right. I enjoyed my books anyway.

    Thanks for a lovely post. I do mean ‘lovely’. Even tinged with sadness.

    Meilleurs vouex à tous les quatre…

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  15. Collecting books is much like collecting anything. As a writer, I hope people do collect books! Books are a pathway to worlds unknown and unexplored. They offer solace, education, escape from drudgery. They inspire us to do better, to be better. I feel sorry for someone who fails to appreciate what books offer. That said, having a collection of anything — whether it be cars, art, music, or Beanie Babies! — sometimes is only worth monetarily what someone else is willing to pay (and after you’ve collected all these tomes, you probably wouldn’t trade them for money!)

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Debbie

      Thanks for commenting.

      Indeed, books inspire, are an open door to other worlds, and make us think. There would be no intellectual life without books. What are they worth? The amount of inspiration, to change our thinking, or just to provide a relaxed time.

      It seems to us that most of the things that matter are not much worth monetarily.

      With greetings from the stormy sea
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • We are the same. We just thought about it, indeed, we have shelves of books in every room, including the bathroom and the kitchen.

      Thank you very much
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  22. The delivery driver has an interesting perspective, Dina, and a sad one. I can’t imagine anyone not understanding the importance and value of books. Not necessarily monetary (except for those signed first editions!), but the value of the knowledge and ideas contained in the pages.

    I feel very protective of books.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Richard

      Siri and Selma, our dear Bookfayries, feel very strongly as protectors of books.

      Well, Paul lives in a world with other values. It is alien to us, like our world to him.

      Thanks
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  23. Living in a serviced studio because of mobility issues at the moment I come up against a number of younger staff members – have been surprised, puzzled and truly shaking my head so many times. I have literally lived in a library all my life . . . no jewels and pearls for me, the holding of a book in my hands has always been one of the most wonderful happenings in any day . . . had a very intelligent 30-year-old guy laughing the other day ‘Eha, you will never believe it, I read 53 pages of a book last night – 53 . . . don’t remember what it was about, but . . . ‘! This I simply fail to understand and it saddens me beyond words. What about the future . . . what about the memories from the past. So AI will tell us all we need to know . . . mental poverty beyond comprehension . . .

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Eha

      He read 53 pages last night, of course, that’s nothing for a book lover. Kb, who is a fast reader, reads that in 15 minutes.

      We use AI every day. We kind of outsource a lot of things that are boring or would take too long otherwise. No doubt about it, AI will change the world of publishing. We don’t think it will be for the better or the worse. It will be just different, the evolution of publishing …

      Thanks and all the best
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  27. What a remarkable story, Dina — and how true Paul’s words feel in this moment of transition. I’ve been thinking about that too: what has happened to books, to the quiet dignity of libraries, and to the homes that once built shelves as if they were altars to thought and imagination.

    My father had a huge library, and I grew up surrounded by the scent of paper and leather, by spines that seemed to hold entire worlds. It saddens me to see how little space we now make for books — yet I still believe that every home needs at least one bookshelf… or ten.

    Interestingly, here in Vancouver, charity shops will still accept hardcover books but not softcovers — and yet most of what fills today’s bookstores and libraries are softcovers. It feels like a quiet metaphor for our times: what’s meant to last often gets overlooked.

    Sending much love and many hugs to our dear friends,The Fab Four of Cley.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Rebecca

      The books that survive the next hundred years will be very much looked after as documents of our times. But most of the pocketbook editions will be crushed and used for new books, magazines or newspapers or paper bags, etc.
      Maybe you remember we wrote in 2023 this post: https://fabfourblog.com/2023/03/18/how-to-die-with-books/

      If there are several editions of a book available, we go for the hardcover edition. First editions are usually hardcover editions. Pocketbook edition are for reading once or twice, but after that they are a loose-leaf collection.

      Here, the charity shops had about three years ago and before big book departments. Now they all reduced it to a couple of shelves hidden in dark corners. Books have to be really old or signed to make them profitable to sell. First editions of contemporary books are not very valuable because of the high print run, even for the first edition. But the price of a book also depends on the place where it is sold.

      Thank you very much for your comment.
      With love and hugs from the stormy coast
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Klausbernd,
      Thank you for sharing this fascinating insight — and for reminding me of your excellent post How to Die with Books. I remember it well. You’re absolutely right: hardcover books, especially first editions, carry a sense of permanence that pocket editions simply can’t match. It saddens me that charity shops now tuck books away in dark corners — a quiet sign of changing times.

      The real problem, I think, is that reading itself has changed. People still can read, but fewer seem to choose to read deeply or for pleasure. Recent studies show that while many still read at least one book a year, the time devoted to reading for enjoyment has fallen sharply. We seem to have moved from reading as a daily anchor to reading as one choice among many distractions.

      Yet I like to believe that every well-loved book, even a worn paperback, carries a small part of history within its pages — a quiet reminder of how stories shape us. Perhaps that’s where the endurance of books truly lies: not only in the physical object, but in the way reading continues to call us back to reflection, imagination, and empathy. Sending much love and many hugs to our dear friends, The Fab Four of Cley.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Our dear friend Rebecca
      We agree, people read now differently than before. They don’t read longer, more complicated books, but books with short paragraphs, f.e. ideal to read in public transportation.
      Wishing you a happy autumn, sending you love and hugs
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  30. Books will always be worth something to me, particularly as the internet grows increasingly problematic and untrustworthy.

    The question “Have you read all these books?” always strikes me as backwards. It’s not the unread but the already read books that need to justify their occupation of space on my shelves. No one looks at a well-stocked pantry and asks, “Have you eaten all this food?”

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Jackson

      We are like you, thinking that infos from books are much more reliable than those from the internet.

      The question “Have you read all these books?” seems to come automatically. And books, and having read many is partly a question of image.
      We really like your pantry comparison 👍👍

      Thank you very much
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  31. I can understand where Paul is coming from. I guess the difference is between collecting books and reading books. I have what i call special books I may be notvtreasure but dont want to part with…. but have read many many more, all past on for others to hopefully enjoy. I get told to get an E-reader but sorry it has to be paper and ink

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear David

      Collecting books and reading books can well be different, but in our case it comes together. Most book collectors we know are readers as well.

      We prefer to read a print edition of a book to an e-edition.

      Thanks for commenting
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • Dear Margaret

      We know that feeling very, very well. Every book we sorted out for whatever reason, we missed badly after a while. We agree that books are like friends.

      Thank you very much
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  33. We are the custodians of the Book Corner in our local church. Every month we fly high and low and earmark books that have spent a certain time on the shelves and the we let Dina and Master do the hard work to remove and box them.
    Holt, our local market town, has several charity shops in attractive locations. In former times, we put a big smile on the faces of the volunteers when we brought boxes of books. “Here comes our lovely book fairies!” 😊🧚🏻‍♀️🧚🏻‍♀️😊
    Today, sadly they reject anything beyond a bag or two because of storage problems.
    Our best partners today are National Trust. They have capacity to sell and store like no-one else and NT Blickling even has got the biggest secondhand bookshop within NT with a stock of 20.000 books on display.
    We love books and hate to see them go to waste. We want them to have a good life, even if they are growing older and shows a little wear and tear.

    With much fairy dust 💫✨🌟💫 and
    best wishes for happy reading on this stormy day 📚🧚🏻‍♀️🌟🧚🏻‍♀️📚
    Siri & Selma 😊😊

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Siri and Selma

      Thank you very much for your lovely comment. We would be lost without your help. In our library at home as well.

      With much love 😘🥰😍
      ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Like

  34. My dear friends, what an enjoyable, well written read with lots of food for thoughts! 😊

    Love the new collage, Dina! I assume you don’t have any free wall space for your creative works? 😉

    I’d love to have a chat with Paul, I really do. 😂

    Having visited your book corner in the church, I know how many good books and also so many relatively new ones you offer.
    I assume the bestseller books with a huge number in print must be competing with themselves when the secondhand versions circulate?

    Sending you all much love.
    Kram
    Annalena xx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dearest Annalena

      Indeed, we don’t have any wall space left. There is hardly a wall in our house without book shelves.

      We are as amazed as happy that we got lots of new books donated. And you are right, with the high print run of first editions nowadays, there is quite a competition and only celebrities or otherwise well-known people get their book published. The new books are often sold under the original price, as in the UK there is no price binding for books. That has big disadvantages for authors and smaller bookshops.

      We are quite proud that our book corner in the church has become, over the years, known for interesting books in good condition. We are very lucky that we get masses of books regularly donated. We sort them out. The best ones we keep for our book corner, the other ones we pass on the National Trust.

      With big hugs
      KRAM

      Liked by 1 person

  35. Oh, that opens up so many new questions about the definition of ‘worth’ and why nobody wants books any more, and is it true that nobody wants books any more….. 😝 An interesting new perspective and one of many I am sure!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dear Cathy

      It is indeed a question of how to define ‘worth’.

      It’s not that nobody wants books anymore. There are more books sold than ever before. You could see that at the Frankfurt Book Fair (by far the biggest and most important book fair in the world, which closed last Sunday). People don’t buy that many pre-loved books any more, as in countries without price-binding for books, the difference between new and second-hand books is too small. And it is a storage problem as well.

      Thanks for your comment
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  37. That’s a fantastic and thought-provoking story! It’s amazing how a simple delivery can bring such a sharp, modern perspective on something as cherished as a library. Paul’s comment certainly gives one pause.
    It sounds like a wonderfully chaotic and book-filled morning at your place! Enjoy the rollmops, the liquor, and your priceless literary treasures.
    Warm greetings back from here!
    🙂🌷

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thank you very much for your great comment.
      We think it’s great that he made us think with his view of our world. Actually, we need more Pauls.

      We, especially Siri and Kb, live in a book world. Their mornings are always book-filled after they have had their rollmops for breakfast. In the evenings, they like their liquor when watching interviews with authors.

      With love ❤ ❤ from the stormy sea
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Liebe Sonja

      Wir glauben, wir benötigen so einen wie Paul eigentlich noch viel öfter, da er uns aus unserer eingefahrenen Welt herausholt und uns relativiert. Ohne solche Pauls würden wir zu eindimensional. Aber es ist natürlich auch erst einmal ein Schock, wenn solch unterschiedliche Welten aufeinanderstoßen, für beide Seiten.

      Liebe Grüße von der heute wildstürmischen Küste
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you very much, dear Jet.
      Dina and Kb have a big smile on their faces because you liked the text and collage.

      Wishing you a wonderful weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  40. I loved your post! very thought provoking.

    I realised a while ago that my collections are primarily for my own benefit, and seldom for anyone else.

    Having inherited books and much ephemera from parents and grandparents, I also realise that my own daughter should never have to wade through so many other people’s lives of possessions. I do try and curate things, and move them on if I can’t keep them – my golden rule is to limit what goes into attic or storage (never to be seen again). However there is comfort in small treasures. My latest addition is a beautiful black ‘conker’ from a relative of the Horse Chestnut, the Yellow Buckeye tree. Simple pleasures.

    I too love Dina’s collage. Talented lady.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Actually, we curate two collections. One for our own benefit, our private library. The other is for our community, our book corner. They are quite different, first of all, our private library is much bigger, with 15.000 books, in our book corner we only have about 5000 books, but we present only half of it. In our private library, we only have books we like or are interested in. In our public library, we have a much bigger variety of topics.

      We noticed, we sorted out nearly all books from the 50s and 70s in both our libraries. They oft very unattractive.

      Thanks for commenting.
      Keep well
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  41. Liebe Hanne, lieber Klausbernd,

    Ja, es ist sehr traurig, aber auch ein wenig wahr. Bücher und auch Kunst haben nach dem Tod der Besitzer*innen keinen großen Wert mehr.

    Bei der Kunst ist es abhängig von dem Bekanntheitsgrad der jeweiligen Künstler*in. Die Reputation spielt eine große Rolle.

    Wichtig ist, dass ihr jemanden festlegt, der sich nach eurem Tod mit eurem Büchererbe beschäftigt, der oder die es lagert weiterpflegt vielleicht ergänzt und es bekannt macht. Keine einfache Aufgabe.

    Ich komme gerade von einer Diskussion mit Künstler*innen, die genau dieses Thema diskutiert hat. Vorlas? Nachlass? Wie bereitet man alles vor, damit auch die Stücke erhalten bleiben, an denen das Herz hängt.

    Keine leichte Aufgabe. Es ist auch schwer, jemanden für den Nachlass zu finden. Besser, man macht sich schon zu Lebenszeiten Gedanken.

    Aber erst einmal hoffen wir, dass wir alle noch recht lange leben. Aber machen wir uns nichts vor: wir sind schon im letzten Viertel angelangt.

    Ganz doll liebe Grüße aus einem heute sonnigen Herbsttag in Berlin von Susanne

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Liebe Susanne

      schön von dir zu lesen.

      Im gewissen Sinne sehen wir es auch so, es ist egal, was mit unseren Büchern nach unserem Tod geschieht. Es hat mit uns nichts mehr zu tun. Die absolute Freiheit nach dem Tod. Es ist genauso mit meinen Manuskripten und copyrights. Natürlich habe ich ein Testament, das das Wichtigste regelt, aber letztlich habe ich nichts mehr damit zu tun. Der Tod als großes Loslassen.

      Mit ganz lieben Grüßen vom sonnigen Meer
      Hanne-Dina und Klausbernd

      Like

  42. I couldn’t help laughing about this perspective. As if monetary value of the books was the point. The delivery man doesn’t realize the transferable wealth of ideas, facts and philosophy that reading books can give. Fortunately, the books are not for sale.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thank you very much, dear Rebecca.

      Indeed, the books are not for sale. Paul comes from another world with a different value system. Seen from his standpoint, we are as exotic as he is from our standpoint.

      Wishing you a happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Linda

      We like your statement, “there’s way worse things to spend your money on than books”. Indeed, there are.
      For most collectors, as for us, the monetary value is unimportant.

      Happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  44. There’s so much to love about your post, Fab Four. Well written and the reaction of your delivery man is interesting – only valuing your book collection as a monetary investment and more of a burden than a pleasure. Your collection is stupendous! Also, I had to look up rollmops -Yum. Finally, Hanne’s collage is stunning – brava! Is it done digitally or with paper? Thanks for a most enjoyable post. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Jane

      Thanks for your comment 🙏 🙏

      Hanne’s collage is done digitally, but she does collages with paper as well.

      It’s always important to see the other perspective of what you’re doing. It makes you think. Years ago, I read a study that most of the people who produce something special and/or extraordinary have somebody in their surroundings who is criticising them.

      Happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  45. 🙂 Ich liebe Bücher! Es gibt kaum etwas Schöneres, als in einem Buchladen zu stehen und mich durch die vielen Neu-Erscheinungen zu arbeiten und mir dann etwas Spannendes oder Fröhliches auszusuchen.

    Besonders Spaß habe ich, wenn ich in englischen Buchgeschäften stöbern und mir die neuesten “must reads” oder auch seltene, bei uns in Österreich oder Deutschland nur schwer oder nicht verfügbare, Bücher anzuschauen und zu kaufen. Mein Flugzeug-Rucksack beherbergt auf den Rückreisen dann immer so viel Lesestoff, dass es mir fast das Kreuz bricht. Aber egal. Für herbstlich, winterlich regnerische und kalte Tage ist gut vorgesorgt…

    Bücher, die mir inhaltlich nicht gefallen haben, bewahre ich allerdings nicht mehr auf. Die gebe ich inzwischen in öffentliche Bücherschränke.

    Euch weiterhin viel Spaß beim Sammeln und Genießen von schöner, spannender und herzerwärmender Lektüre!

    Liebe Grüße

    Claudia 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Liebe Claudia

      So geht es uns auch, schon aus Platzgründen bewahren wir keine Bücher mehr auf, die uns nicht gefallen.
      Besonders gefährlich sind für uns Orte wie Hay-on-Wye, das große Buchdorf in Wales gleich an der Grenze zu England, das nur aus tollen Buchläden besteht. Oder kennst du Barter Book in Alnwick? Verführung pur.

      Herzlichen Dank für deinen Kommentar
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  46. Sammeln ist nie sinnlos.
    Das Leben ist ja auch nicht sinnlos, obwohl es endend wird.

    Eine Empfehlung mag ich aber noch aussprechen: Kommt der geneigte Autor einst nach Augsburg, dann schaue er sich die Sammlung Walter an.
    Sehe er mehrere Tage dafür vor.

    Liebe Grüße Gerhard

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Lieber Gerhard

      Herzlichen Dank für den Tipp. Wir lasen schon darüber. Als wir vor Jahren in Augsburg waren, wandelten wir nur auf Brechts Spuren. Für mehr hatten wir leider keine Zeit.

      Wir wünschen dir einen wunderbaren Herbst
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  51. Loved this one Fab Four – as a true book lover I sometimes feel guilty spending the money for hard cover books but then I think if no one bought them there soon would be no books at all! So I continue to buy them and then gift them to friends who also love to read and who often bring me (or recommend to me) books that I end up loving (ALMOST always). Here’s to book-lovers the world over. And PS I absolutely love the collage.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thanks a lot, dear Tina, for your kind words. You are right, if we don’t buy hardcover books any more, they will vanish. Well, it’s maybe nostalgic, but for us, only a hardcover book is a real book.

      Great that you like Dina’s collage. She just recently discovered her love for producing collages.

      We wish you an easy week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  54. Guten Morgen Ihr vier von der See!
    Was gibt es Schöneres, als auf Eurem Blog zu stöbern, wenn der Freitag beginnt und der Kaffee neben einem Dampf? Nichts!
    Erst einmal vorweg: die Collage ist wunderschön geworden!

    Das Thema Eures Beitrags ist zwar für jeden Bücherfreund und Büchersammler ein traurig-wahrer Umstand, aber gleichzeitig hab ich ihn sehr gern gelesen. Ist es doch so, dass ich mich nach dem Lesen wie ein Bewahrer meiner Bücher und Geschichten, die sich hier in meiner Bibliothek sammeln, fühle und darüber hinaus durch Euren Beitrag und die Reaktionen in den Kommentaren nicht alleine damit fühle.

    Einen wunderschönen Tag Euch!

    Barbara

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Guten Morgen, liebe Barbara,

      herzlichen Dank für deine lieben Worte. Da wird sich besonders Dina freuen, wenn sie liest, was du über ihre Collage schreibst. Sie hat es gerade entdeckt, Collagen am Computer zu produzieren.

      Ja, da sind wir Bücherfreunde wohl so etwas wie die Bewahrer des Alten, Kulturbewahrer. Aber das ist natürlich nur eine bestimmte, bürgerliche Kultur. Die Jungen, und Paul war viel jünger als wir, haben ihre Kultur, in der das Buch nicht mehr die wesentliche Rolle spielt, die es für uns spielte. Viele von uns tun sich auch schwer mit deren digitaler Kultur.

      Dir wünschen wir auch einen wunderschönen Tag. Hier scheint die Sonne aus strahlend blauen Himmel über dem ruhigen Meer
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  55. No book is worthless. Sad to see the perceived value of books has declined in “modern” society. Even more impressive is that many are first editions, a good goal to have in my humble opinion.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thank you very much, dear Brad.

      To hunt for first editions is fun. We noticed that a lot of editions of new books in bookshops are second editions. But we like most going for signed copies, which often means to get to know the author.

      Happy autumn
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • I only have a few signed copies so far. One was a completely blind purchase from an online site. It ended up being a brand new signed first edition when it arrived. Those get a special spot on my book shelves. Though I have quite a few to go to come close to your collection.

      Liked by 1 person

  56. A fascinating discussion with Paul, who seems to give a wonderful compliment about your library—maybe appreciation for something so beautifully “constructed”—understanding how books fuel the mind, but his sharp pity at their “worthlessness” is striking. It seems he was happily surprised at such a wondrous collection, but then pragmatic as younger souls often can be 🙃…  It sure contrasts your devotion (and passion) to books, something I, and from the comments, most of your readers as well, have. Funny how life throws people with different perspectives, which make us think about where we stand—a great exercise to take!

    It is a bit wild to think that a great library, which is something I’ve always admired growing up (both in people who construct such a library—showing a side of themselves to the world not readily seen—and the books, which hold life experiences in words and emotions), and to contrast this with a younger generation where possibly such an idea may not exist or exists at a surprisingly low level. And I love Dina’s collage… beautiful work! Enjoy the stormy November, a great start to the reading season that winter tends to inspire (as do your posts!). Cheers to the Fab Four: 👨🏻‍🦳👩🏻‍🦳🧚🧚‍♀️!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Randall

      We, the Fab Four, need people like Paul to connect us with another world and give us a sense of grounding. There is no doubt that Paul admires such book collections as well, on the one hand. On the other hand, his only way to judge is monetary. Assessing value in monetary terms is in line with our social norms. And when Paul says that it is a shame that this collection has no monetary value, he is consciously or unconsciously expressing that it is a pity that cultural assets are not sufficiently appreciated in our society.

      The meeting with Paul also showed us that we live in an alarmingly closed society. Well, it is the reading culture-loving society of our age group. While Paul defines value in monetary terms, we define value as book learning. Two one-sided views clash here, and this always creates the possibility for new insights to emerge.

      Thanks for liking Dina’s collage. It’s new that Dina discovered her love for collages.

      We enjoy November very much. It’s cosy inside and it’s the month of Kb’s birthday. We love celebrating birthdays.
      Wishing you a cosy November as well, and thank you very much for your comment
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Martha,

      so ging es auch uns zunächst. Danach kam das Bedürfnis, die Antwort im größeren Zusammenhang zu verstehen. Aber ein wenig ‘shocking’ finden wir die Reaktion immer noch.

      Danke für deinen Kommentar.
      Wir wünschen dir eine wunderschöne Woche
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

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