Raise High the Book Price, Carpenter

I was in for a very pleasant surprise today.  While at Powell's on Hawthorne, I was looking at their information board, filled with upcoming events and new releases, when I saw a listing under Rare Books that said a copy of J.D. Salinger's Twenty-Two Stories was going for $450. 

I blinked.

Then I walked over to the rare book case and saw a wrapped copy of what looked exactly like my copy of Twenty-Two Stories, which I bought at Reading Frenzy in 1998.  For $10. 

I went over and asked the guy behind the information desk if there was something unique about the copy in the cabinet, like if it was a hardback or a special edition or something.  He said nope.  He then began reminding me that it was essentially a bootleg, an unauthorized printing of which only 1000 copies were actually produced.  He said if I had one, I had the real deal.  "You should've bought 10 of them," he said.  Indeed.

The book itself is navy blue, with no writing on it, and a white sleeve that slides over the top that has the title and author on one side and a description and chronology of the stories on the back.  There's about a 3/4 inch tear in my sleeve, but otherwise is in great condition.  I'd love to open it up and look at some of the stories now - "Wake Me When It Thunders" was a favorite - but now I'm afraid to damage that sleeve any further.  With the exception of a few other first editions and signed books, I'm not used to owning anything of real value.

(Perhaps it's only fitting, then, that I went to see Slumdog Millionaire tonight.  Although I thought it was beautifully directed, I seem to be the only person in the world that thought it was just okay.) 

On the way home from Powell's, I came across Chinese dragon dancers, fireworks and all, outside of the Monkey King celebrating the Year of the Ox.  So I thought it would be fun to look up my Chinese horoscope (I'm the Year of the Pig - jokes to yourselves, please) for 2009, and it's quite funny. It seems to directly answer my dilemma of earlier this week, which I burdened some of you with as well -  that is, do I take advantage of the great British Airways Seattle - London deal for $178 (one way) in this economy?  i decided against it, and my horoscope agrees, telling me to earn, not spend.  Specifically, it says "Do what you are best at Piggy: buy items of enduring value", such as "paintings and sculptures."

Or books, perhaps?