Finding Treasures Hidden Within the Pages of Used Books

Used books are fascinating treasures themselves forMickey Mantle rookie baseball card, a diamond ring,
individuals and can normally be purchased for lessseveral handwritten poems, and a letter written by
than five dollars. However, there are many hiddenthe author of the Narnia series. Throughout the
treasures that can be found in used books due tosummer I found several clippings out of a variety of
what the previous owners have used as bookmarks.newspapers and magazines for all types of recipes,
Used books can be found in a wide variety for anysome of which, I felt, were worth adding to my
reader including adventure, action, romance, western,recipe box. I found several one dollar bills that
literature, cook books, and so many more. Usedsummer and even was lucky enough to come across
book stores can be a treasure hunt for collectors andtwo ten dollar bills and three twenty dollar bills, which
avid readers as well. Another great place for the avidmy boss let me keep.
reader to purchase used books is at yard and garageI found a couple of obituary clippings from
sales. Throughout the years readers of used booksnewspapers that had turned yellow through the
have found every thing from money to love letterspassing years. In one book I found a post card from
to baseball cards.Ireland, a receipt where a credit card had been used,
Readers have opened up books and uncovered alla grocery list, a picture of a little boy, and a voided
kinds of treasures throughout the years such as acheck. Since the check had the phone number on it I
grocery list found in a novel by Louis L'amour ordecided to call the number and see if it was still the
ticket stubs to a Aerosmith concert in an old Zanesame number as the person on the check. When the
Grey novel. I know it may sound crazy, but youlady answered the phone and I told her I was going
would be amazed at the stories used book storesthrough a used book and asked her if the name on
owners could tell you. In fact, one summer I workedthe check was hers, I was really excited when she
at a used book store to help out a friend of mysaid yes. I wanted to be sure so I asked her if she
boss. My job was to flip through the pages of thecould give me her address and it matched the one on
used books to make sure there were no hiddenthe check. After several minutes of conversation, I
surprises inside that offend his customers.found out the little boy was her grandson and she
While flipping through millions of pages of these usedhad given a bunch of her used books to charity. I
books throughout the summer I found an array oftold her that I would mail all the items I found in that
treasures that were hidden within the pages. Somebook to her, and she was thrilled.
of these treasures were comical, while others whereSome bookstores have created their own special
quite disturbing, but all in all this was very interestingdisplay within their bookstore that display items that
job to say the least. These used books hadhave been discovered in used books throughout the
apparently been purchased from a variety of sourcesyears that they have been in business. Some of
from all over the world and were an interestingthese items include an airline boarding pass that was
assortment to say the least.from West Africa to Texas, recipes, dollars, many
I had read articles about different items that werenewspaper clippings, and much more.
being left inside of books, which consisted of a