Susan and I have been lucky enough to win the Antiques Roadshow ticket lottery!! We will be heading out for a future Roadshow and are taking some interesting items ... we hope interesting enough to make it to the taping and maybe appear on the show! We will let you know how it goes when we go there. Meantime, here is the story of a Civil War journal I am taking. (Other items to follow.) I got this fantastic ledger about seven years ago. It was with some other ledgers and journals I picked up at an auction. Most were just nice old books, but one is truly special. It is the Short Autobiography of the Writer's Life by Mrs. Sarah Frances Hershey . WOW! Sarah went by the name "Sallie." She was born Sarah Frances Walker in the little village of Gap, Pennsylvania in 1849. She lived her whole life in Gap and Philadelphia. Married Jacob Henry "Harry" Bair Hershey in 1871. Harry was born a year to the day after Sallie in 1850. Sarah Frances Walker Her...

At Vintages we have a lot of old books ... collectible ... antiquarian ... children's ... first editions ... novels ... and more. One area we specialize in is old city and country guide books. We have France, Paris, England, London, Italy, Rome, Greece and more. We also have a small selection of maps as well. These guide books go back to the turn of the last century and have descriptions of hotels, attractions, restaurants, travel tips, old advertisements and numerous maps. Great stuff. Most are priced at around $45.00 each and are available in our shop ... inquire if interested. We also have the Grand Daddy of Travel Books ... The Stoddard's Lectures. John Lawson Stoddard traveled the world in the last quarter of the 19th century and talked about his experiences in a series of lectures, which were serialized and later published as a set. We have two sets and they are FABULOUS! (These are priced at $179 & $195 per set.) ...

With school sessions ending for summer vacation and graduations taking place, now is a good time to think about gifts in the literary spirit. We have some wonderful old and antiquarian books ... novels, textbooks, reference books, classics, guide books, miniature books, children's books, sets and local editions too. Set of 20 Mark Twain Books c1915 ($195 set) Set of 9 Waverly Novels by Sir Walter Scott c1900 ($115 set) A variety of Old Books, including Antique Photo Albums Complete 15 Volume Set of Stoddard's Lectures c1925 ($195 set) Complete 13 Volume Set "The Real America" c1914 ($149 set) We also carry a large selection of magnifying glasses ... great for map reading, stamp collecting and to assist tired eyes. Old ephemera is a specialty ... old letters, photos, documents, magazines, ledgers, autograph books and more. Early 1900s Love Letters ($9.95 pack of five) Old Letters ... many places, many names Lots ...

We have a nice selection of vintage Easter items ... from postcards, greeting cards and books to bunnies and eggs, candy containers and figurines. Take a look ... Easter Cards and Postcards Large Easter Cards and Die-cuts Two Old Peter Rabbit Books Antique Bunny Rabbit Candy Containers Vintage Egg Candy Containers Two Vintage Candy Container Fold-outs The Bunnies with Their Friend a Tin Litho Candy Dispensing Hen A Special Collection of Vintage Beatrix Potter Figurines  Some of these items are available on the Vintages' Antique Site .

I found this tiny book. It is really tiny ... 1 inch by 15/16 inch! That qualifies as a "micro-book" in my mind! It is titled: Guest Book - Craig Carter Miniatures . It notes: This volume from March, 1960 . The entries are dated from 1960 to 1975. Here is a gallery of the micro-book and some of its contents. If anyone knows more information about this Craig Carter and his miniatures, please let me know.

Have you ever thought about making your own bound book from scratch? Here is your chance. In the spirit of handmade wares and a near-forgotten craft, this bookbinding kit not only offers a journal to fill with words and scribblings, but also teaches the art of bookbinding by hand. The kit includes: 1 length of thread, 1 bookbinder's needle, 2 linen binding tapes, 10 4-page signatures (40 pages), 1 instruction booklet and 1 sheet of illustrated steps printed upon vintage paper which also serves as the inside wrapping. Final book measures 4-1/2 inches tall by 3 inches wide. Glue is not included, but wheat paste is easily created by combining one part flour to four parts of hot water. Bleached flour is best to use. The sewing process of bookbinding is the first step to master in making a sound book and there is a nice video available below to illustrate how to make this book.  We have these kits in stock priced at $32.95 each...