These books aren't that old, but I love them for another reason... their titles. When I'm putting together my holiday decorations, sometimes I need some sort of pedestal to add height to something, or I just need a "stage" to set a smaller item on. Books work.
These books were purchased for their titles... fall titles that either bring to mind Halloween or the fall season. When I walk into a used book store at my library, I scan the titles for all the possibilities. My eye also gravitates toward the colors. Orange, black, brown and rust are perfect for this season.
Don't be fooled by those pesky dust jackets. Peek underneath and check out the book's true colors. I always take the jackets off... let 'em get comfortable, right? Libraries tend to use tape to adhere the jacket to the book. I've ripped a few trying to remove them, but I have found that a blast of heat from a warm hair dryer will loosen the adhesive to minimize the damage as you take the jacket off. This one above has a mark where I got a little too anxious to remove the cover. But these books are made for stacking, so either another book or holiday prop will hide it.
The best part of this type of collecting is that you can read them after you've tired of your display, or donate them back to your local library for resale at their next used book sale.
I think they're rather fun... and certainly easier to haul home from the flea market than an armoire {i do love those, too}.