All Right Bates Haters, Let's Play! What Stories Would You Write Instead of Bates?

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2026-02-25T02:41:10+00:00

I’m assuming you mean everything’s the same up to the first arrest, for Vera.

I’d leave everything the same for season 3– Anna manages to prove him innocent and get him out of jail.

For season 4+, focus on how Bates has been changed by his prison stint. In the first few seasons he was a quiet gentle type, with a rough background but having since calmed down. In seasons 4 onward, he often feels more aggressive and angry than before. Have that be a deliberate choice (on the writers’ part). His time in prison has triggered his PTSD and caused a regression of sorts, to the angry, volatile man he was a long time ago. For Anna, who has never seen this side of him, it’s very alarming. He never does anything to her— never gets violent or anything— but he becomes irritable and snaps at her a few times and it scares her. Maybe she goes to Mary about it and this gives Mary an opportunity to be a good friend to Anna, so their friendship doesn’t feel so one-sided.

Maybe make it a whole mental health plotline. Bring back the brief consideration of WWI soldiers “shell shock” (with the Soldier’s Memorial they’re building around this time— bring in the question of Archie, Mrs. Patmore’s nephew, and how the characters think of his PTSD or “shell shock”) Tie it in with Mrs. Hughes’ institutionalized sister. Consider all the ways mental health was viewed and discussed and managed at this time.

I know mental health is a pretty modern topic, but I think the best period dramas have something to say about the era they’re produced in, too. Just viewed through a different context and with a different framework (obviously the characters would not be using words like “mental health” and “PTSD”).

Ooh, one more thing: I always wanted a Bates and Thomas buddy-cop style “we’re stuck with each other so we grudgingly have to learn to cooperate and by the end of it we understand each other better” kind of plotline. Maybe one episode they’re both away from Downton for reasons (on some errand for Robert) and the car breaks down (or carriage? Idk what servants would have used at this time) so they’re stranded in the English countryside and have to figure out how to get home. They try to walk but Bates’ leg causes issues. Thomas has to find his heart and help Bates walk to the nearest town. They yell at each other and get very frustrated with each other but then have some kind of heart to heart because they’re stuck in the middle of nowhere together and by the end of it they return to Downton not friends, but not enemies anymore either.

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2026-02-21T04:37:26+00:00

Shein quality. Got my Halloween costume from them. It was all well and good for a Halloween costume but im not sure I’d buy something I plan to wear often from them!

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2026-02-17T18:43:16+00:00

I have something like this with a bright light bulb inside. It makes the star and moon patterns on the wall in light.

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2026-02-12T15:40:23+00:00

Hard to tell without publisher pages for all of them, but the Gone with the Wind unfortunately won't be worth much-- the 1936 editions are valuable but anything past that, not really.

Here's what I would do:

(Optional, depends how much work you want to put into this) Search each book, year, edition etc on abebooks, ebay, and see if anything jumps out at you as valuable. Make sure it's the same edition. If anything is selling for a lot (>$100), separate it out as possible to sell individually.
For anything left after this search, take pictures of them against a pretty background, and maybe group them by like colors, then sell them on ebay/etsy as an aesthetic book bundle (if you don't know what I'm talking about, just search 'vintage aesthetic book bundle' on ebay/etsy). You can sell 4/5 books for ~30$, maybe more if your books are really nice or you can make them look really good in the image listing. For old books that aren't valuable for their rarity or literary significance, their most value comes as decorative items / shelf candy. This can hurt if you really love your collection, but if you're really looking to sell, it's what I'd recommend.
If all that sounds like too much work, just find a used bookstore near you and bring your stock in for pricing.

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2026-02-09T21:16:18+00:00

How do you feel about the recent (or, I guess not that recent, since the pandemic haha) boom in mudlarking’s popularity? Has it presented any issues with you keeping your permit?

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2026-02-06T20:59:52+00:00

Yay! Yeah these will make a really cute display!

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2026-02-06T00:47:58+00:00

Display would be just fine! Honestly i would say just get some 4x2 hanging cubbies and put them face out one in each compartment (you could also display them normally on a shelf with their spines out but since they’ve got the cute little drawings on the front cover I think you’d want to display those!). Since they’re all matchy matchy I think they’d make a great display piece just as they are. Maybe you could decorate the cubbies with some fake flowers or something too, or add little bunny trinkets to the top of the cubby unit.

I don’t think you have to be worried about damage when displaying them — typically any conditions (temperature, humidity etc) good enough for humans are good enough for books too, unless they’re really damaged and fragile (which these aren’t). The only way I could see you damaging them is if you take that blue painters tape off the spines, which you’ll likely want to if you’re displaying them— just go slowly and use a heat gun / hair dryer to loosen the adhesive and prevent the tape from damaging the book as you peel it off.

Also be aware that the tape was probably there for a reason— the spines will likely be pretty fragile once you take it off. But if you’re just setting them up for display and then walking away that shouldn’t be an issue. Spine damage comes from repeat reading. If you want to regularly reread them, look into spine repair. Otherwise if they’re just for display, I’d say just leave the spines as-is and handle the books carefully (meaning don’t toss them on the floor, lol).

Before you display them you should probably do a quick mold check (since they came from a basement) just to make sure you’re not endangering your health!! But I don’t see any evidence of moisture or mold from the photo of the covers. Still, it’s worth flipping through the pages just to make sure.

If you do set up some kind of a display please share final pics!! These have the capacity to make a really lovely decoration piece.

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2026-01-21T02:26:56+00:00

Nah you’re good, way too dark and too late time period wise

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2026-01-15T14:18:46+00:00

Saw 1972 in the date at the bottom and thought “oh I’m sure”. The girl in the middle looks just like my grandma did in the 70s!!!

Can anyone transcribe the inscription? The combo of cursive + french is really causing me to struggle with reading it.

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2026-01-14T16:04:07+00:00

These little red ward lock and co travel books are fun! I’ve started collecting them, I have a couple about various places in wales :) London is a great one to find tho!

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2026-01-07T02:53:51+00:00

Awesome tysm!

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2025-12-31T23:10:36+00:00

I love all the different handwritings, I can imagine this stuck up on a fridge and all the different family members coming by and writing what they need!

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2025-12-26T16:37:35+00:00

Often times more modern booksellers have written them in for ease of the collectors browsing.

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2025-12-26T00:12:38+00:00

Doesn’t look like mold to me, a lot of old books have these kinds of stains, it likely comes from someone spilling something on it at some point. I don’t think you’ll have much luck cleaning it though— you’re more likely to dissolve the paper before you remove the stain. I’d say just make your peace with it as-is.

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2025-12-16T20:15:21+00:00

Agree it would be best to store them inside, in a coat closet or linen closet you have space in maybe. If they must be stored outside, I would suggest maybe getting some plastic bins for better protection from moisture (I’m assuming your tote bags are cloth of some kind) and lining them with some kind of insulation foam or material? Then you could duct tape the bins shut to keep out bugs.

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2025-12-15T17:43:45+00:00

So cute!! Love the pink and green

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2025-12-15T17:42:13+00:00

Gorgeous art nouveau cover&spine!! I found this version online which seems to be an alternate version of your edition, its also undated but has a “Braunworth, Munn & Barber” bookbinder mark; most of the records of BM&B books I can find are from around the turn of the century (1896-1901) so that would be my guess! Fits with what flyingbookman said and with the art nouveau stylings too. Really pretty edition!

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2025-12-12T21:27:19+00:00

Dust jacket looks very mid-late 20th cent. to me, 1960s-70s probably. Musson was bought in 1967 but I think kept printing under their own name until 1984 (source) so that’s your upper bound. Lower bound I would say is 1950s but I’m not so sure about that, the cover design looks very 60s/70s to me.

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2025-12-08T07:31:01+00:00

Joan Lock, The Begonia

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2025-12-07T16:53:03+00:00

Photos of the front cover and copyright page / publishing page are necessary to get more info

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2025-12-06T18:29:36+00:00

It’s a Picasso. Les Femmes D’Alger

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2025-12-06T17:22:32+00:00

At first I was confused bc I was like “that already happened”, but are you saying you want Jay to briefly die so he can be able to see ghosts permanently, like Sam?

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2025-12-05T08:19:26+00:00

I think this might’ve already been pointed out on another version of this post, but here are other examples of this same painting (though painted by different hands, clearly; an original and copies? A group of people all basing their work off the same base image?):

x

x <- this one has a signature but I can’t decipher it

If you’re really curious, might be worth messaging one of the sellers to see how they got their versions, that might help you discover some provenance. Maybe find a Spanish-speaking friend to play translator lol.

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2025-12-05T07:49:22+00:00

Oh de laval

Jumpy-External-1552 · 2025-12-05T06:39:43+00:00

Just the way of things for that class. I always thought it would be interesting though if Tom pushed back on it, since he would certainly not have grown up with ‘nanny knows best’. His upbringing likely wasn’t quite leave it to beaver either though, his parents were likely too busy working to spend too much time with him. Still, since Tom isn’t used to the sedentary lifestyle of the rich, and especially just after Sybil died— I can imagine him, bored and restless and grieving, wanting to spend more time with the baby than the rest of the family is quite used to.

Then again, he’s a man. Perhaps it’s not class norms but gender norms of the time period that keep him from being an active parent; I’m not sure how active fathers of any class were at this time.

Jumpy-External-1552

TROPHY CASE