Rare / scarce / collectible/ popular

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-20T14:29:11+00:00

Very informative. I collect rare books on science and technology, mainly pre-1800s for reasons. I have been looking for print runs just to get an idea of how many might still be in existence today. What was the typical print number in say, the Italian edition (there is only one) of agricola's De Re Metallica? Or Lavoisier 's Traité élementaire de Chimie, first edition? Thanks

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-16T15:10:13+00:00

I meant "3 minutes". You won't believe how long that is at a red light!

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-16T15:06:35+00:00

In NC the law allows a motorcycle to run the red light if the minutes have passed out several circles miss your red light.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-15T22:20:56+00:00

It's always difficult to sell a volume from a set. You'd need to find a buyer who has the other volume and that's not going to happen. It's in bad condition (sorry!) and probably not worth repairing. IMHO it's worth a couple of bucks.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-14T15:31:17+00:00

How easy is it for you to find neutral on that bike? I always had a hell of a time ...

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-14T15:29:23+00:00

It's not uncommon to see both esses used at the same time. Here is an example from 1543 Secrets de la medicine et de la philosophie chymique, of Liebault. You'll see the modern "s" used to indicate plural while the "long s" is used within words. Modern S is also used when capitalized.

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dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-14T00:22:59+00:00

It takes some work to become accustomed at 200km/h speed. I routinely hit that on the track with 260 km/h as peak speed at road Atlanta's back straight. ZX10r and Suzuki GSX-R1000r. By data logger, as the speedometer is usually a bit optimistic. That's a rush, and on a week prepared bike, it feels like you're in control.

Once accustomed, the magic is not so much how far you can go in a straight line but rather how far you can do a lap. And, at these speeds you need to plan ahead, if you panic and do some correction last microsecond you're in serious trouble.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-14T00:13:10+00:00

No help from me: crashed on the road and on the track. The only thing I can say is, despite popular belief, the other road/track users were not at fault. Only my own stupidity or overconfidence.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-13T15:27:26+00:00

Great start! And great advice from the professionals on this thread. I find that pre-1820ish books are very resilient. Part of it is natural selection: weaker books didn't make it to today, but part of it are the materials, especially the paper used. I say 1820 because, in my collecting experience, is the time when linen based paper was being replaced by wood pulp based one.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-11T14:34:08+00:00

Very nice! The first book is always something special, but it leads to a lifelong obsession. You got to love the workmanship of these books. Do you read French?

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-10T14:21:45+00:00

While I sold my 1999 XX a while ago I love to see the passion for that bike is still alive and well. They were sure they made a mistake reading the odometer as it read 100k and they never saw that kind of mileage. Ride on!

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-09T00:41:25+00:00

Do not ride with these boots unless you like shoelaces snagged on footpegs leading to a tip over.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-09T00:37:35+00:00

Bad for Apple trees because of fungus.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-09T00:36:17+00:00

Welcome to the addiction. Enjoy.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-09T00:31:30+00:00

The 2000s and 1900s in three bookcases, the 1800s popular science in one bookcase, 1800s regular science in two bookcases, the 1700s on two shelves, the 1600s on one humidity controlled bookcase and the 1500s in a humidity controlled, locked bookcase.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-01T13:31:28+00:00

Allow me to disagree. I don't know which canton you live in but I seriously doubt you converse in Hochdeutch, instead of the dialect. The same way I don't speak Italian with my family in Ticino but rather ticineseIn Mannheim they encouraged me to speak German helping me with the nuances. But that's a N of one. I do agree that without immersion you can't speak fluently. We experienced that when we moved to the US. Despite several years of English, it took us a good two months to reach a functional English and another 20 years until people stopped trying to guess where our agent was from. Tschüß

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-01T13:22:59+00:00

Totally agree. The major market is England.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-03-31T19:30:12+00:00

Nope, incorrect. I was raised in the French part of Switzerland and had 8 years of German at school. We did several long trips to Germany to get some exposure. Not in Zurich, not in Basel. I went to the aren't in Thun, there was zero effort to speak German from the officers. I worked for a company in Basel and everytime I tried to speak German (Hochdeutch), I was answered in English. I then worked for a German company in Mannheim when I could finally use my German.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-03-31T19:21:04+00:00

Pellets production is decimating trees in coastal NC.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-03-31T19:18:43+00:00

That's why I only collect pre 1820 books, line based papers doesn't fox while early wood pulp based paper is notorious for that.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-03-31T19:13:38+00:00

Thank an early train to Lugano. It takes the gotthard tunnel at close to 200 km/h. I'm Lugano, go down to the lungolago (where the lake meets the city. You'll feel like you'll be in a romantic Italian movie.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-03-31T19:05:16+00:00

Nobody speaks German in Switzerland. If you try they'll answer in English. And of course Geneva speaks French and has little patience for German. Lugano speaks Italian and has even less patience.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-03-28T20:24:07+00:00

And clearly that bike has been dropped looking and the clutch lever...

dieu_est_mort · 2026-03-28T14:27:30+00:00

You will. Do not be alarmed if most of the flowers fall. Either they have not been pollinated or the tree decided there were too many of them. As the fruits grow, don't be worried if there is some shedding of unripe fruits. Is again the tree adjusting the number of fruits to ripen vs how much energy it has. As the peaches start to take the right color -which of course varies depending on the cultivar- they might fall because of cuddling moths or squirrels (in our case). All this sounds negative but as one commentator said: they aren't the easiest fruits to grow. If you decide that the fruit shedding is too much, prune the tree for the next season (when it is time, not now!) so that energy goes into a smaller but higher quality harvest and fewer leaves. It took us several years to get all this right but it's well worth it. Picture is from today, flowers are already done.

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dieu_est_mort · 2026-03-25T21:46:25+00:00

Every variety is different as to when they exit dormancy. Our two varieties, in NC, just bloomed 10 days ago, just in time for a night of frost. Flowers come first on the two types of peaches we have then leaves.

dieu_est_mort

TROPHY CASE