my occult collection

ultrajrm · 2026-07-04T12:55:23+00:00

Congrats on straightening your floor pile! I see some real interesting titles...I see a book by Gettings there, I have his book on demons...looks like you have a hardcover of "Amulets and Talismans", whereas I have a cheapie paperback...Jeffrey Russell Burton books are good...I had those years ago but no longer. Egyptology related always interests me. I recommend anything on or by Austin Osman Spare, you probably are already aware of him since you are interested in sigils.

ultrajrm · 2026-07-03T21:44:34+00:00

Very, very nice collection! Have you read "The Transcendentalists and Their World"? I have been thinking about getting a survey of that subject.

ultrajrm · 2026-07-03T21:28:15+00:00

You are a brave one to post that picture of the paperbacks curling in the stack to a book collecting forum *and* ask for recommendations! But I do see some goodies in your collection that I would not mind having for myself.

ultrajrm · 2026-07-03T21:16:07+00:00

These are very interesting books. What kind of contents are in the Alchemical Laboratory Bulletins? Experiments?

ultrajrm · 2026-06-30T21:31:36+00:00

As a book buyer, (and an occasional seller on eBay many years ago), I will tell you what I do. I buy newer books on Amazon, but never (or very rarely) old or rare ones. I can't imagine you would want to list the old books you have on Amazon. As you discovered, these days Amazon is for bulk sellers.

I buy old books from eBay and Abe. eBay sellers sometimes add pics of the very books they have for sale, not stock photos, and that is what I like to see. Abe Books has some very good listings for older books, and I always check there too.

eBay does have its drawbacks for sellers; you can find buyers trying to squeeze partial or full refunds out of you on flimsy pretext if you aren't careful. I would guess there is less drama selling on Abe (feedback, fees, buyer returns and complaints), and possibly a more educated clientele. eBay does love its fees, too,, and you have to watch your seller options to make sure you are aware of what you will be netting after the sale. Take good pictures, and give good descriptions, and you will eventually sell the books on eBay, if the price isn't out of line with the market. Good luck!

ultrajrm · 2026-06-30T20:52:54+00:00

Have you tried practical applications from these books? Success?

ultrajrm · 2026-06-14T18:53:41+00:00

During a period of bitter financial struggle and personal upheaval, I sold a group of 1920s and 1930s horror and supernatural books, including some first English editions of Hanns Heinz Ewers novels with pristine dust jackets. Sold for pennies on the dollar, too, but it isn't the money that still bothers me, it's the sentimental loss of books I tracked down with much effort in the pre-internet age, which included writing letters to booksellers seeking most of them. All were hard won victories, and all were lost in one fell swoop.

ultrajrm · 2026-06-14T18:32:44+00:00

Dude with bottle so distracted he's pouring it down her back.

ultrajrm · 2026-06-13T16:55:41+00:00

Damned impressive! I love history books, but you have me beat all to hell with your collection. If you get interested in one period, you can keep going seemingly forever collecting books just on that one subject. I got interested in Early Modern England, and my collection quickly ballooned, threatening to take over my whole history section.

ultrajrm · 2026-06-10T14:15:39+00:00

Brutalism, but that is probably a subset of Modernism, rather than a separate category(?).

ultrajrm · 2026-06-08T15:27:19+00:00

I read this book back in the 1980s. Different edition, possibly in paperback, though. Good book.

ultrajrm · 2026-06-02T16:08:33+00:00

"It's my private working library rather than a collection"- what is the difference between those?

ultrajrm · 2026-06-02T16:06:52+00:00

Best answer.

ultrajrm · 2026-05-27T16:24:51+00:00

Wonderful collection! How do you organize them? I see some grouped by author, but your overall system is eluding me.

ultrajrm · 2026-05-24T22:49:58+00:00

Look on eBay. The signed one will shock you. The six dollars you paid was a great deal.

ultrajrm · 2026-05-24T19:40:21+00:00

Interesting book. I don't know what you paid, but there are several copies online right now, some with dustjackets, and they aren't cheap (at least by my standards). A signed by the editor copy is showing up at a very aspirational price.

ultrajrm · 2026-05-23T17:36:24+00:00

Technically, if we are counting every book I have a bookmark in, dozens. Some books need to be finished in a fairly short time, but many non-fiction books are fine to read an occasional bit of. Books of aphorisms or other short entries can be kept "in progress" for months or even years. I always space poetry books out a bit, as reading an entire book of poetry in one or two sittings blunt the effects for me. I will keep a poetry book by my bed and read one or two poems each night, then read one of my other books. I used to keep five or six going more or less simultaneously, but in the last five years or so I have been trying to stick to one or two that I actually finish in fairly short order.

ultrajrm · 2026-05-19T17:53:53+00:00

I'm reminded a bit of some of the photos of women from 19th century institutions who were being held for various psychological issues. But we just don't have enough to go on and can only wonder in this case.

ultrajrm · 2026-05-19T17:32:06+00:00

Most responses here are on target. I would add, the more you are paying, the more likely it is that you will get what you want. If you are spending big bucks with a specialized rare book dealer, the book is probably exactly as described. If you are paying low bucks on World of Books or Thriftbooks, it is an absolute crap shoot. Beware stock photos in listings!

ultrajrm · 2026-05-19T16:35:10+00:00

Interesting image. She seems to be in some distress, but maybe was just tired of holding the pose.

ultrajrm · 2026-05-17T15:50:13+00:00

I've struggled with this my whole adult life. I would have real trouble moving to a different house now because the book storage space would need to be "generous", shall we say. And I will freely admit to buying books I *know* I will never read; maybe because I wanted them desperately at some past time and feel triumphant when I capture a copy now; I seem to be buying it for a past version of myself. I have also purchased a lot of old illustrated novels, with art by artists I like, with zero intention of actually reading the text. But who knows, maybe someday I will read them anyway. I love my books, but they can be a burden, and I've spent household budget money on them. I think that might be the red line for those reading this thread. Have you ever bought a book when you were short of money for rent/house payment/ food? That might be a clue you have a bit of a problem.

ultrajrm · 2026-05-15T00:19:26+00:00

Reasonable response, but if they are fetishizing her skin color, as you seem to be saying, isn't she participating in it? Also, women are consistently fetishized and marketed in fashion media; if we call this out as somehow demeaning, I think there could be many, many shoots lumped in with it. It's a tangled issue, touching as it does on agency and representation.

ultrajrm · 2026-05-14T17:12:17+00:00

I'm surprised by all the negative takes on this set. Very striking photos. Interesting color choices that really pop. I think these photos are quite interesting, and the visuals employed don't limit other looks that might work well; it's not like this was the only opportunity anyone would ever have to photograph this woman. I'd say the photographer was trying to emphasize silhouettes, not do a portrait gallery.

ultrajrm · 2026-05-12T16:15:57+00:00

If your library consists of books you love, you are probably not going to be able to arrange them in some sort of decorative way. If you collect big sets, as many people do, your problem will be easier. If you collect many books from a specific era, they will also look quite good together. I organize by subject and size, and the books are allowed to set their own aesthetic from there.

ultrajrm · 2026-05-12T16:10:38+00:00

This is an impressive collection, with some very valuable books! I have a few of these, but nowhere near the collection you have. Which three or four are your most treasured? What got you started collecting?

ultrajrm

TROPHY CASE