What will happen to all these trimmed books?

[Red Hook]

I probably exhibited symptoms when I gather together several Green River books with the exact same date stamp, knowing that they probably arrived in the same bundle at a store in Spokane, 40 years ago.

[Darthdiesel]

You guys are starting to scare me...

[PedigreeMan]

You guys are starting to scare me...

 

That's all right ... you've scared me since day one.

[Darthdiesel]

[divad]

In other words, your interest seems to be more in von Schliemann than Troy.

 

I love this analogy! Who are you, Dennis Miller?

 

lawyer-brat!

[tth2]

But it seems to me most of the "stories" you`re referring to, such as the Church, Windy City and Larson pedigrees, are more about the discovery itself, or the discoverer, rather than any riveting story about the creation of the collection itself.

 

Yeah, but the pedigree creation itself relates to obsessive compulsiveness, and you were insulting the obsessive compulsives in your first response on the subject so I decided to go with another track entirely.

 

Performing OC-related analysis on the pedigrees themselves is absolutely part of their appeal. Go read Dr. Pat Kochanek's analysis of the books in the Larson pedigree in CBM #31 and tell me you don't get goosebumps by placing yourself in young Lamont's shoes each month during the late '30s. Or tell me that you haven't imagined old Edgar walking to his drug store each and every week to pick up his stack of books. Or why he really stopped collecting in the mid-'50s (retirement or SOTI influence?).

 

There's an entire treatise in me on "what makes a pedigree," and I've really only touched upon the briefest of aspects here. Believe me, Tim, there are many, many factors involved.

 

Alan

Yeah, I hear what you're saying, and if I was a psychologist or psychology student, I might find these patterns of obsessive-compulsive behavior to be as fascinating as you do, but I don't. They're just kind of sad people whose sickness has unintentionally benefited us.

 

I actually have no problem believing that old Edgar might have been a pretty lousy father due to his OC affliction and I'd just as soon his collection never existed if it would have made him a better father for his kids. I admire the collection, but I don't necessarily admire the man.

[PedigreeMan]

They're just kind of sad people whose sickness has unintentionally benefited us.

 

Says the guy dropping five figures on pristine funny books.

 

(Your proper response to this should be: )

 

I actually have no problem believing that old Edgar might have been a pretty lousy father due to his OC affliction and I'd just as soon his collection never existed if it would have made him a better father for his kids. I admire the collection, but I don't necessarily admire the man.

 

Totally agree. But since Edgar was such a whackjob, his story is rather fascinating. There's no greater mystery than trying to figure out the motivations and actions of another human being. And one doesn't have to be a psychology major to think this.