Today we’re talking about one of the simplest, but most crucial, lessons: the importance of being nice. While many imagine the rare book dealer as an unhelpful curmudgeon, Ken believes that, not only is it nice to be nice, it’s also good for business. We’ll talk about times when the shop’s friendliness paid off, inadvertently building relationships with mayors, newspaper editors, and the New England mafia—as well as doormen, secretaries, and restaurant staff. Settle in and get comfortable with this convivial new #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #104 - Amazing Appraising
Do you hate it when a mysterious great uncle, whom you’ve never even met, passes away and unexpectedly leaves you his rambling manor, about which dark rumors have circulated in the nearby village for hundreds of years, plus a cobwebbed, candle-lit library of rare works on the occult? Same. You may be thinking, “Welp, better get over there, spend the night, and flip through these books, reading passages aloud at random.” Wait. Why not call the Brattle and find out what you’ve got on your hands? Appraisals are one of our specialties, we’ll never charge you for a casual, verbal appraisal, and, if you can send us photos of the books, we can appraise libraries anywhere in the world. Plus, no matter how much blood you’ve got oozing out of your walls, rest assured—we’ve seen worse!
Brattlecast #96 - The Grisham Conspiracy
Today we’re talking about Ken’s surprising appearance as a villain in John Grisham’s rare books heist thriller, Camino Island. Well, not Ken exactly, but someone very much like him. Oscar Stein is the fictional proprietor of the three story Old Boston Bookshop on West Street in downtown Boston, a shop that was founded by his father, Loyd Stein. Sound familiar? The only problem is that Oscar Stein is also a thief, his bookshop is failing, he’s weary of the book trade, and would rather pop pills in his cluttered office than run the shop. After reading Camino Island, Ken, baffled and understandably concerned about the possible damage it could cause to his reputation, does some investigating of his own, ultimately leading to a phone call from Grisham himself.