A couple of weeks back my wife and I went on “Staycation” in Dallas. One of the stops we made that weekend was at a little hole in the wall antiquarian book store called Rosedale Rare Books. It was one of the smallest old bookstores I’ve ever visited (and I’ve been in quite a few), but it was also the most surprising.
The store was attached to an antique firearms shop Called Jackson Armory. Really the book store is simply one small room to right of the entrance door of the Armory. When I first walked in I was underwhelmed to say the least. But my disappointment gave way to resignation. We had already driven about twenty minutes from where we had stayed in Plano, so I decided the trip warranted a quick perusal. The library behind the glass contained any number of literary treasures, some dating back to the sixteenth century. As I continued to look I found more and more. Volumes by American generals and English poets. The longer I browsed the more the store revealed its treasures. I coveted an old edition of John Bunyan, but it exceeded what I could realistically afford to pay. I discovered memoirs of Military leaders and presidents. But many were parts of larger sets. Ultimately I settled on a modestly priced biography of Governor Morris, written by one of my heroes, Theodore Roosevelt.
This Bookstore was a really great stop. The prices were pretty high but that’s not surprising given the merchandise. In recent years, book collecting has become very fashionable and so have the prices. Books that collectors used to be able to obtain for a song at a garage sale or book fair, now command more money because people assume that age equals value. It does not. The mere fact that a volume is either a first edition or printed a hundred years ago is not a guarantee of value. All this being said I wouldn’t expect a high end shop like Rosedale to be cheap. And while it was a bit rich for me, I did find something for under twenty dollars. But even for visitors who don’t make any purchases, Rosedale Rare Books is a really interesting stop. Don’t be put off the small space. I recommend taking a few extra minutes a letting the books come to you. What you put into this visit is definitely what you’ll get out of it.