Super cool find (at least to me)

[mashmaster]

I picked up a 1929 second printing of the Handbook for Patrol Leaders off ebay from an estate sale.  I guess this is what happens when people buy lots of books from estate sales.  The book is in really good condition except for missing the front page and single tear on the foreword from James West.  In the back was the a small signature.  Through my super sleuthing (i.e. Google) I found that book most likely belonged to a Japanese boy named Jiro.  He was born in 1919 and passed away in 2016.  Born and raised in Southern California and sadly was interned in a Japanese camp during WWII.  I feel a lot more connected to the book, imagining a small 11 year old Japanese boy thumbing through the book 88 years ago.  

I showed the book to my scouts last night, only letting my SPL look through it because I trusted him to be careful.  His eyes were so wide reading it.  

 

 

[DuctTape]

I remember when I found my 1st edition handbook at an estate sale for 50cents. Well worn. I imagined the boy carried it with him on many adventures. He had written his name and age inside. As well as his SM and Patrol leader. I also did some sleuthing and found out he was born in 1898 and died in the 50's ( I cannot recall the exact year). My collection of old books is not very large, but this one is my favorite as because I have the boy's name. It makes it more real to me.

[skeptic]

It is always exciting to find something new or different in the unexpected place.  The best deal on eBay was buying 5 pre1920 Boys Life as a group for $12, I guess because they were in rough condition.  But three are Rockwell covers as well, and all the pages are there.  Found first edition and printing of the Burnham book,  Scouting on Two Continents at a local Friends of the Library sale in Camarillo; it has a letter from him to the original owner tipped into the back of the book.  You sometimes just get lucky.  Good hunting to those that still search.