Toronto has many secondhand bookshops. Some I had visited on previous trips and some I found for the first time. Although I visited many shops three that really impressed were Arcadia Art & Rare Books in Queen Street East, David Mason Books in Adelaide Street West and The Worlds Biggest Bookshop.
"Can I help you sir" greeted me as I entered The Worlds Biggest Bookshop. "No just browsing" was my reply. I knew why I was there and that I could find my around any bookshop. Sometime later completely confused, although I had bought a Cat calendery thing for my daughter, I had to ask the man "Where can I find some books on the Antarctic".
The shop, although all on one level, is huge and well worth a visit even though Barnes and Noble in New York are currently is the biggest according to Guinness Book of World Records. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_Biggest_Bookstore
The shop, although all on one level, is huge and well worth a visit even though Barnes and Noble in New York are currently is the biggest according to Guinness Book of World Records. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_Biggest_Bookstore
I was in Toronto in Autumn and dressing to suit the expected weather I headed off to Arcadia Art & Rare Books. By the time I walked up Queen Street West I was hot with my coat slung over my shoulder, but the trip was worth it. Here I found a neat, well organized shop with books on all and every aspect of art. Unfortunately for me art is not my interest and the rare book aspect didn’t cover War or the Antarctic.
Next I grabbed a taxi and headed out to David Mason Books . A typical commercial/office building, but after reading the list of tenants in the entrance hall I headed of down a plain yellow corridor to be greeted by a black and white cat looking into an open doorway.
Through this doorway was the bookshop and all its treasures with the door opposite leading to a work room and many more bookcases.
Here I was shown several Antarctic books prepared for an upcoming Book Fair. A first edition of Scott’s Last Expedition in two volumes took my fancy. The price, however, slowed me down a bit and after looking through the rest of the Polar books, I headed back.
At the hotel, I fired up my computer, opened Bookfinder.com and started to look at current asking prices. I had a problem. Recently, I had been looking at the merits of an Ipad and now had to weigh up the advantages of technology over the purchase of an old book. The cost of both being the same. While deep in thought I had a call via Skype from my daughter in New Zealand. While talking to her, I mentioned my problem and was told “The answer is easy. You can buy an Ipad back in New Zealand”. My daughter is also an avid book collector. Now I am the proud owner of a first edition of Scott’s Last Expedition.
Toronto was my last stop, from here I flew to Vancouver and onto New Zealand. Home and a long wait for the books I had posted. However not completely trusting the postal services I carried my Scott book in my suit case.
