tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post838211933331853524..comments2024-03-27T15:59:11.066+00:00Comments on Prometheus in Aspic: Hooptedoodle #374 - Tales of Shopping during LockdownMSFoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-60686471704807225052020-07-31T09:25:03.857+01:002020-07-31T09:25:03.857+01:00Hi Ray - he probably is, but he's made a few b...Hi Ray - he probably is, but he's made a few bob out of me in the past, so he'll be OK!MSFoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-6568948671857992582020-07-30T21:08:17.887+01:002020-07-30T21:08:17.887+01:00I bet the ebay guys gutted!I bet the ebay guys gutted!Ray Rousellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07352596392520905197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-24847140892951002712020-07-30T07:08:03.148+01:002020-07-30T07:08:03.148+01:00Yeah, agreed - it's small potatoes, but it fee...Yeah, agreed - it's small potatoes, but it feels like you've beaten the system! The book market has changed since I was more involved. When I sold my mother's house 4 years ago I tried to sell some of her library (and she had some marvellous old books) on eBay and elsewhere and it was a disaster - I either got no offers or else I seemed to get ripped off by pro dealers. Eventually I gave away cubic yards of stuff to the Heart Foundation charity shop, and just shrugged it off. Maybe nobody wants books any more?<br /><br />The seasonal theory is interesting - certainly, I'm pretty sure I got my soldiers for a bargain price yesterday because the auction ended on a Wednesday afternoon - if it had been a Sunday evening the hawks would have been queuing up, and I'm sure I'd have missed out!MSFoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-62194798293314654602020-07-30T06:59:32.624+01:002020-07-30T06:59:32.624+01:00The lot which I secured for less than my previous ...The lot which I secured for less than my previous offer was a little batch of rather boring old soldiers which only I (apparently!) would find interesting.<br /><br />The incident of buying back my own book is described here<br /><br />https://prometheusinaspic.blogspot.com/2011/03/funny-thing-happened-on-my-way-to.html<br /><br />I sold off and got rid of all sorts of things when I got divorced and had to move into a small flat for a while - masses of books included. It's funny that often the ones I missed were not what I would have expected to miss!MSFoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-20975319235484242902020-07-30T06:55:14.534+01:002020-07-30T06:55:14.534+01:00Funny you should mention that - I was thinking abo...Funny you should mention that - I was thinking about this just the other day. Having something constantly on tap - in amounts you will never need and couldn't cope with very easily - does kind of dull the appetite. The obvious example might just be the Internet, I suppose (neuroses notwithstanding). I had a paid subscription to Spotify for a few years, and eventually cancelled it because I never used the stupid thing - I'd rather find some CD I've had for 25 years and play a track I remember with affection - as a special treat. Apart from anything else, it feels like a little triumph to find something in my own memory.<br /><br />It's possibly something to do with having been brought up with tales of rationing. There was a time when I lived in Edinburgh, and this was before the licensing laws changed, and it is probably back when I was still studying. On any given evening, I would suddenly realise that the local pub would be closing in an hour, and I REALLY fancied a beer. So I would race up to the pub, meet a few people I knew, and because the bar was about to close (and, eventually, because it was now time for Last Orders) I would have 3 pints in a major hurry, and waddle off home rather wishing I hadn't. <br /><br />I started buying in bottles of beer from the supermarket, so I always had some in, and then I would find that I rarely went to the pub and in fact I only occasionally had a beer at all. Odd. It's not that I went "on the wagon", I just removed the pressure to get some beer quickly before the chance was taken away.<br /><br />To this day, I always have bottles of beer in the house, but don't often drink the stuff. Mind you, the bars don't close any more (ignoring lockdown), and I don't have one within rushing distance now anyway.MSFoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-87545868389404787102020-07-30T00:27:51.351+01:002020-07-30T00:27:51.351+01:00The Wargaming Gods are smiling upon you, Tony! I ...The Wargaming Gods are smiling upon you, Tony! I hope your streak lasts. I have at least one book autographed by Featherstone.<br /><br />As for ebay, I find that bargains are much more plentiful during July and August when demand is down. I have picked up some great stuff by either being the only one to bid or having a "Make Offer" accepted. I enjoy it when that happens. Jonathan Freitaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07862373894196924886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-72876548764294689582020-07-30T00:04:11.942+01:002020-07-30T00:04:11.942+01:00PS what was your eBay ‘win’?PS what was your eBay ‘win’?nundankethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12895608927860103442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-616166585869497032020-07-30T00:03:17.302+01:002020-07-30T00:03:17.302+01:00Serendipity Tony. Serendipity. Occasionally life d...Serendipity Tony. Serendipity. Occasionally life delivers you these unexpected pleasures. In this age of order everything on demand, I find I derive more satisfaction from something unexpected than from something I know I want and ordering what I want and get exactly what I wanted.<br /><br />Years ago my older two bought me the boxed set of all extant episodes of Dad’s Army. I could watch it whenever I wanted. In whatever order I wanted. I think I got about six episodes through the 70-odd, quite soon after. I haven’t put one of the DVDs on since. I really enjoy coming across an episode on the telly on a Saturday, and not really knowing which one it’s going to be. Maybe it’s partly to do with the sheer quality of the series, but it seems that it’s at least partly to do with the feeling that Life has just given me an unexpected pleasure.nundankethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12895608927860103442noreply@blogger.com