Signed Logie Baird book donated to Edinburgh shopThis is one of those stories that when you read it you wish it had happened to you (and wonder how the previous owner could have come to part with it!). A book about arguably the most influential invention of the 20th Century, signed by the inventor himself, ending up in a branch of Oxfam!
Of course it is really splendid news that it will end up benefiting the charity by being auctioned, maybe for as much as £1,000, and from a philanthropic point of view it's a far better outcome than it languishing undiscovered on the shop's bookshelves. Worse still it could have been snaffled by some unscrupulous dealer type who then sells it on and pockets the money for himself. Or is that fair game? I know I said at the beginning that I'd have loved to have found it myself but I'd like to think that had I done so and then realised it's value - both in monetary and cultural terms - I'd have done just as the shop owner did.
I know it's a thrill when we charity shoppers find a valuable item for an absolute steal, but I think this is such a special occurrence which goes far beyond normal considerations. If you found something on this scale, what would you do?
This is amazing! I've not had a big discovery, but I once found a wonderful old suitcase from 1945 in a charity shop (it has the makers stamp and production date stamped inside). It was priced at a fiver, which I thought was good as I've seen them on Ebay going for twenty odd quid. I did ask the lady in the shop if they'd thought about Ebaying it, but she said that the charity didn't do that sort of thing. So, despite not needing it, I bought it... and a wonderful filing case it is for all my tax returns!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, what a find! I often day dream about this sort of thing when I'm in the charity shops.
ReplyDeleteBeing totally honest, I think maybe I'd be tempted to take it, sell it and spit the profits with the charity...
Or maybe I'd let them have it all. I actually surprise myself at my honesty sometimes - a fair few found handbags with cash and phones in have gone intact to the police from me in the last few years. It'd be a hard choice though!
OH my! I think if it was something with such historical and cultural significance I would have donated it to the appropriate museum or library or whatnot....EXCEPT f it was, say, a 1920s-30s original Chanel or Lucien Lelong dress, in which case, I'd probably have a major ethical dilemma on my hands
ReplyDelete**UPDATE**
ReplyDeleteSold for £1,440:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-11822414