The Syndicate experience
Caloundra Qld is a good place to include in an op shop crawl as there are 8 or 9 within 3 blocks. I started my search at the Information Centre as when I was last up here for book club camp, we found the centre kept a list of all op shop/reycle shop/antique/book shops on their computer and were happy to print off a page of addresses. This time the person working there didn't have access to the computer, but she did give me a map and marked some on there for me. I asked at a couple of shops as I visited them to mark any more they knew of and it was at the last one I visited that I had the oddest experience.
I found 1 paperback for 50c that I wanted, went over to the desk, paid for it, pulled out the map and began my spiel on how I'd left my family in Melbourne while I had a holiday on my own to do an op shop crawl and could the woman behind the counter show me where any other op shops might be. She stopped smiling and asked me what I was buying. Mostly books, I reply. She drew back like I had the plague, or swine flu, and her features went all hard and stony. "You're a member of the Syndicate," she accused. I'm afraid my reply was a very unintelligent 'Huh?' "You people," she began her tirade, and gave me an earful about how dreadful we were, swarming up from Melbourne at intervals, buying up all the good books and taking them back to be sold at inflated prices.
I had no idea what she was talking about. When she stopped for breath, I repeated I was on my own on holiday and I was buying books I planned on reading. After another hate session against the syndicate, she eventually decided she would mark 2 more places on my map for me.
When I stayed with a book club crony the night before camp, I told her the tale. Lo and behold, she'd heard of this syndicate! Not Abbey people, but definitely a bunch of (hard core)book dealers. I mentioned it to a couple of the Vic members at camp, and the one that deals in books in a minor way had heard of them. So there you go. I need a T-shirt proclaiming I'm a Syndicate member - or maybe not. I've never before heard this Syndicate mentioned, even when a few of us have gone around the shops together.
Now while I would vastly prefer the Syndicate didn't go around buying up all the good books so that ordinary people can still find bargains, as long as the op shops get the prices they ask, surely it's better for them to move stock? I got the impression the Syndicate members must be unpleasant to deal with to produce such a reaction.
I found 1 paperback for 50c that I wanted, went over to the desk, paid for it, pulled out the map and began my spiel on how I'd left my family in Melbourne while I had a holiday on my own to do an op shop crawl and could the woman behind the counter show me where any other op shops might be. She stopped smiling and asked me what I was buying. Mostly books, I reply. She drew back like I had the plague, or swine flu, and her features went all hard and stony. "You're a member of the Syndicate," she accused. I'm afraid my reply was a very unintelligent 'Huh?' "You people," she began her tirade, and gave me an earful about how dreadful we were, swarming up from Melbourne at intervals, buying up all the good books and taking them back to be sold at inflated prices.
I had no idea what she was talking about. When she stopped for breath, I repeated I was on my own on holiday and I was buying books I planned on reading. After another hate session against the syndicate, she eventually decided she would mark 2 more places on my map for me.
When I stayed with a book club crony the night before camp, I told her the tale. Lo and behold, she'd heard of this syndicate! Not Abbey people, but definitely a bunch of (hard core)book dealers. I mentioned it to a couple of the Vic members at camp, and the one that deals in books in a minor way had heard of them. So there you go. I need a T-shirt proclaiming I'm a Syndicate member - or maybe not. I've never before heard this Syndicate mentioned, even when a few of us have gone around the shops together.
Now while I would vastly prefer the Syndicate didn't go around buying up all the good books so that ordinary people can still find bargains, as long as the op shops get the prices they ask, surely it's better for them to move stock? I got the impression the Syndicate members must be unpleasant to deal with to produce such a reaction.