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(continued from previous page)TITLES RARE BOOKS, INC. “I volunteered at ORT’s used1821 St. Johnsbookstore in the mid-’70s,” recalls847-432-3690Florence Shay, owner of Titles, Inc.,Monday through Saturday,dealers in rare and valuable books.10:30-5, closed Sundays“I met a woman there, SonjaLevinger, who had owned a bookstore in New York City. Hoping to sellfiner books, she and I got together and worked out of her home. Thedealers as well as collectors found us. It became a professional enterprise.”Florence now runs the business by herself and has an internationalclientele. But what she likes the best is when people come by just tosocialize. “It’s a new exchange of ideas every time. It seems I actually don’tbegin to do real work until the shop closes each day.”And there’s just something about other people’s books; there’s always astory about who read the book before you. Ann Keil, who catalogues forFlorence, was getting the publication details from a copy of Maj Lindman’sFlicka, Ricka and Dicka children’s book. She recognized the name writtenon the flyleaf as the same as a childhood friend from back East. Ann pickedup the phone and called her friend. Yes, indeed, “That’s my very own book.My mother gave it away. I’ve been looking for any copy for years.” Annwas thrilled to send that book back to its owner.You never know what you might find in the pages of a used book.Florence remembers, “When I first started and went to rummage sales, Ibought a big bag of books, and I was thinking, ‘I got carried away. These arenot all wonderful.’ Well, one un-wonderful book held an envelope with thewords ‘for diamond earrings’ written on it. Inside? Four hundred dollars!”This year, after 29 years on Sheridan Road, Florence had to relocate. Shetold us friends helped take books off the shelves at the old store andimmediately placed them on shelves her carpenter had just removed andwas affixing to the wall at the new St. Johns address. She says customersare delighted to know she’s still in business. And who are these customers?Many celebrities protect their privacy, but you might run into professionalathletes, politicians and performers. For example, one world-championwrestler was also a reader who liked fine books. Billy Corgan of SmashingPumpkins does, too. Jim Edgar would come in to pick out Christmas gifts.What kind of books do people collect? Some collectors are veryfocused: fly-fishing, civil war, Chicago history. But, it takes manycollectors to sustain the business of finding books—and it takes morethan a village. “This store, even after all these years, cannot be sustainedby one community’s custom,” says Florence. Indeed, her customerscome from all around the country and the world for the inventory shehas and the searches she conducts.The books themselves come from all over. Florence will go to view thelibraries of people who are downsizing or closing a parent’s estate. She haseven known the occasional divorcée to claim her husband’s collection inthe settlement and sell the books “just to get even.” Florence buys rarebooks, first editions of fiction and signed books, only in the best condition.What she collects personally are children’s books, “Not famous ones. Justbooks that are adorable.”We asked about the next generation of bibliophiles. Florence sighs, “No,there aren’t enough young collectors. Young people get so much of theirinformation from computers, they don’t seem to fall in love with the printedpage. Their excitement is electronic.” Still, book collecting is a gentle,harmless addiction. You start by looking for an unusual gift. While searchingamong the books on, say, gardening, a section on architecture catches youreye. Children’s books. Medicine, poetry, art. Now, you’re hooked. AndFlorence says, “Don’t be concerned about investment. Buy books you love,and you can’t go wrong. Drop in, we’ll talk!”We heard about top picks: Owner Florence Shay: “I have nofavorites. But whatever I don’t sell, is mine, all mine!”Titles’ Florence Shay holding a currently popular local title,View from the Tower, A History of Fort Sheridan, IllinoisArthur Feldman specializes in Judaica at his gallery, especially ritual pieces.He has been in business in Highland Park since 1985 and recently movedfrom a store front on St. Johns to a shop one-half flight up from CentralAvenue, across the hall from HP Tops. Being in a less traditional store isn’t aproblem for Arthur. “Few people would walk by a window and think, ‘Gee,I want to buy a mezuzah.’” But for Jewish life passages and for special gifts,for Jewish holidays and homes, this shop is simply wonderful. And Arthur isoutstandingly knowledgeable.“My father was in the antique business, so I am second generation. Ihave advanced degrees in Art History and Archeology, and originally wentinto the museum field.” With stops along the way at the Nelson Gallery inKansas City and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, he became thefirst curator of the Renwick Gallery at the National Museum of DecorativeArts and Design (part of the Smithsonian) in 1971. He was recruited in1973 to be the director of the Jewish Museum in Chicago, staying until(continued on page 28)26 / Holiday 2006