Baile Books

14/08/2026

Customer: Wait, didn't you use to work at Jeff's Books?
Me: Oh yes.
Customer: So now you work here?
Me: I....brought the whole shop with me.

14/08/2026

A lot of Strath people are using the extra visitors this Antiques Fair weekend to hold garage sales, so leave plenty of time (and space in the car) to explore the streets!

And despite the meme, this might be less "Haha someone can't spell" and more "I had no idea it was short for Get Rid of Old Junk"!

14/08/2026

Customer: Oh, I'm trying to think of the crime author I like (scrolling through phone) let's see...blah be blah be blah be...

Me: Oh, he writes kids' books.

13/08/2026

"Someone's left their glasses here"

Thanks very much to all the kind people who try to "help" point out there's a pair of abandoned glasses, but we actually have pairs of loan glasses around the shop for anyone to borrow, especially if they hadn't planned on encountering a bookshop on their travels!

(That said, some of these are really ones dropped or left here, so let me know if they look familiar!)

I've found a few more pairs around the storeroom, so we'll be more than set for our visitors this Antiques Fair weekend!

12/08/2026

Dramatic scenes here in Strath with the exploding power lines!

I've had to turn back and wait it out in the bookshop - we have power, most importantly to our heater, so if you need somewhere to come and hang out (especially anyone with work/homework to do) let me know!

Stay safe everyone!

10/08/2026

I do sometimes mess with customers who comment about how historic the town is by saying, "Yes, you can almost hear the hoof-falls of the carriages through the town" just as Angus and Henry go past, right on cue!

Note the cheaper rate if you rock up for a ride in costume!

It has come to this author’s attention that a most curious affair is to take place in the charming township of Strathalbyn.

On Sunday, 16th August, a most elegant horse-drawn carriage shall make its way through the streets, accompanied by magnificent horses and, one hopes, a rather impressive number of ladies and gentlemen dressed to attract attention.

Yes, dear reader… Bridgerton has arrived in Strathalbyn.

In conjunction with SteamRanger Heritage Railway, South Australia, and coinciding most conveniently with the Strathalbyn Antique Fair, guests are invited to step aboard and travel through the historic streets as though transported to another age.

Only the sound of hooves, the gentle turn of carriage wheels, and the opportunity to imagine oneself quite at home amongst the ton.

SUNDAY, 16TH AUGUST
11AM – 2PM | STRATHALBYN
$15 PP
$10 PP WHEN DRESSED IN THEME

So dust off your finest Regency attire, dear reader. Whether you are a debutante, a gentleman of questionable intentions, or simply an admirer of handsome horses and fine carriages, you are most welcome.

Your carriage awaits.

10/08/2026

Did you know that we have a car park?

Yes, we actually have a Baile Books customer parking area off Catherine Street - and this coming Antiques Fair weekend there'll be even more space available Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday!

The stone building at the end of our lawn has had many lives, but was at some point stables (possibly used by Cobb & Co) which is why I refer to the building as such.

So just let me get my spats and monocle ready for directing people to park behind the Stables...

10/08/2026

Something great about being a bookshop in the middle of an antiques fair is that we certainly cater to people who collect books or need sources for their own collecting interests, but we're also here for people who love people who love antiques.

If you just simply can't go on, if you're just one more "Let's pop in here" away from losing your grip, or if you need somewhere to park the beloved person sighing, looking at their watch and mumbling about where the car is, we're open all day both days!

08/08/2026

Here I am patiently returning photos to families when we're working through an estate, when I could have been ransoming them??

Between this and pointing out someone's accidentally picked up the same book with two different covers in their purchasing pile, being a good bookseller sometimes means being a bad businesswoman...

When David Pogue received a suspicious email from a man offering to sell his family a scrapbook and photo album that once belonged to his grandmother, he initially suspected a scam. But when the money was sent and the memorabilia arrived, it sent Pogue down a convoluted, eye-opening journey through an online network he hadn’t even known existed: People who find, sell, and collect strangers’ old photos.

The man who’d sold the Pogues their photos, Aaron Turner, is a 43-year-old archivist and digital sleuth in Lexington, Ohio. He pieces together an income from a few different kinds of archivist-related work. One of them involves buying vintage memorabilia, tracking down the descendants of the people in those photos, and then selling the stuff back to them.

Pogue asked Turner if anyone else ever found it a little gross to sell these families’ heirlooms back to them for a price. “I’d say 95 percent of people are happy,” Turner replied. “But yeah, sometimes people are like, ‘Well, why should I pay for something that should be mine anyway?’ They say, ‘You’re taking advantage of us,’ or ‘That’s extortion.’”

But inevitably, he says, some of those people pop up again a couple of weeks later. “They’ll be like, ‘Do you still have that album …?’”

Pogue explores the niche online subculture making money off family memorabilia: https://nymag.visitlink.me/45WwCU