Help

BI’s Article search uses Boolean search capabilities. If you are not familiar with these principles, here are some quick tips.

To search specifically for more than one word, put the search term in quotation marks. For example, “workers compensation”. This will limit your search to that combination of words.

To search for a combination of terms, use quotations and the & symbol. For example, “hurricane” & “loss”.

Login Register Subscribe

The adventures of antique book collecting

Reprints
Mark Twain

A personal trainer to the stars took it personally when an antique mall in Springfield, Missouri, sold him a Mark Twain book for $2,648 that was later valued at $20 — and now he’s suing, amassing thousands in legal fees. 

 

As reported by the Springfield News-Leader, Jason Walsh — a “big” fan of the father of American literature who went to an elementary school bearing his namesake — was told the copy of “A Tramp Abroad” was a rare “saleman’s dummy” copy. He was able to talk the $4,000 price down at Relics Antique Mall. When he took his book back to Los Angeles to have it appraised he was told that he had been misled. When he attempted to get a refund, the owner told of the no-refunds policy and that “the book is worth whatever you paid for it.”

 

In an email to the newspaper, Relics owner Beverly Robb said that all customers have the opportunity to examine and fully research any item before purchasing it. She then accused Mr. Walsh of being unpleasant, and not wanting to pay tax — a story Mr. Walsh denied.

 

Mr. Walsh told the newspaper that he credits his Midwestern sensibilities with much of his professional success — actresses Mandy Moore, Emma Stone and Brie Larson are among his personal training clients — and that he was respectful throughout the purchasing process. He said his mother was by his side and could attest to his version of the story.

 

 

 

Read Next