One of the more interesting bits of working in a used bookstore is the opportunity to make house calls to look at people’s entire collections. Generally, someone has died or there’s been a divorce or a major move, and people want to unload thousands of books at one time. It’s a great way for a bookstore to start a collection, or to drastically change the flavor of their bookstores.

Bookride, an antiquarian book blog, is currently running a series of posts with some of the weirder book buying house calls:

A pal of mine, now ennobled, was called to a house full of books in North London. When he arrived he realised there was a noisy afternoon party going on that had developed into an orgy and he swears he had to tread on the odd buttock as he made his way to the desirable book collection.

More, including chickens, over there.