Okay, so you know I have several different but specific cookbook collections going on, right? The other week, I was looking through my saved searches on eBay. I’ve taken a long break from eBay, not really because of anything specific, just haven’t been on there in a while.
Anywho, I did a search and found an auction that had a couple of Moravian cookbooks that I don’t think I have. Now, I can’t tell you for certain—but I don’t think those are in the collection. I waited a few days and finally put in a bid—the minimum. That starting bid was a little on the far end of what I was willing to pay, so no tears if I ended up not winning.
Good news—I did end up winning the auction. A couple of days later, my box arrived. The seller, Ned, had packed a sandwich sized Ziploc bag with a free mini flashlight and his business card as an extra freebie! Here’s what I won:
The three Moravian cookbooks that sealed the deal for me: The Hopewell Dinner Bell (Women’s Fellowship Hopewell Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, NC),Christ Moravian Church Cook Book (A.R. Carr Sunday School Class, Christ Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, NC), Pine Chapel Moravian Church Cook Book(Women of the Church, Winston-Salem, NC) and Centenary Cookbook (Centenary Methodist Church, Winston-Salem, NC).
“Let Us Thank Him for This Food” Centennial Cookbook (Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina, Inc., Thomasville, NC), Seasoned with Love (Christ Temple, Winston-Salem, NC), Our Favorite Recipes (AFL-CIO, Raleigh, NC) and Favorite Recipes of The Carolinas.
Ground Beef Cookbook (Favorite Recipes Press, Inc.), Taste of Home’s Family Favorites: “Clip & Keep” Recipe Collection, Cooking with Soup & Rice (Campell’s Soup Company and Uncle Ben’s) and New Metropolitan Cook Book (Metropolitan Live Insurance Company).
So, all in all, some are great, some are not as thrilling…but I’m happy to welcome them. Then, I notice a larger gallon-sized Ziploc bag with the word “FREE” on it.
Did this seller send me a bonus cookbook?
I open the bag and find a bonus of three cookbooks! They’re not in great condition, but perhaps he thought I’d appreciate them.
Untitled Cookbook (Pine Grove United Methodist Church Cookbook, Winston-Salem, NC) with no back cover, Yadkin County Extension Homemakers Clubs Cook Book with torn off cover and no back cover, and Grace Pentecostal Assembly (Harbor City, California) with missing corner of cover.
Okay, so that was nice. They’re a little tattered, but they were free and that’s awesome. I flip through the yellow one and notice something interesting: there’s a bio of famed North Carolina food editor and cookbook author, Beth Tartan.
That’s interesting, I wonder if she had a connection to this branch of the Extension Homemakers Club? I flip through a few more pages and the same thing is written in the header on every page:
Beth Tartan’s Cook Book
Oh boy. I really do appreciate Ned’s bag of FREE! And, I don’t think Ned realized what he has just given me. It’s a copy of a revised, second edition of Beth Tartan’s Cook Book! Granted, it doesn’t have a front or back cover—but there it is.
This is quite a find! Thanks Ned!