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I always thought the 'old book smell' meant mold...
Picked up a box of books at the Springfield flea market for five bucks, and they had that strong, musty scent. Almost passed on them, but the guy running the stall said it's often just the paper breaking down, not always rot. I took a chance, left them in a dry spot for a couple weeks with some baking soda, and the smell faded a ton. Now I know to give stuff a second look instead of walking away... anyone else have a trick for dealing with that smell?
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bettywilson17d ago
Honestly, I've never bothered with any of that. It's just a smell. If the book isn't falling apart in my hands, I just read it. The smell usually goes away on its own after a while on a shelf. Seems like a lot of work for something that doesn't really hurt anything. My old paperbacks from the 70s still smell weird and I'm fine.
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taylorhunt17d ago
Oh man, I totally get that, but for me the smell is half the experience! A musty book just kills the vibe when I'm trying to get into a story. Why suffer through it if you can fix it?
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