Retired colonel turns 1,000-euro bid into 40,000-book shop

A 1,000-euro auction bid left retired colonel Ismo Talka with 40,000 books and a new business, Yle reports.

Talka, 75, went to an auction in Lemi last year intending only to watch as the closing second-hand bookshop Taikalyhty sold its stock. The auction was advertised as involving 10,000 printed items.

The bidding began at one euro and rose to ten. Talka looked around and concluded that there were no serious buyers. He then offered 1,000 euros. After the auctioneer’s third call, the books were his.

“This is a cultural act. Otherwise, these books would have gone to landfill,” Talka said, explaining his decision.

He only discovered the true size of the collection on the second-to-last day of the two-week clearance. An 89-year-old relative of the former shop owner told him that the number was not 10,000 but 40,000.

From village shop to second-hand bookshop

Talka moved the books to a former village shop in Merenlahti, Taipalsaari. The shop had stood empty for 50 years. His father bought it in 1963, and it was originally established in 1962.

The shop’s original fittings are still in use. The former meat counter now displays valuable photographic works, while flour bins hold erotic literature.

The most valuable book Talka has found so far is Ecce Homo 1992 Opus, which contains eight photographs by photographer Stefan Bremer. Only 120 copies were printed, and each is estimated to be worth about 1,000 euros. Talka owns three copies.

An evaluator at the Helsinki Book Fair advised him to take the books to Bukowski’s art auction and not to hurry, saying their value would increase.

Talka also highlighted an 1894 issue of Suomen Kuvalehti that appears to have come directly from the printing press. It is not bound but kept in a case. The evaluator told him they had never seen another like it.

Customers find the shop in a small village

The shop had been open for seven days when Talka estimated that about 500 customers had visited. The village has 220 residents, but summer residents from Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa have also found the shop.

The cheapest books cost one euro, while the most expensive cost more than 1,000 euros. Talka said business had gone surprisingly well, with most customers coming from the 600 to 700 holiday homes around Merenlahti.

He has gone through about 30 percent of the collection, leaving 70 percent unpacked. Talka said he still finds valuable books every day.

The shop is planned to remain open until mid-September, depending on the weather. In future, it will mainly open during the summer, and Talka plans to begin online sales at some point. He also intends to expand into the currently full shop storage area, which he estimates could be converted into retail space in 2028.

Talka had no previous expertise in books or their value. He has been learning about the field online. He is also a local history expert and author, and is currently writing a book about passenger steamboat traffic on southern Lake Saimaa.