Jim Lyons is Retiring
August 7, 1997
As of September 11, 1997, I am retiring and Jim Lyons Historical Newspapers
will be closed. With the posting of this message all sales material is being
taken offline. I will still respond to want lists and e-mail as I can.
September 11, 1997 will mark, for me, forty years and five months in the
work force and twenty-five years and three days as a full-time dealer in
historical newspapers.
My web site will remain open and I will continue adding entertaining and
educational things now and again, mostly in the fields of genealogy, antique
photos and numismatics. And I expect to offer some things for sale in a
few months (I've still got a couple hundred thousand newspapers, many of
which will be donated to various museums, libraries and historical societies).
But now I plan to take it easy and adjust to a new life.
Thank you for your support in the past.
-Jim Lyons
The following letter was sent to my customers on September 12th:
Today, September 11, 1997, I am retiring from business and Jim Lyons Historical
Newspapers will be closed. For me this day marks forty years and five months
in the work force and twenty-five years and three days as a full-time dealer
in historical newspapers.
I'll still have my office in Mountain View, which will be open by appointment.
If you want to contact me, your best bet is to use the address and phone
number above.
I've still got a couple hundred thousand newspapers, many of which will
be donated to various museums, libraries and historical societies in the
coming years. I have no plans for a "fire sale", as one gentleman
put it. However, I still want your want lists, and will let you know when
something turns up. I hope dealers will keep sending me catalogs, as I expect
to continue buying certain things for the various museums and historical
societies in which I'll be getting more involved.
My web site will remain open. Although I have taken all items for sale offline,
I will still be adding educational and entertaining things now and again.
(Look us up on the Internet at the address at top. Remember, if you know
our name you know our address.)
Right now it's time to take it easy and adjust to a new life. It's hard
to believe how fast the past forty years have gone by. I started working
nearly six months before Sputnik was launched (in October, 1957. I remember
so well standing outside in the wee hours before daybreak watching a tiny
pinprick of light go over far above) and stayed around long enough to have
had my Internet site in the days which will someday be known as the dawn
of the Internet.
And I was fortunate enough to have had - for the past twenty-five years
anyway - an occupation that I dearly loved. Many times I would stay up until
3 or 4 o'clock in the morning working, and then resented having to go to
bed, I was enjoying it so much. And that's where you come in, my friends
and clients for the past quarter century. You helped make it possible for
me to make a career of something that, had I been able, I would gladly have
done for free. For that I will always be grateful.
So, as I said earlier, send me off your want list if I don't already have
it. Until then, my best wishes for your future health and happiness.
-Jim Lyons
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