Found this weird dry substance/stain on my book pages. Any idea what it is?
Hey everyone,
I just picked up this Classics Omnibus at a local book sale for an absolute steal—only $0.52 (50INR)
It’s a 2-in-1 edition featuring two standalone novels by Joseph Conrad:
Lord Jim * Victory
The cover and most of the pages look great, but I noticed this weird, dry, dark triangular substance/mark ,
Here is the thing: a lot of these sales get their stock imported in massive tons as donations or discarded stock from foreign libraries. Knowing Joseph Conrad's gritty vibes, it got me thinking... what if this copy came from an old prison library or something similar? Could this dark, dried substance actually be old blood, or is it just a really aggressive coffee/tea spill that wicked into the pages over time?
It feels completely dry to the touch and doesn't have a strong smell, but it looks a bit strange. Is this just an old coffee/tea spill that wicked into the pages over time, or could it be something else like old moisture damage?