Why one inaccessible PhD source cost about £1,000

Have you ever spent more than this on a single research book?

Yes. An unavailable PhD reading cost about £1,000, and a Masonic education grant made the purchase possible despite its very limited later use.

A required reading for the first-year PhD upgrade was unavailable from the university library and through interlibrary loan. The only copy eventually located was offered on eBay for about £1,000. A Masonic education grant covering books, fees, and travel made the purchase possible. The source ultimately supplied about one quotation or reference to the thesis and was rarely opened afterward. The experience illustrates how scarcity, library access, and funding can impose disproportionate costs on historical research.