I would like to take a moment to talk about antiquarian book fairs: what they are; who attends them; where they have been and where they are going; why they are important; and how I as a bookseller fit into all this. My hope is that this will provide a touchstone for various groups: those who are unfamiliar with book fairs should be able to read this, understand their purpose, and decide whether they are interested in visiting one; those who have shopped at book fairs before

I thought I knew what to expect from my ‘first’ fair. From a visitor’s perspective, I had a visual and sensory expectation set, which went something like: heavy lifting, eight-hours standing, casual browsers, heavy hitters, high rollers, soft selling, gentle banter, brain teasing questions, booth memory game, occasional water breaks, invoice writing, rinse, repeat. All true. But I missed an important piece to the puzzle: it’s a love story. Some time ago, some century or decad

What was the name, dates, and place of fair? Antiquarian Book Fair within the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show, August 25-28, 2011 (Thursday – Sunday) at the Baltimore Convention Center – Inner Harbor. Did you attend as a buyer or as an exhibitor? Buyer What seemed to be the mood among buyers? I was there on Thursday and Friday, under somewhat difficult circumstances; the week had begun with an earthquake, and was ending with Hurricane Irene headed for the area. Sandbags were b

BEA. To go, or not to go, that was the question. With my new baby, Perfect Pines Books and Gifts still in its infancy, I had to ask myself first if I could afford to go. That question had an easy answer, but only if I wanted to be completely honest with myself. “No.” So, I admitted that I couldn’t really afford the expense of attending Book Expo America in New York and ended the internal dialog. And then THEY started talking. You know them. Most people refer to them as the an

The 28th Annual Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, November 19-21, 2004, Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA On Saturday, November 20, 2004 I attended my first antiquarian book fair. As a voracious reader, compulsive collector, and fledgling online bookseller, with dreams of my own “Bricks and Mortar” store, I was excited to be attending. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I didn’t expect to become a 5-year-old again! I bought my ticket, entered the hall, and stopped

This show just keeps getting better and bigger. I’ve been exhibiting here for the past four years, and sporadically attending for a little longer than that, and it’s become one of my favorite bookselling and collecting venues. Not because it’s the most lucrative – but it is often far and away the most interesting. Impresario Gary Lovisi managed again to keep things lively on two fronts – the 35 dealers ranged from relative newcomers to longtime paperback specialists like Chri

The sighs of relief from organizers were palpable. The 2003 Rochester Antiquarian Book Fair was under new management, in a new location, and had a new sponsoring agency. But the fair exceeded expectations, drawing a significantly higher number of patrons than it did in 2002. You could almost hear the fingers uncrossing. The recently formed Rochester Area Booksellers Association had had its hands full. Following the 2002 fair, the Friends of the University of Rochester Library

Over 18 used and antiquarian book dealers exhibited in this year’s 25th anniversary of New York is Book Country. It is definitely a long, hard day, but reaps many rewards. With over 250,000 people attending this daylong street event, it’s a great way to reach out, cultivate the masses and introduce them to the world of used books, prints and maps. There were over 200 exhibitors, including large publishing houses, small presses, libraries, cultural organizations and bookstores

There are advantages to the move. The 2003 Fair was sold out in June, even after additional booths were added. However, the larger venue for 2004 has only 88 booths; six of which are designated premier booths as they directly face the front doors. In addition to the booths themselves being larger (10 foot by 10 foot), there are 26 corner booths. Furthermore, the producers will add a book arts show in conjunction with the 2004 Book Fair. The show is a unique opportunity for tw

The Rocky Mountain Antiquarian Booksellers Association sponsored its 19th Annual Book Fair August 1 and 2, 2003. With more than 80 dealers from across the country, the Fair is the biggest antiquarian book event in the Rocky Mountain west. This year’s event included celebrity limerick readings and panel discussions on children’s literature and Edward Abbey. Dates for the next fair are August 6 and 7, 2004. Scenes from the 19th Annual Rocky Mountain Antiquarian Book Fair August

We used to do about three or four book fairs annually, years ago when we had shops first in Somerville and then in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Since our move to Deerfield in the western part of the state, however, the allure of fairs has somehow diminished — as we grow increasingly busy adding inventory to our own (now much larger) store’s shelves, managing our online sales, and taking care of all the other details of running a book business full-time, we find that book fairs,

September 20, 2003, the date of the 10th annual Sacramento Book Fair sponsored by the Central Valley Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association dawned bright, sunny and unseasonably hot – but inside the spacious Scottish Rite Temple, the location for the show, it was cool and comfortable – which might have contributed to the fact that the afternoon sales seemed to be just as brisk as the morning ones. This book show is consistently well produced and well attended. Bill Ewald of Arg