Vic Zoschak Jr. Tavistock Books So You Want to Be a Bookseller? Vic Zoschak Jr. Tavistock Books As both an ABAA and IOBA member, bookshop owner and bookseller of 21 years standing, I am occasionally approached by a book lover, book collector, and/or bibliophilic aficionado who has the romantic notion of turning his or her avocation into a vocation, and wishes to discuss with me the practicality of starting their own book business. The operative word in this last sentence is “business.” My dictionary defines this word as “the practice of making one’s living by engaging in commerce.” And therein lies the rub… “making one’s living.” In following dialogue, we’ll examine what that means, and what that takes, in the profession of Antiquarian Bookselling which, for the purposes of this essay, may be taken to mean the selling of ‘collectible’ books, that is, those books that are viewed, by the buyer, more as an artifact than a conveyor of text. First, and foremost, we’ll begin by borrowing from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND1. Booksellers come in all shapes and forms. What kind will you be? An open shop? Home or office-based? Internet only? Bookfair exhibitor? An amalgamation? Once this decision is made, then the concomitant business plan issues flow from the choice made. For example, is an open shop your heart’s desire? Then such aspects as affordable rent, location, necessary traffic patterns, etc. will all need to be considered before the “Open” sign hangs on the door. And each of these seller manifestations comes with inherent challenges and benefits; for example, the open shop has the benefit of attracting walk-in business, as well as greater opportunity to purchase books from the local populace who are aware of your presence. The downside, of course, is the necessity of paying that monthly rent, the electric, liability insurance, etc. All of which, perhaps, brings us back to the definition of “making a living.” Do you need to do so? Perhaps you just won the largest state lottery in history, have quit your day job, and just seek a genteel profession to occupy your day. If this is the case, you’re in a position where you can turn a large fortune into a small fortune without the undue worry of wondering from whence next month’s rent payment will appear. However, if you’re in the position of needing this business of yours to pay all your monthly bills, you should, prior to embarking on this career, enumerate what you know, and expect, those bills to be. With what you need to gross in mind, know, in terms of retail merchandising, used and antiquarian books have some of the highest margins found anywhere. That is, buy for a $1, and sell for $10… $15… or more. Sometimes a lot more. HOWEVER, and this a big HOWEVER, you should realize that inventory turnover, on average, is not measured in days, nor weeks, not even months, but often YEARS. As an example, on Tuesday December 15th, 2009, I sold a book I catalogued July 20th, 1993. It wasn’t an expensive book, only $18, but it took over 16 years to sell. Sobering thought isn’t it? So, one solid piece of advice—cash flow is critical to any business’ success… don’t ignore it. And the inventory turnover issue gives rise to a couple “Rules of Thumb” for the business: Many old-timers in the trade find it easier to sell an expensive book (say three, four, five, or even six figures in price) than a cheap book (one or two figures in price). You need a critical mass of inventory, e.g., if you only have 300 two-figure books, with an average turnover rate likely measured in months to years, your net profit per month will probably not make you a living as a full-time bookseller. Inherent in the two Rules of Thumb are a few considerations. How does one know book “Y” retails at three, four, or five figures? This question gives rise to what I consider the first of two key success factors for the Antiquarian Bookseller: knowledge. The World Wide Web has provided for unprecedented access to information and MISinformation. Do not forget the old adage: Garbage In, Garbage Out. You have book “Y” in front of you, and you’re checking market listings on AbeBooks.com in which you find Bookseller A saying one thing about edition; Bookseller B saying another. Furthermore, Bookseller A is asking one price; Bookseller B is asking a vastly different price. Who is correct, and which copy more accurately reflects the actual market for the book? I’ve found, more often than not, it’s the blind leading the blind in terms of correctly identifying edition, etc. And finally, realize a listing on AbeBooks is for an unsold book; in other words, it is not a sale data point in the same fashion as an actual auction record. Which gives rise to a corollary to this success factor: don’t be stingy when it comes to investing in the tools of your trade, and by that I mean reference books and/or subscription services such as American Book Prices Current2 (ABPC) or Americana Exchange3. For example, I specialize in Dickensiana and in terms of reference books, I have one full bookcase of Dickens-related references (80 books), which in turn is but one bookcase of 30 or so filled with reference books of all sorts. I may not need a given one for years, but when I do, it generally pays for itself many times over. Back to knowledge… this same knowledge consideration applies in buying stock—how do you know how much to pay for the book that no one currently offers on AbeBooks4? In many cases, that’s exactly the kind of book one wishes to buy for there may be a buyer waiting in the wings for that particular title to come to market. But what’s a fair price to pay? There is no accredited degree program in Antiquarian Bookselling, so the challenge lies in gaining the requisite knowledge, both for buying and selling. As a momentary digression, I can personally attest that it is this ‘gaining knowledge’ that is, for me, one very compelling aspect of the trade; I learn something new every day. Every day. However, one can accelerate the accretion rate—handle books, by going to fairs, bookstores, etc. Read books about books. Attend the Colorado Seminar5. Attend Rare Book School6. Join professional organizations, such as the Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA)7 and/or the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA)8. As an Antiquarian Bookseller, your success will, in large part, be a function of your knowledge about the books that become your stock in trade. And how does one price that book of which you have the only copy currently on the market? I’ve written elsewhere on this topic, providing a methodology that leads one to penciling a realistic price on the flyleaf. For my essay on same, point your browser to: https://www.ioba.org/post/best-of-what-s-this-book-worth Hand-in-hand with knowing what to buy comes the wherewithal to be able to buy it. If you have an open shop, and in walks an inscribed first edition of Mitchell’s GONE WITH THE WIND, a beautiful copy in dust jacket… well, suffice it to say, this is a book you DO want to buy. Sometimes, however, such a transaction requires more cash than is presently in the till. Solution: Line of Credit. Use it judiciously, but having such a business tool can pay dividends in the long run. Explore the options with your bank. Finally, in aggregate, what one pays for books is known as Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) which, at the end of the year, most in the trade will say should total no more than 33% of a firm’s gross revenue. In other words, on average, when you plan to sell a book for $100 dollars, your cash investment in that book should be no more than $33. Again, this a Rule of Thumb, which should be modified as necessary vis-à-vis the circumstances at hand, like that copy of Gone With The Wind mentioned in the preceding paragraph. Let’s return to the subject of knowledge; if knowledge of books is the first of two success factors in Antiquarian Bookselling, what is the second? Well, again, it’s knowledge, but in this case, of customers. Network. Find people of like minds about books. There has been more than one occasion I’ve been able to sell my copy of a book, when others, offering the same work, have not, simply because I knew a likely customer. Through networking, one can meet and establish professional relationships that will enhance one’s business. And, if you’re lucky, those professional relationships will often, I’ve found, turn into true friendships as well. At this juncture, it may be worthwhile to mention one way of “getting one’s feet wet” in the trade and by that I mean Apprenticeship, and/or working for an established Antiquarian Bookseller. There are a goodly number of instances in the trade where one employee has spent a few years learning the ropes, and then going out on his or her own. As I write this I can, for example, think of one ABAA Past-President who began in such a manner. If your personal circumstances allow, it is a proven method of establishing oneself in the business. And the longer you work in the trade of antiquarian books, you’ll find one resource in constant short supply: time. Talk to any antiquarian bookseller, and almost to a person, their “backlog” of books to be catalogued and processed is substantial. Mine is 20 boxes, and those uncatalogued books pose a cost to my business, for they are, for all practical purposes, not available to sell. I lack the time to devote to them. And time is a resource, once expended, that cannot be regained. With this in mind, take to heart the Pareto Principle, which tells us that 80% of our sales comes from 20% of our customers. Use your time available to focus your energies on those customers, and those books, which will provide the bulk of your income. Furthermore, I recommend you guard against those that would make use of your time without remuneration; for if you earn your living primarily from employment of your time and your expertise, which is what we do in antiquarian bookselling, you deserve to be compensated by those who would benefit from your counsel. Finally, I’ll ask about your personality make-up. Are you the sort that can be facing the rent due, five days hence, with less than half of that in the bank account, without overly stressing on the uncertainty?9 If you have employees, will you be able to cover payroll every two weeks? Bookselling is an uncertain business, with past sales no guarantee of future sales. One can influence such, but cannot guarantee it. Consequently, not everyone is cut out for such responsibility and uncertainty. Before embarking on such a profession, be honest with yourself, if in fact, this is the sole manner in which you must “make your living.” You owe it to yourself, as well as your family. And that’s it really… a nutshell guide to “Success (or Not) in Antiquarian Bookselling.” I recognize this commentary has been brief, and lacks specifics on, say, insurance companies to call for shop insurance. Rather it has been, by design, a Concorde ride over the landscape of the Antiquarian Book Trade. Despite its brevity, I nevertheless hope I have provided you with some ideas, even direction, before you begin your journey. I’ll close with this thought… every journey begins with the first step. Ready to make yours? 1 I recommend all people in business, who need to “make a living,” read the entire book, which, in the interim, is summarized here: http://www.quickmba.com/mgmt/7hab 2 Auction records. I use their on-line version, which I access via my computer or my iPhone. 3 A multi-faceted service, which includes historical auction records and bookseller catalogue entries, such as from Goodspeed. In terms of auction records, there is some overlap with ABPC, but in my opinion, not of sufficient degree to say this service duplicates ABPC. 4 Again, if copies are offered on AbeBooks, that means there’s no immediate buyer for that particular copy. 5 https://www.bookseminars.com 6 https://www.rarebookschool.org 7 https://www.ioba.org 8 https://www.abaa.org 9 I remember one occasion, not too long after opening the shop, rent was due five days hence and I admit I began to fret, for I didn’t have it… the day prior, in walked a couple who bought a set of Dickens’ Works, for four figures. To paraphrase Mr. Micawber, “Something did turn up.”

GILT EDGES (GE) < Back to Terminology List GILT EDGES (GE) Feature Refers to the application of metallic gold or a gold-colored finish to edges of the text block. See All Edges Gilt (AEG) and Top Edge Gilt (TEG) . Previous Next

EDITION < Back to Terminology List EDITION Feature All copies of a book printed from the same setting of type, either at one time or over a period of time, with no major changes, additions or revisions. Minor changes, such as the correction of some misspelled words, or the addition of a dedication, or similar very minor alterations, may be made and the revised copies are still considered as part of the same edition, simply being described as different states or issues. Second or subsequent editions usually involve the entire resetting of type. Previous Next

Important Updates THE STANDARD The IOBA Standard is the journal of the Independent Online Booksellers Association and covers the book world, with a special focus on the online used, out-of-print, and collectible bookselling markets. FROM THE EDITOR FEATURES PROFILES INTERVIEWS TOOLBOX BOOK REVIEWS LITERARY TRAVELS ADDENDA ANNOUNCEMENTS BOOK FAIRS More THE STANDARD | TOPIC: ANNOUNCEMENTS Time sensitive news and announcements IOBA Scholarship Contest Description Why does IOBA offer scholarships to seminars and classes for our members? Because IOBA wants all its member booksellers to be the best booksellers they can be. Their perspective on bookselling will have widened, they will have met a faculty whose bookselling knowledge is deep and varied, and they will have made friends with fellow seminarians who include librarians and book collectors, along with other booksellers. These are good relationships to forge! An application that wi Heidi Congalton Aug 30, 2016 2013 IOBA Scholarship Announcement The IOBA Scholarship Committee reviewed a number of worthy applications this year, and we have two very deserving winners. Before getting to that, though, just a few words about the scholarships. As those who have been keeping up with announcements on the IOBA lists know, our organization offers two scholarships each year. The first is for the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar, held in Colorado Springs in August each year. The second is an open scholarship which can be used Jonathan Smalter Jun 18, 2013 The Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar The Colorado Book School, as it is informally known, offers a wonderful opportunity for those seeking to improve their knowledge of the profession. Attending this famous seminar involves a serious commitment of time and money, but all reports indicate that it is well worth the investment. Please note that IOBA’s own Chris Volk is their newest faculty member. Perhaps Chris can give us a nice report on this experience in a future issue. An official announcement follows THE COLO IOBA May 28, 2006 MyOwnBookshop.com Closes by Robin Gutterman Do you remember Jimmy Durante? He was a comedian that started in Vaudeville, worked his way into nightclubs, radio and TV, and eventually into the heart of the nation. He put his heart and soul into every performance, but at the very end of every show, beginning in the 40s, his tone became somber as he slowly walked through successive, diminishing spotlights, then turning to the audience, he would deliver what became his signature sign-off, “Goodnight, Mrs. - Sep 28, 2004 ChrisLands.com, then and now Lance Christen The story of ChrisLands.com started in 1999 when Lance Christen and Jaymes Sorbel began two years of researching the online used bookselling market. Lance, with a background in business administration, focused his research on the business aspects of the online used book market and Jaymes, with computer science experience, focused his research and work on developing a web site application specifically for selling used books. Lance found that four internet compan - Sep 27, 2004 BookTrakker Pro 3.1: One-Click Uploads to Amazon Marketplace and zShops Robin Gutterman TitlesDirect.com launched the latest version of its online bookselling database, BookTrakker Pro v3.0, in March 2004, followed by an update release v3.1 in August. Together, the new version and update release introduced key new features, optimizations, and fixes. When asked to highlight key features and improvements to BookTrakker Pro, CEO Andrew Gutterman stated “Of the many benefits v3.0 and the v3.1 update release bring, two stand out. First, OneClick uploa icc568 Sep 26, 2004 BookWriter Professional: Flagship Software for Booksellers BookWriter Professional is a new application created by Tom Sawyer, co-founder of Interloc and Alibris, serving as Chief Software Engineer from 1993-2001. His past creations include BookMaster, Record Manager, BookMate, Book Prices Realized, and the UIEE data exchange format. Last year, Tom produced the unique BookWriter Web composer, which effectively positions bookseller’s books in search engines. This exclusive IOBA article offers the first public disclosure of BookWriter IOBA Mar 8, 2004 IOBAbooks.com The Independent Online Booksellers Association is pleased to announce the launch of IOBAbooks.com, a website where IOBA members will offer their books for purchase online. Book buyers can be assured that all IOBA member booksellers will provide professional and reliable service, as provided by the IOBA Code of Ethics. IOBA members can participate in IOBAbooks.com at very favorable rates. The site is operated for IOBA by Choosebooks.com and is based on their full-featured, hig - Feb 24, 2004 Walter Mosley, Sharan Newman And Monterey, Too! That’s What Left Coast Crime 2004 Promises (Editor’s Note: I apologize. Since this issue of The Standard is so late in going live, this event was held this last weekend. Hopefully Ken Fermoyle can report on it in the next Standard issue. I’m sure it went very well indeed, as always.) As if the location wasn’t enough, Left Coast Crime 2004 organizers report that the February 19-22 event in Monterey, CA will feature Walter Mosley and Sharan Newman as Guests of Honor. Toastmistress will be Gillian Roberts (Judy Greber) a IOBA Feb 22, 2004 Book Deodorizer One of the most pernicious knids in the last several hundred years of bookselling has been odoriferous books. As all booksellers know, most books stink, but some of them go so far as to smell. It breaks the heart to tear into a lovely milk crate of potentially mortgage- paying volumes only to discover that they have been stored in the back of a disused lavatory along with the owners’ collection of rare molds & spores. There are many makeshift methods to drive odors out of boo IOBA Feb 21, 2004 Changes at TitlesDirect.com, Inc. By: Robin Gutterman robin@titlesdirect.com Database URLs: http://www.MyOwnBookshop.com and http://www.BookTrakker.com TitlesDirect.com, Inc., the parent company of MyOwnBookshop.com and the developer of BookTrakker Pro, is pleased to report a number of site changes and recent developments. In the forefront is an announcement concerning SmartSearch, new technology that produces accurate booksearch results. Introducing SmartSearch Technology TitlesDirect.com has developed new - Feb 20, 2004 Rozan’s Winter and Night WinsTop 2003 Macavity Mystery Award Awards for mystery novels and their authors abound! Probably the best known, and most coveted, of those given in the United States are the Edgar All Poe Awards. Chosen by members of the Mystery Writers of America since 1945, they are more commonly known as the “Edgars,” The Macavity Awards differ from most mystery novel honors in two important respects. First, readers select the nominees and winners, not a committee or professionals in the field. Each year, members of Mystery - Feb 19, 2004 1 2 3 4

QUARTER BINDING < Back to Terminology List QUARTER BINDING Feature A book with its spine bound in a different material than the boards (generally denoting a leather spine and cloth- or paper-covered boards). See Half Binding. Previous Next

VANITY PRESS and PUBLISHERS < Back to Terminology List VANITY PRESS and PUBLISHERS General Presses and publishers that publish books at the author’s expense. Previous Next

DUMAS, Alexandre "Le Comte de Monte-Cristo" [Michel Lévy Frères, 1850] PRICE $ 2750 PURCHASE / MORE INFO View Member Profile "Le Comte de Monte-Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas [Michel Lévy Frères, 1850]. French language edition of the The Count of Monte Cristo. Complete in 6 volumes, beginning with "The Arrival" and ending with "wait and hope". Half vellum over marbled boards with red and black morocco spine labels and gilt titling. 299 + 328+ 319 + 308 + 286 + 278pp. Each volume with two sewn-in book marks - one red, one blue. Marbling on boards quite scuffed, edges rubbed, and textblocks foxed. All bindings solid. Very Good- and the only set of its kind and quality on the market. PURCHASE / MORE INFO More items from Buzz Bookstore DICKENS, Charles. Complete Set of "Christmas Books" - 5 Volumes, 1845-1848 See Item DUMAS, Alexandre "Le Comte de Monte-Cristo" [Michel Lévy Frères, 1850] See Item SHELLEY, Mary "Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus" [H.G. Daggers, 1845] 2nd US Edition See Item STOKER, Bram "Dracula" [Doubleday & McClure, 1899] 1st American Edition See Item

IOBA members should guard against using language in their book descriptions which might conceal material defects, overstate a book’s condition, or mislead buyers in any other respect. CONDITION DEFINITIONS IOBA members should guard against using language in their book descriptions which might conceal material defects, overstate a book’s condition, or mislead buyers in any other respect. IOBA BOOK CONDITION DEFINITIONS ARE HERE FOR TWO REASONS: 1. to inform buyers of the various terms used as the condition of Hardcovers, Dust Jackets, Softcovers and Paperbacks listed by IOBA Bookdealers. In this manner, IOBA members will further the mutual trust andrespect between booksellers and customers; and, 2. to inform Booksellers of the standardization of definitions of book descriptions, as used by the IOBA Booksellers. Booksellers are individuals and as such may have what they think is the best book description definitions. The IOBA Book Condition Definitions standards codify these condition definitions so that IOBA Booksellers have a guideline for describing their books. If IOBA booksellers do not use these guidelines they will prominently display their own definitions. These IOBA Book Condition Definitions are used to describe both the book and the dust jacket, if applicable. Thus the word “book” may be replaced by “dust jacket” in the following definitions: AS NEW; FINE: Without faults or defects. NEAR FINE: a book approaching FINE (or AS NEW) but with a couple of very minor defects or faults, which must be noted. [NOTE: From here on, there may be “+ (Plus)” or “- (Minus)” in a grade, which will mean that it is above the grade noted but not quite to the next higher grade for “+”, and that it is below the grade noted but not quite to the next lower grade for “-“, i.e., Very Good + (or Plus)/Very Good – (or Minus). Which means the book is better than Very Good and the dust jacket grade is less than Very Good.] VERY GOOD: A book showing some signs of wear. Any defects or faults must be noted. GOOD: The average used book that is totally complete (as issued) and intact. Any defects must be noted. FAIR: A worn book that has complete text pages (including those with maps or plates) but may lack endpapers, half-title page, etc. Any defects or faults must be noted. POOR or READING COPY: A book that is sufficiently worn that its only merit is the complete text, which must be legible. Any missing maps or plates must be noted. May be soiled, scuffed, stained, or spotted, and may have loose joints, hinges, pages, etc. EX-LIBRARY: Must always be designated as such no matter what the condition of the book. BOOK CLUB: Must always be noted as such no matter what the condition of the book. BINDING COPY: A book in which the text block, including illustrations, is complete but the binding is lacking, or in such poor condition it is beyond realistic restoration efforts. REMAINDER MARKS, BOOKPLATES, PREVIOUS OWNER’S NAME: These are faults and must always be noted, if they apply.

Book and author reviews. THE STANDARD The IOBA Standard is the journal of the Independent Online Booksellers Association and covers the book world, with a special focus on the online used, out-of-print, and collectible bookselling markets. FROM THE EDITOR FEATURES PROFILES INTERVIEWS TOOLBOX BOOK REVIEWS LITERARY TRAVELS ADDENDA ANNOUNCEMENTS BOOK FAIRS More THE STANDARD | TOPIC: BOOK REVIEWS Book and author reviews Other People’s Books: Association Copies and the Stories They Tell Other People’s Books Association Copies and the Stories They Tell. The Caxton Club (2011). Like a junkie seeking a secret fix, I furtively ordered a copy of Other People’s Books Association Copies and the Stories They Tell. I must confess to a penchant for books signed by their authors and inscribed to professional colleagues, family members or friends. I treasure the gems in my own collection and strive to locate and place other such ‘wants’ in the hands of my customers. For Joanna Kafarowski Sep 9, 2011 BEST OF: Books About Bookselling: Seeing Shelley Plain Seeing Shelley Plain: Memories of New Yorks Legendary Phoenix Book Shop, by Robert A. Wilson. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 2001. Sell me a book tonight, Larry. You havent sold me a book in weeks. Why dont you buy all of them? Okay, how much? Thus begins both this book and the author’s adventures as a novice shop owner in the late glory days of Greenwich Village bookselling. Wilson left his job at a cuckoo clock factory and scraped together the necessary $12,000, which was Shawn Purcell Jun 1, 2011 Books About Bookselling: The Bookseller’s Apprentice As the publisher’s foreword points out, “Anyone who has gone to Boston to look for rare books in this century will have memories of Goodspeed’s Book Shop.” The history of this establishment, founded in 1898, was recorded by Charles Eliot Goodspeed in his 1937 Yankee Bookseller, and here son George takes up pen to bring the narrative forward in a limited edition of 750 copies. As George worked his way up at Goodspeed’s from 1924 until the shop’s closing in 1995, it appears tha Shawn Purcell Jul 23, 2008 Books About Bookselling: A Backward Look A Backward Look: 50 Years of Maine Books and Bookmen Francis M. O’Brien. Portland, ME: Anthoensen Press, 1986. My first impression of this book is that it’s only 49 pages long, which is good because the deadline is only a week away. And the author spends half the time on non-book topics. His family history. A rather idyllic childhood in the “Forest City.” Many early jobs, including sitting in a tent on a hill near a bridge and recording all the incoming state license plates f Shawn Purcell Sep 17, 2007 Ephemeral Assays: Self Listing When making a large haul, all kinds of things turn up in the net. Even if it’s only books, rather than loads of paper, inscriptions and the things that fall out of books often give you some picture of the previous owner. While whipping through a load of estate books recently, I nearly threw a newer-looking one in the discard/recycle pile, rather than the price, check, keep for myself, or donate piles. That’s because it was written in. The title was List Your Self: Listmaking Shawn Purcell Sep 10, 2007 Ye Olde Booksellers: Adventures in American Bookshops, Antique Stores and Auction Rooms Ye Olde Booksellers Adventures in American Bookshops, Antique Stores and Auction Rooms by Guido Bruno (Detroit: The Douglas Book Shop, 1922) is further excerpted, though now from a new personal copy hand numbered 925 of 1,000 printed. The Romance of a Chicago Book Dealer Wells Street, between the river and East Chicago Avenue, is the Bowery of Chicago. Once a residential section, now the old mansions and frame cottages, hastily erected after the fire, are dilapidated and are Shawn Purcell Sep 4, 2007 Blurbettes: Faux Real: Genuine Leather and 200 Years of Inspired Fakes Blurbettes: Faux Real: Genuine Leather and 200 Years of Inspired Fakes by Robert Kanigel (Washington, D.C.: Joseph Henry Press, 2007) comes with two holes in the dust jacket. More on that later. From the front inside flap. “What makes genuine leather genuine? What make real things…real? In an age of virtual reality, veneers, synthetics, plastics, fakes, and knockoffs, it’s hard to know. “Over the centuries, men and women have devoted enormous energy to making fake things see Shawn Purcell Sep 3, 2007 From the Editor I recently received a review copy of Fairs, Markets and the Itinerant Book Trade (various editors and authors), hot off the Oak Knoll Press, those heroes of books about bookselling. It is based on papers given at the 27th annual conference on book trade history, and covers such diverse topics as the rise and fall of the early German fairs; itinerant booksellers, printers, and peddlers in Sixteenth-Century Spain and Portugal; the legal entanglements and Italian-French-Spanish Sharon Heimann Jun 30, 2007 Book review: Bookstore: The Life and Times of Jeannette Watson and Books & Co Bookstore: The Life and Times of Jeannette Watson and Books & Co., by Lynne Tillman. NY: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1999. Books & Co. was situated in a wonderful location on the Upper East Side of Manhattan not far from the Whitney Museum. It was the kind of place where you’d see somebody like Woody Allen browsing the shelves, as he fondly recalls doing in his foreword. Allen even included the shop in one of his later films. An excerpt from the author’s introduction follows. “ Shawn Purcell Apr 29, 2007 Book Review: Of Bookmen & Printers, by Ward Ritchie Of Bookmen & Printers: A Gathering of Memories, by Ward Ritchie. Los Angeles, CA: Dawson’s Book Shop, 1989. Books about booksellers can be overly aware of how legendary they are, or steeped in formality and tradition, but this California-style treatment is just plain laid back and likeable. The author quit law school and went off to study printing with a French master in the late 1920s, became a denizen of book row in downtown Los Angeles when there was still a there there, s Shawn Purcell Jan 28, 2007 Book Reviews The Art of the Book & Beauty and the Book The Art of the Book: A Review of Some Recent European and American Work in Typography, Page Decoration and Binding, by Charles Holme. London: The Studio, 1914. Beauty and the Book: Fine Editions and Cultural Distinction in America, by Megan L. Benton. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2000. It is always interesting to view books as works of art, and The Art of the Book edited by Charles Holme and Beauty and the Book by Megan L. Benton explore just that territory. Written Lynn Wienck Sep 20, 2006 Book Review: Books, Friends, and Bibliophilia by Anton Gerits Books, Friends, and Bibliophilia: Reminiscences of an Antiquarian Bookseller, by Anton Gerits. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 2004. Anton Gerits’ reminiscences start off on a very personal level. His was a rather awkward childhood, filled with youthful soul searching that blossomed into a permanent state of introspection. From the introduction, “there were painful memories of mistakes, of selfish acts, of all kinds of unhappy incidents that had caused old sorrow and guilt Joyce Godsey Sep 19, 2006 1 2 3

A mark (rubber stamp, felt marker stroke, or spray, often on a book’s bottom edge) signifying that the book was returned to publisher as unsold, and then offered for sale again later at a much lower price. Remaindered Books and Remainder Marks Although “remainders” – in the general sense of publishers’ unsold stock – have probably existed as long as there has been a publishing business, they became much more common in the US as a result of the 1979 Supreme Court Decision in Thor Power Tool Company versus the Internal Revenue Service. Although that decision was not specifically related to the book business, there was probably no industry in the US more affected by it than the publishing industry. This decision dramatically affected the ability of publishers to write-off their still in-stock but unsold inventory – and so in order to take the losses, the books had to be either destroyed or “remaindered” – that is, sold for a fraction of the original price. Book retailers were allowed a significant amount of time to return unsold stock, and remainder marks were a way of ensuring that these books could not be returned for full credit. In the 1950s and 1960s the most common marks were on the endpapers (usually the front free endpaper) – among them an H for Random House, a P, a star in a circle, etc. However, with the increase in remainders in the late 1970s, 80s and beyond, the slashes and dots on the bottom or top of the text blocks (which were much faster and easier to apply) became the most common way of identifying remainders. Similar marks have also been applied by retail book sellers, both used and new, to ensure that they do not repurchase sold items, or do not give a full credit for them. These retailers often mark their “bargain” books in a fashion very similar to remainder marks. This practice explains why you can have an anomaly like a review copy with a “remainder mark.” While these bookstores markings are technically not remainder marks, the negative effect on the value of the book is similar. Remaindered books are usually either hardcovers or trade paperbacks, but some smaller pocket sized paperbacks were occasionally remaindered: the most common method of marking these was a hole punched through the front cover, usually in the upper corner, sometimes obliterating the original price. Publishers are beginning to abandon the practice of marking remainders, although some booksellers (like Barnes and Noble) will often mark the books on their discount tables, and outlets like the Book Warehouse usually mark all of their inventory. It is now fairly common to find a blank sticker over the bar code on the rear cover of the dust jacket, or to see a black mark through the bar code instead of a slash or dot (note: not all stickers over barcodes indicate a remainder -many retailers affix their own inventory control sticker.) A remainder mark reduces the value of a book compared to an unmarked copy of the same printing. This is partially based on the fact that a remainder mark was added to the book after publication, and partially on the sometimes mistaken assumption that unmarked copies “preceded” remaindered copies. However, it is not uncommon for a first printing to be remaindered but for a book to still go on to later printings: one example of this was Robert Olen Butler’s collection of short stories “A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain” which was quickly remaindered as a first printing and then won the Pulitzer Prize and brought back into print. Individual collectors differ in how distasteful they find a remainder mark, but the mark and its location (if not on the bottom edge) should always be noted in a book description. The effect on value can also depend on the title. Virtually all of Cormac McCarthy’s early books wound up remaindered, so even collectors who might normally reject copies with remainder marks, will make an exception for his books. Some examples of remainder marks are shown below. Remainder marks are generally simple; they often look like random dots or streaks from a black or colored magic marker. Remainder marks vary from the discreet, to the flamboyant, to the apparently accidental. Sometimes symbols are used.Ace Fantasy uses a capital “B” on one edge. Simon & Schuster, uses its logo “the sowing man.”Not illustrated is the Random House icon of a little house. From the 1960s to the late 1980s, Doubleday (and to a lesser extent, Delacorte and a few other publishers) used a purple or multi-colored dye sprayed over the entire top or bottom edge of the book, giving a speckled effect. When lightly applied, the effect is rather decorative, but when heavily applied, it is sometimes even coats the edges of the boards. Both of the books shown at left were published by Doubleday, in the 1980s. A remainder mark on the top of the book, however discreet, is worse than one on the bottom, because it can be seen when the book is shelved. A final note: while a copy of a book with a remainder mark might be less valuable to a collector of modern first editions, remainders are not necessarily all bad. First of all, no publisher can afford to warehouse all unsold books indefinitely and the alternative to remaindering is pulping. In addition, while authors do not receive any royalties from the sales of remaindered copies, they are often given the opportunity to purchase them inexpensively, and finally and most significantly, it is a way to give new readers a second chance to discover an author’s books inexpensively, especially books published earlier in their career (in addition to Cormac McCarthy mentioned above, Anne Rice’s first few books were widely remaindered also.) Initial text and images courtesy of Alice Voith of My Wings Books. Please send comments to us at resources@ioba.org . Last updated May 17, 2016.

An illustrated dictionary of terms for describing books and ephemera, their condition and the bookselling trade. BOOK TERMINOLOGY An illustrated dictionary of terms for describing books and ephemera, their condition and the bookselling trade. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Loading... Filter by Category Clear Filters ALL EDGES GILT (AEG) Feature Refers to the application of metallic gold or a gold-colored finish to the top, fore, and bottom edges of the text block.See Gilt Edges . The first example shows gilt edges with square corners and the second image shows gilt with rounded corners. SEE MORE > 1/2 AMERICAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION (ABA) - US Trade Organization American Booksellers Association, founded in 1900, is a national not-for-profit trade organization that works to help independently-owned bookstores grow and succeed. ABA’s core members are key participants in their communities' local economy and culture, and to assist them ABA provides education, information dissemination, business products, and services; creates relevant programs; and engages in public policy, industry, and local first advocacy. https://www.bookweb.org/ SEE MORE > 1/1 ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLER General Traditionally a seller of older rare books. In today’s usage, the term describes a bookseller whose stock in trade is primarily old, rare, and/or collectible books. SEE MORE > 1/0 ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION (ABA) - UK Trade Organization The Antiquarian Booksellers Association is a trade association in the British Isles for dealers in antiquarian and rare books, manuscripts, and allied materials. Founded in 1906, it is the oldest organization of its kind in the world. ABA is the UK equivalent of the ABAA. http://www.aba.org.uk/ SEE MORE > ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION (ABA) - UK Image courtesy of and copright by Antiquarian Booksellers Association ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION (ABA) - UK Image courtesy of and copright by Antiquarian Booksellers Association 1/1 ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS' ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA (ABAA) Trade Organization Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America is a trade association of booksellers, established in 1949, with over 450 members located throughout the United States, specializing in fine and rare books, maps, documents, autographs, illuminated manuscripts, ephemera, and prints spanning the economic spectrum. ABAA is the U.S. equivalent of the U.K. ABA. https://www.abaa.org/ SEE MORE > 1/1 ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS' ASSOCIATION OF CANADA (ABAC) Trade Organization Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of Canada is a trade association of booksellers in Canada, founded in 1966 with the aim of fostering interest in rare books and manuscripts and maintaining high standards in the antiquarian book trade. ABAC is the Canadian equivalent of the U.K. ABA. http://abac.org/wordpress/en/ SEE MORE > 1/0 ARBITRAGE General Arbitrage is the financial term for buying an item in one market or venue and offering it in another market or venue, so as to take advantage of price differences between the markets. Applied to books, someone might buy a book on one site to sell on another, thus taking advantage of pricing differences. This can produce greater profit, after all costs, than use of a sole marketplace. Sellers can exploit buyers' ingrained habit of making nearly all purchases using one online venue rather than looking at the universe of offerings. Price differentials between markets have reinforced the practice termed bookjacking. See bookjacking / bookjacker . Sites like viaLibri.net search multiple bookselling sites and allow one to see pricing differentials between sites. SEE MORE > 1/0 ARC General Advance Review (or Reader's or Reading) Copy. A special pre-publication copy distributed by publishers for review purposes. ARCs are sent to reviewers and editors prior to publication date. ARCs are usually softbound in wrappers, which may be similar to dust jacket art of the first trade edition, but the wrappers are more typically merely printed text. ARCs are sometimes issued as a hardcover with a review slip laid in by the publisher. Occasionally the distribution of ARCs lead to textual differences between an advance review copy and a first edition. The textual differences between various versions may give value to ARCs to the collector. SEE MORE > 1/0 ASSOCIATION COPY Feature A particular copy of a book once belonging to the author, or signed or annotated by the author to someone closely associated with the author of the book or the book itself in some way. The image shows an author-to-author association, with an inscription to fantasy novelist David Gemmell who lived near the author. SEE MORE > Image courtesy of Bob Evans, books-and-records.com Image courtesy of Bob Evans, books-and-records.com 1/1 AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION OF ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS (ANZAAB) Trade Organization Since 1977 this Australia-based organization has promoted the welfare and growth of the antiquarian book trade. Australian & New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers encourages its members to follow ethical and honourable trade practices and provides statements of policy regarding public and political issues that affect the antiquarian book trade, collecting, and libraries. The hosting of book fairs is one of the main activities of the organization. https://anzaab.com SEE MORE > 1/1 AUTHOR’S EDITION Feature Around the turn of the nineteenth century, many titles in the international book trade were “pirated,” or published without authorization. The “Author’s Edition” let the reader know that the book was published with the author’s approval. SEE MORE > 1/0 AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (ALS) General A letter written entirely in the hand of an individual and signed by them. The image depicts a hand-written, signed college acceptance letter. SEE MORE > AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (ALS) Image courtesy of Andrew Langer, Bookseller AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (ALS) Image courtesy of Andrew Langer, Bookseller 1/1 BACKSTRIP Feature A strip used by binder to reinforce the back of folded sheets in the binding of the spine. Sometimes used as a synonym to Spine. SEE MORE > 1/0 BALTIMORE BIBLIOPHILES Trade Organization Founded in 1954, the Baltimore Bibliophiles is the only major United States bibliophilic society founded by women. "The purpose of the Baltimore Bibliophiles is “to provide a focal point for community interest in matters pertaining to books and manuscripts, bindings, typography, printing, paper, preservation, calligraphy, book illustration, cartography and related fields.” Annually, the organization has five meetings, each featuring an invited speaker lecturing on bibliographic topics. http://www.baltimorebibliophiles.org/ SEE MORE > Baltimore Bibliophiles 1.jpg Baltimore Bibliophiles 1.jpg 1/1 BEVELED BOARDS Feature Boards edges are cut at an angle before covering material is added. The angle and board thickness can vary and generally gives a pleasing effect. SEE MORE > 1/1 BIBLIOGRAPHY General A reference work detailing published titles on a given subject or by a given author; used by book sellers and collectors to verify the authenticity of an edition or issue of a given title. The image depicts a bibliography of The Golden Cockerel Press, one of many issued by the press to document its work by period of issue. SEE MORE > Image courtesy of Michael Watson, 20 Ants Fine Books Image courtesy of Michael Watson, 20 Ants Fine Books 1/1 BIBLIOPHILE General A lover of books. Sometimes also called a Bookworm. SEE MORE > Image courtesy of Andrew Langer, Bookseller Image courtesy of Andrew Langer, Bookseller 1/1 BINDING Feature Material used as a protective cover for the pages of a book (e.g.: leather, cloth, buckram, paper, etc.) SEE MORE > 1/0 BINDING COPY Defect A book whose text block is complete and serviceable (and usually in reasonably good condition), but contained within a binding that is defective or incomplete. The term suggests that the book is suitable for rebinding. Note: Technically, what we call bindings on most books today, where the text block is glued in (in a hardcover book the text block is glued to a cover by some mull and end sheet paper, and in a softcover book normally the text block is glued directly to the spine of the cover), is actually a casing. Traditionally, bindings were actually sewn to the collected gatherings. The two terms- Binding and Casing – are, becoming interchangeable today). The image shows a binding copy of The Essence of Malone by George Hardinge. All signatures are present and are fit for stitching and binding. SEE MORE > Image courtesy of Michael Watson, 20 Ants Fine Books Image courtesy of Michael Watson, 20 Ants Fine Books 1/1 BIOPREDATION Defect Damage to a book caused by a living thing. Common sources of biopredation are insects, animals and other small organisms such as molds. 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Before about 1800, all paper was made by hand. By 1820, most paper was machine made, although a few high-quality papers continue to be made by hand even today. The mechanics of making paper by hand leave an impression that lasts for the life of the paper... Laid Paper Before about 1800, all paper was made by hand. By 1820, most paper was machine made, although a few high-quality papers continue to be made by hand even today. The mechanics of making paper by hand leave an impression that lasts for the life of the paper. Laid paper is made on a mould, which consists of a rectangular frame to which is attached a fine mesh of wires parallel to the long sides of the mold. These fine wires are crossed by somewhat thicker wires, called chain lines, that run parallel to the short sides of the mold. The wire lines (also called laid lines) and the chain lines can clearly be seen when the paper is held up to the light. This sample is from a 1698 book. The wire lines (laid lines) are parallel to the spine of the book (horizontal in the photograph) and are about 1 mm apart. The chain lines are vertical in the photograph, and in this book, are about 23 mm (7/8 inch) apart. This sample is from a 1750 book, in which the chain lines (horizontal in the picture) are parallel to the spine and the wire lines are perpendicular to it. The direction of the chain lines, together with other evidence that can be discerned from the book, can help a bibliographer determine what format was used when the pages were laid out for printing. Another example, this time from an 1804 book. During the papermaking process, after the water with suspended paper fibers had been evenly distributed over the wire mesh of the mould, the mould would then be inverted over a piece of felt to deposit the new and very delicate piece of paper there. This resulted in the paper having two sides, a mould side, which had been next to the wire mesh, and a felt side. Mould and felt sides can sometimes be determined by examining the paper closely, with the mould side carrying the impression of the wire and chain lines and the felt side being smoother. The top picture at left shows the mould side. The arrows indicate the faint impressions left by the chain lines, with the center one being the most visible in the photo. The bottom picture is the felt side of the same page, showing a smoother aspect. This example, from a 1904 book, is most likely a mold-made paper, created in a machine process that formed paper on a continuous web and could impress laid lines and chain lines almost indistinguishable from hand-made papers. Mold-made papers were common from 1890 to 1914, and were usually used for upscale books. Initial text and images courtesy of Alice Voith of My Wings Books. Please send comments to us at resources@ioba.org . Last updated May 17, 2016.