On the Importance of Antiquarian Book Fairs

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 should learn a few handy tips to make their next fair more enjoyable and successful; booksellers who have not exhibited at fairs in the past may be encouraged to give it a whirl; and booksellers who have hundreds of book fairs under their proverbial belts may be inspired to encourage those just starting out to explore them.

Like many booksellers, I have attended numerous book fairs, and exhibited at a decent number as well, from local and regional book fairs like Rochester, Cooperstown, Buffalo, and Albany, to major national fairs like Boston and New York City. These each have their own specific personalities which are formed based on a number of factors: the dealers exhibiting, the geographic location, the organizers in charge of planning and advertising the show, etc. But before we get into that it’s important to give some working definition of a book fair; i.e., what is the same about each of these? For my purposes here, I’ll use the following:

Who attends these fairs — are they only for advanced collectors and high-end dealers? Not at all. While there are certainly fairs geared towards wealthier clientele, most book fairs feature a wide variety of material at diverse price points. So, while serious collectors, special collections librarians, book dealers and book scouts are among those you would expect to see at an average book fair, be assured that you will feel right at home if: you are an avid reader hunting for something you can’t seem to find at your favorite shop; you are interested in a particular subject and want to meet booksellers who can help you find new material; or you want to learn more about books by talking to experts.

What sorts of dealers exhibit at book fairs? This tends to be a diverse group as well. At a given fair you might see: specialists in modern first editions, vintage children’s book dealers, postcard dealers, sellers of early photographica, experts in incunabula and early printed works, map dealers, purveyors of Americana, literature, the sciences, exploration, etc. Other dealers will bring a miscellany of works on various subjects. What you won’t see is an array of flea-market-style sellers with dog-eared, musty paperbacks; even the less expensive material offered at these fairs will often be in exceptional condition, and generally items that show significant wear, if exhibited, are present because they are particularly scarce.

This goes for book dealers as well: If you are considering exhibiting at a fair, do a bit of digging to see who has exhibited in the past. Perhaps attend this year to get a lay of the land, with plans to exhibit the following year if it looks like a good venue for your material. Remember that, for a bookseller, book fairs are useful for both buying and selling, so getting to know which dealers regularly attend a show can be a good way of knowing how to be successful there.

In the heyday of antiquarian bookselling (or as some have taken to saying, ‘before the internet’), book fairs were essential events in the trade. They provided centralized locations at which to browse stock from numerous dealers, without the travel expenses associated with visiting each of these colleagues individually. They also provided customers with opportunities to do business with booksellers they would not otherwise have occasion to meet. Sometimes getting on that one dealer’s customer list was the difference between tracking down that first edition Steinbeck or Hemingway, and missing out; or, conversely, the difference between selling it or not.

At first, the assumption was that the internet and other modern forces like e-books would have a negative impact on book fairs, because they facilitated the location of all sorts of material without the need to leave home. The same were made in regard to the future of used bookstores. What we have seen in the last several years, though, is a continual uptick in interest in used bookstores. Numerous book fairs throughout the United States (not to mention London and Paris) continue to thrive.

So, what does that mean for the future of book fairs? In my opinion, it is a bright one, and I don’t merely say this as a starry-eyed idealist, or as a spectator. This year will be my first as head organizer of the 44th Annual Rochester Antiquarian Book Fair, one of the longest continually-running regional book fairs in the country. It is a fair that has treated me well as an exhibitor in the past, and I am excited to work towards its continued success, and to introduce innovations designed to make it even better. These new efforts are designed to capitalize on what continues to make book fairs important and necessary events: the direct interaction of people. My hope is to bring together even more booksellers, and facilitate their interaction with local librarians (both public and collegiate), local literary societies, and with one another. An important element in a strong book trade is a strong literary community, and book fairs are an excellent way to bolster that community on a local level, and to form and foster relationships regionally and nationally.

Below are a few resources that should prove useful to those interested in learning more about attending or exhibiting at book fairs, including a link for the Rochester (NY) book fair, to be held Saturday, September 10.

Bookfairs.com Antquarian Booksellers Association Of America Events Page International League of Antiquarian Booksellers Events Page Rochester Booksellers

Jonathan Smalter, Yesterday’s Muse Books 32 W Main Street, Webster, NY 14580

Yesterday’s Muse Inc. is an independent used & rare bookseller located in Webster, NY. Owner Jonathan Smalter is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA), and former vice president of the Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA), both of which are trade organizations created to promote ethical online selling practices, and to encourage continuing education among fellow booksellers. He is also a 2011 graduate of the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar (CABS). He has over fifteen years of experience in the book trade, during which time he has become adept at evaluating used and collectible books.

#BooksFairs #collecting

My First Book Fair: A San Francisco Fairy Tale

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 decade past, our story begins with a font’s impression, a pen’s flourish. The object of affection: bound, free or gathered, emerges and makes its way through the hands of time and man, until we are here at this moment. Now the dispensary of art, beauty, and the word awaits discovery. Thus the courtship begins.

Time to decorate for company. Counting down to their arrival, books are gently upwrapped, paired with easels and shelves as they find their way into context and storyline. How does this guest become drawn in? The lures: visual, sensory and tactile – the cadence and tone of the siren’s song.

The bacchanalian stage is readied, the curtains rise: seekers descend and set forth, clutching maps, on a quest for their object of longing. Hopes high for literary intervention and sated appetites.

Some liltingly run their eyes across the general culture of the booth and move quickly on. Some are captured by a shelf, a book propped open to an illustration that tempts. Some resist, but some fall madly. I sent a personal friend (a first time fair visitor) to wander about, and my counsel was this: Allow yourself to take in the macro, then slowly attune to the micro. A cacophony of spines and text slowly filters into meaning and recognition, look close and see.. a shelf, book. Then really look. Start a conversation and listen – what is the book whispering to you? Asking of you? Stirring in you?

A young, dynamic, lovestruck couple strolled in on Sunday, and some of Vic’s ‘Books on Books’ reference titles got piled up for purchase. Their heads were clear and they were making sober choices. But then: the siren called. A lush, richly and naturally buffed leather Bible, in Gaelic, spoke to them, haunted them with font and form – love at first sight. Two visitations and a couple of gold coins later, and they rode off into the sunset together.

One morning, a seasoned, perhaps jaded, lover of the book strode in, and again, and again. He visited perhaps three times – caressing and courting one particular San Francisco journal that he coveted. He was a collector of loves, had 60 of the same title in different manifestations, but was missing this particular binding color. Butterflies will be caught and pinned – the suitor would have his way, and he did.

A green eyed, mature beauty who had suffered love and loss in the flesh spent time with us one day. She had become a lover of Fine Press titles, a new fascination and friend to her, something to adore and cherish, somewhere to pour the love that once poured out. She sought much from the book but as well in the company kept. Here, the custodians and fellow lovers are all in communion – she found solace in this love story.

Thus, with naive eyes I witnessed, in the course two rich, influential days, the stories not of the written page -but of those inked upon the human heart. As we rolled up our tents and caravan, I slept dreaming of the tales yet to be spoken and discovered. Such to be spun not by tradesmen, but by talismen, as we administer the rites for lovers and seekers.

Dreamers, hope! The muse awaits.

The 2011 Baltimore Summer Antiques Show

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 being filled outside the venue as I left on Friday. This uncertainty affected buyers. On the positive side, those who were there seemed to be pretty motivated.

Among dealers?

The same uncertainty infected the dealers, complicated by the need, after the show closed on Thursday night, for half of the dealers to relocate their booths, due to a risk of leaks in the original location. After that, it was still an open question as to whether the show would be able to stay open until Sunday, and if it did, would anyone attend?

How was attendance?

Seemed low, and also seemed a pretty homogeneous crowd – the ‘average attendee’ seemed to be male, white, and at least 50+ This is in contrast to my recent observations in Boston and New York, where there were a number of young and less traditional attendees. This may have been skewed by my attendance on weekdays.

Most interesting item(s) you saw?

I was cheered to see a number of contemporary fine press and artist’s books exhibited by Kelmscott and Lux Mentis. There is some very exciting work happening now.

Most interesting item(s) you purchased?

I made two purchases – an absolutely gorgeous set of art nouveau bookends, and an Enigma. The Enigma is an early 19th century British album, which I expect will give me hours of researching pleasure as I try to answer the many questions that it poses.

Any other details you’d like to include?

This show is unlike most others – it is part of an art and antiques fair. There is a lot of competition for the eye, as indicated by my purchase of bookends. I think that booksellers need to adapt to the aesthetic of a show dedicated to the decorative arts, and that booths need to be ‘curated’ as exhibits. It is always a bit of a mystery to me that so many book dealers see it as almost a moral failing, an ethical lapse, to show anything but the unadorned ‘Book’. This show is an especially good opportunity to move beyond that attitude, that the book must sell as Book alone. Don’t neglect the narrative – and tell the story in presentation as well. The best example that I saw of this approach was at the Lux Mentis booth, where display was carefully considered to enhance carefully collected stock. The towering glass case of miniature books worked especially well in this context, and echoed the many jewel cases elsewhere on the floor.

[Editor’s note: For another excellent account of the Baltimore Fair, see fellow IOBA-n Greg Gibson’s account “No Fighting, No Biting.”]