For many readers of this blog, the answer is obvious, but based on the responses I occasionally receive when I tell people who I work for or about one of our fairs (blank stares and sometimes an "antiquari-what?), it's very clear to me that not everyone is 'in the know'. The most evident reasonto buy rare bookscan be easily deduced, but it overlooks the pure pleasure of attending, whether you leave with books in hand or not, and what I consider to be the true spirit of the show: a celebration of books, history, and intellect. I attended my first antiquarian book fair here in New York two years ago, before I had any idea what the ABAA was. Literature has always played a central role in my life, both academically and personally, so when my aunt, also a bibliophile and minor collector, invited my boyfriend and I to attend the show with her we accepted eagerly. We were unsure of what to expect, but figured that if there were lots of books involved then it couldn't be that bad. Armed with no real expectations, I was staggered to arrive on the show floor and behold the immensity of the Armory and its current inhabitantsfirst editions of every classic I had ever read, texts from the Renaissance, maps and prints I had only seen the likes of in galleries and institutions. I was overwhelmed, albeit in a good way, and before I had even begun to look around I realized that I wanted to spend more time there than I had allowed for that evening. I wandered through the aisles in silent wo... [more Why Visit an Antiquarian Book Fair?]

There are only two days left before the NY Antiquarian Book Fair opens to the public! In addition to the more than 200 exhibitors coming in from all parts of the country and the world, collectors and book lovers will be coming to NYC for the fair. Refreshments will be offered on the show floor, but below are a few recommendations for a variety of nearby restaurants. Bon appetit! For a nice meal&.. Daniel 60 E 65th St New York, NY 10065 (212) 288-0033 Menus * Yelp Reviews JoJo 160 E 64th St New York, NY 10021 (212) 223-5656 Menus * Yelp Reviews Bistro Chat Noir 22 E 66th St New York, NY 10065 (212) 794-2428 Menus * Yelp Reviews Uva 1486 2nd Ave New York, NY 10021 (212) 472-4552 Menus * Yelp Reviews The Modern 9 W 53rd St New York, NY 10019 (212) 333-1220 Menus * Yelp Reviews David Burke Townhouse 133 E 61st St New York, NY 10065 (212) 813-2121 Menus * Yelp Reviews Sushi of Gari 402 E 78th St New York, NY 10021 (212) 517-5340 Menus * Yelp Reviews A quick bite&.. Luke's Lobster 242 E 81st St New York, NY 10028 (212) 249-4241 Menu * Yelp Reviews Shake Shack 154 E 86th St New York, NY 10128 (646) 237-5035 Menu * Yelp Reviews The Candle Cafe (good for vegetarians and vegans) 1307 3rd Ave New York, NY 10021 (212) 472-0970 Menu * Yelp Reviews Pret A Manger 400 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022 212-207-4101 Menu If you have little ones with you&.. Alice's Tea Cup (Chapter II) 156 E 64th St New York, NY 10021 (212) 486-9200 Menus * Yelp Reviews Serendipity 3 225 E 60th St New York, NY 100... [more NY Book Fair: Where to Eat]

The NY Antiquarian Book Fair is only 9 days away (!) and the eager anticipation is palpable. The Americana Exchange calls the Fair "the signal event for book, maps, manuscripts and ephemera collectors in America" as it "attracts the most important dealers, institutions and collectors from across the United States and around the world." AE couldn't be more right on—the NY Fair should not be missed by any lovers of books, art, history, music, popular culture…there's truly something there for everybody! Click here for a few exhibitor highlights. NY Antiquarian Book Fair April 12-15 Park Avenue Armory Fair Hours: Preview: Thursday April 12, 5-9 pm Friday, April 13: 12-8 pm Saturday, April 14: 12-7 pm Sunday, April 15: 12-5 pm [more NY Book Fair Countdown: 9 Days]

We are pleased to announce that this year online ticketing is available for our flagship NY Antiquarian Book Fair, which will be held April 12-15 at the Park Avenue Armory. Click on this link to purchase your tickets now! Fair Hours Preview: Thursday April 12, 5-9 pm Friday, April 13: 12-8 pm Saturday, April 14: 12-7 pm Sunday, April 15: 12-5 pm [more Get Your NY Book Fair Tickets Now!]

Pssst! We're less than a month away from the incredible NY Antiquarian Book Fair (April 12-15), held annually at the historic Park Avenue Armory, and we have a small preview of just a few of the exciting items that will be offered for sale. Click here for a sneak peak! [more NY Book Fair Sneak Peak]

The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America is delighted to announce that Sid Lapidus and Jay and Jean Kislak have been awarded the ABAA and ILAB Patron of Honor. The ABAA feels these individuals demonstrate how the printed word materially affects history, scholarship, and cultural intelligence and the importance of collections to institutions and the public. A ceremony and celebration will take place at the ABAA's annual meeting on April 14, 2012 at 10am at the Park Avenue Armory's Tiffany Room. All are welcome to attend, but should RSVP to hq@abaa.org. Sid Lapidus has generously given his time and support to numerous charitable pursuits, including the American Antiquarian Society, of which he is currently chairman. An alumnus of Princeton University, Mr. Lapidus has donated and exhibited materials, including pamphlets, books, and broadsides from his collection on Liberty and American Revolution, at his alma mater. Jay and Jean Kislak have built a collection which is composed of rare maps and books, including a comprehensive collection on early Florida, the Caribbean, and Mesoamerica. They have kindly donated the collection to the Library of Congress. The Kislaks also created the Jay I. Kislak Foundation for the purpose of preserving and advancing knowledge of past cultures, civilizations, and explorations. The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America was founded in 1949 to foster and encourage interest in rare books and manuscripts and to maintain the highest... [more ABAA and ILAB Patrons of Honor Announced]

One of the very cool special exhibits at the 45th International California Antiquarian Book Fair was hands-on demonstration of how a colonial era printing press worked, courtesy of The International Printing Museum. Below is a very brief video from the fair demonstrating how the press works. Thanks to AbeBooks for posting this video in their blog. And a personal thanks to another special exhibit by the Society for Calligraphy, Southern California, which had two representatives making beautiful gratis bookmarks for anyone interested. (And you didn't even have to waityou could drop-off your name and return when you were done at the fair!) Here's mine: [more Colonial Era Printing Press]

This past weekend's 45th California International Book Fair in Pasadena was an overwhelming success! It was our first year holding our biannual LA Book Fair in Pasadena (every other year it is held in San Francisco) and we couldn't have been happier with the location. The venue, the Pasadena Civic Center, was a beautiful space, equipped with wide aisles and excellent lighting (an exhibitor's dream!), and Pasadena was a lovely destination, with plenty of great restaurants and things to do. We had record attendance and our exhibitors' offerings made it well worth the visit (as did the various seminars and special exhibits). Thank you so much to all our exhibitors and to Winslow & Associates for putting together an amazing show. Lastly, a big thank you to all who attendedyour energy and enthusiasm truly made the fair! Please click here to read an exhibitor's (Greg Gibson, Ten Pound Island Book Company) review of the fair. [more LA Book Fair a Great Success!]

That's what we will be doing, as will many ABAA members, ILAB dealers, and book lovers, because tomorrow is the start of the 45th California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena! I know I can't stop talking about it, as you've probably noticed from previous blog entries, Facebook postings, etc., but it's all with good reasonthe exhibitors'material looks amazing and fairs are a wonderful opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues in the rare book world. Visitors to the fair should feel equally enthusiastic; obviously an ABAA fair is a book collector's dream come true, but they provide all book lovers with a wonderful opportunity to see incredible materials up close, to learn about the trade, collecting, and appraisals, and the chance to have their own materials appraised for free. Here's a full list of events at the fair. We hope to see you there! The 45th California International Antiquarian Book Fair Pasadena Convention Center (click for map) 300 East Green Street Pasadena, CA 91101 TICKETS & HOURS: Friday, February 10, 2012 3 pm to 8 pm Saturday, February 11, 2012 11 am to 7 pm Sunday, February 12, 2012 11 am to 5 pm A three-day admission ticket can be purchased at the door on Friday, February 10th for $25.00. Proceeds from Friday night tickets will benefit the Huntington Library. Tickets purchased on Saturday or Sunday are $15.00 and include return entry throughout the remainder of the Fair. $5.00 off for students with valid identification. [more Go West, Young Bibliophile!]

We can help you out! In addition to having a number of ABAA members in Southern California who perform qualified appraisals, there will be two events at the 45th California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena next weekend that are perfect for anyone looking to learn more about appraisals and/or to have their own books appraised. On Sunday at 12:15pm, ABAA members Sam Hessel and Sheryl Jaeger will be presenting a seminar entitled, Do You Need An Appraisal? It is aimed at book collectors or others with books of value and will answer the following questions: What is a formal appraisal? Who should get one for his/her collection? How do I go about the process? Following the seminar is Discovery Day, which is a feature of every ABAA fair and offers attendees the opportunity to receive free mini-appraisals on up to three books. This is the perfect opportunity to have a qualified professional take a look at your books! Click here to read about other seminars and events at the fair! 45th California International Antiquarian Book Fair [more In SoCal and need an appraisal?]