On Black Friday, I got an email from Barnes & Noble trumpeting their (discounted) signed books! The most notable thing about the email -- besides their rather dubious claim to have the greatest selection of signed books “in the world” 1 -- was that this was their primary marketing message, the pitch they were pinning their financial hopes on: signed books were going to make their Black Friday a success. This email highlighted for me something that I've noticed growing over the past few years: a new emphasis on signed books, a new belief in the value of an author's signature. To put this in context, six years ago I worked for a small publisher and spent my time calling on bookstores trying to get them excited about our books. Occasionally, we would have a novel with breakout potential, and an additional challenge would then be to get it picked by a store's first edition club. At the time, you could count the bookstores with first edition clubs on one hand, and have fingers left over. Today, independent bookstores in the US are starting first edition clubs with gusto, and any store worth its salt appears to have at least one and sometimes several focusing on different genres. Why this sudden burst of interest in encouraging book collecting at trade bookstores? Why organize your holiday marketing around your selection of signed books? Quite simply, it's an opportunity to provide something that big internet retailers cannot. First edition clubs typically emphasize literary qu... [more First Edition Clubs]
Two ABAA members have received presigious awards recently. At the 73rd World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention during the Hugo Awards Ceremony, David Aronovitz of The Fine Books Company was awarded the very prestigious "San Moskowitz Archive Award.” It is a Lifetime Achievement Award given to excellence in amassing a world class collection and publishing books which emanate from the collection. Arongvitz has published 19 books to date and is the 14th person to be given this award. For an example of his collection, see this hand-corrected manuscript of Robert Heinlein's novel Friday, which he recently listed. Bob Fleck of Oak Knoll Books was awarded the ILAB Medal during the 2015 October Seville Presidents' Meeting “in recognition of services rendered to the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers” over several decades of service. For full details, read this appreciation... [more Members Receiving Awards]
Since 1975 the William Reese Company has served a large international clientele of collectors and private and public institutions in the acquisition of rare books and manuscripts and in collection development. With a catalogue inventory of over forty thousand items and a general inventory of over sixty-five thousand items, we are among the leading specialists in the fields of Americana and world travel, and maintain a large and eclectic inventory of literary first editions and antiquarian books of the 18th through 21st centuries. Our offices are located in downtown New Haven, Connecticut and are open by appointment only. The William Reese Company is seeking to add a new team member to its Americana Department. This person needs to be detail oriented, personable and outgoing, and willing and able to lift reasonably large boxes of books. A foundational knowledge of American history is a must, as is a basic grounding in bibliographical knowledge. Previous experience in antiquarian book selling or library work is preferred but not essential. Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, are necessary, as is proficiency in the use of databases. The job description includes a range of the many tasks required in running a large rare book business, but primary duties are cataloguing and researching new inventory; working with customers and selling books in person, on the phone, and by catalogue or internet listing; maintaining inventory control; and possible travel to attend... [more Job Posting: William Reese Co. Seeks Rare Book Cataloguer in Americana Department]
Don't miss the 2024 ABAA Holiday Virtual Book Fair! The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) will host a virtual book fair to kick off the end-of-year holidays, December 5-7, 2024, at www.abaa.org/vbf. The exhibitors can be previewed here... Doors open at 12 pm ET on Thursday, December 5, 2023 and will remain open continuously until 7 pm ET on Saturday, December 7, 2024. Exhibitors will replenish their booths each night, giving collectors an incentive to visit and shop over multiple days. Admission is free! More details can be found at www.abaa.org/vbf... Sign-up to receive email updates about this and other virtual book fairs throughout the year... Preview items: The Emerald City of Oz L. Frank Baum BAUM, L Frank. The Emerald City of Oz. Illustrated by John R. Neill. Chicago: Reilly & Britton . 8vo, 296pp. Navy cloth with spine pictorially stamped in black and silver and color pictorial label affixed to the front. Two-color pictorial endpapers; 16 color plates with metallic green ink. Spine ends rubbed, corners less so, some creasing to cloth at head of spine effecting a few letters in the title, light scratching to front label, sheets a tad aged, else a clean bright copy. This is a Baum Family copy, having the signatures of Frank Joslyn Baum (Frank Jr.) and his son, Joslyn Stanton Baum! First edition. When Dorothy, Aunt Em, and Uncle Henry need a new home, Dorothy comes up with the perfect answ... [more 2024 Holiday Virtual Book Fair]
Join us at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts November 8-10, for the 46th Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair! With more than 100 rare book dealers from the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Serbia, the UK, and 19 U.S. states, an alluring treasure trove awaits seasoned bibliophiles and first-time attendees at the Fair. Here is a small selection of items to preview the treasures you will find in Boston. Original Artwork by the "Painter of the Revolution" John Trumbull: ORIGINAL PEN AND INK CHARACTER STUDY FOR HIS PAINTING, Priam Returning to his Family the Dead Body of Hector, DEPICTING A GROUP OF FIVE DISTRAUGHT TROJAN MOURNERS. London.: December 22, 1784 5¾ x 6½ inches (14¾ x 16½ cm). Light tanning, some old creases to the paper. Near fine. Matted and framed. $25,000.00 A vibrant and kinetic character study accomplished relatively early in the career of the renowned American painter John Trumbull, in preparation for one of his rare mythological scenes. The present drawing was done by Trumbull during his second visit to London, while studying in Benjamin West's studio. Signed and dated "London Dec 22d 1784" on the verso, it is a study for the following year's large-scale painting titled Priam Returning to his Family the Dead Body of Hector, one of the artist's only major works on a mythological topic. The group studied here, comprising five Trojan mourners including a woman with her two small children, appears on the left side o... [more Boston Book Fair Highlights]
The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) is delighted to announce the winners of the 2024 National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest: First Prize Amanda Zhao (Georgetown University) for "War's Little People". Zhao's sponsor notes he was particularly impressed with her focus on exploring WWII history with an eye towards the effects of the war civilians and an ultimate the goal of expanding her own knowledge and writing a novel. Second Prize Dennis Schäfer (Princeton University) for "Charting the Visual Universes of E.T.A. Hoffmann Illustrators". Shäfer's interest in Hoffman was initially academic in nature, but this soon blossomed into a passion after he received a beautifully illustrated edition of Hoffmann's The Golden Pot upon joining the E.T.A.-Hoffmann-Society. The awards celebration will be held at the Library of Congress's Whittall Pavilion on September 13th at 5pm. The ceremony will feature Rebecca Romney, a renowned book dealer, appraiser, and author, as the keynote speaker. All are welcome to attend. The National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest is jointly administered by the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA), the Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies (FABS), and the Grolier Club, and is supported by the Rare Books and Special Collections Division (the Library of Congress). Noted collector, bibliophile, and philanthropist Susan Jaffe Tane funds the prizes for the National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest. The priz... [more NCBCC 2024 Winners]
The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) is delighted to announce the winners of the 2024 National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest: First Prize Amanda Zhao (Georgetown University) for "War's Little People". Zhao's sponsor notes he was particularly impressed with her focus on exploring WWII history with an eye towards the effects of the war civilians and an ultimate the goal of expanding her own knowledge and writing a novel. Second Prize Dennis Schäfer (Princeton University) for "Charting the Visual Universes of E.T.A. Hoffmann Illustrators". Shäfer's interest in Hoffman was initially academic in nature, but this soon blossomed into a passion after he received a beautifully illustrated edition of Hoffmann's The Golden Pot upon joining the E.T.A.-Hoffmann-Society. The awards celebration will be held at the Library of Congress's Whittall Pavilion on September 13th at 5pm. The ceremony will feature Rebecca Romney, a renowned book dealer, appraiser, and author, as the keynote speaker. All are welcome to attend. The National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest is jointly administered by the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA), the Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies (FABS), and the Grolier Club, and is supported by the Rare Books and Special Collections Division (the Library of Congress). Noted collector, bibliophile, and philanthropist Susan Jaffe Tane funds the prizes for the National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest. The priz... [more 2024 NCBCC Winners]
The following has been reported missing in transit last month (June 2024), lost by UPS somewhere between Kentucky and Alabama. Please contact us if you have any information. The copy can be identified by the inscription on the title page: “For June / best wishes / Louise Fitzhugh.” Fitzhugh, Louise. Harriet the Spy. New York: Harper & Row, (1964). Single volume, measuring 8 x 5 inches: , 298, . Original color pictorial paper boards, original color pictorial dust jacket. Black-and-white illustrations throughout text. Inscribed “For June / best wishes / Louise Fitzhugh” on title page. Chipping to jacket, with loss to lower corner of front panel and flap, spine ends, and top corner of rear panel; two small tape repairs to verso. The first edition of a landmark in American children's literature, inscribed by Louise Fitzhugh. First issue dust jacket, priced at $3.95, with no mention of Fitzhugh's 1965 sequel, The Long Secret. A very good copy, scarce inscribed. [more Missing in Transit: For June / best wishes / Louise Fitzhugh]
The ABAA New York International Antiquarian Book Fair (NYIABF) -- officially sanctioned by Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) and International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) and produced and managed by Sanford L. Smith + Associates -- returns to the Park Avenue Armory in New York City from April 4-7, 2024, for its 64th Edition. This year, the ABAA is celebrating its 75th anniversary and will present a series of special events & programs tied to the Fair. The NYIABF is a cultural pillar of New York and returns as a much-anticipated highlight of the spring season. Universally referred to as the world's finest antiquarian book fair, NYIABF features nearly 200 exhibitors this year from around the world -- continuing to live up to its reputation as a highly international fair. The Fair attracts a diverse audience of literary luminaries, influencers, celebrities, art, design and book enthusiasts and collectors both seasoned and entry level. In recent years, the NYIABF has increasingly captured the attention of young collectors seeking one-of-a-kind offerings at more accessible price points. Fair highlights encompass art, science, medicine, literature, history, gastronomy, fashion, first editions, Americana, philosophy, children's books and much more. From the historic and academic, the religious and spiritual, to the bedrock of secular culture, finance, politics, the NYIABF boasts offerings in every conceivable genre and subject! This year, the NYIABF... [more New York Book Fair 2024]
Meet the latest members of the ABAA. Full Membership Robin Beck, Primary Sources, Uncharted Americana Born and raised in the foothills of western North Carolina, Rob Beck came to bookselling after twenty years of deep and focused collecting in a very narrow slice of the Americana pie. In 2017, he and his wife, Laoma, launched Primary Sources, Uncharted Americana, specializing in rare, unique, or unusual American paper, whether printed, manuscript, or visual. Primary Sources is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and operates primarily through catalogues, having issued seven to date. Rob received his BA in Political Science from UNC-Chapel Hill, his MA in Anthropology from the University of Alabama, and his PhD in Anthropology from Northwestern. He has been a professional archaeologist for more than thirty years and has worked in Bolivia, Peru, China, and much of the eastern United States. He continues in that career as a university professor, but he's always on the hunt for exciting new material for Primary Sources. Scott Givens, Crooked House Books & Paper Scott Givens founded his first bookstore in 2001 and opened a second in 2006. After twenty years in the retail trade, he sold his bookstores and started to specialize in more rare, collectible, and vintage books at Crooked House, although he still keeps a decent inventory of books priced under ten dollars just for fun. Scott exhibits at book fairs along the West Coast, and is delving into printing single-subject “creative cata... [more The Latest Members of the ABAA]