Rare Book Monthly
Articles - October - 2010 Issue
Book Fairs & Auctions: The Season is Upon Us
Enthusiasm for the printed word
By Bruce McKinney
With the coming of fall, or if you live in Australia the coming of spring, more dealers send out catalogues, shops remain open longer, shows and fairs throw open their doors and auctions pick up their pace. It is October, the perennially important month that often sets expectations for the final two months.
As we speak, antiquarians are gathering in Santa Fe for a two-day affair. On the second and third, the North Texas Book and Paper Show convenes in Fort Worth. Over the same two days, the Great Eastern U. S. Antique Book, Paper & Advertising Show in Allentown, Pennsylvania is running. Over the second weekend, the Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair takes over one of the exhibition halls on the grounds of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. The following weekend, two hundred miles north in Vancouver, Canadians and guests will participate in the Vancouver Antiquarian Book Fair. On Sunday, the 17th, the Pioneer Valley Book and Ephemera Fair in Northampton, Massachusetts affords bibliophiles the chance to see new material and old friends. On the 24th, the Golden Gate Park Book Fair offers northern Californians a day in the park and a chance to buy printed material. Over the 29th to the 31st, the ever-important Toronto International Antiquarian Book Fair gives eastern Canadians their chance to buy. Fairs have long been one of the best ways for dealers, institutions and collectors to look at material that simply is better understood in person. There is always much to see.
Of all the fairs the Seattle Fair is particularly important. While not an ABAA fair it attracts substantial ABAA support and a large public following.
The auction calendar is also full. Almost every day has at least one event. In total 56 events are in the queue. In the Internet age, auctions are proliferating, though the major houses continue to dominate the action. To look for material of interest run searches in the upcoming auctions search. Many, even most houses accept absentee and electronic bids. Within search results on our site, we always provide links to the applicable auction houses.
If viewing this article after October 5th, the Book Fairs and Events and Upcoming Auctions calendars will be displayed in a different way. Across the top of the page, the Upcoming Auctions link brings up the auction calendar [also accessible from the homepage] and the twenty-five most recent individual auction reports. Clicking next to the right of the auction reports will cycle you through the reports. Auction related links are located in the right column under Quick Links. On almost every page on the site there are Quick Link options related to the subject displayed to the left.
The Book Fairs link is listed across the main toolbar under "more" with Book Clubs, Events Calendar, Links and ISBD Search.
