Serious collectors come in two varieties, traditional and new. At book fairs traditional collectors come out in force. They see a hundred dealers with similar standards and occasionally the same titles. They can compare copies, hear their explanations, and get a sense of flexibility about the price. Because dealers authenticate material and typically guarantee their accuracy the collector can focus on what they like. When another copy is available the collector can examine the differences, learn the dealer’s perspective and gauge the influence of condition on value. For many this is h...
To experience the ABAA Book Fair in New York first hand I flew over a day ahead of the Thursday preview and stayed nearby. It was a trip well worth making.
The 52nd New York Fair, the mother ship...
It was a tragedy worthy of Shakespeare... along with a comedy of errors. The life of perhaps the most entertaining of book thieves came to a sad conclusion in March. When the jokes came to an end, ...
Miriam Geib has an unusual position in the world of books, she’s a part-time book seller who sells on-line on three of the leading book bases. What makes her different is her salary is paid by the ...
Voltaire wrote that the discovery of the New World was probably the most important event of our globe, and he would surely say that the internet revolution equals it. This New virtual World affects...
He was not a dominant home run hitter like Babe Ruth. He was never as ornery as Ty Cobb. He was never called “Mr. October” like Reggie Jackson, did not collect as many hits as Pete Rose or home run...
This past month I invited a group of fifteen friends and acquaintances for a discussion and dinner at Mohonk Mountain House in New York’s Ulster County. The subject was, with respect to books and h...
The long rumored lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice against the world's most valuable company, Apple, and five book publishers for conspiracy to fix prices, was finally filed last month. The...
Devon Gray has been appointed Director and Department Head of Fine Books and Manuscripts at Skinner’s in Boston. She replaces Stuart Whitehurst who has retired. The firm, founded by Robert Skinne...
Pew Research recently issued a report on electronic versus traditional reading, and it contains its share of good news, even for those with a deeper interest in the printed word. E-books appear to ...
Each May The London Antiquarian Book Fair commands center stage in London. This year the fair is to be held Thursday to Saturday May 24-26. One hundred and sixty firms are exhibiting. To handle ...
One of the amazing things about the internet is that it offers us access to all sorts of information once virtually impossible to find. Here is an example of such a case for book and paper collecto...
This month we have 18 new catalogues from the world of books and paper to review. Some are highly specific; others offer a wide range of material. Lorne Bair Rare Books offers material from the far...
