Everybody will be in Brooklyn Sept. 19-20

We’re headed out again, this time to Brooklyn for the final leg of our three-fair back-to-back road trip. The Brooklyn Books Art Photos Design Exposition and Sale is in its second year, and promises to be an exciting show.

More than 60 ABAA booksellers are expected to be among the 150 dealers in antiquarian books, of course, as well as fine press editions, ephemera, art books, manuscripts, painting, sculpture, fine art prints, vintage photographs, contemporary photographs, daguerreotypes, vintage jewelry, and antiques.

We expect to see a lot of our friends there (booksellers who exhibit at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair every March), including the fine folks from Between the Covers Rare Books ABAA, Bookleggers Used Books ABAA, Bartleby’s Books ABAA, B&B Rare Books, Colebrook Book Barn ABAA, Bauman Rare Books ABAA, Doyle’s Books, First Folio ABAA, G. Davis Rare Books ABAA, Kenneth Mallory Bookseller ABAA, L&T Respess Books ABAA, Lorne Bair Rare Books ABAA, Old New York Book Shop ABAA, Peter L. Stern & Co. ABAA, and more.

Last year’s show was marked by what The New Antiquarian blog called “the youthful energy and hipster vibe of the show-goers.” There is an enthusiastic optimism about this show that is nice to see. Read this account by John Schulman, of Caliban Book shop in Pittsburgh.

Interestingly, this show is set on the same weekend as the Brooklyn Book Festival, which has only  new books, and the New York Arts Book Fair, which is in Queens and about six miles away. The critical mass of multiple events for book lovers is certain to be a benefit for all.

If you can make it to the show, we’d love to see you. If not, we’ll see you at the shop when we get back.

Like Willie, we're on the road again

That old Willie Nelson song came to mind as we were getting ready to head out on the highway for some book fair adventure. First stop will be Baltimore, for the annual Baltimore Summer Antiques Show, the largest antiques show in the country.

It is a prestigious event that draws top antiques dealers from around the world. You've probably seen some of them on Antiques Roadshow. The show we're going to features high-end jewelry dealers showcasing both vintage and estate heirloom treasures. 

The four-day show also features an Antiquarian Book Fair, showcasing rare books, first editions, autographs, fine manuscripts, prints, and unusual biographical material. The dealers offer a diverse array of material appealing to all levels of experience – something for every type of collector.

Many of our friends and fellow booksellers who exhibit at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair in March also participate in this show. Among them, we expect to see A. Parker's Books, B&B Rare Books, Colebrook Book Barn, First Folio, and Four Winds Fine Books. We look forward to seeing them at this show.

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show is August 20-23 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Click the link for more details.  If you're going to be in Baltimore and would like to go to the show free, we've got tickets. Stop by the store and we'll give you a card (like the one in the picture) you can use at the show to get a one-day ticket for two. Pretty nifty, huh! Hey, it pays to know the right people! You can also buy them online. They're 20 bucks each.

Our next stop will be the 2015 Georgia Book and Paper Fair on September 5-6 at the First Baptist Church in Decatur. That's a fun show for us, too. Even more of our dealer friends show up for that fair. In fact, it's a little known fact that the Georgia Antiquarian Booksellers Association holds a meeting during the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair in March. Collectors come to that show looking for rare and collectible books, first editions, leather bindings, ephemera, and antique maps. As you might expect, there is lots of Southern history, African-American literature, regional works, Americana, fiction, Civil War and children's books. Lots from which to choose.

Then, at the end of September, we'll hit the road again for the Brooklyn Books, Art, Photos, and Design Expo. Everyone will be in Brooklyn September 19-20. More about all of that later.

Meantime, we've got that Willie Nelson song going round and round in our minds. Now you do, too.