In Southern California, over the weekend of September 9th and 10th, The Santa Monica Book, Print,
Photo & Paper Fair sought to welcome, under a single banner, collectors of various persuasions.
Books of all types, ephemera, images and manuscripts were on display. The following weekend, the
Thirteenth Annual Antiquarian Book Fair was staged in Sacramento. This month the 2006 Seattle
Antiquarian Book Fair & Book Arts Show will be held on the 1962 Seattle World's Fair grounds on the
14th and 15th. The fall west coast show season is underway. Shows are an integral and important
aspect of the book business and their performance mirrors the changes and upheaval in the world of
collectibles.
In Santa Monica the show, with 82 participants, was promoted by Bustamante Enterprises who have
successfully staged collector events for years and as recently as June staged a successful Antiques
fair at Pasadena. This effort however fell short of many participating dealers' expectations for
sales and traffic. Reasons are difficult to gauge. The venue was good and the parking plentiful.
Even to out-of-towners the site was easy to find.
Many dealers, even if disappointed, have a sanguine view as shows are hardly the only sales channel
that has been increasingly difficult in recent years. Every aspect of the business, from finding
attractive material to connecting with motivated buyers, has become more challenging. Ken
Karmiole, an experienced generalist who exhibited successfully, explained it this way. "At shows I
hope to meet new customers but I expect to make most of my sales to other dealers whose clients
will want my material." John Howell, a new comer, had a tougher time and explained it this way.
"I've worked for other dealers and worked their booths in past years. This year I'm on my own.
Saturday was quiet so on Sunday I adjusted my prices and closed enough deals with dealers to pay
the tuition on my ongoing dealer education."
In Sacramento the following Saturday Bill Ewald staged The Thirteenth Annual Sacramento Antiquarian
Book Fair as a one day event September 16th. This show had a much more upbeat feel. Fifty
dealers, selling material of every description, found happiness while making show visitors
genuinely pleased. The show had a more blue collar feel than Santa Monica but the material and
prices offered was a good fit with the receptive audience. Four hundred and ninety-four admissions
were recorded.
At this fair AE conducted an exit survey of 30 random buyers who agreed to spend a few minutes
talking about this show, their motivation for attending, and their approach to collecting. What we
learned is worth discussing.
If dealers are frustrated in their efforts to find buyers they are not alone. Collectors feel
exactly the same way. More than half those surveyed said they attended prior incarnations of this
fair and indicated they were prompted about this year's fair by the promoter's postcard mailing.
About 25% said they learned of the fair in the Sacramento Bee, the local daily newspaper. A few
said they saw an advertisement that day and came over for a look.
Sotheby's Bibliothèque Jacques Dauchez - Autour de Dubuffet
5-19 June
Sotheby's Bibliothèque Jacques Dauchez - Autour de Dubuffet
5-19 June
Sotheby’s, June 5-19: Bissière, Roger. Cantique à notre frère soleil de saint François. 1954. 1,000 - 1,500 EUR
Sotheby’s, June 5-19: Céline, Louis-Ferdinand. La vie & l’œuvre de Philippe Ignace Semmelweis. 1924. Rare édition originale, avec envoi. Joint : La Quinine en thérapeutique, 1925. 4,000 - 6,000 EUR
Sotheby’s, June 5-19: Céline, Louis-Ferdinand. Mort à crédit. 1936. Édition originale. Bel exemplaire sur Hollande. 2,500 - 3,500 EUR
Sotheby's Bibliothèque Jacques Dauchez - Autour de Dubuffet
5-19 June
Sotheby’s, June 5-19: Chillida, Eduardo ─ Emil Cioran. Face aux instants. 1985. Un des 100 exemplaires sur Arches. Eau-forte signée. 600 - 800 EUR
Sotheby’s, June 5-19: Dubuffet, Jean. Ler dla canpane. L’Art Brut, 1948. Édition originale. 3,000 - 5,000 EUR
Sotheby’s, June 5-19: Dubuffet, Jean. L'Herne Jean Dubuffet. 1973. Un des 100 exemplaires du tirage de luxe avec une sérigraphie originale en couleurs. 1,000 - 1,500 EUR
Gros & Delettrez Livres & Manuscrits Arméniens Jeudi 12 juin 2025 Paris, Francis
Gros & Delettrez Livres & Manuscrits Arméniens Jeudi 12 juin 2025 Paris, Francis
Gros & Delettrez, June 12: BIBLE, Venise 1733, reliure arménienne
Gros & Delettrez, June 12: CHARAKNOTS, manuscrit XVIIe-XVIIIe siècle
