The ABAA: What Works - Data, Knowledge, Charm & New Blood
- by Susan Halas
Charm Still Works
"It's as easy to sell a $10,000 book as a $1,000 book," claims Ian Kahn of Lux Mentis in Maine. That's his mantra and he makes it sound easy. His enthusiasm for booksellers, collectors, libraries, and keeping the whole circus in motion is contagious.
What's not to like about a man who starts off by saying his wife's much smarter than he is? Kahn, formerly an attorney, went on to buy and flip companies, and then moved into the antiquarian trade using his own collection as a base. He's quickly made a name for his firm and is apparently having the time of his life.
The company set its sights on the high end, reports high six figure sales and solid growth in year-over-year revenues. Like many others he emphasized the development of the client, the need to find and cultivate and nicely bring along people with the resources and taste to become serious about books. He also stressed the need to mold, shape, refine and where necessary sell some or all of their collections.
Where Kahn has the edge is he makes you WANT to do it. It sounds effortless, it sounds like fun.
He and his wife see customers in Maine on by-appointment basis and they are high profile on the web. Besides the gift of gab and a travel schedule that would fell an ox, he has all the latest techie bells and whistles: a website, Twitter, Facebook and whatever else is coming next.
He was one of the few who could point to specifics: collections, clients, contacts and sales that have come to him specifically because he uses Twitter or posts frequently on social media. His website displays an interesting and diverse inventory but surprisingly few pictures. www.luxmentis.com
New Blood
Data, knowledge and charm are all essential attributes for ABAA success, but the organization knows it needs new blood to survive.
Brian Cassidy, formerly of Monterey, California who recently moved to a Maryland suburb of Washington, DC is a good example of what's coming next.
Cassidy not only survived the cross country trek, but reports his business seems to be thriving. In his 30s, he was by far the youngest ABAA dealer to speak with AE. Cassidy characterizes his career as "the graduate school model." He was always working in book stores and eventually ended up as a bookseller.
He joined ABAA not long ago after attending the Colorado Book Seminar. Though he can no longer afford to have a shop as he did in Monterey (because "commercial rents in the DC area are a killer") his future in the trade looks bright.
He has good stock, nice manners, and specializes in interesting subjects such as popular culture; The Beats; poetry; the avant-garde; small journals and magazines (especially those associated with the Mimeo Revolution); as well as vernacular, folk, and outsider books. www.tomfolio.com/mall/BrianCassidy
Space does not allow us to mention all the upcoming candidates for membership in this prestigious organization, but if a quick review of the list of dealers who have attended the Colorado and Virginia courses is any indication, there's a new crop on the way to ABAA.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 156: Cornelis de Jode, Americae pars Borealis, double-page engraved map of North America, Antwerp, 1593.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 206: John and Alexander Walker, Map of the United States, London and Liverpool, 1827.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 223: Abraham Ortelius, Typus Orbis Terrarum, hand-colored double-page engraved world map, Antwerp, 1575.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 233: Aaron Arrowsmith, Chart of the World, oversize engraved map on 8 sheets, London, 1790 (circa 1800).
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 239: Fielding Lucas, A General Atlas, 81 engraved maps and diagrams, Baltimore, 1823.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 240: Anthony Finley, A New American Atlas, 15 maps engraved by james hamilton young on 14 double-page sheets, Philadelphia, 1826.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 263: John Bachmann, Panorama of the Seat of War, portfolio of 4 double-page chromolithographed panoramic maps, New York, 1861.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 265: Sebastian Münster, Cosmographei, Basel: Sebastian Henricpetri, 1558.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 271: Abraham Ortelius, Epitome Theatri Orteliani, Antwerp: Johann Baptist Vrients, 1601.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 283: Joris van Spilbergen, Speculum Orientalis Occidentalisque Indiae, Leiden: Nicolaus van Geelkercken for Jodocus Hondius, 1619.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 285: Levinus Hulsius, Achtzehender Theil der Newen Welt, 14 engraved folding maps, Frankfurt: Johann Frederick Weiss, 1623.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 341: John James Audubon, Carolina Parrot, Plate 26, London, 1827.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue, inscribed by the author pre-publication. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the E flat Piano Quartet, K.493, 1786. £150,000 to £200,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.
Heritage Auctions Rare Books Signature Auction December 15, 2025
Heritage, Dec. 15: John Donne. Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death. London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan of the Apes.
Heritage, Dec. 15: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tender is the Night. A Romance.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Jerry Thomas. How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion, Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States…
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/00d5fd41-2542-4a80-b119-4886d4b9925f.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.")
![<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/8caddaea-4c1f-47a7-9455-62f53af36e3f.jpg "<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.")
