Chapter 427 Upcoming Book Fairs

Right now summer is just beginning. The crazy days of September, when the kids return to school and sports schedules, when it’s my birthday and Huck’s, and when it’s our school’s annual Carnival, seem (thankfully) far away on the horizon. Book fairs, too, seem far away, with almost none in Northern California during the summer months.

Even though all of these things won’t take place until some point in the future, I’ve been busy preparing for them, including signing the contracts for various book fairs that will take place in that extremely busy month of September and in the months following. First, it’s the Santa Monica Book, Print, Photo, and Paper Fair on September 12-13, 2009.

The following weekend, on Saturday, September 19, 2009, I will be at the Central Valley Antiquarian Book Fair, also known as the Sacramento Fair.

A few weeks later, on Sunday, October 25, I will be exhibiting at a new book fair, the Golden Gate Park Book Fair. I’m looking forward to this fair, as it’s held in the Hall of Flowers and admission for shoppers is free. The fair’s organizer also sponsors three vintage paper (ephemera) shows during the year. If I can develop enough of an ephemera collection, I may consider exhibiting at one of the vintage paper shows next year.

Finally, far off in the distance, on February 5-6, 2010, I will be exhibiting at the San Francisco Antiquarian Book, Print, and Paper Fair.

Hope to see you at one or all of these shows. When the time draws closer, don’t hesitate to email for free passes.

Chapter 412 Book Fair Booth Eye Candy

I told you all about the Gold Rush Book Fair yesterday, and today I want to show you my booth. Those of you who have been reading this blog for a long time know that I have been known to set up test shelves at home in preparation for book fairs. I take time to think about which books I would like to display face out and which books to display spine out. I think that pretty books can help draw customers into a booth.

For your perusal, here are some close up pictures of my shelves. Most of these books are still available for sale and almost none of them are listed for sale on my website, so you’re seeing them here first. If you’d like more information on any particular book in any of these pictures, leave a comment below or send an email to me at: chris AT bookhuntersholiday DOT com.

Enjoy the eye candy!

Chapter 411 2009 Gold Rush Book Fair, Or, All That Glitters Is Not Just Gold

Every time I return from a book fair I’m asked by family, friends, and colleagues, “Was it a good fair?” I’m never entirely certain how to answer that question. A “good” book fair is good because of many different elements working in conjunction with each other. A fair can be good based on the sales made; certainly we all want to make a profit for our time and effort and our investment in renting a booth. A fair can also be good based on new contacts established; you never know when getting to know someone’s interests might lead to a future sale. A fair can also be good based on the purchases one makes; several times at book fairs, I have found items in other dealer’s booths that gave me that fingerspitzengefuhl feeling, bought them and then sold them at a profit. Finally, a good book fair also includes a bit of camaraderie. I have to think I will make a profit in order to sign up for a book fair, but even if I don’t, any of the criteria mentioned above can make the fair a good one.

This past weekend was my second time selling books at the Gold Rush Book Fair in Grass Valley. It was my sixth book fair and it was the first time I decided to rent my own booth space rather than sharing it with another seller. I think I have done enough fairs at this point to judge whether or not it was a good fair.

So, was it a good fair?

By most criteria, it was indeed a good fair, though it was not without its moments where I wondered if it would be otherwise. To begin with, the air conditioner in the Bookmobile stopped working. This meant driving around 100 degree (Fahrenheit) Grass Valley with no air conditioning and a three hour ride home through triple digit temperatures yesterday. Added to the hot weather was a lack of confidence that I think was precipitated by the fact that I have not sold my own books at a fair since September, 2008. The US economy has changed a great deal in the past six months, and I wondered whether any collectors or other dealers would have money to spend on books and on traveling to a book fair that is held in a destination town a bit off the beaten trail. Lastly, I did ok at this fair last year, breaking even on my expenses, but I really hoped to do better this year. I wondered whether that was possible or whether I might actually lose money on this fair.

Note to those of you who plan to be booksellers: None of this wondering and worrying is helpful, so you will do best to just ignore it and go to the fair. You’ll sell more books than if you had stayed home.

Though it is a small regional fair (just 41 dealers this year), the Gold Rush Book Fair is one of my favorites. It’s held in a picturesque historic town. It’s the only fair I’ve done that has a special dinner for all of the booksellers, and because of this, it creates a special camaraderie among the booksellers and is just a lot of fun. After meeting for cocktails and happy hour at the lovely Toad Hall Bookshop,

we booksellers were herded up the stairs into a Masonic Hall where Grass Valley’s Chief of Police, his wife, and many other good cooks, prepared a delicious spaghetti dinner for all of the booksellers and our guests, about 75 people. Peter Siegel of Bea and Peter Siegel Books was the Honored Guest Bookseller of the 2009 Fair, and I loved hearing his story of how his mother got started in the business when he was just a boy. (Being a mother of boys myself, I especially liked hearing Peter’s impressions of books and book hunting from his childhood.) Peter also shared the story of how he came to be a partner in the business and his opinions on the future of antiquarian bookselling.

Peter Siegel, left, accepting the honor of 2009 Honored Guest Bookseller from the fair’s organizer, John Hardy.

The dinner was served at long, family-style tables, so I found myself getting to know some of my fellow booksellers (Stephanie Howlett West, Dan Glaeser, and Chris Volk and Shep Iams,) a little bit better. It was a fun evening and a good way to kick off the fair. Even though I have been known to be a bit shy in social situations, I wish more book fairs had such gatherings. They’re good for morale and can be good for sales.

The fair got off to a brisk start at 10:00 a.m., and I had my first sale (and the best of the day) to another dealer a little before the fair opened to the public. Things were busy until about 2:00 p.m, and then seemed to slow down a bit until the fair’s 5:00 closing time. By this time, I had had several sales and had made a modest profit, an improvement over last year. I sold more books to “civilians” than I did to booksellers, but the amount of the sales made to the booksellers was larger. I came away with at least two new customers who I heard from via email today, so there may be some follow-up sales this week or at a later date.

All in all it was a good book fair. Though I have made more profit at larger book fairs in major metropolitan areas, a booth at the Gold Rush Book Fair is relatively inexpensive when compared to the larger fairs. It’s easier to make a profit at this smaller fair with its (for me anyway) smaller expenses.

All that glitters is not just gold at the Gold Rush Book Fair. In addition to the “gold” or potential profit a seller can make by participating in this fair, there are other intangible benefits to doing the fair. I think my post from last year sums it up best:

“The value of book fairs can not be judged by sales alone. Their worth can also be found in purchasing opportunities, in networking with colleagues, and in developing customer relationships. I love book fairs, and I loved the fair this weekend enough to come back next year.”

Here’s a photo of my booth. Close-ups to come tomorrow.

I’ll leave you with this final quote about the Gold Rush (and Gold Rush towns like Grass Valley) from historian H.W. Brands:

“California presented to people a new model for the American dream—one where the emphasis was on the ability to take risks, the willingness to gamble on the future.”

I’d say this statement about California applies to book fairs as well. Booksellers take a risk when we sign up and pay for a booth space at a book fair, sometimes with mixed results. But our participation in book fairs signifies our willingness to gamble on the future of books and bookselling. Short of an open shop, a book fair is one of the best ways to bring books to the public. I’m all in.

Chapter 410 And Away We Go

It’s about 11:00 p.m. Thursday night as I write this. I just now finished packing all of the boxes of books I need for the Gold Rush Book Fair. It’s the first fair where I’ve had an entire booth to myself rather than sharing with another bookseller. I had to pack twice as many boxes of books and bring all of my bookcases. That means that all of the books that aren’t coming to the fair also had to be removed from shelves and placed in boxes so I could fold up the bookcases and take them with me.

Now Thoughtful Husband is going to help me pack the boxes into the car so we can leave tomorrow morning. I know you’re probably thinking that it’s quite thoughtful of him to help me pack boxes so late in the evening, and you’re right. But it’s also thoughtful of him to come along with me to this book fair. It seems that every year it falls on our wedding anniversary, and this is the third year in a row he’s agreed to spend our anniversary at a book fair. That’s beyond thoughtful.

So, in case you’re reading this TH, thanks. I love you and happy anniversary!

I’ll be returning home Sunday, but have a full day beginning bright and early Monday morning, so I may not get a chance to post again until Tuesday.

See you all at the fair! (I hope. And if you can’t make it, I will deliver a full report next week.)

Chapter 408 Trifecta!

Today was a trifecta of bibliophilic pleasures. It is rare for me to work an entire day (8:00am to 3:00pm is an entire day here, due to the kids being dismissed from school at 3:00) on books without running a few errands, doing laundry, or preparing meals during that time. Today, I concentrated solely on my work. I love it when there are days when I can immerse myself in what I’m doing and today was one of those days (at least until Tom and Huck came home from school — then I immersed myself in the boys).

First, I began packing for this weekend’s Gold Rush Book Fair. This is the second time I will have exhibited at this fair, but it is the first time ever that I will not share a booth with another bookseller. This time, Book Hunter’s Holiday will have an entire 10 X 10 booth. That means I need to bring twice as many boxes of books (I estimate 22 boxes instead of the 11 I normally bring when I share a booth with another bookseller). As of today, I have packed two boxes. You might be laughing as you read that, but I packed the two most difficult boxes — ephemeral items (which require careful display and packaging and written descriptions) and very fragile or expensive books (which require lots of bubble wrap and strategic packing so they don’t shift en route). The other 20 boxes should be easier, at least I hope they will. I need to have the Bookmobile packed and ready for action by early Friday morning. In any case, preparing for a book fair allows me to shop my own shelves, selecting the most interesting items and sometimes discovering items I forgot I had. I haven’t done a fair of my own since last September, so really taking the time to look through what I have and select the best of it was like spending the day with old friends I hadn’t seen in a while.

Next, I worked on marking additional changes to the Dante catalogue with my red pen. (Part of me will always be a red-pen-wielding English teacher.) Tomorrow I meet with the graphic designer to go over revisions to the catalogue. Once I get the corrections back from her (might take a week or two), I will proofread once more — but only for errors not for revisions — and will return it to her again for any last changes. After that, it’s time for the printer! And then, at last, it will be time to mail the catalogue.

Finally, I recently found out that I was admitted to this class. I’m not sure if you recall, but I received a scholarship to the University of Virginia Rare Book School back in autumn of 2007. I have two years to use it, and I am thrilled to say I will finally be able to put it to good use later this summer. I have been looking forward to taking the course and traveling to the University of Virginia (founded by Thomas Jefferson) for a long time. I spent a little bit of time today researching airplane schedules and housing for the trip.

Though no books were sold today, it was a great day for this bookseller! Book fair plans, catalogue work, and furthering my bookseller’s education. Trifecta!

Chapter 406 Free Passes to the Gold Rush Book Fair

Hope those of you who are mothers had a wonderful Mother’s Day yesterday. My day started a little early, at Huck’s baseball game at 8:30. The coaches sweetly compensated for the early Mother’s Day game time by bringing all the moms hot coffee and tea and pastries. In the afternoon, I did some reading under the warm sun, sitting on our back porch (still working on Miss Buncle’s Book). Later, we picked up Thoughtful Husband’s mom and went to my parents’ house where Thoughtful Husband and my dad cooked dinner for us. Tom and Huck even made me gifts — a picture frame from Huck and and scrapbook from Tom. It was, all in all, a lovely Mother’s Day.

Today, it’s back to business. I’m meeting with the graphic designer Wednesday to go over my corrections for the Dante catalogue and am beginning to prepare for the Gold Rush Book Fair. The fair takes place this Saturday, May 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, CA. Grass Valley is a lovely old Gold Rush town, nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It’s a charming place for a weekend getaway.

Here’s a photo of one of the streets of the town, which in addition to hosting this weekend’s book fair, is also home to many marvelous bookstores and fine restaurants.

Come on up for the weekend. You can go to the book fair Saturday and then browse the numerous bookshops to your heart’s content on Sunday. You’ll have great spring weather, an historic town for a backdrop, and good food to eat. If you’d like to free passes to the book fair, please leave a comment below or email me at: info AT bookhuntersholiday DOT com. I can either mail the passes to you are leave them at the gate at the book fair for you to pick up.

Hope to see you there!

Chapter 357 “Where Everybody Knows Your Name . . .”

Remember the TV show, “Cheers”? It hasn’t been on television in quite a few years, but I was reminded of the theme song from the show recently:

“Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn’t you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,
and they’re always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.”

The song is a bit cliched, but the lyrics capture the way I feel when I’m with the other booksellers I know. Of course, I don’t know a lot of other booksellers and most of the booksellers at the ABAA fair don’t know my name, but among those few who do, I feel at home.

Saturday, the second day of the fair, was busy from the time the doors opened. Mr. Z’s large booth, shared with Carpe Diem Fine Books of Monterey and located in the center of the first aisle, was a perfect gathering spot for interested bibliophiles and for booksellers taking a stroll. Hearing the stories behind some people’s collections and listening to other booksellers share their perceptions of the fair, I felt like a fly on the wall. I wrote up invoices, bagged books, and delivered checks to other booksellers for purchases made by Mr. Z and I listened. I tried to help customers find books that fit their interests and to answer their questions when Mr. Z was busy. Saturday was all a book fair should be: lots of people, lots of busy-ness and conversation, and consistent sales.

But the best part of Saturday was not just the book fair; it was being included in a small group of booksellers who met for drinks after the fair. I was happy to be asked to join them, but being rather shy around people I’ve just met, I was quite nervous about it as well. I would (gulp!) have to meet and talk to a few booksellers I hadn’t met before but who all seemed to know each other. These are serious booksellers, most of whom are in the ABAA, though most joined only recently . . . and me — probably perceived as a serious bookseller by my self only and not nearly enough experience to apply for membership in the ABAA. Would I have anything remotely interesting to contribute to the conversation? Probably not. But could I learn a lot from the talented people with whom I’d meet? Probably so. I was both excited and nervous when the time came to leave the fair and meet the other booksellers. I said goodbye the comfortable familiarity of Mr. Z and Carpe Diem and our booth and made my way to another part of the City alone.

Gathered at Vesuvio, next door to the well-known City Lights bookstore, everyone discussed the fair, bookselling, and, of course, books. I was introduced to those who I hadn’t met before, and I heard fascinating stories about how others had come to their careers in bookselling. I also heard fascinating stories of book finds and listened as a few sellers asked points-of-issue type questions of one another.

One bookseller who I’d heard of but never before met asked me about my business. I wanted to disappear under the table. I have never found a first issue Book of Mormon nor Shakespeare’s Second (or first for that matter) Folio nor befriended a published author. The story of Book Hunter’s Holiday has to date been one of fits and starts, of cashing in on serendipitous finds, and of learning as much as I can from others who have already blazed the trail. Resisting the urge to disappear for fear of admitting these things, I found myself excitedly explaining to him the concept behind the Dante catalogue and telling him about how I got my start in this business only a couple of years ago. He gave me a lot of encouragement and advice, sharing some of the experiences he had as a new bookseller.

As the night went on, I found I did have a few opinions and experiences of my own to contribute to the conversation. Before long, I forgot my nervousness with these new colleagues. Being at a table full of booksellers, all of whom had their own compelling stories to tell, several not unlike my own, I realized I had come to a place where, even if they hadn’t known me, everybody knew my name.

Chapter 356 Lucky Thirteen

Friday, February 13 dawned cold, grey, and rainy. The choppy water of the San Francisco Bay reflected the heavy rain clouds above and an incoming storm roiled the water. The winter weather outside made the inside of San Francisco’s Concourse Exhibition Center all the more warm and inviting. It was opening night of the 42nd Annual California International Antiquarian Book Fair.

The seemingly “unlucky” opening date of Friday the 13th had more than a few booksellers a bit nervous. From cases of books that almost didn’t arrive in time for the fair’s opening to a leaky roof in the event center to transportation woes for some booksellers arriving from distant places, there were a few things that seemed,well, not quite right.

Among the thousands of treasures brought to the fair by 225 booksellers were treasures such as a Shakespeare Second Folio and unusually macabre finds, such as Jeffrey Dahmer’s cookbook. The doors opened at 4:00 p.m. to a crowd of browsers and buyers, talkers and tire-kickers, note-takers and checklist makers. Noise and bodies filled the long room and books slowly began to make their way from one side of the counter cases to the other, purchased.

Toward the end of the evening, the question no one ever wants to answer but is on everyone’s mind — “How’s your fair?” — was asked casually from one booth to the next, masking the intense, somewhat competitive, and definitely comparative nature of most booksellers.

Realizing that book fairs are about more than just sales, this bookseller realized that, despite its unlucky date, the booksellers at this fair were lucky indeed. They were surrounded by the best of the best in books, other booksellers, and customers. From that moment on, I decided to think of the date as Lucky 13.

Tomorrow: Day Two at the Book Fair

Chapter 355 “Wonder and Lust. Over and Over Again.”

My participation in last weekend’s 2009 California International Antiquarian Book Fair actually began last week, before the fair opened to the public. On Wednesday, I drove over to Mr. Z’s shop in Alameda to help pack boxes of books to bring to the fair. At lunch time, we left the shop and headed to a bookseller open house at Peter Howard’s Berkeley shop, Serendipity Books. Held before the San Francisco ABAA Fair every other year, this open house features fine books, fine food, and fine wine. And did I mention the fine book-sellers who were in attendance? I felt positively regal eating roast suckling pig for lunch (the platter even had the pig’s head complete with an apple in its mouth!) and then wandering the aisles in search of great books. I knew a few of the booksellers in attendance and got to meet a few new ones as well. I did my best not display my usual shy behavior.

One of the many signs on a wall in the store had a picture of lovely old books and the caption above the picture read, “Wonder and lust. Over and over again.” That pretty much sums up my reaction to the amazing quantity of books at Serendipity. There were treasures on every floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, gems on the second floor balcony, and undiscovered rewards at the bottom of bags (filled with books) that lined the aisles. Serendipity is every bibliophile’s dream of a great book hunt.

Thursday was fair set-up day. The day before the fair opens, this is when the dealers arrive with all of their books and book cases and set up for the fair. More importantly, this is the day when many dealers scout out and purchase books from one another. Since I am not (yet) a member of the ABAA, I could not attend the fair on Thursday to help Mr. Z. set up. Only ABAA booksellers can be admitted during this time. I could only work for Mr. Z during the hours the fair is open to the public. Though I was sorry that Mr. Z would have to carry in the boxes of books by himself that day, I used the time to drive into the City and have dinner with my fellow bookseller and friend Jeanne Jarzombek of The Book Prowler. We had a great time, dining at a small, delightful San Francisco restaurant called Rue LePic and drinking to Mr. Z and any of the other ABAA booksellers who were lugging in their boxes without help. I then spent the night in San Francisco so I’d be ready to help for the Friday afternoon opening of the fair. (Thanks, Jeanne!)

As Thursday night came to an end, I counted my blessings. I am lucky to live in the area where the largest book fair in the world is held. Two years into this business, I am lucky to know a few booksellers well enough to call them friends and to be able to meet them in lovely bookish settings like Serendipity or to share a meal together. I am lucky to be able to help Mr. Z. at this fair. It has given me good experience and also given me a chance to evaluate ABAA booksellers and fairs and to consider whether I think eventually applying for membership (must be in business at least four years, I think)is the right thing for me.

I’m blogging from the road tonight, so please excuse the lack of links to the other booksellers and places mentioned in the post. (Remember when I told you Tom and Huck had the week off school this week? That’s the reason for the road trip. More to come on that, later.) I’ll end the pre-fair story here, but you’ll be hearing all about the opening night of the fair tomorrow.

See you in the stacks!

Chapter 353 Getting Ready for the San Francisco International Antiquarian Book Fair

It’s going to be extremely busy here for the next several days. The San Francisco International Antiquarian Book Fair starts Friday, but the preparations have already begun. Wednesday, I’ll be going over to Mr. Z’s shop to help him pack up books to take to the fair and to attend another bookseller’s party. On Thursday, I’m meeting with a graphic/desktop publishing expert to figure out how to finish the Dante catalogue. Then I’m having dinner with my friend Jeanne from The Book Prowler. Friday is the opening day of the fair, where I’ll work for Mr. Z and then go out to dinner with him and a few other booksellers. Saturday and Sunday are also busy fair days.

You’ve probably already guessed what I am going to tell you. Since I have no iPhone and no laptop (only my desktop computer), I’ll be taking a blogging break until late Sunday. Sorry for the break, but I promise a full report on the fair and all of its related events when I get back. Thoughtful Husband and my mom will be holding down the fort here at home. (Thanks guys!)

I love the feeling before a book fair, the feeling of not knowing whether it will be a success or not, the fun of seeing other booksellers I know, the nervous/fun feeling I have when I meet a bookseller I haven’t met before. I love wondering whether I will find any treasures to buy. Lots of excited anticipation.

The last time I worked at this book fair was two years ago. You can read my report on that experience here. I wonder if I’ll see the same kind gentleman from Bernard Quaritch, the one I told all about my Dante catalogue — two years ago! I hope he will remember me but that he won’t remember the Dante catalogue. I will be quite mortified to have say it is still unfinished. This is part of the fun of going to a book fair. So much potential.

See you at the book fair!