Chapter 121 Becoming an Antiquarian Bookseller: Knowledge Adds Value

I am knee deep in income tax preparations with Thoughtful Husband and slowly (oh so slowly) learning how and why this former academic must learn proper accounting techniqes. To save you from listening to my whining (though you may be able to hear it over the din of the calculator keys), I’m posting my most recent article for BookThink. Thanks for reading!

BECOMING AN ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLER
PART 1: KNOWLEDGE ADDS VALUE
By Chris Lowenstein

Last month I wrote an article that discusses the difference between a bookseller and an antiquarian bookseller, arriving at the conclusion that specialized knowledge allows an antiquarian bookseller to create value and, sometimes, even create new markets. Like all booksellers, the antiquarian bookseller will research the current price and availability of a particular book to determine its current market value. But unlike other booksellers, the antiquarian bookseller also researches the book to see if others have overlooked anything significant about it that would add to its value. When this type of research turns up something new, the antiquarian bookseller can, with a well-written and well-placed description, sometimes set his price above what others are asking, thus driving the market upward.

When I decided to become an antiquarian bookseller, I wondered how I could obtain the kind of specialized knowledge that adds value to books. Was this knowledge something I should possess innately? Was it something that could be taught, and if so, where could I go to learn it? Did antiquarian booksellers ever share their research secrets? In answer to these questions, I learned that several things help build the knowledge of an antiquarian bookseller: experience, education, and expansion. If you’re bored just listing books you find based on the prices others are asking for the same book, this article is for you.

When I started selling antiquarian books, I failed to take into account how my prior experience could help me. I was an English major in college and also taught high school English for several years. During my teenage years I worked in a bookstore, for a university library, and for a small publisher. While this might seem very literary, I had little if any exposure to antiquarian books at the time. Still, my education combined with my work experiences exposed me to the names of the high spots in literature and to the processes by which literature is marketed to and judged by consumers. This experience has turned out to be very beneficial, in terms of providing a good foundation of literary knowledge upon which I could build.

Wanting to learn all I could about antiquarian books, I read every book I could find on the subject, beginning with Nicholas Basbanes’ excellent series on the history of books and book collectors. A few years later, I’m still working my way through stacks of bookseller memoirs, collector reminiscences, and books about books. Whatever your experience prior to antiquarian books is, you can stand on the shoulders of the giants who came before us to get a good introduction to antiquarian books by reading what they’ve left behind.

Prior experience and self-education are good beginnings for an antiquarian bookseller; however, if you are serious about your career, you should plan to continue your formal education. In addition to reading about antiquarians and their books, several courses are available. David Gregor, ABAA bookseller travels to different parts of the country a few times a year offering two excellent, one-day seminars about book collecting and bookselling.

If you find you have the inclination for an overview of all the types of antiquarian booksellers available, take the week-long Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar. Offered at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, it features a diverse faculty made up of all different types of booksellers – internet only, open shop, librarian, book conservator, specialist dealer, etc. It covers the gamut from how to find and evaluate stock to buying at auction to writing a print catalogue to selling on the internet and attending book fairs.

The Seminar has existed for 30 years, offers both partial and full scholarships, and offers you the chance to meet other booksellers and to expand your knowledge. If you want to know exactly what topics are covered in Colorado, I also suggest you read Karen Isgur Bergsagel’s highly informative BookThink article about her experience in Colorado last summer here.

If you need less of an overview of antiquarian bookselling and more specific information about antiquarian books themselves, consider Rare Book School at the University of Virginia. Founded in 1983 by Terry Belanger (recipient of the 2005 MacArthur “Genius” Grant for his rare book prowess) , Rare Book School offers courses with names like “Book Illustration Processes to 1900”, “Introduction to the Principles of Bibliographic Description”, and “Introduction to Illuminated Manuscripts”. If you find yourself interested in these subjects, antiquarian bookselling may be just the thing for you! Like the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar, Rare Book School also offers scholarships. Both organizations realize the importance of helping antiquarian booksellers, particularly those of us new to the trade, learn to be professionals. New booksellers with serious intentions of becoming professionals are welcome.

Antiquarian booksellers must learn to do thorough research. Good research skills give you the ability to turn up some new or little-noticed fact about a book you are selling, and they are key. If you want to be an antiquarian bookseller, learn about the resources for research – bibliographies and reference books. Learn how to cite your resources properly in a book description. Rare Book School offers many courses that can help in this area.

UCLA also offers a smaller but similar program for those of us closer to the West Coast. Among the courses offered this summer are: “Descriptive Bibliography”, “Book Illustration Processes to 1900”, and “The Book in the West”.

I’ve attended a David Gregor seminar and the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar and recommend both very highly. I plan to attend the University of Virginia Rare Book School this summer, and, if I can gain admission, the UCLA Rare Book School as well.

Closer to home, you can easily expand your horizons by getting to know other booksellers. Those of us who sell only on the internet can sometimes feel as though we are working in a vacuum, and meeting other booksellers can alleviate that feeling, as well as give you a sounding board for your bookselling ideas. Once you make a good friend, you can talk about prices, compare your condition standards, etc. You might even get to know another bookseller well enough to share a booth and exhibit at a book fair or to purchase a very expensive book together. Having colleagues who can assist in fields outside your own specialty and whom you can sometimes assist is a priceless asset.

Though they are often crowded and don’t often yield many antiquarian finds, go to your local library sale. Frequent attendance will help you learn to distinguish edition and condition — things you can’t learn by spending time in an antiquarian shop, because all of the books there are only very good or better condition. At every library sale buy at least one book on the speculation that it may be valuable. Don’t use your scanner, and pay attention to what instincts lead you to choose that book. Is it a beautiful binding or lack thereof? A famous author or illustrator? Take your speculative purchase home and research it. If you purchase a mistake — a book whose value does not lie in its financial return — you likely haven’t spent too much money because you purchased it at a library sale.

Another way to expand your knowledge of antiquarian books is to study the catalogues of other antiquarian booksellers. These can help you to get a sense of the market, and more importantly, demonstrate what fine researchers and scholars many antiquarian booksellers are. Auction catalogues are useful to study as well. Many booksellers and auction houses will even send their catalogue right through the computer as a pdf file. Services like Americana Exchange and American Book Prices Current can give you the results of auctions so you can see if a particular book sells above or below its estimate.

Illustrated catalogues are particularly good for getting a handle on evaluating condition. The next time you see an illustrated catalogue, try reading the descriptions and comparing the images of the books with the condition notes. You’ll get a sense of how much evaluation of condition varies among different sellers, but also of how much it does not. There are certain standards that go into deciding something is Fine vs. Very Good and Very Good vs. Good or Fair. Familiarizing yourself with those standards is one of the best ways to help yourself learn to choose better books.

Finally, go to book fairs, whether as a spectator or as an exhibitor. See what other sellers are offering, in what condition and at what prices. Talk to the other booksellers. Get to know your market and who are the top specialists in particular subjects. Book fairs are also great places to scout books. A book fair is like having 50 or more antiquarian shops in one location at the same time. It’s one stop shopping!

Being an antiquarian bookseller takes a great deal of work, but, if you like research and learn to use your resources in a professional manner, it can yield great returns. You need to be willing to rely on your experience, increase your education, and expand your contacts in the bookselling world. If you can do so, you will be well on your way to becoming an antiquarian bookseller.

See you in the stacks!

Chapter 101 As NASA says, “It’s a Go!”

Late last week, I got a phone call from the high school where I used to teach English. Since I stopped teaching in 2000, I get this same phone call about once a year, offering me my teaching job back. Sometimes teachers quit unexpectedly or go on maternity leave mid-year and the school needs an immediate replacement. Sometimes enrollment grows and they need an additional teacher. I loved teaching and I loved my school, and I am always flattered that they want to ask me back for more, so there wasn’t much holding me back from wanting to return each and every time they’ve asked.

Except two small kids who I wanted to be with every second and who would then need day care, which — at last check a few years ago — actually cost more than my teacher’s salary.

Except my own rather low tolerance for being pulled in many directions at once.

Except my lack of time (20 hours or so per week outside of teaching in the classroom) to grade papers and prep lessons at home after work, when my family demands my full attention.

Except, while I love teaching, I hate the ridiculous politics involved in weekly faculty meetings, department meetings, and academic committee meetings which add quite a few more hours and quite a bit more stress to your teaching load.

Except I didn’t have time attend my students’ sports games or theater productions or chaperone their dances the way I could before I had a family, when teaching was my life. (This may sound like an extra, but all good teachers of adolescents know that occasionally supporting them outside of the classroom helps them to connect inside the classroom.)

Except I discovered while home the past eight years that I want to be an antiquarian bookseller.

Too many exceptions to make for a job performance that would make either me, my family, or my school’s principal unhappy. Though I taught part-time after the birth of Tom, after I had Huck, I decided to stay home with my children until they were both school age and then re-evaluate my career plans when my youngest son entered first grade. Huck began first grade in September, but my plans for becoming an antiquarian bookseller began long before that time. As you know, I spent a couple of years reading everything I could about books and bookselling. I never told the school about my plans because I wasn’t sure I could make it work. Antiquarian bookselling was still a dream.

When I decided I wanted to be a bookseller — a job that would allow me to work from my home and to determine the amount of hours I could put in each week — the first thing I did was send a letter to the Bibliophile email list, a sort of bulletin board for booksellers and book collectors, asking:

What are your thoughts? (I have already taken under advisement someone’s comment a couple of weeks ago that the best way to make a million dollars selling books is to start with two million.) If you could do it over, would you become a bookseller again? Am I realistic to think I can make a go of it? (I plan to start with an inventory of 300 or so books.)

You are probably well aware by now (at least if you’ve read this blog before) that I got numerous responses, some positive and some negative, all insightful. I always figured I could return to teaching as a possible back-up. During the years that I’ve been on “maternity leave” (almost eight, lol), I’ve taught summer school twice, substituted occasionally, graded extra papers at home for other teachers, and tutored a few students in order to keep my relationship with the school (which, ironically, is also my alma mater — but that’s a story for another post). I made a little extra money for doing so and also kept up my skills. Through careful and slow shopping over a few years, that money enabled me to collect enough books to start my business.

I officially started Book Hunter’s Holiday as a business a year ago. Since then I’ve found that working from home fits my family’s needs best right now. I can work during the day, pick kids up myself at school at 3 and be available to supervise homework, friends coming over to play, and soccer practice. I can also make sure a decent dinner gets put on the table most nights. I like it this way. But, I’ve also found that if I am to consider myself serious about being an antiquarian bookseller, it needs to be high on my list of priorities, with some activities getting jettisoned. I did not teach summer school this past summer. I went to the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar instead. In September, I resigned from my last tutoring job (which I did at night after the kids went to bed). I built a website and started to blog about my business instead. The money from teacher-like activities tapered off, but I could focus on building my book business, which, if it’s successful, will bring in other money.

Last week, when the call came about teaching again, I swallowed hard before I replied. Took a breath. Thought it through once more.

I said, “No thanks. I’ve started my own business and I really need to focus on that at this time.”

Do I really think I can make a go of it as a bookseller?

If I believe in this business and if I believe it’s a good fit for me — and I absolutely do — then I need to put my money where my mouth is, and give the business my full attention during working hours. This is scary.

It means no more paycheck-subsidized acquisitions of books.

It means that I have to sell enough books to acquire the books I want.

It means I have to act like a real business; my business must be self-supporting or it is simply a hobby.

It means that, other than adopting an abandoned farm, I have no Plan B. Bookselling is Plan A, B, and C.

To which I say, “It’s a go!”

Ready for lift-off!

Chapter 88 What is an Antiquarian Bookseller, Anyway?

Recently, I was asked to write an occasional article for an online publication for booksellers called BookThink. I wrote an introductory article in November and in December was asked to write an article that defines antiquarian bookselling. Any experienced bookseller will tell you that this term is almost impossible to define, as an antiquarian bookseller may deal in such disparate items as ancient incunabula and modern first editions. If the term antiquarian doesn’t refer to a book’s age, what does it mean? I wrote an article explaining why the term has not been narrowly defined and what, in my opinion, makes the difference between a bookseller and an antiquarian bookseller — applying knowledge (usually specialized knowledge in these internet days) to add value to a particular book.

It’s a little lengthy for a blog post, but I haven’t posted anything bookish lately, and I want to know if you think I was on the right track with this one. Feel free to leave a comment, especially if you disagree. I’m still a beginner at bookselling, and I want to make sure I get things right.

What is an Antiquarian Bookseller, Anyway?
by Chris Lowenstein
Book Hunter’s Holiday

Every antiquarian bookseller’s lament is that there are so many people who don’t understand her chosen field. Mention the words “antiquarian books” to those who aren’t collectors or sellers of them and you’ll likely hear, “Oh, you sell books about antiques. That’s wonderful!” or, my favorite, “Did you say you sold books about aquariums?” One wishes there was a simple way to clarify what we do for a living for the uninitiated.

Even amongst other booksellers, the term “antiquarian book” evokes heady thoughts of papyrus, vellum, parchment, rag paper, leather binding, gilt tooling, or marbled paper. While these words certainly suggest ancient tomes, the term “antiquarian book” actually has a broader meaning, one that is at once simple and difficult to articulate.

A history of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America found on its website reveals that the initial group of 50 booksellers who met in 1949 to form the well-known bookselling association had a tough time determining the best definition of antiquarian: “ The next question arose as to the definition of an ‘antiquarian bookseller’, and debate centered on such issues as the necessity of having sales-tax registrations, and the ineligibility of persons engaging in the trade as a ‘sideline’. Herman Cohen brought what was described as ‘appreciative laughter’ when he asked, ‘Who wants to define sideline?’”

Coming up with a rigid definition was contentious even for this group of experts in the field. Presently, in their handy glossary of terms, the ABAA has not included definitions of “rare” or “antiquarian books”, suggesting just how difficult it is to pin down to a specific meaning this seemingly innocuous term.

Like the ABAA, John Carter’s well-known reference, ABC for Book Collectors, a readable dictionary of terms related to the field of book collecting, has a rather vague definition of an antiquarian bookseller: “The lines of demarcation between ‘rare books’, ‘old books’, and ‘second-hand books’ have never been, and can never be, clearly defined. The same applies to most of those who deal in them; and the Antiquarian Bookseller’s Association of America (ABAA) makes no distinction between a man who specializes in incunabula, another who deals only in modern firsts, and a third who restricts himself to botany, and finally a general second-hand dealer, provided that his business is primarily in old books.”

Astonishingly, another usually quite useful reference, Geoffrey Ashall Glaister’s Encyclopedia of the Book, a compendium of many useful book-related terms, does not have any entries for the words “antiquarian”, “rare”, or “scarce”. How, then, to define this term, “antiquarian”?

If you’re interested in selling or collecting antiquarian books, you’ll need to inform yourself a bit further, so that you know what is generally meant by the term “antiquarian book”. In fact, I think that the word “information” is one thing that sets the antiquarian bookseller apart from his other bookselling colleagues. In my experience, antiquarian books are books that have required me to have either particular knowledge to understand their value (e.g. I recognize a book as the unknown first work of a later famous author) or, in the absence of that knowledge, have required me to research the book to discover what might be especially valuable about it. Sometimes this research pays off, and I discover that I have a good “find”. Other times, further research reveals that a book I selected merely because of its age or its pretty binding is not especially valuable at all. As I gain more experience and more knowledge, I become better at selecting antiquarian books, which are the focus of my business, Book Hunter’s Holiday.

In Nicholas Basbanes’ book about book collectors and booksellers, Among the Gently Mad, the author credits John Hill Burton, a nineteenth century Scottish bibliophile with this glib comment about collectors (and by extension sellers) of antiquarian books: “It is, as you will observe, the general ambition of the class to find value where there seems to be none, and this develops a skill and subtlety, enabling the operator, in the midst of a heap of rubbish, to put his finger on those things which have in them the latent capacity to become valuable and curious.”

Two other veteran antiquarian booksellers, now deceased, mention a term for Burton’s description above that, to me, sums up perfectly what an antiquarian bookseller does. In their memoir Old Books, Rare Friends, Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine Stern call the ability to discover value in a book “fingerspitzengefuhl”. They say, “As far as we know, the word Finger-Spitzengefuhl never made it to a dictionary. It was originally Herbert Reichner [another bookseller to whom Rostenberg was an apprentice] who passed it on to us. A tingling of the fingertips becomes an electrical current of suspense, excitement, recognition. In an artificially controlled voice, one of us calls to the other, ‘Look! This may be something.’ And two heads look down upon the title page of a discovery. Sometimes the Finger-Spitzengefuhl occurs on the spot as we scan the shelves of a foreign dealer. Sometimes it takes place only after the purchase has been made and we study our finds. Whenever or wherever it occurs, it is an experience that makes the rare book business a hymn to joy.”

Additionally, Pat and Allen Ahearn, experienced booksellers and authors of Book Collecting: A Comprehensive Guide, and Collected Books, weigh in with the opinion that books bought as objects deserve special qualification as antiquarian: “It would seem that the transition from reader to collector occurs when the book itself is perceived as an object, akin to art perhaps. Certainly, if you are going to pay $25 or $50 for a first edition when you could borrow a copy from the library or purchase a paperback reprint for $5.95 (and up), you have bought an object that you want to own and actually look at occasionally, just as you want to own an original painting or a signed limited print when there are copies available at significantly lower prices.”

If we begin to think about owning books as objects, as opposed to owning books for their reading content alone, we can establish some other guidelines. Some of the assumptions others make about antiquarian books can be easily dispelled here. First, scarcity does not equal rarity. If only ten copies of a book exist but there is no interest in the subject, it may not be a significant enough book to be financially valuable for an antiquarian bookseller. However, when I find a book that is scarce, I take the time to research whether it is or is not a significant book. Sometimes that research pays off and sometimes it leads to a dead end. For me, this not knowing the end result in advance is part of the fun and challenge of antiquarian bookselling.

Secondly, age does not necessarily imply rarity or value. Many people assume that because a book is old, the book has value. This is usually not the case, unless that particular title is in demand or that particular subject generates a lot of current interest or has an intrinsic importance. Bibles are a good example of this principle. Although Bibles are considered important by those who own them, most of the thousands of editions of the Bible published over time are not financially enriching, with the exceptions of a few early printed Bibles. The Bible has been printed so often that it is not, at this point in history, a rare book by any means.

Finally, condition plays an important role in antiquarian bookselling. A book that is in less than fine condition must be in very high demand or contain very important information in order to be of substantial value to the antiquarian bookseller. Otherwise, an antiquarian bookseller seeks to sell fine books as opposed to reading copies.

The antiquarian booksellers I know personally include, among others, sellers of ancient books about science and medicine, sellers of great works of literature, and sellers of modern first editions (books published in the twentieth and now the twenty-first centuries). On the surface, these sellers would seem to have nothing in common. However, they are all antiquarian booksellers. The unifying factor among them is their ability to apply their specialized knowledge to the books they find and create value, and, in some cases, even create new markets. The ability to do this is, in the words of Rostenberg and Stern, a hymn to joy indeed.

The End

Sorry for all the bold type. Sometimes I fall into my pedantic, former teacher mode. Just wanted to highlight the points I think most important. Thanks for reading such a long post.

See you in the stacks!

Chapter 64 With Gratitude

With Thanksgiving coming tomorrow, I’ve been thinking about all of the book-related things for which I am grateful. Most of these have occurred in the last twelve months.

1) That I took the chance and wrote a letter to the Bibliophile Group email list, asking how to become a bookseller. I got quite a few responses, and have always been thankful that other booksellers were willing to share their experiences (both good and bad) with me.

2) That, because of that letter, I met a mentor who is willing to spend a good deal of time helping me to learn the trade, who has helped me to learn from my mistakes, and who has cheered me on when I’ve done well.

3) That I decided to open my own antiquarian book business, Book Hunter’s Holiday.

4) That I got to work at the ABAA book fair in San Francisco last February. What an amazing experience and what an amazing assortment of books gathered under one roof.

5) That I received a partial scholarship for and went to the Colorado Antiquarian Book Market Seminar in August.

6) That I exhibited at and sold books in my own half-booth for the first time at the Sacramento Antiquarian Book Fair in September.

7) That I got a scholarship to the University of Virginia Rare Book School. I can’t wait to make the next step in my education as a bookseller.

8 ) That I started this blog — without necessarily intending to, I’ve made connections with other booksellers, book collectors, and book lovers. For that, I am exceedingly grateful.

Thanks for reading, especially if you’re reading just for your own amusement and aren’t my husband or parents, who are kind of obligated to read.

9) That I had enough good book finds and enough sales to make me believe I can sustain, and, I hope, grow, this business.

Of course, I am most thankful for my family, my health, and my home. I just wanted to focus on the book business here. I’ve got a lot of things going on for Thanksgiving weekend, so I’m going to take a break until Monday and enjoy my time with my family.

I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving filled with whatever makes you feel grateful.

See you in the stacks!

Chapter 55 Rare Book School Announces 2008 Courses

I’ve always wished I could have majored in Rare Books in college, and now, finally, I can. Today I received notification that the 2008 course descriptions and dates for the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia are available. Where else can a bookseller or collector go to learn historical and bibliographic information about rare books and how they were made? Aside from the Colorado Antiquarian Book Market Seminar, not many other places in this country give newcomers the opportunity to learn from the experts. If you can, try a course this year. If you can’t take a course this year, read over the descriptions and allow yourself to dream about what’s possible in the world of rare books. Rare Book School does offer scholarships to help with expenses. I plan to attend myself in either 2008 or 2009. Here’s a bulletin that lists all of the new courses along with all of the relevant links and information. Click on the course titles to read their full descriptions.

Rare Book School FRESHEST ADVICES November 2007

RBS 2008 COURSE SCHEDULE
The schedule for most of the courses to be offered in 2008 has been posted on our website: see Current Schedule. Six new RBS courses will be offered in 2008:

BIBLIOGRAPHERS’ TOOLKIT COURSES (G-20 and G-30)
Bibliographers’ Toolkit: Printed Books to 1800, taught by David Whitesell (American Antiquarian Society) will run 21-25 July; its mate, Bibliographers’ Toolkit: Printed Books since 1800, co-taught by Tom Congalton (Between the Covers) and Katherine Reagan (Cornell) will run 9-13 June. This pair of new courses is intended for those seeking a better understanding of how to recognize, evaluate and describe the physical aspects of printed materials.

DESIGNING ARCHIVAL DESCRIPTION SYSTEMS (L-90)
This new course, taught by Daniel Pitti (UVa), will explore in detail markup and database technologies, efforts underway to integrate the two technologies, and the opportunity provided by this integration for transforming archival description.

INTRODUCTION TO ARCHIVES FOR RARE BOOK LIBRARIANS (L-60)
Co-taught by Jackie Dooley (UC Irvine) and Bill Landis (Yale), this course is intended for those whose education and experience are principally rare book-oriented who now find themselves working with archival materials or managing the work of archivists.

THE ART OF THE BOOK IN EDO AND MEIJI JAPAN, 1615-1912 (I-90)
The illustrated woodblock printed books produced in Japan in the Edo and Meiji periods represent a remarkable achievement in terms of their technical perfection, broad range of styles and subject matter, and their beauty; no comparable sustained tradition of artistically significant printed illustrated books existed in China or the West. Taught by Ellis Tinios (University of Leeds) as a complement to his
existing RBS course: Japanese Illustrated Books, 1615-1858 (I-85).

We expect that a sixth new course will be offered at Princeton in October on the history of children’s books, co-taught by Andrea Immel (Princeton) and Justin G. Schiller (Justin G. Schiller Ltd); further details shortly.

A seventh new course, Introduction to the History, Collection, Description, and Use of Maps (H-65), taught by Alice Hudson (NYPL), will debut in RBS 2009.

See you in Charlottesville, Virginia at Rare Book School!

Chapter 52 Compiling a Mailing List

When I was teaching high school English, I often advised my students, when they were writing, to “begin with the end in mind” and to “know your audience”. Surely, there is a special circle of Dante’s Hell reserved for us teachers, who dare to use such simple aphorisms to teach something as complex as good writing, and the punishment in that circle is that we teachers must heed our own advice. I now find myself in that place.

I’ve just about finished acquiring the items I want for my Dante catalogue, bringing the total to 50. Never mind the fact that only half of the catalogue has been written and only half of the items have been photographed or scanned. I’ll be working on that (feverishly) in the coming weeks. What I need to start thinking about now is a mailing list. I’m a novice antiquarian bookseller without an established customer base. Who should receive this catalogue? More importantly, who might buy items from it? Before I can write good descriptions, I need to think about those for whom I am writing them. I also need to look at my collection as a whole and figure out what’s so special about it anyway.

I have limited workspace in my house (a 3′X3′ corner of my dining room) and I store my books in various dark, dry, cool places throughout my house. I’ve been stockpiling those Dantes for a few years now. It’s time to get them out and look them over, not as individual pieces, but as a physical collection, next week. What started out to be a collection of Dante’s Divine Comedy morphed into a collection of illustrated editions of Divine Comedy. Then it morphed into illustrated editions of the works of Dante, and finally, it seems to be emerging from its bookshelf chrysalis as a beautiful collection of illustrated and unusual editions of the works of Dante. I’d like to say more about the unusual part, but think it best to let you see for yourself when I mail the catalogue.

Who on earth might want to buy these books? A Dante collector — sure, but I don’t know any myself (yet). Perhaps a university library with a special collection in Dante. Perhaps another bookseller higher up in the food chain who is assembling a larger collection of works by Dante. Perhaps a beginning collector who wants to start a collection with nice core of 50 items. Perhaps someone who just likes pretty old books. I have to write to each of these audiences in the catalogue’s introduction and in the descriptions of the books themselves.

For now, I plan to begin compiling a mailing list of the following:

University and private libraries that hold special collections in Dante. (There is a book called Subject Collections by Lee Ash where I can find information on which libraries have these — and other — holdings. I just have to check the book.)

Other booksellers I know, with a personalized note accompanying the catalogue.

ABAA booksellers I don’t know, but would like to, with a letter of introduction (Can get their mailing information from the latest ABAA directory).

My fellow seminarians from the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar. I didn’t meet any other Dante specialists there, but got feedback on an early draft of the catalogue and lots of requests to send it when it was printed.

I’ll send the catalogue to Firsts Magazine, Fine Books and Collections Magazine, and Americana Exchange, all of which review catalogues.

I’ll send the catalogue to my little list of previous customers.

I’ll send the catalogue to friends and family, so they can see what I am doing with all of my “free time” now that my kids are in school all day.

I’ll review the rules about doing so, and if I can, I will anounce the catalogue on any of the bookselling mailing lists that allow a bookseller to do so: Ex-Libris, Bibliophile Group, and Bookfinder Insider.

I’ll offer books for sale on Rare Books email list. This is an internet list which lists antiquarian books for sale free of charge.

And, of course, I will announce the catalogue on my blog and on my website.

Would you like to receive a copy of the Dante catalogue? Send an email with your mailing address and email address to me at: info @ bookhuntersholiday . com.

Over time, I hope to build a customer list, but I think the list above gives me a good list with which to start.

Chapter 44 Book Fairs — Why They Should Be Part of Your Repertoire

I’ve written several times about how much I enjoyed preparing for and selling books at my first book fair. (If you’d like to read the articles, click on the Book Fairs category on the right sidebar to see all posts pertaining to that subject.) I wanted to end this little series on A Bookseller’s Education with a post on how important it is to add book fairs to your bookselling repertoire.

If you sell books only on the internet, you need to reach customers in other venues. I’ve often heard booksellers lament that the customer base for antiquarian books seems to be shrinking. If people don’t see antiquarian books and become familiar with them, how will they know enough about them to find them for sale on the internet? If we booksellers don’t reach the newbies, we will indeed eventually lose our customer base. So, for nothing else other than PR for the antiquarian book trade, you ought to do the occasional book fair (assuming there is one within a few hours drive of you. If not, then add something else to your repertoire, like an occasional print catalogue).

Here are the benefits I gained from doing one small, regional book fair:

1) I had to become organized — pricing most of my books, writing thorough descriptions for books over $100, and purchasing bookshelves and book stands. Whether or not I ever sold books at a book fair, I needed to do these things. The book fair was the catalyst for my actually getting them done.

2) I learned whether I had been selecting books that might actually sell. (Fortunately, sales were good for me.)

3) I met dozens of booksellers I hadn’t known before, who were also selling at the fair. They bought books from me and I bought books from them. I have since corresponded with a couple of booksellers who had books in my specialty. I wouldn’t have met these people if I sold books only on the internet. Developing relationships with other booksellers means that sometimes they offer you right of first refusal on a book you love when they could sell it elsewhere.

4) I bought lots of new stock. A book fair is like having 20-50 antiquarian bookshops in one location. It’s one stop shopping, mostly with dealer discounts and no shipping charges.

5) I gained new customers, including repeat customers who contacted me after the fair to purchase more books.

6) I gained confidence in my ability to sell books and felt validated as a bookseller.

Whether or not you are able to do a book fair, I encourage you to expand your horizons and sell in multiple venues. The benefits of doing so will affect more than your bottom line.

The booth I shared with Carpe Diem Fine Books at the Central Valley Antiquarian Book Fair.

See you in the stacks!

Chapter 43 Simple Tools Every Bookseller Should Have — An Angel, A Poker Chip, and Dante’s Bust

Now that I’ve told you a little about how I find books and how I started my business, I’d like to share information about some basic tools I use as a bookseller. These tools will help you become acquainted with your books as physical objects (as opposed to literary treasures).

First, from Main Street Fine Books and Manuscripts in Galena, Illinois, it’s the Bibliophile’s Bookruler.

For those of us who are new to old books, the ability to distinguish between a Quarto and an Octavo or even a 64mo and a 12mo does not come instantly. The Bibliophile’s Bookruler can help you to quickly see how your own books measure up. Each size is marked boldly in red. And, I will add that after going to the Colorado Antiquarian Book Market Seminar in August, I now understand the designations for each size and don’t need to rely on the bookruler as much as I used to. Another great benefit of that great course! Still, I wouldn’t be without this trusty tool that makes for more accurate book description.

When you have a moment, click on over to sicpress. Owned by Joyce Godsey, who is, by the way, Eraser Queen of the United States, this site has wonderful products that every bookseller should know how to use. It has erasers, for erasing old, pencilled-in (and even inked-in) prices, surface cleaning tools, hand tools, adhesives and adhesive remover for those sticky thrift store labels, leather care products, and, best of all, pre-assembled kits for book care. And I can’t forget to mention her miracle Book Deodorizer for stinky, musty-smelling books. Try it. It really works!

In addition, Joyce has spent time and shared her knowledge by making instructional videos on basic book repair that you can view on her site — how to put on lined and un-lined book covers, repair torn covers, clean surface dirt, tip in a loose page, and many more. She has also written a book, Unbound: Book Repair for Booksellers, which can be ordered from her site.

Joyce told me, “The big catalogs are fine if you are going to buy things in large quantities and know what exactly you want and how to use it. But if you read them all, you know that their clientèle are institutions. I try to focus on just repair and cleaning and make up assortments and small quantities just for booksellers, folks who don’t do repairs all the time. Besides if you buy a bone folder from Gaylord, it is 6.50 to ship it. I charge only $2 to ship a bone folder. And they don’t carry my exclusive items.”

You can learn a lot from Joyce, who has been selling books in one form or another for 28 years. I highly recommend her book, her video, and her care and repair tools. A bone folder is a must for applying those mylar dustjacket protectors. I used the leather cleaner and leather dressing on my leather-bound books before I took them to the Sacramento Book Fair in September. They looked so nice that I wanted to keep the books for myself. Thanks, Joyce!

Finally, I want to add one last tool that is helpful to me:

These are my bookseller good luck charms. Since my office is in my dining room, I keep them on my desk to remind me that I am indeed a bookseller and blessed to be one. First, I have Dante Alighieri, a favorite author of mine and the subject of my first catalogue. Next, I have a book-themed guardian angel. I got her the same summer I read A Gentle Madness, by Nicholas Basbanes, when I first got the idea that antiquarian books were just the thing for me. Lastly, I have a bronze poker chip I won in a friend’s poker tournament. I won the entire game that night. It reminds me that, like poker, book scouting relies on the right combination of luck and information. I do realize that an angel, a poker chip, and a bust of Dante are exceedingly disparate items. However, they help me keep my bookselling priorities in order.

See you in the stacks!

Chapter 42 Starting Your Antiquarian Book Business

Once you’ve decided you want to be an antiquarian bookseller, you’ll want to make it official by becoming a business. What does that entail? Here are some of the things I did when I opened my business in January, 2007.

1) Selected an inventory tracking software — this should be a place where you can catalogue books, store images of books, invoice customers, create mailing lists, and catalogues. There are quite a few different options out there, beginning with ABE’s free Homebase. There are also the more sophisticated BookHound and Book Trakker. Research them and figure out which is the best fit for your needs. Also, very important: Find out who offers tech support. You will likely need it from time to time. These are good questions to ask on the Bibliophile Group List and Bookfinder Insider List. If you post a question about software, you should get responses from a variety of booksellers. For the record, I use BookHound. At the time I purchased it, it was the best program out there for Apple computer users.

2) Filed a fictitious business name. Rules for how, when, and where to do this probably vary from state to state. For California, I got a lot of information on the necessary paperwork here. Your state probably has a similar site to this one. Research it. (Sharpening those research skills will come in handy in your life as a bookseller.)

3) Rented a post-office box to receive business mail and have a business address.

4) Opened a business checking account and get checks with business name and address printed on them.

5) Applied for a couple of low-limit business credit cards.

6) Applied for a Seller’s Permit (Resale Number/Certificate) from the State of California Board of Equalization.

7) Applied for a domain name. I used GoDaddy, but there are a number of inexpensive options out there.

Built a website. I started with a simple Chrislands website. These guys do a nice looking bookstore for relatively low cost. My store site was built and ready to go in two days. Custom sites are nice, too, if you can afford someone to write all that html for you. Again, this is where forums like Bibliophile Group and Bookfinder Insider come in handy. You can post a question and read the multitude of opinions before you make your own decision.

9) Signed up with a service that allows me to accept credit cards. Paypal is a good start, and Propay, too. Propay comes in handy for accepting credit cards at book fairs.

10) Ordered business cards. More than once, I was told by other booksellers to invest in professionally printed cards, the kind with raised ink. I’ll pass that on, for what it’s worth. I think they were making the point that your business card is what a customer or potential customer sees that will remind them of how professional you are. Turns out people sometimes do judge booksellers by their covers after all. I got mine from Design Your Own Card. I also ordered a rubber address stamp from them.

So, these are some of the nuts and bolts of opening an antiquarian book business. Oh, wait! I forgot to mention the most important thing: Don’t forget that you must have a stock of books to begin. I assume that if you’re reading this blog, you are already well on your way to doing so.

Tomorrow: Simple Tools Every Bookseller Should Have

Chapter 40 Academic Courses for Booksellers

When you’ve got the hang of scouting books and are beginning to develop your stock, you’ve only just begun. In my opinion, the most challenging part of bookselling isn’t finding the books — it’s knowing how and to whom to sell them. To sell books, you need two things in abundance: information about your book that could make it more valuable and information about how to actually sell books.

Should you open a shop or sell on the internet? Both? What internet sources should you use to sell your books? Are images of your books necessary if you sell on the internet? Are print catalogues worthwhile, and if so, how do you go about developing a mailing list? How do you sign up to sell books at a book fair? How do you know which book fairs are right for the kind of books you sell? What kind of computer program is best for keeping track of inventory? What kind of agreement is necessary for accepting books on consignment? How do you appraise books? How do you find out which reference books are the most appropriate for the type of book you sell? How do you develop a network of booksellers who are willing to share information when you need it?

To answer questions like these, you should attend the Colorado Antiquarian Book Market Seminar. Held for about five days in August each year at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, it’s an intensive week-long course that answers all of the questions asked above and more. The faculty are an impressive range of book people that include those with open shops, those who sell on the internet, a Librarian of Congress, a book conservator, and a few ABAA members. The faculty represents a good spectrum of all of the types of antiquarian bookselling, and make it possible for a new bookseller to see where she wants to position her business in that spectrum. Better yet, the Denver Book Fair is held the day before the Seminar begins, so it’s a great place for book hunting, too. What could be more spectacular than to be at a beautiful setting at the foot of Pike’s Peak talking about books all day long with others who love them and want to make a living from them as much as you?

I attended the Seminar in August, and I met collectors, booksellers, librarians, people who volunteered for their local FOL, even people who worked for ABE and Alibris. It was so nice to meet other new booksellers, and I have kept in touch with quite a few since our week in Colorado. The faculty was always interesting and informative, genuinely wants to help new booksellers become professional, and continues to answer seminarians’ bookselling questions to this day. You can get more information on the Colorado Seminar here. Most importantly, there are several scholarships available, which are listed on their website. Bookmark the site for this seminar and make plans to go as soon as you can. You won’t regret it.

Once you’ve learned of the myriad options for selling books at the Colorado Seminar, you’re ready to attend Rare Book School at the University of Virginia. It’s courses like these that can expand your education in fields like History of the Book, History of Bookbinding, and Descriptive Bibliography, to name just a few. Founded by the amazing Terry Belanger, Rare Book School is a rare haven in the United States for teaching those who love antiquarian books all about how books are made, collated, printed, and collected. Rare Book School, too, gives scholarships. So bookmark that site, too, and apply early and often. I recently received a scholarship for Rare Book School,and plan to attend in Summer, 2008 or 2009. So, if a new bookseller like me can do it, you can, too!

One thing I learned during my years as a teacher was that good teachers are lifelong learners. Good booksellers should also continue to build on their education, and the Colorado Antiquarian Book Market Seminar and Rare Book School offer wonderful opportunities for them to do so.