Bruce and Greg from PBA Galleries were there with smiles for all. They did a number of free appraisals for people. They pleased my husband greatly when they appraised a maritime voyaging book at a thousand more than he paid for it. As ever, they were also encouraging folks who wanted to bring books in for auction to contact them at bruce@pbagalleries.com. If you get a chance, check the PBA web page and find out the next auction. It is a great treat to go to the preview of any sale and see the delicious items they have for auction. I love these guys; they are very helpful and have an excellent auction facility in downtown San Francisco – the parking stinks, though, take the bus!
Bryan Lux from A Quiet Corner for Books in Diamond Springs, California, is part of Book Town, the Grass Valley book cooperative. This was his fourth show in Sacramento and he also does The Gold Rush Fair in Grass Valley. He said that doing well depends on what one brings and that he primarily likes to come because of the people and the booksellers with whom he chats.
Jim Kay, the coordinator for the fair said that, "The fair has gone quite well. Many compliments from dealers and much buying, and, of course, some whining now and then from dealers, patrons, and promoter alike. We had more than 400+ customers, which may not sound that great, but it is 25% up from the previous fair and, I think, good for the current time period and the economy. I saw lots and lots of bags of books leaving the show and the crowd was noticeably larger than the previous couple of fairs, though I think the new breed of show visitor needs some training on book buying!"
What, I asked, did the dealers say? "Most dealers reported doing at least respectably well, with some doing quite well, at least two dealers reporting best-evers for this venue. There were a few who were badly spanked though. The shows seem to be, at best, hit or miss these days. Personally, I have had three of my all time worst shows in the last six months."
I asked if he was going to do it again in the spring. He said, "Absolutely, we have a new strategy -- to invite the customers in for free to keep the dealers happy, and we do a lot of promotion. The next fair will be March 26, 2011. 700 FREE passes were given out for that fair to last week's attendees, so we are greasing the skids for another well-attended show. I will continue to tweak the publicity and hammer away on the free passes and radio advertising."
If you are a dealer who has never done the Sacramento Fair before, we highly recommend it. It is fun, it may or may not be profitable, but that's the same with any book fair, and the chit chat and interaction with other sellers and customers is great entertainment. Go to www.sacbookfair.com (2011 info is not there yet, but you can get all the particulars and contact info.) Or, contact Jim Kay at www.bookbomb.com. I've already reserved my booth for the spring show; hope to see you all next year.
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…
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Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("Martinus Luther") to His Friend the Theologian Gerhard Wiskamp ("Gerardo Xantho Lampadario"). $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: An Exceptionally Fine Copy of Austenís Emma: A Novel in Three Volumes. $40,000 - $60,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Presentation Copy of Ernest Hemmingwayís A Farewell to Arms for Edward Titus of the Black Mankin Press. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript Signed Integrally for "The Songs of Pooh," by Alan Alexander. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript of "Three Fragments from Gˆtterd‰mmerung" by Richard Wagner. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Preliminary Artwork, for the First Edition of Snow Crash. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("T.R. Malthus") to Economist Nassau Senior on Wealth, Labor and Adam Smith. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Finely Bound by Michael Wilcox. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: First Edition of Lewis and Clark: Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Artwork for the First Edition of Neal Stephenson's Groundbreaking Novel Snow Crash. $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: A Complete Set Signed Deluxe Editions of King's The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams") to James Le Ray de Chaumont During the Crucial Years of the Revolutionary War. $8,000 - $12,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Francesco Colonna. Hypnerotomachie, Paris, 1546, Parisian calf by Wotton Binder C for Marcus Fugger. €200,000 to €300,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Nausea. De principiis dialectices Gorgias, and other works, Venice, 1523, morocco gilt for Cardinal Campeggio. €3,000 to €4,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Billon. Le fort inexpugnable de l'honneur, Paris, 1555, Parisian calf gilt for Peter Ernst, Graf von Mansfeld. €120,000 to €180,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Salinger, J.D. The Graham Family archive, including autographed letters, an inscribed Catcher, a rare studio photograph of the author, and more. $120,000 to $180,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of Sense and Sensibility, the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Massachusetts General Court. A powerful precursor to the Declaration of Independence: "every Act of Government … without the Consent of the People, is … Tyranny." $40,000 to $60,000.
![<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.")
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/9a74d9ff-42dd-46a1-8bb2-b636c4cec796.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.")
