The Eighteenth North Texas Book and Paper Show, held October 15th and 16th, was a great success. Heritage Auctions of Dallas and The Texas Bookseller’s Association teamed up to sponsor this show which was held at a new venue, the convention center in Garland, just minutes away from the Dallas Fort Worth Airport.
About 50 booksellers from as far as Pennsylvania and Arizona made up part of the exhibitors. There was good activity in the pre-show with dealers selling and trading among themselves. Many of the sellers indicated that this was the best show they have every attended. The range of material was very eclectic from top range sellers such as First Folio from Tennessee, Old West Books from Colorado and The Book Collector from Texas exhibiting items which were in the thousands of dollar range, to others who had available items as low as three and five dollars.
Heritage Auctions conducted an appraisal day on Sunday from noon to 3pm, allowing up to three items to be brought in for appraisal. Anyone who wanted to sell their item(s) was directed to a seller who specialized in that material. They had a waiting line throughout the day and many of the people who came for the appraisals purchased books.
Heritage did an email blast to their people of record in Oklahoma, Arizona, Louisiana and Texas, about 58,000 emails, and a second blast to those who have signed up for their Texana, rare books and manuscript sales, adding another 24,000 emails. In addition a quarter page ad ran in the local papers of both Fort Worth and Dallas as well as a continual ad which ran on WRR (a local classic radio station) for a week, which cost was shared by both sponsors. A mailing of 2000 pieces went to previous attendees.
This new arrangement of dual promotion will extend to the next fair in Texas which will be the Austin Book and Paper Show in Austin on the 14th and 15th of January in 2012. The Texas Books Seller’s Association and Heritage hope to continue this partnership for a three year period and expand the number of shows available to the reading and collecting public and booksellers by adding at least one or more fairs in the coming years.
