398 Reasons to Go to the New York Book Fairs March 7-10
- by Bruce E. McKinney
Three Rare Book, Manuscript, Map, Book Arts and Ephemera Fairs all over the same weekend in New York. For those who love collectible paper and related materials this is your moment.
The Manhattan Vintage Book & Ephemera Fair and Fine Press Fair will take place in the exhibition space at St. Vincent Ferrer Church on Saturday March 9th for dealers to exhibit and sell their works on paper. This show is a combination of traditional rare book and ephemera sellers with a strong contingent of book arts exhibitors, all members of the Fine Press Books Association of New York. Most years, when I can be in New York for these fairs, I buy something in the book arts category at this fair and am always pleased.
This fair, now in its 10th year, was once the only ‘shadow’ fair over the ABAA’s New York Weekend but Marvin Getman of Impact Events brought his thinking to the ABAA weekend 5 years ago and he has slowly created a significant alternative event, his the New York City Book and Ephemera Fair. Between these the number of this year will be 400. Mr. Getman expects 118 exhibitors at his two day Saturday-Sunday event at the Sheraton at 811 7th Avenue, the ABAA 215 exhibitors for its 4 day event and the Saturday show at St. Vincent Ferrer 65.
These two shadow or auxiliary shows significantly increase the importance of this most important weekend for collectible paper in North America.
For those able, the best way to see these fairs is to attend the ABAA’s opening night gala on Thursday the 7th. It opens at 5:00 pm at the Armory at 643 Park Avenue between 66th and 67th Streets on the east side. The tickets are $60- but many collectors and institutions have access to free passes that exhibiting dealers will share. For the shadow fairs there are various ways to get free or reduced price tickets that are cheap at twice the price.
On Saturday begin your day early and get to the Getman event at 8:00 am. Allow 2 hours. Material is priced and the clock is running. Offers are encouraged and frequently accepted. Then run, walk, bus or taxi over to the Manhattan Vintage Book Fair. If you haven’t arranged a free or reduced price ticket, take out your wallet and take the plunge. A good cup of coffee in the Big Apple can cost you more.
At noon on Saturday the ABAA fair opens for its third day. If you didn’t scoop up the Gutenberg leaf on opening night, it may be that no one else has either and if not, seller optimism confronting third day reality may weaken pricing resolve just a little. If you’re serious you can always ask.
The dealers on the floor in the ABAA show will be tougher with their very valuable and unique stock, while exhibitors at the shadow fairs will quickly negotiate if they can. The shadow fairs last longer than 4 hours but most of the significant activity occurs before 1:00 pm on Saturday so experienced shadow exhibitors move quickly to close deals as they know the morning traffic will quickly disappear.
The Getman fair will have the benefit of Marvin’s gift for publicity and promotion so expect a good crowd there over its two day run.
Over the years I have bought at all three fairs. Some material is reasonably and others fully priced. You have to know the difference as well as how to say no to things you would love to have but that aren’t worth the price. If you are a Rare Book Hub paid member you’ll have our 8.8 million record database in your pocket to check values if you have a cell phone. From a phone the address is mobile.rarebookhub.com and remember to know your log-in ID and password. If you aren’t sure we’ll provide it by phone at 877.323.7273.
Have a great time. Find something or some things that resonate.
Sotheby’s, June 25: Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations, on its 250th anniversary. $180,000 to $250,000.
Sotheby’s, June 17: Fontana, Lucio. Concetto Spaziale. 1967. Leporello en papier doré. Bel exemplaire signé. €4,000 to $€,000.
Sotheby’s, June 25: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”. $150,000 to $200,000.
Sotheby’s, June 25: Washington, George (as First President). Washington decries “an ostentatious imitation, or mimickry of Royalty” in his Presidency. $250,000 to $500,000.
Sotheby’s, June 17: Lope de Vega. Rare manuscrit autographe signé de la préface dédicatoire de "El Cardenal de Belen" (le cardinal de Bethléem), pièce composée en 1610. €40,000 to €60,000.
Leland Little, June 12: The First Illustrated Edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Leland Little, June 12: John Morton, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Signed Pennsylvania Land Survey.
Leland Little, June 12: The Scarce Jansson Edition of a Remarkable Early View of London.
Leland Little, June 12: Signed Limited Edition of The Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Leland Little, June 12: Faden’s Important and Scarce Map of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution.
Leland Little, June 12: William J. Tate (NC, 1869-1953), Archive of the "Original host to the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk.”
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Galileo Galilei. Dialogo sopra i due massimi sistemi del mondo tolemaico, e copernicano. Firenze, 1632
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Saverio Manetti. Storia naturale degli uccelli. Firenze, 1771-76
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Fortunato Depero. Depero futurista. Rovereto, 1927
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Nicolas Visscher. Atlas minor sive totius orbis terrarum contracta delineat ex conatibus. Amsterdam, circa 1649-95
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Andreas Vesalius. Anatomia. Addita nunc. Antiquorum Anatome. Venezia, 1604
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Tristan Tzara and Salvador Dalì. Grains et Issues. Parigi, 1935
June 25, 2026
Doyle, June 25: Houdini's biography, boldly signed. $3,000 to $5,000.
Doyle, June 25: A volume from Abraham Lincoln's library, signed just before heading to Washington for his inauguration. $20,000 to $30,000.
Doyle, June 25: A very early Confederate recruiting manual belonging to the chief commissary in Lee's Army. $600 to $800.
Doyle, June 25: Rare hand-colored lithographs of the life of Napoleon. $20,000 to $30,000.
Doyle, June 25: The "Holster Atlas" of the American Revolution. $5,000 to $8,000.
Doyle, June 25: Jewish ceremonies in fine hand-colored engravings. $7,000 to $10,000.
Doyle, June 25: A very rare work on Turkish military costume. $1,000 to $1,500.
June 25, 2026
Doyle, June 25: The most important illustrated work on the Mexican-American War. $10,000 to $15,000.
Doyle, June 25: The finest illustrated book on Afghanistan. $10,000 to $15,000.
Doyle, June 25: Henry Justice Ford St. George rescues the Princess from the horrible Dragon. $2,000 to $3,000.
Doyle, June 25: A rare work of Prussian Army uniforms under Frederick William II, with exquisite hand-colored engravings. $800 to $1,200.
Doyle, June 25: Lenny Bruce typed letter signed to a Village bohemian during his obscenity trials, with a manuscript note and drawing. $300 to $500.
Doyle, June 25: Schiff's scarce Shanghai Sketchbook. $300 to $500.
Doyle, June 25: The first accurate published representation of the American flag. $2,000 to $4,000.
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 123. Celebrate 250 Years of Independence with Original Stars and Stripes (1790) Est. $1,400 - $1,700
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 20. Keulen's Spectacular Chart of the World Featuring California as an Island (1728) Est. $12,000 - $15,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 42. Schedel's Ancient World Map with Fantastic Humanoid Creatures (1493) Est. $14,000 - $17,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 591. Matching Set of 3 Stunning Globe Gores of Eastern Asia from Coronelli's 3.5 Foot Globe (1688) Est. $5,500 - $7,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 9. Speed's Popular World Map with Allegorical Representations of the Elements (1651) Est. $14,000 - $17,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 168. First Separate Map of Kansas & Nebraska Territories (1854) Est. $5,500 - $7,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 43. Only Macrobius Map with Britain Attached to Europe (1515) Est. $800 - $950
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 250. Rare Map of Boston and One of the Earliest Maps of the Revolutionary War (1775) Est. $2,000 - $2,300
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 79. Schenk's Uncommon Map Featuring Two Figurative Title Cartouches (1696) Est. $1,200 - $1,500
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 681. Hand-Colored Image of the Annunciation to the Shepherds (1502) Est. $800 - $950
