The Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair, October 12-13, 2019
- by Bruce E. McKinney
The Annual Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair will take place over the weekend of October 12-13 in Exhibition Hall at Seattle Center, home of The Space Needle, and the site originally built for the 1962 World’s Fair. The principal book fairs around the world continue to provide a respite for both dealers and collectors who prefer to see material in person. After the “Big 3” ABAA sponsored fairs in New York, Boston and California, the SABF has long been Number 1 in the United States although the Marvin Getman fairs have been growing rapidly. Breaking the previous record for number of exhibitors registered back in June, this year’s Seattle fair is sure to be strong again, with more than a hundred exhibitors signed up to participate, and an expanded floor plan to accommodate.
Dealers in the western states, namely Washington with 35, Oregon with 21, and California with 29, will dominate the floor, but dealers from the east coast and beyond are represented as well, most notably including the dominant Peter Harrington Rare Books of London, England. Over half the floor will be ABAA/ILAB members.
Tickets are just $5, good for both days, and visitors are encouraged to bring interesting material to sell to exhibiting dealers. Such items are to be held in the coat check area where specialists can, when asked, securely evaluate material.
Over the past twenty years, the role of shows has transformed from a component of dealer sales to an important aspect of collector and institutional acquisition. Dealers that once had many cost efficient ways to move material are now seeing a shift from sales by category [in this case books] to intensifying online subject searches worldwide, that present a challenge to know what to bring. Some exhibitors will display an entire van load of books, whereas others, just a suitcase full. From mediaeval illuminated manuscripts to maps, prints and pulp comics, there is something very special here for every collector at every budget level.
To help dealers help you, one may look at the linked list of exhibitors below and visit their websites to see what treasures they have. Many will be open to bringing material specific to your request if they are aware of your interest before materials are shipped to the venue.
For those who bring an appetite for food as well, SABF has again invited a private catering company to do concessions, including both hot and cold dishes. Or if you’d prefer a walk while contemplating your new acquisitions, you’re in the bustling neighborhood of Queen Anne, well known for its culinary quality and diversity.
The Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair
The Pacific Northwest’s Premier Book Event!
Saturday, October 12th, 10am-6pm Sunday, October 13th, 11am-4pm
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.")
