The 64th New York International Antiquarian Book Fair: Be There!!

The 64^th New York International Antiquarian Book Fair: Be There!!

On April 4^th, in New York City, the Park Avenue Armory begins to host the 64^th New York International Antiquarian Book Fair that runs through the 7^th. One hundred ninety-six exhibitors will be displaying prized materials to seduce the steady crowds that annually make these New York book fairs the premier antiquarian book fair in the world. To the casual observer it may seem just a book fair but this is a reminder that New York City, once the home of more than 200 bookshops, lost them slowly over the 20^th century while others over the first 2 decades of the 21^st, became online businesses. Those shops and others across the US, now rely/depend on the Armory show as one of their few public retail options. For them, this is a very important event. So when you visit this show think about what you’re doing.

There are 194 dealers on the floor this year. They are independent businesses. Think of them as 194 stores. Most collectible paper categories will be represented. To be efficient, look through the show program to identify those exhibitors whose specialties match with your interests. Spend your time efficiently.
Prepare questions to ask and take notes. In particular, ask for titles of books to learn about collecting. Dealers know, when collectors are reading about collecting, it often turns into purchases. They will be encouraging.
Irrespective of your focus, you’ll find a wide range of price points offered at the show. Understand your level. Ask about this.
Fairs have always attracted serious collectors and institutions but the meaning of serious, as expressed in dollars and cents, has been increasing but not all collectible paper has wide support. [Ears open!] Serious material tends to do best year after year.
Collectible books are seen in three ways, by condition, rarity and importance. Rarity is easily understood by checking auction records. Importance is a matter of opinion but ultimately auction realizations tend to reflect the public judgment of value.
When you are shown examples that appeal to you, if undecided, take a picture of the description and note the price. Plan to study them. Do this ten times with different items offered by different dealers. It will give you the confidence to make purchases.
Please remember that books are not the only game in the town. Manuscripts and ephemera are categories that require both knowledge and experience.
Another category to consider, ephemera may be new to you. It’s collectible memorabilia, typically written or printed, that were originally expected to have only short-term utility. This is a fun category. Prices are all over the place and many future collections will be built upon this form. Yours may be one of them.
When looking more broadly, consider photography, both at shows and on the internet. Images present well. Photography is fascinating and a very satisfying hold. Spend some time with the dealers who display interesting photography.
Generally, collectible paper used to be mainly a guy thing but women are increasingly prominent. These days you’ll find more women as exhibitors and guests, and more material suitable to their interests. If you bring a female perspective to the field, your time has come.
As well, association copies of ephemera look quite promising. This will be demanding and complex and well worthwhile.
As you enter this fair, remember many of the greatest collectors in the past 65 years, did what you are doing. Be careful, cerebral, and courteous. The future of collecting will be found among the isles.