Saturday April 5: Two Book Fairs

Saturday April 5: Two Book Fairs – Plan Ahead

If you are planning to visit the New York book fairs on Saturday, 5 April, please consider Robert Frost’s words:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, took the one less traveled by, and that had made all the difference.

If you come to the New York book fairs on Saturday, the 5^th, the Manhattan Rare Book & Fine Press Fair at the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer at 869 Lexington Avenue will be your first stop. This show opens at 9:00am and the cognoscenti will be lining up early to burst in. Why? They want first crack to see what is offered. From experience they know, the best things disappear quickly.

The show is dense. The booths are a bit small and will have their best material under glass counters, lined up bang, bang, bang.

To be efficient, be early, look through the show program while waiting to get in. Circle the ones that mention material in your areas of interest. Go to them first.

If an exhibitor mentions they have something on reserve that may be appropriate for you, it’s probably because a dealer or institution expressed interest before the public show started. (yes, they may have had a sneak peek). Be blunt, if you are collector, say so. Your trade is more important. Serious (as in committed) collectors are the lifeblood in the field.

Once you’ve spoken to the 3 or 4 dealers who handle your type of material, then browse the many others. They all need some business and you may find something appealing. And just because you came to find collectible paper, doesn’t mean you won’t find something appealing in the book arts. You’ll find many ingenious forms.

Then when your watch is showing it’s soon to be noon, decamp and head for the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair. Repeat the process.

The main fair is the gold standard for book fairs worldwide. The biggies with the besties have had their triple lattes, they’ll be waiting for you to come by.

So enjoy these book fairs. Book collectors worldwide wish they could be there too.

Manhattan Rare Book & Fine Press Fair

Church of St. Vincent Ferrer

869 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York

Hours:

Saturday, 5 April

9:00am to 5:00pm

ABAA New York International Antiquarian Book Fair (NYIABF)

643 Park Avenue

New York, New York

Hours: