The Guardian peels back the curtain on what one might expect at an antiquarian book fair.
From the story...
What is an antiquarian book fair, anyway?
It is an arena for members of the rare book trade publicly to offer their stock, and for collectors to peruse it.
That sounds a little dull, doesn't it?
OK, then. Dealers sit in their little, lit booths, displaying their wares like girls in Amsterdam windows. A few potential customers drift by. Sometimes money is exchanged. Some pleasure is had. Usually nobody gets hurt, but many wives are not told of the transaction. Or husbands.
What sort of things might one see at the fair?
Enticing ones, naturally. Hand-coloured antique maps, letters by Freud or Dickens, leatherbound sets of Jane Austen, rare books on travel, nature or military history, books illustrated by Arthur Rackham or Beatrix Potter, first editions by most of the greatest writers.
Why are first editions valuable?
They're not. Most first editions are worthless, because most books are first editions – that is, not worth reprinting. A tiny number of these first editions are desirable because they are by collected authors, and were printed in small numbers.
How can you tell if a book is a first edition?
Generally, it can be assumed unless there is any evidence to the contrary.
Why are some authors collected?
Most, because they deserve to be: John Milton, Jonathan Swift, John Keats, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, James Joyce, Graham Greene. Some, because whatever their deserts, people love them: Agatha Christie, Ian Fleming, JK Rowling.
No comments:
Post a Comment