The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) is an organization in the United States for dealers in rare and antiquarian books . The association is a member of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB).
31-637: Founded in 1949, the ABAA is the benchmark for professionalism and ethics in the rare book trade in the US. The founding of the ABAA was the direct result of the founding of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) a year earlier: "It was quickly recognized in the United States that national and international cooperation among booksellers was an idea whose time had come and that an American association
62-521: A 5pm preview on April 4, and ran for 12 hours/day for five more days, from 10am–10 pm; admission was free. Describing the event many years later, Madeleine B. Stern (Rostenberg & Stern) writes: ABAA-sponsored antiquarian book fairs have prospered since 1960, as has the ABAA itself; the organization currently has more than 450 members. The non-profit organization's more than 450 members deal in rare books, autographs, historical documents, prints, and maps, and its members have provided guidance in building
93-454: A first edition “And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street” can reach the price of $ 12,000 in the best condition. In the ancient world, papyri and scrolls (the precursors of the book in codex form) were collected by both institutions and private individuals. In surviving accounts there are references to bibliophile book collectors in that era. Xenophon wrote disparagingly of a man who tried to collect more books than his friends. Seneca
124-572: A form of business increases later in seventeenth century, with 1693 being the date of the earliest printed catalogue of books in the American colonies. Events in Boston during the eighteenth century proved both difficult and advantageous for the antiquarian book trade. For example, a fire broke out in 1711 that consumed nearly every bookshop then in existence in Boston. In the next two decades antiquarian booksellers rebuilt and gradually began to thrive, with
155-525: A quarterly online newsletter. The association created the Elisabeth Woodburn Fund in honor of a past president of the association which periodically offers scholarships to members and non-members to further their education in the trade. The association's Benevolent Fund offers financial assistance to member and non-member booksellers in times of hardship. The ABAA is a sponsor, with FABS (Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies) and The Center for
186-792: A record $ 3.2 million in 2014 with a cover price of 10 cents. Despite appearing in many films and other popular culture, wearing cotton gloves while handling old or rare books does not protect the book, and can increase the risk of inadvertent damage. However, the theatrical effect of showing a rare book being handled with gloved hands may increase its selling price. Antiquarian book collecting may be roughly defined as an interest in books printed prior to 1900 and can encompass interest in 19th, 18th, 17th, 16th, and 15th-century books. Antiquarian book collectors are not exclusively interested in first editions and first printings, although they can be. European books created before 1455 are all hand-written and are therefore one-of-a-kind historical artifacts in which
217-411: Is bibliophilia , and someone who loves to read, admire, and a person who collects books is often called a bibliophile . Book prices generally depend on the demand for a given edition which is based on factors such as the number of copies available, the book's condition, and if they were signed by the author (and/or editor or illustrator, if applicable) or by a famous previous owner. For example,
248-412: Is no established date of when this business of book collecting actually begins, however Stern attributes the beginnings to John Dunton ’s visit to Boston in 1686, in which he brought along numerous books from his native England. Printed materials and books however were already available in Boston, the first book shop having been opened in 1647 by Hezekiah Usher . The act of collecting and selling books as
279-583: The Renaissance , book collecting received a great impetus. Jean Grolier , the Treasurer-General of France, was an important bibliophile and book collector of this period. With the advent of the Romantic era in the 18th century and its focus on the past, book collectors began to show an interest in old books, antiquarian editions and manuscripts. This new emphasis was nourished by the flood of old books onto
310-1004: The Book and Rare Book and Manuscript Division in the Library of Congress, of the National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest. The ABAA currently hosts three antiquarian book fairs per year: California in February (Los Angeles and San Francisco in alternating years), New York in April, and Boston in November. Exhibitors must be members of the ABAA or of an ILAB association. The ABAA has an e-commerce website hosted by Bibliopolis and Biblio.com which exhibits members' books for sale. The site, launched in 2009, features over 2 million rare books from 200 of its members and has full search, browse and e-commerce capabilities. Applicants must have been in
341-693: The Making, the Selling, and the Collecting of Books in the United States (1939). The antiquarian book trade has roots in Colonial America, and may be considered in the study of American history and literature, print culture, and book history. Antiquarian book fairs have long been an important aspect of the trade. Today, the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) is the primary organization of
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#1733093223498372-581: The U.S. antiquarian book trade specifically are Leona Rostenberg (1908–2005) and Madeleine B. Stern (1912–2007), both of whom were also in the business of collecting and selling rare books . Other histories having covered the topic include Isaiah Thomas , writing in 1810 his History of printing in America ; Henry Walcott Boynton’s Annals of American Bookselling, 1638-1850 , first published in 1932; Hellmut Lehmann-Haupt’s The Book in America: A History of
403-408: The United States is an aspect of book collecting and publishing . The term antiquarian , in general, refers to antiquities and collectible items usually considered old and rare, usually in reference to books, but is not limited to books. The word antiquarian could also be used to describe a person who collects rare books or other antique items. Two key figures who have written a great deal on
434-499: The Younger was skeptical of those who collect books they do not read, asking: "What is the use of possessing numberless books and libraries, whose titles their owner can hardly read through in a lifetime?" Book collectors in western antiquity prized accurate transcription and high-quality materials. In 1344 the English bishop Richard de Bury wrote The Philobiblon , in which he praised
465-403: The book trade. The trade spread to Richmond and New Orleans, then to Texas, St. Louis, Chicago, and eventually, following the gold rush, to California. Book collecting Book collecting is the collecting of books , including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given collector. The love of books
496-492: The business of rare books or printed matter a minimum of four years, be sponsored by three current members, and provide three references as basic requirements for membership. The ABAA has a comprehensive code of ethics by which all of its members must abide, requiring authentication and accurate description of all items offered for sale. Antiquarian book trade in the United States The antiquarian book trade in
527-507: The collected works of William Shakespeare ) garnered a record-breaking $ 9,978,000 at Christie's in October 2020. Books owned by well-known individuals that also have a connection with the author (often as a gift from the author with a written dedication to the recipient) are known as association copies . The American School Library is an example of a very rare multi-volume boxed set with works by many popular or famous authors. Apparently
558-473: The differences but also to advance book-buying, to promote book-collecting, so that all would benefit from such increased activity in the book field." The first general meeting of the new association took place in March, with 81 dealers in attendance; annual dues were set at $ 10/year. The first president of the ABAA was Laurence Gomme (Brentano's). "Book fairs are such a major element in the activities and functions of
589-467: The establishment of a genuine national association of antiquarian booksellers was taken" at this meeting, though "it was recognized that there were a great many differences, a long backlog of personal disputes and dissensions and an enormous field of individual views and prejudices" to deal with. "It was also recognized that all the above were some of the very reasons why a national association of antiquarian booksellers had to be formed: not merely to reconcile
620-597: The idea of "edition" and "printing" is irrelevant. Any book printed up to the year 1501 is known as an incunable or incunabulum. Such books command a premium and are particularly sought after by collectors interested in the history of printing. The first English movable-type printer was Caxton in the late 15th century. Editions of his books from the 15th century are very rare. Occasionally, 16th-century editions similar to Caxton's books appear among antiquarian book dealers and auctions, often fetching very high prices. The last Shakespeare First Folio of 1623 (first edition of
651-578: The invention of block printing during the early Tang dynasty , with both imperial and private collections blooming throughout the country. However, the systematic study of book collecting began only during the Qing dynasty . Virtual book collecting can be described as collecting books in a digital format (virtually) on a computer or other electronic device. A bibliophile may acquire ebooks by downloading them or copying from borrowed media, such as CDs and DVDs. However, this may violate copyright law, depending on
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#1733093223498682-540: The license under which the ebook was released. Ebooks acquired from Project Gutenberg and many similar free collections cause no violation as they have gone out of copyright, have been released under a Creative Commons license , or else are in the public domain. For more modern accounts, see the series of books on book-collectors, book-collecting and "bibliomania" by Nicholas A. Basbanes : Follow husband and wife team Lawrence & Nancy Goldstone as they search for rare and collectible volumes, and explore real mysteries in
713-484: The love and appreciation of books. Philip the Good brought together a collection of "about six hundred manuscripts in his possession at the height of his reign", which was the largest private collection of his day. With the advent of the printing press invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century, which resulted in cheaper and more abundant books, and with the contemporaneous economic, social and political changes of
744-656: The market following the dissolution of monastic and aristocratic libraries during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars . The British Whig politician George John, 2nd Earl Spencer (1758-1834) collected tens of thousands of volumes. Strengths of his collection included first editions of the classics; works produced by important early presses, and notably an almost complete collection of Aldine editions ; and many Bibles. Sir Thomas Phillipps (1792-1872) collected 40,000 printed books and 60,000 manuscripts. He
775-636: The only extant full set is owned by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History . The history of book collecting in China dates back over two millennia. An important effort to collect books in China was made during the early Han dynasty by the government, as many important books were burned during the Qin dynasty . From then on, book collecting began to flourish in China, particularly after
806-454: The presence of Harvard College , as well as a certain literary and educational milieu in Boston allowing the development of the antiquarian book trade. In the later eighteenth century, the heart of the antiquarian trade shifted to Philadelphia and New York City, growing with an increasingly educated public and independence from Britain. With the movement of people westward bookselling spread, and soon, small cities like Cincinnati become known in
837-526: The present-day ABAA," writes Edwin Glaser (President of ABAA, 1986–88) "that it still comes as a surprise to be reminded that the first American antiquarian book fair did not take place until April of 1960." Encouraged by the success of the first British fair the previous year, the New York fair, held in the un-air-conditioned Steinway Hall on West 57th Street, featured 23 dealers occupying 20 booths. The fair opened with
868-637: The trade in the United States. Other organizations include the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing (SHARP). The Rare Book School at the University of Virginia is the premier institution for those seeking an advanced education in the field. The beginnings of the antiquarian book trade can be traced to British North America, specifically Boston of the Massachusetts Bay Colony . There
899-452: The world's foremost private and institutional collections. In addition to sales and guidance, many members offer appraisals. The association maintains a website featuring educational articles and resources about the rare book trade, as well as a searchable membership database. The website's database of books for sale lists approximately two million fine and rare books for sale by members. The ABAA also publishes an annual membership directory and
930-744: Was "the greatest collector of manuscript material the world has ever known". The increasingly wealthy United States during the 19th century saw the appearance of "titan" book collectors such as the railroad magnate Henry Huntington and the financier and banker J. Pierpont Morgan . The Rothschild Prayerbook sold for $ 13.6 million while the St Cuthbert Gospel sold for $ 14.7 million. Both of these religious texts were sold in 2012. The Northumberland Bestiary sold for $ 20 million in 2007. The New Book of Tang sold for $ 17.1 million in 2018. William Shakespeare ’s First Folio , printed in 1623, sold for $ 9.978 million in 2020. An Action Comics #1 issue sold for
961-474: Was vital for the interests of professional booksellers." An organizational meeting was held in New York City in 1949 to discuss the advisability of forming a national organization, with about 50 dealers in attendance, with Marston Drake (James F. Drake, Inc.) acting as informal chairman. The Antiquarian Bookman (later AB Bookman's Weekly ) reported in its issue of 5 March 1949 that "A great step forward towards