Pasadena 2026

Because this year’s ABAA show had moved up from its traditional Super Bowl weekend slot, the splendid Pasadena Convention Center was unavailable for the “Shadow” show that usually precedes it. (Something called Groom Expo West was taking place there instead.) If there was to be a Shadow show at all, a new venue needed to be found. The Johnson family and their Rare Books LA promotional team claimed to have found one… then two. They did such a good job selling dealers on the first location that a second venue was required for exhibitors who were late reserving a booth.

I showed up for work on Saturday morning 20 minutes before the grand opening of this year’s Shadow show, AKA the Pasadena Antiquarian Book Fair and walked past the crowd waiting to get into the Raymond Theater location. The line stretched around the block. Very impressive!

I then proceeded to the Courtyard Marriott. The walk was encouraging. Book Fair signage everywhere.

Pedicabs at the ready to shuttle all those book buyers over to

the Courtyard Marriott, where the overflow dealers were garrisoned, myself included. I entered with a light heart and this was what met my eye…

“Oh,” I thought. “We’re in for an interesting morning!”

I was in the biggest conference room of five spaces set aside for booksellers in the Courtyard. The room was wall to wall with tables. No counter cases or show cases. Just tables. “Oh, Gawd. A freakin’ flea market. Now, where did I put my gummies?”

I should have known better than to doubt the redoubtable Rare Books LA gang.

Within an hour the overflow rooms were overflowing with Raymond Theater overflow, and the flow continued more or less all day. Here’s what the crowd looked like from my booth at 3:30 Saturday afternoon. Usually, by this time the aisles would be suitable for conference-room shuffleboard. Today, however…

And the same on Sunday.

I hope the resolution is high enough that you can see the generous age group spread. Everything from baby carriages to geezers in wheelchairs, with plenty of interested and intelligent young people in between, many of whom appeared to be able to read. And man, were they buying! Young Francsico, proprietor of “Leaves,” a newish outfit from Brooklyn, NY, had a booth full of modern lit in good condition at reasonable prices. He was doing an excellent impersonation of The Hardest Working Man. I’ll bet the kid sold 100 books. Hell, it was such a good crowd I even sold a book. To a civilian, no less. Well, actually, it was a sweet little schoolgirl map I’d scouted up during setup. One hundred fifty smackeroonies! Thank you, Johnson family, and thank you, Rare Books LA.

As inconvenient as the multi-conference room scheme might have been, these promoters made it work. And as logistically complex as setup in multiple venues proved to be, it went off with hardly a hitch. We can sneer at Courtyard flea market book shows – I certainly did – but in this age of escalating real estate prices, the Courtyard option might be how book fairs happen in the future.

Now, on to San Francisco…