Four years ago, when I signed up for the Pasadena Book Fair, my regular booth mate decided to take a year off. So, rather than buddy up with another old chum, I decided to let the organizers pick a booth mate for me. I figured it would be a good way to meet new colleagues, […] More >>
Archives for March 2020
Metrics
The envelope, please! Okay, the numbers are in and, though the sample size is limited, the story they tell is pretty much what you’d expect. On February 24th I issued a 70-item list. That list sold 45 items, or 64% of those on offer. Private customers accounted for 27 orders; institutions for 8; dealers for […] More >>
Good Odds
Like everyone else everywhere else, Ten Pound Island Book Co. is gonna take a viral hit. Can’t say right now what this will translate to in terms of dollars, but the cancellation of public gatherings will definitely have an impact. Uncataloged books, stashed down in the catacombs Over the years, as the trade has evolved […] More >>
Professional Advice
My comfy booth It’s late Saturday morning and I’m sitting in booth #503 at Marvin Getman’s 6th annual New York City Book and Ephemera Fair. The dealer next to me in #504 cancelled at the last minute, so I’ve got room to stretch out. I’m waiting for Anne Marie to come in so I […] More >>
They Brought Him Home in a Barrel of Grog
Six years ago, at the Pasadena Book Fair, I met an affable old geezer with a big silver belt buckle and a string tie. The old fellow had looked in the book fair directory, saw that I specialized in maritime manuscripts, and came over to my booth. His wife had recently died, he told me, […] More >>