ABAA Fair in Pasadena starts today!

So today is the opening day of the 45th Annual California ABAA book fair.

Here's a link to the website put together by the fair:  45th Annual ABAA Book Fair- Pasadena

I'm watching the day unfold via Facebook * (note - I'm trying to switch my sudden, stream of conscious interjections to footnotes, so check  below when you see a symbol by a word or phrase)  which is a fascinating thing.  Many of the book dealers are regular Facebook people and they've gotten in the habit of uploading short, tantalizing bits of info, along with pictures and videos.  This is really a new phenomenon, one that has morphed into being over the last year or so as more dealers connect on Facebook, and then take the time during lulls in the crowds to chat with each other or update those of us who were not able to be there in person. 

Today I'm thoroughly wishing I could be there as an exhibitor **  This is me being extremely envious + of all my fellow book dealers who have "made it" ^^  to a place that I have wanted to be for many years $$.  I wish my fellow dealers well and will breathlessly await the storytelling to come when I see them next. 

So far this year I've missed out on the San Francisco shadow fair last week because I didn't feel I had enough good material to justify the entry fee for the booth. Of course, fate being what it is, I ended up missing going to the SF fair to schmooze so that I could meet with someone who had a collection of books for consignment. 

I'll be writing up more about this collection as the weeks pass.  Currently, I'm in research mode for the most part -- which is the most exciting part of the job, even when it's frustrating ##.


I will have all the research done, the listings written and everything cleaned up by March 24 for the Sacramento Rare Book fair.  I'm not sure if will put out an "Occasional List" with these items in it, and offer it on the newsgroups first, or if I want to wait with them until the Book fair. That's still in the planning stages now.  Either way, I've got a small group of books that intrigues me more than anything I've worked with in about a year.

Hopefully, my next blog will show some tidbits of this collection, including photos.

Until then, I'm off to Facebook to see what news there is from the Book fair.


Ok - asides below: 

* (I'm not much of a Twitter-er, but I'm sure there are tweets going a mile a minute)

** (or even just as a customer / viewer).

+   (I know ... one of the seven deadly sins) 

^^ (I'm talking to you, Chris!)

$$  (though I admit I'm an inveterate waffler when it comes to taking really big steps like joining the ABAA)

##  (due to NOT FINDING what I want to find - but then again, the not finding is a clue all in itself).