The results of Richard Joseph’s bookfair questionnaire will make for interesting reading. The good news is that there seems to be a slight increase in the amount of fairs around the country. When they started in the seventies bookfairs were mocked as the poor cousins of the shops; they may well turn out to be the rich uncles, saving the trade from ruin. Dealers meeting to offer their stock in one central location makes perfect sense. I went behind the scenes at my local fair to find out more.
Dealers come from as far as the Cotswolds to take part in the lively Lewes bookfair. Now in its twentieth year, organiser John Beck works hard to keep it vibrant and busy. When I arrive two hours before opening time the tables are already out – each dealer gets a 12 foot pitch – and a few early birds are busy spreading out the baize cloth and grappling with collapsible shelves.
The set up: getting ready leaves little time for examining other dealer's stock.
Alan Gibbard is a book fair regular and exhibits all over the country. How does he rate the Lewes Fair? ‘I think it works very well. For a one day provincial fair it’s as good as any you’ll find. I bring plenty of local material – books on Sussex and so on – and it always goes well.’
Opposite Alan is Andy Weeks, of booksonlinebrighton. As his trade name suggests he sells on the internet but still depends upon fairs for a lot of business. “We’ve established quite a few contacts at Lewes. We’ve brought along three or four books for one customer today, an avid fisherman, and some for another one who collects Percy Westerman. We’ve been doing Lewes for about seven years now and it’s one of our more successful locations.” It has also inspired him to set up a bookfair in Hassocks, just north of Brighton.
Another dealer with interesting stock is Chris Clemas. He shows me a lovely copy of The Book of Bond, apparently by ‘Bill Tanner’ but actually written by Kingsley Amis. With a very fine reversible dust jacket this is a real bargain at £55. How did he price it? “ Abe, eBay, old catalogues and personal experience. There aren’t many nice copies around at the moment so I made mine the cheapest and hopefully that will do it. I price things cheaply at the fairs because if people have made the effort to come along they deserve to find something and also because you’ve only got the one day to sell it.” True to his word there are several rows of half price books and he adds, “If you bring the right books at the right prices they’re bound to sell.”
These are wise words. Dealers typically have about six hours to sell their wares and that doesn’t allow much time for customers to mull things over. Every book has its price and at fairs it needs to be lower than elsewhere. As Chris concludes, ‘At the end of the day I want some empty boxes, some happy customers and some money.’ His wish came true – the Bond book went to a top London dealer an hour after the doors opened.
Rita Zimnol always shows good books in very nice condition.
Across the aisle Rita Zimnol is putting the finishing touches to her impressive display of art books. She specialises in the ascetic and has come from Twickenham to do the fair. “I do the big ones at Bloomsbury every month and this one compares very well. I just don’t believe the net is adequate for buyers or sellers – you can only find what you know exists. There’s the joy and serendipity in finding something you love but never knew about at a book fair. Once you get people into them they realise how interesting and exciting they are.”
This is a good point. All collectors began to collect because they saw, held, read and admired old books. If fairs die out along with the shops it’s hard to see where new bibliophiles will come from. Book fairs need to be supported like never before which is why I’m very pleased to meet Tony Mulholland. He runs the popular fair along the coast in Rye and has also started a PBFA fair in Folkestone. Not surprisingly, he doesn’t share the view that fairs are in a terminal decline. “People love to come and haggle over books. They can talk to the dealers who also learn a lot by talking to collectors and you can read the market in that way and adapt what you bring. It’s the personal element.”
Books plus: Tony Mulholland, seen here giving some disney items a go on his stall.
Bookfairs need our support more than ever and to make this happen it is crucial to get the new breed of internet dealers to participate. They should make every effort to display at their local fair in order to meet customers, build up contacts, learn more about pricing and sell some stock. Convincing these hundreds – thousands, perhaps – of part-time hidden dealers to get out of the spare room and into the church hall will be key to the continuing success of the trade. The lively social scene with gossip from the book world is an essential part of becoming a seasoned dealer. Who’s just bought a van load of new stock? What shops are worth going to? What online listing sites are a waste of money? You’ll learn more in a day on the trade side of the table than a year on the public side so if you do trade only online talk to your local fair organiser about booking a table at the next event. It could be the best thing you ever did and you’ll be helping keep the hobby alive for the next generation of book collectors.
The next Lewes bookfair is on Saturday 9th October, 10am-4pm, at the Town Hall. Tel 01273 477555.
The Folkestone Book and Ephemera Fair is at The Grand Hotel on Saturday 23rd October, 11am – 5pm. Tel 01763 248400.
The Mid-Sussex Bookfair is at The Adastra Hall, Hassocks on Sunday December 5th, 10.30am – 3.30pm. Tel 01273 233274.