{"id":3184,"date":"2018-02-15T09:36:56","date_gmt":"2018-02-15T17:36:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.tavbooks.com\/?p=3184"},"modified":"2018-02-15T10:27:58","modified_gmt":"2018-02-15T18:27:58","slug":"a-congress-a-book-fair-a-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.tavbooks.com\/?p=3184","title":{"rendered":"A Congress. A Book Fair. A Blog."},"content":{"rendered":"

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$400,000.00\u00a0 <\/span>Could I sell my first born male child to fund this purchase?\u00a0 <\/span>OMG, I so want[ed] this book.\u00a0 <\/span>But I leap ahead, for that yearning comes later in the week\u2026\u00a0 <\/span>the week, actually 11 days, started with a road trip.\u00a0 <\/span>A Vanilla road trip, but nevertheless, a road trip.\u00a0 <\/span>Saturday morning, the 3rd of February, Peaches dropped me off at my colleague\u2019s shop in Walnut Creek, Swan\u2019s Fine Books.\u00a0 <\/span>Luggage was transferred.\u00a0 <\/span>WC calls were made, and Laurelle & I headed south.\u00a0 <\/span>Pasadena bound.\u00a0 <\/span>Yes, we both were attending the 2018 ILAB Congress, being held in lovely Pasadena California.\u00a0 <\/span>The drive was pleasant, conversation exchanged, and other than 2 idiot drivers doing their best to side-swipe us [Laurelle alertly avoided both.\u00a0 <\/span>Thank you God], uneventful.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Congress started with a tour of Old Town Pasadena at 2 pm Sunday.\u00a0 <\/span>I arrived in the lobby promptly at 1:58.\u00a0 <\/span>2:00 pm, no guide.\u00a0 <\/span>2:03 pm, no guide.\u00a0 <\/span>2:10 pm, Brad Johnson explaining the guide had been confirmed, and the committee\u2019s check cashed, but still no guide.\u00a0 <\/span>2:20 pm, no guide.\u00a0 <\/span>2:30 pm, I moseyed on over to the bar, where I found Laurelle, and we had a glass of Chardonnay.\u00a0 <\/span>And a second glass, to down the crab cakes.\u00a0 <\/span>A 3rd glass was contra-indicated.\u00a0 <\/span>The guide never showed.\u00a0 <\/span>I felt for Brad [and Jen, the Congress organizers]… was this a harbinger of the 3 days ahead?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"IMG_3944\"No.\u00a0 <\/span>IT WAS WONDERFUL!\u00a0 <\/span>We went to the Clark.\u00a0 <\/span>We went to the Huntington.\u00a0 <\/span>We went to the Getty.\u00a0 <\/span>We went to the Herrick.\u00a0 <\/span>AND we went to the Petersen Car Museum!!\u00a0 <\/span>Can you say awesome!\u00a0 <\/span>OMG, the cars!\u00a0 <\/span>And there was a Porsche exhibit on!\u00a0 <\/span>Did I tell you I have an \u201982 911SC [the \u201cP Car\u201d] and a \u201994 964 Carrera 2 convertible [\u201cMiz White\u201d].\u00a0 <\/span>In other words, I was in 7th heaven! \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I could write this entire blog on that museum tour, but I\u2019ll just say the coolest car seen, in my not so humble opinion [IMNSHO], was Steve McQueen\u2019s Jaguar XJSS.\u00a0 <\/span>I swooned.<\/span><\/p>\n

This visit was Wednesday am, and to be honest, I was sorely tempted to join the Congress afternoon group, so I could revisit the Petersen and see those cars I missed\u2026 but no, I stuck with my morning group, and was glad I did, for we went to the Herrick.\u00a0 <\/span>Howard Prouty, ABAA member, is also \u2018the guy\u2019, at this Academy Library.\u00a0 <\/span>Many treasures there, and I was glad to see them [fwiw, they house Peaches’ father-in-law\u2019s papers, that being Irving Brecher, who wrote the screenplay for Meet Me in St Louis.\u00a0 <\/span>Those weren\u2019t on display.\u00a0 <\/span>I survived the disappointment].<\/span><\/p>\n

\"IMG_3961\"Wednesday night.\u00a0 <\/span>Gawd, I had to put on a suit.\u00a0 <\/span>It was the Congress \u201cGala Dinner\u201d.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s California\u2026 couldn\u2019t I go in shorts & flops?\u00a0 <\/span>Evidently not.\u00a0 <\/span>Ok, B-Squared it was.\u00a0 <\/span>Peaches said I clean up pretty well, your call if she\u2019s right.\u00a0 <\/span>And really, it was a nice evening.\u00a0 <\/span>A palatable meal, lovely dinner companions, engaging conversation and dancing!\u00a0 <\/span>Whoohoo, been a while, let me tell you!\u00a0 <\/span>However, I did not go to the Presidential suite after\u2026\u00a0 <\/span>getting a bit too advanced in my years to stay up till 3 am, as some of our younger members did. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Thursday dawned, Congress over, the 51st ABAA California Antiquarian Book Fair about to begin.\u00a0 <\/span>Book fairs are funny animals.\u00a0 <\/span>They can cheer you, they can humble you, they can confound you, they can elate you.\u00a0 <\/span>This one was no different.\u00a0 <\/span>It was the first for my assistant Cassie.\u00a0 <\/span>She has a nice eye\u2026 her responsibility was booth set-up, and a great job she did.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Did I say we had adjoining booths with Swan\u2019s Fine Books & Churchill Book Collector?\u00a0 <\/span>We did.\u00a0 <\/span>30 feet of dazzling material.\u00a0 <\/span>And how\u2019d we do you ask?\u00a0 <\/span>Well, we sold some, and we bought some.\u00a0 <\/span>Like I told folks at the fair who inquired, \u201cI didn\u2019t crash ‘n burn, but I didn\u2019t soar with the eagles either.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\"IMG_3984\"Before I leave Pasadena, I should mention poker.\u00a0 <\/span>Anybody out there play? \u00a0 <\/span>James Bryant does, and he\u2019s the new ABAA champion at Texas Hold’em.\u00a0 <\/span>In case you weren\u2019t aware, the ABAA hosts a benefit poker tournament during the CA Book Fair.\u00a0 <\/span>Proceeds help fund the ABAA\u2019s Elisabeth Woodburn Education Fund, which sends young[ish] booksellers to CABS, RBS, CALRBS, etc\u2026. I\u2019ve been told over $6000 was raised that evening.\u00a0 <\/span>While I was happy to contribute my $$ to a worthy cause, I confess, I didn\u2019t make it past the second table.\u00a0 <\/span>lol<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s now Thursday, Februay 15th.\u00a0 <\/span>Cassie & I are back in Alameda, those books not sold are reshelved, and we\u2019re getting back into the daily routine.\u00a0 <\/span>Put another one in the books.\u00a0 <\/span>Next year, Oakland.\u00a0 <\/span>2020, the ILAB Congress is in Amsterdam.\u00a0 <\/span>Count ME in!<\/span><\/p>\n

And oh, what was that $400,000 book\u2026?\u00a0 <\/span>Shakespeare\u2019s Second Folio.\u00a0 <\/span>Original, unsophisticated, in a period binding, with an enviable provenance.\u00a0 <\/span>In the booth across from mine.\u00a0 <\/span>Christopher, I\u2019ll be calling if I win the lottery.<\/span><\/p>\n

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