In 1947, booksellers from five countries—Denmark, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Sweden—gathered in Amsterdam “with the aim of creating new hope for international peace through open markets, promoting friendship and understanding, and countering the hostility and suspicion caused by World War II.” A year later, at a second meeting in Copenhagen, the International League of Rare Booksellers (ILAB) was officially established.
Then, in 1949, a group of 50 American booksellers met and agreed to form their own antique book association. From this, the American Association of Antique Booksellers (ABAA) was born, and the first antique book fair in America took place a few years later in April 1960.
To date, this book fair has been held annually and continues to attract visitors. This year, visitors still lined up in long queues, moving through the booths of 174 exhibitors from around the world, admiring rare books, manuscripts, maps, and artifacts spanning centuries.
The total number of attendees reached 15,400 over four days, with 2,400 on opening night alone. Visitor numbers have increased by 62% from 2022 to 2026.
The allure of rare books
Globally, reports indicate that the market for rare books is worth over $7 billion , with an expected growth rate of over 6% per year.
This growth is largely due to the contributions of young people, especially those under 35. Both buyers and sellers point to the same reason: maturity in the digital age has fueled a desire to own items connected to the past. There is something special about touching history with your own hands.
Books are not just containers of information; they possess power of their own. Holding a 1482 map that guided Columbus's voyage, a pair of ballet shoes signed by the brilliant Soviet dancer and choreographer Rudolf Nureyev, or a small booklet from the radical Dada movement of World War I evokes a closeness to history that cannot be recreated digitally.
Ben Houston, a representative of the antique bookstore Peter Harrington Rare Books, describes collecting rare books as "the closest thing we can do to time travel."
Today, collectors are also diversifying their collecting trends, combining books with artwork, archival documents, paper materials, and other items. Previously, paper materials such as airline tickets, postcards, leaflets, etc., were not valued. But today, their role has been recognized and they are considered important in understanding the social and political history of the time.
Daylon Orr, founder of Fugitive Materials, a collection agency specializing in LGBTQ+ history, feminism, and social activism, says the rare book industry is increasingly focusing on historical value. Fugitive Materials regularly provides materials to universities and museums, helping to preserve history and potentially serving as a research resource for future scholars.
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International Antique Book Fair in New York. Photo: nyantiquarianbookfair. |
Bringing rare books to the general public.
The rare book business, traditionally dominated by men, has made notable efforts to diversify its clientele, particularly in recent decades.
For example, one of the New York Antique Book Fair's female ambassadors is Meredith Graves, former lead singer of the punk band Perfect Pussy. Graves not only studies and practices occult traditions but has also spent years collecting books on magic, folklore, and sorcery.
She also collects textile manuals, sewing patterns, and knitting instructions from around the world. She explains, “I collect things I can use. My books have to be alive. They’re used… They’re living things.”
Rare books are not only becoming ingrained in everyday life but are also widely disseminated thanks to the Internet, where people can easily search for and research materials about rare books.
Meanwhile, social media introduces younger audiences to books, archives, and objects they might never have known about.
For example, Jesse Paris Smith, daughter of musician Patti Smith and also a talented musician herself, was the first ambassador of the American antique book society. Her collection is diverse: works by poets and writers, maritime history, Michigan state history, and especially documents related to her mother.
She explained, "The most important thing to remember is that these works don't belong to you. They are meant to be preserved. You have a responsibility to them, to take care of them, just like so many people before you and hopefully those after you."
Source: https://znews.vn/thi-truong-7-ty-usd-cua-sach-hiem-post1660365.html
