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Observations on Bookselling from the San Francisco Fair - By Michael Stillman Booksellers offer their views on the San Francisco Fair. By Michael Stillman This month, two booksellers have been kind enough to share their written observations from the recent San Francisco Antiquarian Book Fair. One, Susan Halas, of Prints Pacific, Maui, Hawaii, attended as a visitor, the other, Chris Lowenstein, of Book Hunter's Holiday, San Mateo, California, was a vendor. Interestingly, their observations were somewhat the reverse of what I expected. It's hardly news that book fairs are not performing as well as they once did. With the current recession now tacked onto what had been a general decline, many see fairs as an endangered species. However, participant Chris was, for the most part, pleased with the results. Visitor Susan, on the other hand, was disappointed. That a seller would be pleased with a fair's performance today is good news and somewhat surprising. What we weren't expecting to hear was that a visitor was disappointed. Maybe that isn't bad news. If visitors are disappointed, there is room for improvement, and if there is room for improvement, there is room for increased sales. So, if you are a bookseller, you should listen carefully, especially to criticism, as a pat on the back will do you no good. Here we have thoughts from both booksellers, starting with those of Susan, the observer. "I tried to visit every booth. I saw much to admire and covet," comments Susan. "I saw little or nothing to buy. There were however many wonderful people who I finally got to meet in the flesh." To intersperse a little editorial commentary here, there was much to admire and covet, but almost nothing to buy. How is this possible? I'll go out on a limb and say price is a major issue. Booksellers should take notice. Some are adjusting prices to the times, others are waiting for time to readjust prices. That is the individual seller's call, but it's a mistake to send a willing buyer away empty handed. If books are too expensive to collect, there will be no collectors. So, if you don't choose to lower prices on your best material, then bring something along the not-so-wealthy dealer or collector can afford. Few new collectors start at the top end of the price spectrum. Every young, potential new collector who walks out the door thinking that books are too expensive represents a failure for the trade. Now, we return to Susan's own words for some excellent marketing advice from someone who has spent forty years in sales, "from a blanket on the ground at the swap meet to selling commercial properties for millions of dollars." "I hated the lighting. Almost all of the booths with rare exceptions were dark and gloomy. It had the ambience of an aquarium. Most of it had the pizzazz of the very back of your darkest closet." A century ago, the great collectors had their dimly lit libraries, filled with dark colored furniture, bookcases, and bindings. It evoked class. People don't think that way anymore. They like brightness and light. Darkness and gloom is a turn off.
Observations on Bookselling from the San Francisco Fair - By Michael Stillman Chris Lowenstein believes recent publication of her Dante catalogue helped sales. "When the customer comes through the door, say something cordial," Susan continues. “For example, 'Good Morning,' or 'Hello,' or 'May I help you?' or if you are insanely busy, 'Please look around, I'll be right with you.' I could count on the fingers of one hand the vendors who greeted me. Even if the booth was empty and I was the only person present they busied themselves elsewhere, neatening up a pile, chatting with a neighbor, talking on their cell. Customers? Who wants customers?" This is excellent advice, but a word of caution here before you pounce on people like a used car salesman. Some people want to browse first without being accosted. You can tell by their eyes whether they want help or want to be left alone. If the latter, a quick "hello" will suffice. Their eyes will tell you when they are ready to talk. "Where were the bargains, the sleepers?" she asks. “In the whole shebang I saw only one dealer with a shelf or two of books at $10-$20 in lesser condition with a sign that said 'SALE.' Almost everybody who ever taught me about face-to-face sales stressed that sometimes you deliberately stick in a few bargains, a great value, a treasure for less than it's really worth because that's what makes the game exciting and most of the time you want the customer more than you want the book." Some booksellers seem to want the book more than the customer and price accordingly. There's a word for them - "collectors." You need to decide which you are, as the appropriate strategy differs depending on which category applies. Offer something for everyone unless you have deliberately chosen an elitist marketing strategy (which may work when dealing with the ultra wealthy). "I love ephemera. I brought money to buy and I wanted to buy ephemera, but people brought it by the bushel basket and they displayed it in the same way, so that it was IMPOSSIBLE to look at it, or go through it, or set it aside or compare with other things, so that it felt like an overwhelming GLUT of paper. I bought one piece of ephemera from a person who did not greet me, was utterly uninterested in showing me anything else and had to be asked for a business card, a bag and a receipt." Two points here. If customers need to search for something like it is buried treasure, it needs to be priced like buried treasure - cheaply enough to be worth the effort. People aren't going to pay Tiffany prices for something in a yard sale display. The second point is if you are rude, unfriendly or indifferent to a customer, he or she will not want to return. Why would s/he? In fairness to Susan, she had many positive comments about people she met at the fair, but our focus today is on opportunities for improvement. However, we should note that as someone who was considering taking a booth at book fairs in the future, Susan concludes, "After viewing the dynamics, cost, effort, risk - reward ratio, I think it will be a cold day in Hell before I ever entertain that notion again." Next, we will look at Chris Lowenstein's comments as a seller at the fair, and if it did not make her a millionaire overnight, it was still a good show, and in tough times, a good anything is good news.
Observations on Bookselling from the San Francisco Fair - By Michael Stillman Commenting on the fair's performance, Chris writes, "I did pretty well. I made my costs back and made a profit, though it was not the best book show in terms of sales that I ever had." She made several sales to fellow booksellers Friday, had solid sales to "civilians" (non-booksellers) on Saturday, and was saved from a slow Sunday by one large sale to another bookseller. She notes that it is unlikely she would have made any of these sales without the show. Commenting on the economic situation, Chris says, "Given the current state of the economy, especially here in Silicon Valley, where some people who last year had millions now have nothing, I am not surprised that the book fairs have not been good for many. I think it helped my bottom line that I released the catalogue the same week as the book fair." To view this catalogue online, click here. Chris reported four sales in the $500-plus range, several more at $100-$300, and around ten priced $25-$40. She also purchased a dozen books for $700 and expects to be able sell each for three figures Chris also had some positive thoughts about fairs beyond their immediate financial impact worth considering at a time when the book fair is increasingly at risk. "In my opinion, book fairs ought not to be judged solely on sales. Yes, one must sell enough books most of the time to at least cover one's costs. But book fairs are also about finding other good books I wouldn't have otherwise found and forging connections with other booksellers I wouldn't have met by working alone in my dining room. “Is every fair a success financially? Not always, but I take a long term view - that the new acquisitions sold later and the deals done later with sellers I've gotten to know at fairs usually help offset the costs. That said, I have made a profit on eight of ten fairs over the past three years. I might feel differently if I lost money consistently." Finally, "Would I do this fair again? Absolutely! I love book fairs." There we have it, an interesting juxtaposition: The seller, who we expected to be unhappy, was pleased with her results. The visitor, who we thought would find much to like, was disappointed. This is not so bad. The factors which would hurt the vendor - inadequate foot traffic, "buyers" with no money - are hard to rectify. Those issues which bothered the visitor, on the other hand, are problems which can be corrected. Sameness, confusion, poor service are all curable conditions. Perhaps more of these fairs can be improved if they are made more relevant and more consumer friendly to today's customers, rather than repeating time-worn formulas as old as the books themselves.

Observations on Bookselling from the San Francisco Fair

- By Michael Stillman

Booksellers offer their views on the San Francisco Fair.

By Michael Stillman

This month, two booksellers have been kind enough to share their written observations from the recent San Francisco Antiquarian Book Fair. One, Susan Halas, of Prints Pacific, Maui, Hawaii, attended as a visitor, the other, Chris Lowenstein, of Book Hunter's Holiday, San Mateo, California, was a vendor. Interestingly, their observations were somewhat the reverse of what I expected.

It's hardly news that book fairs are not performing as well as they once did. With the current recession now tacked onto what had been a general decline, many see fairs as an endangered species. However, participant Chris was, for the most part, pleased with the results. Visitor Susan, on the other hand, was disappointed.

That a seller would be pleased with a fair's performance today is good news and somewhat surprising. What we weren't expecting to hear was that a visitor was disappointed. Maybe that isn't bad news. If visitors are disappointed, there is room for improvement, and if there is room for improvement, there is room for increased sales. So, if you are a bookseller, you should listen carefully, especially to criticism, as a pat on the back will do you no good. Here we have thoughts from both booksellers, starting with those of Susan, the observer.

"I tried to visit every booth. I saw much to admire and covet," comments Susan. "I saw little or nothing to buy. There were however many wonderful people who I finally got to meet in the flesh."

To intersperse a little editorial commentary here, there was much to admire and covet, but almost nothing to buy. How is this possible? I'll go out on a limb and say price is a major issue. Booksellers should take notice. Some are adjusting prices to the times, others are waiting for time to readjust prices. That is the individual seller's call, but it's a mistake to send a willing buyer away empty handed.

If books are too expensive to collect, there will be no collectors. So, if you don't choose to lower prices on your best material, then bring something along the not-so-wealthy dealer or collector can afford. Few new collectors start at the top end of the price spectrum. Every young, potential new collector who walks out the door thinking that books are too expensive represents a failure for the trade.

Now, we return to Susan's own words for some excellent marketing advice from someone who has spent forty years in sales, "from a blanket on the ground at the swap meet to selling commercial properties for millions of dollars."

"I hated the lighting. Almost all of the booths with rare exceptions were dark and gloomy. It had the ambience of an aquarium. Most of it had the pizzazz of the very back of your darkest closet."

A century ago, the great collectors had their dimly lit libraries, filled with dark colored furniture, bookcases, and bindings. It evoked class. People don't think that way anymore. They like brightness and light. Darkness and gloom is a turn off.

Observations on Bookselling from the San Francisco Fair

- By Michael Stillman

Chris Lowenstein believes recent publication of her Dante catalogue helped sales.

"When the customer comes through the door, say something cordial," Susan continues. “For example, 'Good Morning,' or 'Hello,' or 'May I help you?' or if you are insanely busy, 'Please look around, I'll be right with you.' I could count on the fingers of one hand the vendors who greeted me. Even if the booth was empty and I was the only person present they busied themselves elsewhere, neatening up a pile, chatting with a neighbor, talking on their cell. Customers? Who wants customers?"

This is excellent advice, but a word of caution here before you pounce on people like a used car salesman. Some people want to browse first without being accosted. You can tell by their eyes whether they want help or want to be left alone. If the latter, a quick "hello" will suffice. Their eyes will tell you when they are ready to talk.

"Where were the bargains, the sleepers?" she asks. “In the whole shebang I saw only one dealer with a shelf or two of books at $10-$20 in lesser condition with a sign that said 'SALE.' Almost everybody who ever taught me about face-to-face sales stressed that sometimes you deliberately stick in a few bargains, a great value, a treasure for less than it's really worth because that's what makes the game exciting and most of the time you want the customer more than you want the book."

Some booksellers seem to want the book more than the customer and price accordingly. There's a word for them - "collectors." You need to decide which you are, as the appropriate strategy differs depending on which category applies. Offer something for everyone unless you have deliberately chosen an elitist marketing strategy (which may work when dealing with the ultra wealthy).

"I love ephemera. I brought money to buy and I wanted to buy ephemera, but people brought it by the bushel basket and they displayed it in the same way, so that it was IMPOSSIBLE to look at it, or go through it, or set it aside or compare with other things, so that it felt like an overwhelming GLUT of paper. I bought one piece of ephemera from a person who did not greet me, was utterly uninterested in showing me anything else and had to be asked for a business card, a bag and a receipt."

Two points here. If customers need to search for something like it is buried treasure, it needs to be priced like buried treasure - cheaply enough to be worth the effort. People aren't going to pay Tiffany prices for something in a yard sale display. The second point is if you are rude, unfriendly or indifferent to a customer, he or she will not want to return. Why would s/he?

In fairness to Susan, she had many positive comments about people she met at the fair, but our focus today is on opportunities for improvement. However, we should note that as someone who was considering taking a booth at book fairs in the future, Susan concludes, "After viewing the dynamics, cost, effort, risk - reward ratio, I think it will be a cold day in Hell before I ever entertain that notion again."

Next, we will look at Chris Lowenstein's comments as a seller at the fair, and if it did not make her a millionaire overnight, it was still a good show, and in tough times, a good anything is good news.

Observations on Bookselling from the San Francisco Fair

- By Michael Stillman

Commenting on the fair's performance, Chris writes, "I did pretty well. I made my costs back and made a profit, though it was not the best book show in terms of sales that I ever had." She made several sales to fellow booksellers Friday, had solid sales to "civilians" (non-booksellers) on Saturday, and was saved from a slow Sunday by one large sale to another bookseller. She notes that it is unlikely she would have made any of these sales without the show.

Commenting on the economic situation, Chris says, "Given the current state of the economy, especially here in Silicon Valley, where some people who last year had millions now have nothing, I am not surprised that the book fairs have not been good for many. I think it helped my bottom line that I released the catalogue the same week as the book fair."

To view this catalogue online, click here.

Chris reported four sales in the $500-plus range, several more at $100-$300, and around ten priced $25-$40. She also purchased a dozen books for $700 and expects to be able sell each for three figures

Chris also had some positive thoughts about fairs beyond their immediate financial impact worth considering at a time when the book fair is increasingly at risk. "In my opinion, book fairs ought not to be judged solely on sales. Yes, one must sell enough books most of the time to at least cover one's costs. But book fairs are also about finding other good books I wouldn't have otherwise found and forging connections with other booksellers I wouldn't have met by working alone in my dining room.

“Is every fair a success financially? Not always, but I take a long term view - that the new acquisitions sold later and the deals done later with sellers I've gotten to know at fairs usually help offset the costs. That said, I have made a profit on eight of ten fairs over the past three years. I might feel differently if I lost money consistently."

Finally, "Would I do this fair again? Absolutely! I love book fairs."

There we have it, an interesting juxtaposition: The seller, who we expected to be unhappy, was pleased with her results. The visitor, who we thought would find much to like, was disappointed. This is not so bad. The factors which would hurt the vendor - inadequate foot traffic, "buyers" with no money - are hard to rectify.

Those issues which bothered the visitor, on the other hand, are problems which can be corrected. Sameness, confusion, poor service are all curable conditions. Perhaps more of these fairs can be improved if they are made more relevant and more consumer friendly to today's customers, rather than repeating time-worn formulas as old as the books themselves.