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The ABAA: What Works - Data, Knowledge, Charm & New Blood - By Susan Halas ABAA President Stuart Bennett. By Susan Netzorg Halas All other things being equal, it takes data, knowledge, and charm, not necessarily in that order, to make it in the ABAA. It also doesn't hurt to have deep pockets. The Data Model A good example of the data model is Joachim Koch of Books Tell You Why based in South Carolina. Koch is a German trained engineer who had an extensive corporate tech career before joining the ranks of book dealers. While Koch stresses that his is a family business, a team effort, he also stresses that there is no substitute for numbers. Even a brief conversation makes it clear that his style of bookselling is organized, systemized and the company makes decisions based on an impressive array of factual information. Want to talk click-through ratios and pay-for-placement? Interested in what's hot and what's not? Want all the data all the time? This is your guy. Koch knows his customers: He knows who bought, what they bought. He knows how they found him, what they spent, if they buy frequently or occasionally. Having a plentiful amount of information is only the first step. He's willing to pay for the tools and techniques he thinks will drive traffic to his site and he wants those numbers to be BIG. Books Tell You Why Had a good year in 2009 and they're expecting a better 2010. Though not for publication it's all sliced, diced, analyzed and driven by data; books are only the top layer. www.bookstellyouwhy.com The Knowledge Guy Another way to get ahead in high-end bookselling is to know more, a lot more, than other people and have a sterling reputation. It is helpful to have an opinion that collectors and libraries can take to the bank or feds as needed and to have the credentials to back up the reputation. Vic Zoschak of Tavistock Books in Alameda www.tavbooks.com fits that profile. This is a go-to guy when you want to get serious and take it to the next level. Zoschak has an MBA in Finance from NYU. After a career in the Coast Guard he segued from a highly respected Dickens collector to an equally respected ABAA book dealer. It is his knowledge and willingness to share his knowledge that sets him apart from his contemporaries. He is always helpful, well informed. Though all the ABAA dealers who spoke with AE knew their stuff, Zoschak seemed to truly understand that God is in the details. He is qualified for and frequently does appraisals for IRS purposes. He asks and gets hefty fees for these services. For a more modest sum you send the book to him and get back his thoughts on its value. Zoschak is a supporter of the University of Virginia Book School where students, some of whom are would-be ABAA members, can learn the bibliographic niceties and are introduced to the work of special collections. He's serious about the importance of bringing along the next generation of dealers and he also stresses the importance encouraging college students to take a serious interest in collecting. Zoschak is widely appreciated as a person who is willing to mentor younger dealers who want to join the ABAA. Several who spoke with AE credit him with at least part of their success in the trade.
The ABAA: What Works - Data, Knowledge, Charm & New Blood - By Susan Halas Charm Still Works "It's as easy to sell a $10,000 book as a $1,000 book," claims Ian Kahn of Lux Mentis in Maine. That's his mantra and he makes it sound easy. His enthusiasm for booksellers, collectors, libraries, and keeping the whole circus in motion is contagious. What's not to like about a man who starts off by saying his wife's much smarter than he is? Kahn, formerly an attorney, went on to buy and flip companies, and then moved into the antiquarian trade using his own collection as a base. He's quickly made a name for his firm and is apparently having the time of his life. The company set its sights on the high end, reports high six figure sales and solid growth in year-over-year revenues. Like many others he emphasized the development of the client, the need to find and cultivate and nicely bring along people with the resources and taste to become serious about books. He also stressed the need to mold, shape, refine and where necessary sell some or all of their collections. Where Kahn has the edge is he makes you WANT to do it. It sounds effortless, it sounds like fun. He and his wife see customers in Maine on by-appointment basis and they are high profile on the web. Besides the gift of gab and a travel schedule that would fell an ox, he has all the latest techie bells and whistles: a website, Twitter, Facebook and whatever else is coming next. He was one of the few who could point to specifics: collections, clients, contacts and sales that have come to him specifically because he uses Twitter or posts frequently on social media. His website displays an interesting and diverse inventory but surprisingly few pictures. www.luxmentis.com New Blood Data, knowledge and charm are all essential attributes for ABAA success, but the organization knows it needs new blood to survive. Brian Cassidy, formerly of Monterey, California who recently moved to a Maryland suburb of Washington, DC is a good example of what's coming next. Cassidy not only survived the cross country trek, but reports his business seems to be thriving. In his 30s, he was by far the youngest ABAA dealer to speak with AE. Cassidy characterizes his career as "the graduate school model." He was always working in book stores and eventually ended up as a bookseller. He joined ABAA not long ago after attending the Colorado Book Seminar. Though he can no longer afford to have a shop as he did in Monterey (because "commercial rents in the DC area are a killer") his future in the trade looks bright. He has good stock, nice manners, and specializes in interesting subjects such as popular culture; The Beats; poetry; the avant-garde; small journals and magazines (especially those associated with the Mimeo Revolution); as well as vernacular, folk, and outsider books. www.tomfolio.com/mall/BrianCassidy Space does not allow us to mention all the upcoming candidates for membership in this prestigious organization, but if a quick review of the list of dealers who have attended the Colorado and Virginia courses is any indication, there's a new crop on the way to ABAA.
The ABAA: What Works - Data, Knowledge, Charm & New Blood - By Susan Halas ABAA President Stuart Bennett. The ABAA The most persistent myth that haunts the ABAA is that it's elitist and snooty. Well not quite. If by elitist you mean it's been around for more than 60 years and has a distinguished membership of fewer than 500 book dealers -- that's true. However, anyone who has been in the trade for four years and supplies the necessary references can apply. The application procedure is reasonable and should not deter a serious candidate from applying to join the top tier. "This is not your father's leather lined library," says Stuart Bennett, organization President. Bennett, based in Mill Valley, California, has been a dealer since 1980. "We're a lot more populist than you might think. Diversity is our greatest strength. We include a wide range. Our members specialize in books and manuscripts, but also postcards, photography and ephemera." The organization accepts from ten to fifteen new members a year according to Sarah Baldwin of E. Wharton & Co. in Virginia (Think Edith Wharton, and other women writers as well as the days of the Suffragette movement). She is the present membership chair and also ABAA President Elect. Baldwin assumes the helm for the next two years in April of this year. Both Bennett and Baldwin stress the ABAA has adapted to the internet age. They know modern dealers are often exclusively or largely on-line and may not know each other as well as in the past. "The ABAA is there to assist applicants. We do try to make the match and help with mentors… our role is to make sure members have the necessary level of expertise including ability to accurately describe and price their wares," Baldwin said. For more information about the ABAA, you may visit their site at http://www.abaa.org/. The ABAA offers a benevolent fund, which assists those who have fallen on hard times. It is not necessary to be an ABAA member to apply for aid. http://hq.abaa.org/books/antiquarian/abaapages/benevolent-fund.html

The ABAA: What Works - Data, Knowledge, Charm & New Blood

- By Susan Halas

ABAA President Stuart Bennett.

By Susan Netzorg Halas

All other things being equal, it takes data, knowledge, and charm, not necessarily in that order, to make it in the ABAA. It also doesn't hurt to have deep pockets.

The Data Model

A good example of the data model is Joachim Koch of Books Tell You Why based in South Carolina. Koch is a German trained engineer who had an extensive corporate tech career before joining the ranks of book dealers. While Koch stresses that his is a family business, a team effort, he also stresses that there is no substitute for numbers.

Even a brief conversation makes it clear that his style of bookselling is organized, systemized and the company makes decisions based on an impressive array of factual information. Want to talk click-through ratios and pay-for-placement? Interested in what's hot and what's not? Want all the data all the time? This is your guy.

Koch knows his customers: He knows who bought, what they bought. He knows how they found him, what they spent, if they buy frequently or occasionally. Having a plentiful amount of information is only the first step. He's willing to pay for the tools and techniques he thinks will drive traffic to his site and he wants those numbers to be BIG.

Books Tell You Why Had a good year in 2009 and they're expecting a better 2010. Though not for publication it's all sliced, diced, analyzed and driven by data; books are only the top layer. www.bookstellyouwhy.com

The Knowledge Guy

Another way to get ahead in high-end bookselling is to know more, a lot more, than other people and have a sterling reputation. It is helpful to have an opinion that collectors and libraries can take to the bank or feds as needed and to have the credentials to back up the reputation.

Vic Zoschak of Tavistock Books in Alameda www.tavbooks.com fits that profile. This is a go-to guy when you want to get serious and take it to the next level.

Zoschak has an MBA in Finance from NYU. After a career in the Coast Guard he segued from a highly respected Dickens collector to an equally respected ABAA book dealer. It is his knowledge and willingness to share his knowledge that sets him apart from his contemporaries.

He is always helpful, well informed. Though all the ABAA dealers who spoke with AE knew their stuff, Zoschak seemed to truly understand that God is in the details. He is qualified for and frequently does appraisals for IRS purposes. He asks and gets hefty fees for these services. For a more modest sum you send the book to him and get back his thoughts on its value.

Zoschak is a supporter of the University of Virginia Book School where students, some of whom are would-be ABAA members, can learn the bibliographic niceties and are introduced to the work of special collections.

He's serious about the importance of bringing along the next generation of dealers and he also stresses the importance encouraging college students to take a serious interest in collecting.

Zoschak is widely appreciated as a person who is willing to mentor younger dealers who want to join the ABAA. Several who spoke with AE credit him with at least part of their success in the trade.

The ABAA: What Works - Data, Knowledge, Charm & New Blood

- By Susan Halas

Charm Still Works

"It's as easy to sell a $10,000 book as a $1,000 book," claims Ian Kahn of Lux Mentis in Maine. That's his mantra and he makes it sound easy. His enthusiasm for booksellers, collectors, libraries, and keeping the whole circus in motion is contagious.

What's not to like about a man who starts off by saying his wife's much smarter than he is? Kahn, formerly an attorney, went on to buy and flip companies, and then moved into the antiquarian trade using his own collection as a base. He's quickly made a name for his firm and is apparently having the time of his life.

The company set its sights on the high end, reports high six figure sales and solid growth in year-over-year revenues. Like many others he emphasized the development of the client, the need to find and cultivate and nicely bring along people with the resources and taste to become serious about books. He also stressed the need to mold, shape, refine and where necessary sell some or all of their collections.

Where Kahn has the edge is he makes you WANT to do it. It sounds effortless, it sounds like fun.

He and his wife see customers in Maine on by-appointment basis and they are high profile on the web. Besides the gift of gab and a travel schedule that would fell an ox, he has all the latest techie bells and whistles: a website, Twitter, Facebook and whatever else is coming next.

He was one of the few who could point to specifics: collections, clients, contacts and sales that have come to him specifically because he uses Twitter or posts frequently on social media. His website displays an interesting and diverse inventory but surprisingly few pictures. www.luxmentis.com

New Blood

Data, knowledge and charm are all essential attributes for ABAA success, but the organization knows it needs new blood to survive.

Brian Cassidy, formerly of Monterey, California who recently moved to a Maryland suburb of Washington, DC is a good example of what's coming next.

Cassidy not only survived the cross country trek, but reports his business seems to be thriving. In his 30s, he was by far the youngest ABAA dealer to speak with AE. Cassidy characterizes his career as "the graduate school model." He was always working in book stores and eventually ended up as a bookseller.

He joined ABAA not long ago after attending the Colorado Book Seminar. Though he can no longer afford to have a shop as he did in Monterey (because "commercial rents in the DC area are a killer") his future in the trade looks bright.

He has good stock, nice manners, and specializes in interesting subjects such as popular culture; The Beats; poetry; the avant-garde; small journals and magazines (especially those associated with the Mimeo Revolution); as well as vernacular, folk, and outsider books. www.tomfolio.com/mall/BrianCassidy

Space does not allow us to mention all the upcoming candidates for membership in this prestigious organization, but if a quick review of the list of dealers who have attended the Colorado and Virginia courses is any indication, there's a new crop on the way to ABAA.

The ABAA: What Works - Data, Knowledge, Charm & New Blood

- By Susan Halas

ABAA President Stuart Bennett.

The ABAA

The most persistent myth that haunts the ABAA is that it's elitist and snooty.

Well not quite.

If by elitist you mean it's been around for more than 60 years and has a distinguished membership of fewer than 500 book dealers -- that's true.

However, anyone who has been in the trade for four years and supplies the necessary references can apply. The application procedure is reasonable and should not deter a serious candidate from applying to join the top tier.

"This is not your father's leather lined library," says Stuart Bennett, organization President. Bennett, based in Mill Valley, California, has been a dealer since 1980. "We're a lot more populist than you might think. Diversity is our greatest strength. We include a wide range. Our members specialize in books and manuscripts, but also postcards, photography and ephemera."

The organization accepts from ten to fifteen new members a year according to Sarah Baldwin of E. Wharton & Co. in Virginia (Think Edith Wharton, and other women writers as well as the days of the Suffragette movement). She is the present membership chair and also ABAA President Elect. Baldwin assumes the helm for the next two years in April of this year.

Both Bennett and Baldwin stress the ABAA has adapted to the internet age. They know modern dealers are often exclusively or largely on-line and may not know each other as well as in the past. "The ABAA is there to assist applicants. We do try to make the match and help with mentors… our role is to make sure members have the necessary level of expertise including ability to accurately describe and price their wares," Baldwin said.

For more information about the ABAA, you may visit their site at http://www.abaa.org/.

The ABAA offers a benevolent fund, which assists those who have fallen on hard times. It is not necessary to be an ABAA member to apply for aid.
http://hq.abaa.org/books/antiquarian/abaapages/benevolent-fund.html