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<b>Bonhams:</b> MANDELSHTAM, OSIP. 1891-1938. Autograph Manuscript, 2 pp, [Petersburg,] January 1913, entitled

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Rose City Used Book Fair (Portland, Oregon June 11-12): "An Unpretentious book Fair" - By Lee Kirk By Lee Kirk, The Prints & The Paper - www.kirksbooks.com This was the first show I have done in 7 years due to family and personal health issues, eldercare, etc. Since it was the 5th year for the show, I hadn't even had a chance to attend and see what it was like. It bills itself as "an unpretentious book fair" which I think is very smart, for reasons I'll get to later. One quick note - I was set up on the stage, which I shared with a vendor couple, Truman and Suzanne Price, with whom I had corresponded by email but not met before. They brought a great collection of children's books and set up with a little "tea party" vignette - children's table, chairs, etc. and "guests" were stuffed versions of Babar, Little Bear, Jeremiah, and Paddington (the revelers even had a vase of fresh flowers on their table). Plus Truman plays a mean fiddle. I wish we could have stayed to hear more but since he started fiddlin' after the show hours Friday and we had a long drive over to Beaverton and supper, we had to leave. Truman's band information is at www.trumanprice.com. Booksellers are certainly an interesting lot! The venue is a Masonic Lodge building, hence the stage. The sales floor is on two levels (a shallow ramp going downstairs, where I was located.) It's a "shoestring" show - dealers brought their own tables (one was provided), table covers, and other display items. Cost was $135 for one space. There were 24 vendors, 33 spaces - some took two spaces so every space was full, and I understand that there was a waiting list. There was a decent setup period on Thursday (1-6 pm) and we drove to Portland (from Eugene) without stress and got set up handily. There was another set-up time Friday morning, and the doors opened at 2 pm; the show ran until 8 pm. I was dubious about attendance on a Friday afternoon, but when I "checked the house" before the doors opened there were at least 35 people in line and more coming. Trade was steady until around 5:00 - we expected another little "after work" rush but it didn't really happen. We all knew that Saturday would be slow - Friday was typical of the last 6 weeks - 64 degrees and rainy. Saturday was forecast for 81 and sunny and, after listening to Portlanders grumbling about flooded and washed-out gardens and considering that it was the last day of the Rose Festival (parade day? Not sure) we figured the door would be down. It was - apparently they had about half the usual number of attendees. Still, those who came were buying. This was one of the best-run and most accommodating shows I have seen. Advertising was good and there was signage everywhere. There were refreshments for dealers all day every day (bagels and spreads, pastries, gallons of hot coffee, etc.) and lunch fixings were provided on Saturday (quality cold cuts, cheeses, and other sandwich fixings, veggie snacks, chips, desserts.) Everything ran smoothly and there were volunteers to provide potty breaks and so forth when needed. Lovely!!! Thursday night there was also a get-together at a local pub, with the Association footing the bill for beer, sodas, and appetizers (and kept them coming) and individual dealers had the opportunity to order meals on a no-host basis. It was a nice opportunity to exchange news with old friends and get better acquainted with new ones. It was lively during setup times. Since many of my old dealer friends knew that I hadn't been "out" for so long they knew that a lot of my stuff would be out for the first time and they came a-running (They also know that my prices are always reasonable, and that I offer 20 percent - which, I'm happy to say, everyone I dealt with did also). I had few expenses aside from gas, etc. since we stayed at our daughter's in Beaverton - bed and board although we bought a couple of meals "out" for convenience sake. With $135 invested in the space (plus the cost of a couple of sturdy folding tables to replace my shaky ones, but they will pay forward) I brought home close to $1000 in cash and did about $1500 in trade (Dealers had stuff I needed; I had stuff they wanted - works for me). Gary (my helpful spouse and "gofer") negotiated two wonderful archaic skills books in my trade deals - his "payment" for working so hard (We consider his collections to be one of our best investments...at least better than our IRA, which has lost almost 50% during this recession). The after-the-show sales generated from contacts there will add to the income. Already by Wednesday after the show, I had a firm $700 additional in hand with lots more follow-ups in process.
Rose City Used Book Fair (Portland, Oregon June 11-12): "An Unpretentious book Fair" - By Lee Kirk Interestingly enough, I had zero credit card sales - all was cash or check (and trade of course). That sorta whispers something about the current economy I think. Since I didn't know this venue I learned a good deal about what to bring "next time." I connected with some new customers, made some new dealer acquaintances, saw some of the old dealer gang and renewed relationships with some "lost" customers. One fellow and I kept trying to place each other - turned out we both were founders of the Hen House Gang, a poultry club we started here in Eugene 35 years ago! (His dad was part of that poultry club - it was he who thought about the name and said, "Well, we don't have any dignity anyhow." I always thought that about said it all). As for the "unpretentious" part - I have muttered about using the word "antiquarian" for years. Book fairs are no longer simply antiquarian, as we all know, but the term is off-putting to potential customers. I have heard people many times say that they "wouldn't fit in" because they didn't know much about antiquarian books, or that it would be too expensive. Several of my Eugene book arts friends were in Portland for a gallery show that was taking place in the neighborhood of the book fair venue, and after I had prompted folks to attend they stopped by. They all had packages under their arms by the time they found me, and one of them commented, "I never came to one of these before, but it's really fun! I'll be doing this again." So there. I was also very pleased to connect with some younger booksellers who actually have had the temerity to open stores. They seemed passionate, knowledgeable, had done their apprenticeships, are well focused on specialties, and have located in the right neighborhoods for the potential clientele. THAT was refreshing, not to mention some of the "young" collectors I met - one was about 11, already an avid buyer of manuals. That's right, manuals. While I'm pooped I was pleased to have survived so well physically since my injuries in January. I had only put away my cane a few weeks ago and wondered if my back would hold up through all of this. I guess the excitement and interest worked. I hurt, but was able to ignore it or deal with it. Adrenalin sure helps! So, while I'm not banking a huge amount of moolah, I more than covered expenses and I have quite a few leads that will probably result in some additional sales, and I acquired new networking possibilities. And I bagged a lot of ephemera that I know I have customers for, so there will be more coming in. I couldn't be more pleased. SOME OF MY FAVORITE SALES: I suppose many dealers are most delighted by the high-ticket sales, but for me it's often a case of someone finding just the right thing, or having a good story (I love stories). So here are few of my personal highlights: A young woman entered the booth and asked for novels by Jane Austen, George Eliot and so forth. I explained that I didn't carry fiction. She enthused that she was a collector and loved Victorian fiction. Somehow we came to discussing her collecting passion. She said that she had already started to collect books when her father informed her that her grandfather and great-grandfather had been book collectors. He had stored their combined library, and she took home over 100 cartons of books. It sounded to me as though great-grandpa had probably formed a library around the turn of the (last) century as so many did back then - by ordering smart-looking "sets" for a gentleman's library, and that his son had retained and enhanced it. She described some of the sets and said that she had been quite upset to discover that the Complete Works of Charles Dickens was lacking some volumes - then a couple of years after she had acquired this library, her father discovered an overlooked carton in a closet, and the missing volumes appeared. I just loved her story and her enthusiasm and passion, so when she decided to purchase a book for her father (a Ship Fitter's Manual) I knocked some off the price, telling her that I wanted to encourage a young collector, and I really loved her story. No, she probably won't be a "return" customer for me since I don't handle what she's interested in, but I thought it was worth the encouragement on behalf of the trade.
Rose City Used Book Fair (Portland, Oregon June 11-12): "An Unpretentious book Fair" - By Lee Kirk Another woman was there with her children - teenagers at least - and looking casually through the ephemera. She spotted a brochure for the Wolf Creek Inn (Oregon - the original stage coach stop on the old highway south from Eugene and now a B&B - very nice: I have stayed there) and decided to buy it for her husband for Father's Day, since they own property quite near the Inn. A young woman from Troutdale found an odd little piece on an oak tree - I had two of them in a dealer estate I bought years ago (and I loved the story) and listed one online. She said that she lives in and is collecting history of Troutdale (Oregon) and that she had never heard of this tree, even though she worked (or was it researched?) at the local historical society. She was going home to find out more about it. My preparation was so last-minute (I found and priced the books I took on Wednesday - and we left Thursday morning - and just scooped up whatever was "on top of the piles" and into which I had already inserted tentative price slips - ready to list, but......). They consisted of some Native American, Western Americana - all pretty common. Also a batch of books on chickens - I have decided to sell off my 40-year collection. Again, these were the more common "how to" books that I had sorted out for a local customer who wanted to buy a few references for his son-in-law who was starting to raise a few chickens. Then I had some nice color-plate books that I had been saving for the fair, and some other odds and ends. There was no end of comment on the chicken books - people seemed amazed by the number of them, and it was hard to explain that it was the tip of the iceberg (I had also added a lot of poultry ephemera to my Agriculture box). I took them because of the current interest in backyard poultry - just to see if they would "fly." Wrong venue, wrong neighborhood, I guess. One fellow did spot them and identified himself as a Baum collector, and did I have Baum's chicken book? That would be The Book of Hamburgs, and no, I never had it and have never seen an original copy (I think Baum did a couple of little pamphlets or something on chickens too - before Oz, that is). Finally a gent came along whom I mentioned before - my old poultry club acquaintance from 35 years ago. He was interested in the books but admitted that he was winding down his collecting, too. One other person expressed a similar sentiment. I guess I'll list the "practical" books online, and dig out the special ones for the next show. Considering the amount of nagging I have been getting, it looks as though I'll be doing Seattle in October. A dealer from Washington spotted the "Gay Johnny Texas Vegetables" can label I had laid out on the table - beautiful bright graphic, and I just wanted to see a reaction to it. She said that she had a "double entendre" section in her shop and had to have it. We seemed to have similar interests - such as technical books, of which I took very few. However, she came back later and bought $200 worth and when I looked at her check, I remembered that we had been in her shop when she first opened 10 years ago. Smart, sharp lady - I also recall that when we left her shop (with nothing in hand) I commented to Gary that she might be "new" but that she certainly knew her stuff. No sleepers, pretty stiff prices. I speculated whether she would last in business, given her prices. Well, ten years later she said that there is a LOT more inventory than when we were there, and she is still sharp and a real wheeler-dealer, but I like her. We'll probably be in Anacortes this year for a gathering of climbing friends so we'll pop over for another look (Well, float over - have to take the ferry, which I LOVE!). I sold a lot to dealers. Well, it has been seven years since I did a show and they knew it. And I always keep my prices reasonable and they know that too. I'd rather sell things than hang on for the last penny, although of course with the "better" books I pay pretty well and have to price in the market. A FEW MORE RANDOM OBSERVATIONS AND OPINIONS: Phil Wikelund, who lost his Great Northwest Bookstore to a fire in May, was on hand to visit with colleagues. Having known Phil for donkey's years, and knowing what he had - well, the agony cannot be expressed. We had a good hug and some conversation. Right now he is trying to gather funds to clear the site - a property he owns. He says he won't quit - once the property is sold he'll try to buy a house somewhere and start over "when I figure out what direction I want to take." He did manage to salvage some stock from the building. I can't imagine what all was lost. They had a collection jar prominently displayed at the show - since I couldn't get any books up to Portland for the big sale held to collect funds, I popped a check into the jar. Normally I try to donate a little something to ABAA’s Benevolent Fund when I can, but this is close to home and heart. Ha! I knew Phil couldn't quit. Old booksellers never quit, they just disintegrate. Wait - that's not quite right.
Rose City Used Book Fair (Portland, Oregon June 11-12): "An Unpretentious book Fair" - By Lee Kirk I'm racing now to do follow-ups, which are resulting in additional sales and potential sales. This is one of the great values of a show. But you have to make contact with those customers! My mom used to slap me silly for "talking too much" when I was little, and persisted in making rather snide comments about my "gift of gab" throughout the rest of her life, but gift it is. I like people, especially book people, and I like their stories. And everyone has a story. You just have to pry it out of them, and if you LISTEN to them it's not hard. I don't understand booksellers who sit glumly in their booths looking like they need an enema, or with their nose in a book, barely acknowledge their customers. Even worse are the ones who adopt a supercilious attitude of superiority. Customers rarely open up in such cases. Sometimes they just creep away, reluctant to ask a question or try to engage the bookseller, or even to look. People often ask me how I get so many repeat and "quote to" customers and institutions and archives. The same principle works even with email orders - throw out an innocuous but interested comment and see where it goes. Keep "live" conversations with customers about THEM - people love to talk about themselves, and especially about a collecting interest. You do need to understand when people prefer to browse or "just look" without being engaged. Some are afraid of a hard sell so you just back off, tell them to look to their heart's content, and ask any questions if they have them. Sometimes they see that you're not going to bear down on them and they open up. When someone is seriously engaged with a book - shut up! Let them do their mental calculations (you can tell if they're looking at copyright dates and condition, or if they are debating between several books - give them breathing room). Just be there to answer questions or make comments when they're ready. It's really a kind of fine science and psychology. Again, you have to focus on the customer, his/her body language and responses, and not on how tired your butt is or how eager you are to make a sale. OK - by the time I get home I can't say three words together that make sense, but even the buzz is bliss. The mind engages and gallops, even if the tongue falls off the track and the body needs a tow. Two days after we were home I was whining, "I want to do it again." By day three the buzz was gone and I really wanted to go to bed and sleep. No chance of that though - some dealers from the show passed through on their way home and stopped in to spend money. Can't knock that, either. Again, I have the highest compliments for the Rose City Book Fair promoters. Apparently everyone else was happy - I tried immediately to reserve a double space but was informed that they were already pretty well booked up for next year - I could have the space I had this year, but switching or adding on would happen only if there were a cancellation. I was happy on the stage, but given its odd shape it was a bit tricky to set up a table that could be browsed on both sides without worrying about people backing off.

Rose City Used Book Fair (Portland, Oregon June 11-12): "An Unpretentious book Fair"

- By Lee Kirk

By Lee Kirk, The Prints & The Paper - www.kirksbooks.com

This was the first show I have done in 7 years due to family and personal health issues, eldercare, etc. Since it was the 5th year for the show, I hadn't even had a chance to attend and see what it was like. It bills itself as "an unpretentious book fair" which I think is very smart, for reasons I'll get to later.

One quick note - I was set up on the stage, which I shared with a vendor couple, Truman and Suzanne Price, with whom I had corresponded by email but not met before. They brought a great collection of children's books and set up with a little "tea party" vignette - children's table, chairs, etc. and "guests" were stuffed versions of Babar, Little Bear, Jeremiah, and Paddington (the revelers even had a vase of fresh flowers on their table). Plus Truman plays a mean fiddle. I wish we could have stayed to hear more but since he started fiddlin' after the show hours Friday and we had a long drive over to Beaverton and supper, we had to leave. Truman's band information is at www.trumanprice.com. Booksellers are certainly an interesting lot!

The venue is a Masonic Lodge building, hence the stage. The sales floor is on two levels (a shallow ramp going downstairs, where I was located.) It's a "shoestring" show - dealers brought their own tables (one was provided), table covers, and other display items. Cost was $135 for one space. There were 24 vendors, 33 spaces - some took two spaces so every space was full, and I understand that there was a waiting list.

There was a decent setup period on Thursday (1-6 pm) and we drove to Portland (from Eugene) without stress and got set up handily. There was another set-up time Friday morning, and the doors opened at 2 pm; the show ran until 8 pm. I was dubious about attendance on a Friday afternoon, but when I "checked the house" before the doors opened there were at least 35 people in line and more coming. Trade was steady until around 5:00 - we expected another little "after work" rush but it didn't really happen. We all knew that Saturday would be slow - Friday was typical of the last 6 weeks - 64 degrees and rainy. Saturday was forecast for 81 and sunny and, after listening to Portlanders grumbling about flooded and washed-out gardens and considering that it was the last day of the Rose Festival (parade day? Not sure) we figured the door would be down. It was - apparently they had about half the usual number of attendees. Still, those who came were buying.

This was one of the best-run and most accommodating shows I have seen. Advertising was good and there was signage everywhere. There were refreshments for dealers all day every day (bagels and spreads, pastries, gallons of hot coffee, etc.) and lunch fixings were provided on Saturday (quality cold cuts, cheeses, and other sandwich fixings, veggie snacks, chips, desserts.) Everything ran smoothly and there were volunteers to provide potty breaks and so forth when needed. Lovely!!! Thursday night there was also a get-together at a local pub, with the Association footing the bill for beer, sodas, and appetizers (and kept them coming) and individual dealers had the opportunity to order meals on a no-host basis. It was a nice opportunity to exchange news with old friends and get better acquainted with new ones.

It was lively during setup times. Since many of my old dealer friends knew that I hadn't been "out" for so long they knew that a lot of my stuff would be out for the first time and they came a-running (They also know that my prices are always reasonable, and that I offer 20 percent - which, I'm happy to say, everyone I dealt with did also).

I had few expenses aside from gas, etc. since we stayed at our daughter's in Beaverton - bed and board although we bought a couple of meals "out" for convenience sake. With $135 invested in the space (plus the cost of a couple of sturdy folding tables to replace my shaky ones, but they will pay forward) I brought home close to $1000 in cash and did about $1500 in trade (Dealers had stuff I needed; I had stuff they wanted - works for me). Gary (my helpful spouse and "gofer") negotiated two wonderful archaic skills books in my trade deals - his "payment" for working so hard (We consider his collections to be one of our best investments...at least better than our IRA, which has lost almost 50% during this recession). The after-the-show sales generated from contacts there will add to the income. Already by Wednesday after the show, I had a firm $700 additional in hand with lots more follow-ups in process.

Rose City Used Book Fair (Portland, Oregon June 11-12): "An Unpretentious book Fair"

- By Lee Kirk

Interestingly enough, I had zero credit card sales - all was cash or check (and trade of course). That sorta whispers something about the current economy I think.

Since I didn't know this venue I learned a good deal about what to bring "next time." I connected with some new customers, made some new dealer acquaintances, saw some of the old dealer gang and renewed relationships with some "lost" customers. One fellow and I kept trying to place each other - turned out we both were founders of the Hen House Gang, a poultry club we started here in Eugene 35 years ago! (His dad was part of that poultry club - it was he who thought about the name and said, "Well, we don't have any dignity anyhow." I always thought that about said it all).

As for the "unpretentious" part - I have muttered about using the word "antiquarian" for years. Book fairs are no longer simply antiquarian, as we all know, but the term is off-putting to potential customers. I have heard people many times say that they "wouldn't fit in" because they didn't know much about antiquarian books, or that it would be too expensive. Several of my Eugene book arts friends were in Portland for a gallery show that was taking place in the neighborhood of the book fair venue, and after I had prompted folks to attend they stopped by. They all had packages under their arms by the time they found me, and one of them commented, "I never came to one of these before, but it's really fun! I'll be doing this again." So there.

I was also very pleased to connect with some younger booksellers who actually have had the temerity to open stores. They seemed passionate, knowledgeable, had done their apprenticeships, are well focused on specialties, and have located in the right neighborhoods for the potential clientele. THAT was refreshing, not to mention some of the "young" collectors I met - one was about 11, already an avid buyer of manuals. That's right, manuals.

While I'm pooped I was pleased to have survived so well physically since my injuries in January. I had only put away my cane a few weeks ago and wondered if my back would hold up through all of this. I guess the excitement and interest worked. I hurt, but was able to ignore it or deal with it. Adrenalin sure helps!

So, while I'm not banking a huge amount of moolah, I more than covered expenses and I have quite a few leads that will probably result in some additional sales, and I acquired new networking possibilities. And I bagged a lot of ephemera that I know I have customers for, so there will be more coming in. I couldn't be more pleased.

SOME OF MY FAVORITE SALES:

I suppose many dealers are most delighted by the high-ticket sales, but for me it's often a case of someone finding just the right thing, or having a good story (I love stories). So here are few of my personal highlights:

A young woman entered the booth and asked for novels by Jane Austen, George Eliot and so forth. I explained that I didn't carry fiction. She enthused that she was a collector and loved Victorian fiction. Somehow we came to discussing her collecting passion. She said that she had already started to collect books when her father informed her that her grandfather and great-grandfather had been book collectors. He had stored their combined library, and she took home over 100 cartons of books.

It sounded to me as though great-grandpa had probably formed a library around the turn of the (last) century as so many did back then - by ordering smart-looking "sets" for a gentleman's library, and that his son had retained and enhanced it. She described some of the sets and said that she had been quite upset to discover that the Complete Works of Charles Dickens was lacking some volumes - then a couple of years after she had acquired this library, her father discovered an overlooked carton in a closet, and the missing volumes appeared. I just loved her story and her enthusiasm and passion, so when she decided to purchase a book for her father (a Ship Fitter's Manual) I knocked some off the price, telling her that I wanted to encourage a young collector, and I really loved her story. No, she probably won't be a "return" customer for me since I don't handle what she's interested in, but I thought it was worth the encouragement on behalf of the trade.

Rose City Used Book Fair (Portland, Oregon June 11-12): "An Unpretentious book Fair"

- By Lee Kirk

Another woman was there with her children - teenagers at least - and looking casually through the ephemera. She spotted a brochure for the Wolf Creek Inn (Oregon - the original stage coach stop on the old highway south from Eugene and now a B&B - very nice: I have stayed there) and decided to buy it for her husband for Father's Day, since they own property quite near the Inn.

A young woman from Troutdale found an odd little piece on an oak tree - I had two of them in a dealer estate I bought years ago (and I loved the story) and listed one online. She said that she lives in and is collecting history of Troutdale (Oregon) and that she had never heard of this tree, even though she worked (or was it researched?) at the local historical society. She was going home to find out more about it.

My preparation was so last-minute (I found and priced the books I took on Wednesday - and we left Thursday morning - and just scooped up whatever was "on top of the piles" and into which I had already inserted tentative price slips - ready to list, but......). They consisted of some Native American, Western Americana - all pretty common. Also a batch of books on chickens - I have decided to sell off my 40-year collection. Again, these were the more common "how to" books that I had sorted out for a local customer who wanted to buy a few references for his son-in-law who was starting to raise a few chickens. Then I had some nice color-plate books that I had been saving for the fair, and some other odds and ends.

There was no end of comment on the chicken books - people seemed amazed by the number of them, and it was hard to explain that it was the tip of the iceberg (I had also added a lot of poultry ephemera to my Agriculture box). I took them because of the current interest in backyard poultry - just to see if they would "fly." Wrong venue, wrong neighborhood, I guess. One fellow did spot them and identified himself as a Baum collector, and did I have Baum's chicken book? That would be The Book of Hamburgs, and no, I never had it and have never seen an original copy (I think Baum did a couple of little pamphlets or something on chickens too - before Oz, that is). Finally a gent came along whom I mentioned before - my old poultry club acquaintance from 35 years ago. He was interested in the books but admitted that he was winding down his collecting, too. One other person expressed a similar sentiment. I guess I'll list the "practical" books online, and dig out the special ones for the next show. Considering the amount of nagging I have been getting, it looks as though I'll be doing Seattle in October.

A dealer from Washington spotted the "Gay Johnny Texas Vegetables" can label I had laid out on the table - beautiful bright graphic, and I just wanted to see a reaction to it. She said that she had a "double entendre" section in her shop and had to have it. We seemed to have similar interests - such as technical books, of which I took very few. However, she came back later and bought $200 worth and when I looked at her check, I remembered that we had been in her shop when she first opened 10 years ago. Smart, sharp lady - I also recall that when we left her shop (with nothing in hand) I commented to Gary that she might be "new" but that she certainly knew her stuff. No sleepers, pretty stiff prices. I speculated whether she would last in business, given her prices. Well, ten years later she said that there is a LOT more inventory than when we were there, and she is still sharp and a real wheeler-dealer, but I like her. We'll probably be in Anacortes this year for a gathering of climbing friends so we'll pop over for another look (Well, float over - have to take the ferry, which I LOVE!).

I sold a lot to dealers. Well, it has been seven years since I did a show and they knew it. And I always keep my prices reasonable and they know that too. I'd rather sell things than hang on for the last penny, although of course with the "better" books I pay pretty well and have to price in the market.

A FEW MORE RANDOM OBSERVATIONS AND OPINIONS:

Phil Wikelund, who lost his Great Northwest Bookstore to a fire in May, was on hand to visit with colleagues. Having known Phil for donkey's years, and knowing what he had - well, the agony cannot be expressed. We had a good hug and some conversation. Right now he is trying to gather funds to clear the site - a property he owns. He says he won't quit - once the property is sold he'll try to buy a house somewhere and start over "when I figure out what direction I want to take." He did manage to salvage some stock from the building. I can't imagine what all was lost. They had a collection jar prominently displayed at the show - since I couldn't get any books up to Portland for the big sale held to collect funds, I popped a check into the jar. Normally I try to donate a little something to ABAA’s Benevolent Fund when I can, but this is close to home and heart. Ha! I knew Phil couldn't quit. Old booksellers never quit, they just disintegrate. Wait - that's not quite right.

Rose City Used Book Fair (Portland, Oregon June 11-12): "An Unpretentious book Fair"

- By Lee Kirk

I'm racing now to do follow-ups, which are resulting in additional sales and potential sales. This is one of the great values of a show. But you have to make contact with those customers!

My mom used to slap me silly for "talking too much" when I was little, and persisted in making rather snide comments about my "gift of gab" throughout the rest of her life, but gift it is. I like people, especially book people, and I like their stories. And everyone has a story. You just have to pry it out of them, and if you LISTEN to them it's not hard.

I don't understand booksellers who sit glumly in their booths looking like they need an enema, or with their nose in a book, barely acknowledge their customers. Even worse are the ones who adopt a supercilious attitude of superiority. Customers rarely open up in such cases. Sometimes they just creep away, reluctant to ask a question or try to engage the bookseller, or even to look.

People often ask me how I get so many repeat and "quote to" customers and institutions and archives. The same principle works even with email orders - throw out an innocuous but interested comment and see where it goes. Keep "live" conversations with customers about THEM - people love to talk about themselves, and especially about a collecting interest. You do need to understand when people prefer to browse or "just look" without being engaged. Some are afraid of a hard sell so you just back off, tell them to look to their heart's content, and ask any questions if they have them. Sometimes they see that you're not going to bear down on them and they open up. When someone is seriously engaged with a book - shut up! Let them do their mental calculations (you can tell if they're looking at copyright dates and condition, or if they are debating between several books - give them breathing room). Just be there to answer questions or make comments when they're ready. It's really a kind of fine science and psychology. Again, you have to focus on the customer, his/her body language and responses, and not on how tired your butt is or how eager you are to make a sale.

OK - by the time I get home I can't say three words together that make sense, but even the buzz is bliss. The mind engages and gallops, even if the tongue falls off the track and the body needs a tow.

Two days after we were home I was whining, "I want to do it again." By day three the buzz was gone and I really wanted to go to bed and sleep. No chance of that though - some dealers from the show passed through on their way home and stopped in to spend money. Can't knock that, either.

Again, I have the highest compliments for the Rose City Book Fair promoters. Apparently everyone else was happy - I tried immediately to reserve a double space but was informed that they were already pretty well booked up for next year - I could have the space I had this year, but switching or adding on would happen only if there were a cancellation. I was happy on the stage, but given its odd shape it was a bit tricky to set up a table that could be browsed on both sides without worrying about people backing off.