c1911, 21 1/2" x 19" Negro Church League Photo - At CA Antiquarian Book Fair

[CarltonHendricks]

http://s213.photobucket.com/user/Car...%20Book%20Fair
The once a year 2015 California Antiquarian Book Fair was held this weekend at the Marriot in Oakland...above is a photo I spotted there...and below a few other things...click the photobucket link above to see all 27 photos I took...

As I understand it the California Antiquarian Book Fair is one of the best book shows in the world...so it's not to be missed if possible...it alternates each year between S.F. bay area and Los Angeles...I once heard say the San Francisco (now Oakland) show was better than the New York show because dealers were more prone to attend it because NY is so expensive...The worn out phrase "not what it used to be" applies...but nevertheless it's still a rich fun venue...I well remember the ones before the internet...you could feel the electricity in the air it was so exciting...now it's more relaxed...you can buy it there or wait for a better deal online...

It's a bit of a highbrow affair...The dealers are from all around the world...many are in coat and tie...or if they are really established and respected...the old double brested blazer with a bow tie...the bow tie ones are really important...and if they have a bow tie AND an English accent...then you're really in the big time..and there's all these dealers with 12th century manuscripts and all...and all kind of lofty academic specialty dealers...some...if you ask if they have any baseball books...tilt their head slightly forward to get a better look at you over the top their glasses...and with raised eyebrows go...nooo...then there's an awkward silence and the balls in your court to either say thank you and leave...or just leave period...kind of quickly no meandering...some of them...as a courtesy I think to baseball collectors...wear leather patches on their elbows...so you know straight up not to bother them...classical music is another tip off...One dealer this year I was talking to...when I asked if he had any sports broadsides...thought for a moment like he was trying to imagine what a sports broadside was...then said no they didn't have anything like that...I got a laugh out of him though...I told him that's ok...I've been thrown out of lots of booths...

Anyway back to this years show...that 1909 AllAlaskaSweepstakesProgram very much had my attention...marked $600.00...offered for $425.00...I have a panoramic photo of the winner J. Berger's sled team, that belongs with it...seen in this link about half way down the page...Man what a thing to find...great piece for $200.00...but no way was I going to plunk down $425.00 for a dog sledding program...before I left the show I asked him what was the best he could do...had he said $300.00 I may have very grudgingly paid it...but he said $400.00 was the best...I walked...situation like that makes you almost wish you hadn't seen it LOL...I went home with it weighing on my mind...Should I go back Sunday afternoon the last day and make an offer; I thought...



So I go on line looking to see if there might be another some place for sale...pretty slim chance naturally...I mean how many people at the race bought the program...and how many of them have survived...So I'm googling this and that...trying different key words...and after a bunch of tries I saw a ABE listing...I clicked it on and saw the price $35.00 and thought it was a reproduction...turned out it was missing the back cover and last page...To a highbrow book person that's sacrilege...but hey for $35.00 I'll live with it...Below a few more shots of what I saw...