Bookseller Interviews

Kara Accettola studied classical music as an undergraduate but had always nurtured a love for literature. Once her children were in school, Kara dedicated herself to learning more about the rare book trade with the hopes of establishing her own firm. Kara attended the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar, subscribed to trade periodicals and forums, and began assisting other booksellers at fairs. Little Sages Books was established in 2009, and Kara became a member of the ABAA in 2014.

Little Sages Books operates out of Cooper City, Fl and specializes in Women's History, Literature, Epemera, Non-Fiction, Small and Fine Press, Illustration Art, and Made-by-Hand. ABAA Member since 2014. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on November 15, 2014 at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Charles Agvent started his business in 1987 but became a full-time bookseller in 1994, the same year he was admitted to the ABAA. Prior to that, he worked in Manhattan in advertising, public relations, and the publishing industry, and taught at the university level, drawing on his background in English and Creative Writing.

Charles Agvent operates out of Mertztown, PA and specializes in Signed Books & Autographs, Modern & 19th Century First Editions, Limited Editions Club, Presidential Books & autographs, Hand-Colored Plate Books, and Early Printing.

ABAA Member since 1994. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on April 14, 2012 at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Allen & Patricia Ahearn have owned and operated Quill & Brush in Dickerson, MD since 1976, but began collecting and cataloguing books in the early 1960s. Quill & Brush specializes in First Editions, American & English Literature, Signed & Inscribed Books, Mystery & Detective Fiction, Art: Silk Screens, Prints and Drawings, and Author Price Guides. They also conduct Appraisals and specialize in Collection Development.

ABAA Member Since 1986. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Alexander Akin, Ph.D., whose first international trip was a visit to North Korea at the age of 15, first started part-time at Bolerium while finishing a degree in Chinese history at Harvard University. He has taught at Brandeis University and Roxbury Latin School, and is the author of works on East Asian cartography and medieval Islamic numismatics. He has expanded the bookstore’s purview to include Asian language materials, while also serving as cataloguer of materials related to the international labor movement. Alexander joined the ABAA as an associate member in 2011.

ABAA Member Since 2011. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on February 14, 2016 at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena.

David Aronovitz of The Fine Books Company in Rochester, MI got his feet wet in the trade as a collector. Like many, though, he didn't remain solely a collector for long but began selling books as well. After spending about five years exhibiting at various fairs across the country, David formally established his business in 1982.

The Fine Books Company specializes in 19th and 20th Century Literature, Periodicals, and First Editions of English & American Fiction, Science Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction, Children's Books, Illustrated Books, and Select Non-Fiction from the 16th-20th Centuries. ABAA Member since 1986. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on April 14, 2012 at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Lorne Bair of Winchester, VA began selling antiquarian books in 1996 and has been a member of the ABAA since 2006. Lorne served as a past-President of the Virginia Antiquarian Booksellers' Association and currently sits on VABA's Board. Lorne serves on the ABAA's Board of Governors and chairs the Benevolent Fund Committee. He also serves on Ethics & Standards, Internet, and RBMS committees at the ABAA, and he is a faculty member at the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar.

Lorne W. Bair specializes in Radical Americana, and the History, Literature, and Art of American Social Movements. ABAA Member since 2006. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Robert S. Baird of The Book Bin, Inc. in Corvallis, OR has been a member of the ABAA since 1989. Robert grew up in the the American Samoa and Hawaii, which greatly influenced his interests and specialities in the book business. The Book Bin, Inc. specializes in Maritime, Travel, and the Pacific Islands. ABAA Member since 1989. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in San Francisco/Oakland.

George Baker was a journalist for 30 years before looking to another profession where he could interact with people who “loved the written word and what it represents”. Though an avid reader, George was never a collector, and when he decided to found Sawtooth Booksellers in 1996 developed his inventory from scratch.

Sawtooth Booksellers operates out of Boise, ID, and specializes in Modern Literature, Signed Books, Modern Fiction, and 20th Century Poetry. ABAA Member since 2011. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on February 8, 2014 at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena.

Sarah Baldwin is a past President of the ABAA (2010-2012) and has served on the Board and various committees. Sarah owns and operates E. Wharton & Co. in Crozet, VA and has been an antiquarian bookseller since 1980. E. Wharton & Co. specializes in Women Writers, Literary First Editions, and Women's Rights Material. ABAA Member since 1985. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on April 10, 2010 at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Bruce Barnett, who began as a collector of antiquarian books roughly 40 years ago, is the owner of The Book Block. In addition to being a bookseller, Bruce was an antiques dealer with a shop in Connecticut. Trained in law and finance, he has been a practicing attorney and chief financial officer of a biotechnology company. Bruce also provides appraisal services and owing to his background as a tax attorney, he is particularly knowledgeable about IRS rules and regulations. Bruce first joined the ABAA as an associate member in 2004, and became a full member in 2008.

ABAA Member since 2004. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on February 14, 2016 at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena.

Frederick Baron passed the bar in 1983 but quickly realized that corporate law wasn’t for him and  joined his father in the book trade. His father Howard was a lifelong collector and established High Ridge in the 1974.

High Ridge Books, Inc. operates out of South Deerfield, MA, and specializes in 18th and 19th Century American Maps and Atlases, Americana, Color Plate Books, and New York City. ABAA Member since 1983. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Hosea Baskin's father was an avid book collectors and his mother still is, and his aunt and uncle were booksellers, so it seemed inevitable that he would end up in the field.  Following several occupations in the rare book field, Hosea founded Cumberland Rare Books in Northampton, MA in 1995.  

Cumberland Rare Books specializes in Printed Books and Manuscripts 1500-1700, Renaissance, Reformation, Classics, Humanism, and Illustrated Books. ABAA Member since 1999. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Natalie Bauman and her husband David have been antiquarian booksellers since 1973. The Baumans were originally based out of Atlantic City, but Bauman Rare Books now operates out of three locations: New York, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas.  

Bauman Rare Books specializes in Americana, Literature, Children's Books, History, Science, Economics, Medicine, Travel, Natural History, Judaica, Fine Sets, and Autographs. ABAA Member since 1980. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Stuart Bennett is a past President (2008-2010) of the ABAA. He was a book auctioneer at Christie's and Sotheby's in the 1970s and has been an antiquarian bookseller since 1980. Stuart Bennett Rare Books operates out of Belmont, Massachusetts, twenty minutes from downtown Boston. Stuart's first novel, The Perfect Visit (2011) tells the story of two bibliophiles who go back in time to rescue lost books and manuscripts. He is also author of an acclaimed historical study, Trade Bookbinding in the British Isles 1660-1800 (2004), available from Oak Knoll Press.

Stuart specializes in English Literature printed before 1850: Fiction, Verse, Satire, Philosophy, Criticism & Literary Controversies, and also in Children's Books printed before 1850. ABAA Member since 1990. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Peter Bernett's parents founded F.A. Bernett Books over seventy years ago when they arrived in New York from Berlin. The Bernetts were art historians, which became the foundation of their book business. Peter entered the trade and the family business over forty years ago.  

F.A. Bernett Books is located in Boston, MA and specializes in Art, Architecture, Archeology, Design, Social History and Visual Culture from antiquity to the present. ABAA Member since 1994. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on November 15, 2014 at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

After graduating from Columbia University, Bryan Bilby moved to the west coast and began working in a small bookstore in the Haight. In 1995, Bryan decided to begin selling on his own and operated Chelsea Books for eight years before deciding to move back to the east coast with his wife and continue selling there as Appledore Books.

Appledore Books operates out of Waccabuc, NY and specializes in Literature, Art, Scholarly, Children's, Photography, Sports, and Bindings.

ABAA Member since 2005. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on November 18, 2012 at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Like many booksellers, it was a passion for books that brought Peter Blackman into the trade, first as a collector, then as a dealer. With an emphasis on research, a command of a number of European languages, and an interest in illustrated plates, Peter founded White Fox Rare Books and Antiques in 2007.

White Fox Rare Books and Antiques operates out of West Windsor, VT, and specializes in Illustrated Plate Books, Foreign Language Literature, Color Plate Books, Children’s Books, Early Printed Books, and Faux Books. ABAA Member since 2010. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on November 18, 2012 at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Stephen Eric Blackmer owns and operates Chanticleer Books in Sonoma, CA. He has been an antiquarian bookseller since 1985. Stephen specializes in Fine Books in many fields with an emphasis on Californiana, Western Americana, Jack London, and Food & Wine. ABAA Member since 1998. Interviewed by Taylor Bowie on October 11, 2009 at the Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair.