Once upon a time, I dreamt of selling old books out of my sweltering fifth-floor apartment under a pseudonym no one would’ve cared to look into. Then, like most fever dreams, this one came and went with my underdeveloped commitment to hard work.

I am now, as I was then, contented with owning rare and by-the-wayside tomes rather than being obsessed with selling them. Ironically, I still have in my possession many compendiums and catalogues which detail prices and printing cycle dates for thousands of books, and this makes me pine away on occasion. For what, I do not know precisely. Perhaps the Welsh were on to something with the term Hiraeth.

In any case, I keep up with many companies that promote interest in old books (and more than a few who sell them). One of these marvelous purveyors is a company called The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA), and they’ve not only been around for good long time, but they are also one of the primary sources I consistently use for news and updates in the bookseller’s world.

Another such organization is the Manuscript Society. They, too, encourage interest in old books and all things literary, and I can’t really say enough about that kind of business model. In the current age (and I may sound a bit antiquarian here) I find myself becoming more and more skeptical of certain approaches to learning and disseminating ideas. Books will always be the most exquisite mechanism I know for the promotion of a healthy thinking faculty. What you read matters, of course, but if you start with books, you’re already on your way to a better mind, in my opinion.

Coming up on the 22nd of July, 2021, the Transatlantic Book Fair will be up and running for anyone who wants to buy or sell. It’s a great opportunity for adults and kids, really, and you won’t want to miss it for something silly like…having friends.