Antiquarian booksellers’ association

The oldest book trade association in the world, and considered internationally one of the pre-eminent associations of book dealers, Jonathan Frost was delighted to become a full member of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association in 2014. The ABA’s renown comes in no small part from the high standards it commands from its members, and the stringent code of practice to which they have to adhere.

The ABA is famously in charge of the hugely respected London International Antiquarian Book Fair held at Battersea in the summer, which attracts bibliophiles, celebrities, media and other ancillary trade bodies alike to its door in vast numbers, its members often exhibiting an incredible variety of exceptionally rare books, manuscripts, ephemera and other works on paper at often jaw-dropping prices. It also hosts the popular Chelsea Book Fair in November, as well as a collaborative annual event with the PBFA in Edinburgh.

The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association also provide their members access to the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers Book Fairs.

Read Jonathan Frost’s profile on the ABA website.

PROVINCIAL BOOKSELLERS FAIRS ASSOCIATION

Officially founded in 1974, the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association or PBFA holds over 80 Fairs of secondhand, collectable and rare books throughout the UK, including a selection of ‘Premier Fairs’ such as the York Book Fair, London Book Fair and Oxford Book Fair.

The PBFA has over 500 members, and we joined many years ago!

The PBFA Book Fairs represent an excellent opportunity to view (and ideally buy!) a wide range of books at a huge selection of prices, as well as rubbing shoulders with like-minded bibliophiles within and without the trade.

All Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association members are expected to adhere to a Code of Practice, to protect customers and maintain the reputation of the trade simultaneously.