Big Antiquarian Book Fair for St. Petersburg

By: Carol J. Perry

As seen in The Antique Shoppe Newspaper, May, 2005

The 2005 Florida Antiquarian Book Fair took place at the Coliseum Ballroom in St. Petersburg, Florida. The event marked the 24th anniversary of this internationally famous show. Ninety-six dealers took part in the three-day fair which ran from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. There was, as always, an excellent mix of types of books, with widely varied values and vintages. A shopper could obtain a favorite "vintage paperback" or a reading copy of an old children's book for two or three dollars, or one might be tempted by a rare autographed copy of a book by a famous author in the five or six figure neighborhood.

In addition to booksellers from allover the United States, there were several present from other countries. Some other book-related businesses were represented with book- binders and dealers in prints and paper collectibles on site.

Children's books were much in evidence this year in many of the attractively set-up booths. A selection of old "Big Little" books, mostly well-worn but still interesting, were in the $15-$20 range. Buck Jones and The Two-Gun Kid was $15. Texas Ranger was $20 and a movie tie-in copy of Katherine Hepburn in the Little Minister by James Barrie was $15.

Old-time series books were featured by many dealers. Tom Swift and His Photo Telephone was $10 and Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle was $25. Some Judy Bolton titles in good condition with dust jackets were in the $30-$40 range and some Nancy Drews (blue cover) were up to $100.

There were pop-up books featured in several displays. A pop-up Mickey Mouse was $425 and a pop-up Popeye with the Hag of the Seven Seas was $150. A 1933 Mickey Mouse Sillv Symphony pop-up was $750.

"Black Sambo" books appeared in many booths. A 1939 Little Black Sambo promotional story book from "Arnsfield Brothers--for the finest footwear for the whole family -,- Johnstown, N.Y." It was $100. Another Little Black Sambo dating from the turn of the 20th century was $800. A boxed set of two Prang Company books, dated 1947 and illustrated by Fern Bissel Peat includes Little Black Sambo and The Tale of Peter Rabbit for $250. A 1926 book called A New Story of Little Black Sambo was $195. Yet another version was a 1961 Golden Book Little Black Samba was $45. A 1943 Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman had six moveable pages for $300. Another was a 1948 Little Black Sambo illustrated by Mary Laferen Russell at $100.

A large and beautiful book, lavishly illustrated by Maxfield Parrish was The Knave of Hearts by Louise Sanders. It was $675. Another wonderfully illustrated book was the 1909 edition of Harrison Fisher's 8merican Beauties with 21 color pages of lovely women painted by the famous illustrator, complete with original dust jacket at $650.

An early Disney book was a 1938 Mickey Mouse Alphabet at $300. A 1924 first edition of Johnny Gruelle's Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Camel With the Wrinkled Knees was $425.

Mystery books are always a draw at this event. A first edition of Murder in the Mews, 1931, by Helen Reilly was $200. Reilly's Doll Trunk Murders, a 1932 first edition, was $700. A first of Agatha Christie's 1940 And Then There Were None was $400. A first edition, first issue of Sue Grafton's A is for Alibi. was $950.

A first U.K. edition of From Here to Eternity by James Jones, 1952, was $90. A first Canadian edition of A Connecticut Yankee in Kina Arthur's Court by Mark Twain, 1880, was $135.

A set of the complete works of Joseph Conrad was displayed in an interesting manner. Each of the books had a "generic" computer-generated dust jacket, although some had their original dust jackets beneath the plain one. The set was priced at $400. A 1986 first edition of Forest Gump by Winston Groom was $300. A first edition of the 1965 J.D. MacDonald book The House Guests was $700.

A two-volume set of Uncle Tom's Cabin or Life Among the Lowly by Harriet Beecher Stowe was $3500. A first edition of Grace Metalious' Peyton Place, signed, was $2500. Another valuable signed book was a first edition of Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind. The autographed book, with dust jacket, was $15,000.

A signed first edition of E. B. White's Charlotte's Web was $20,000. A first of W. Somerset Maugham's Ashenden was $13,500. A signed copy of Louis L'Amour's first book Smoke From this Altar was $4000.

A handsomely leather bound three volume set of Boswick's Life of Johnson was $400. Nine volumes, leather bound, of the works of Robert Browning was $800, and a two volume set of Prince of India was $125 each volume.

An 1881 first edition of Five Weeks in a Balloon by Jules Verne was $75. An 1877 edition of Verne's Winter Amid the Ice was $200. A 1929 first edition of Edgar Rice Burrows'  Tanar of Pellucidar was $75. A first of Flannery O'Connor's Good Man is Hard to Find was $700 and a first of The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson was $450.

A 1986 copy of Beyond the Grave by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini, autographed by both authors, was $100.

A first edition, Maxfield Parrish illustrated 1910 copy of A Wonder Book and Tanglewood Tales was $250.

A 1954 Roy Rogers and Dale Evans "punchout" book from Whitman, uncut, was $200.

Plans are already underway for the 25th anniversary year of the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair. The event will take place at the Coliseum on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 10, 11 and 12, 2006. For information contact Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, c/o 1230 79th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702 or flapr@tampabay.rr.com