Who wants a $32,000 copy of Runaway Bunny ?
The New York Antiquarian Book Fair at the Park Avenue Armory showcases rare books and literary ephemera, drawing collectors and dealers from around the world. Items on display range from a $32,000 first edition of Runaway Bunny to a $350,000 16th-century William Caxton print. The event highlights the tension between books as cultural artifacts and their role as high-value commodities in a luxury market.
- ▪A first edition of The Runaway Bunny is priced at $32,000 at the Bauman Rare Books booth.
- ▪A 16th-century book printed by William Caxton is for sale at $350,000 by Liber Antiquus.
- ▪The fair features international dealers and a wide range of materials, including broadsides, maps, and Beatnik-era pulp fiction.
- ▪Signed posters, early Arabic printings of Euclid, and Shackleton’s expedition account are among the rare items on display.
- ▪The Harper’s booth follows a 'downtown and pictures generation' theme, catering to niche collectors of countercultural memorabilia.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
This weekend, the Park Avenue Armory plays host to the New York Antiquarian Book Fair—i.e., Mecca, for a certain type of bibliophile. At the press preview, I’m conspicuously underdressed, having (lazily) assumed bowties and sweater-vests would rule the day in this crowd. Instead, it’s a sea of chic blue suits. Multiple dealers arrive in sequined floor-length cocktail dresses. At the Bruce McKittrick Rare Books Booth, all the purveyors wear flowered headbands. Visitors skew more eccentric. Leaning against the Armory entrance, I spy a fellow in cowboy hat and bright chartreuse pants. Which is all to tee up my first question: who are these people? A rare Eve Babitz.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Literary Hub.
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