Book Dealers' Catalogues

Between ephemeral and permanent, each dealer's assay into his stock to bring forth a catalogue challenges his audience: to save or to destroy. We argue both sides but lean toward the defense.

Advertisments, and especially book dealers' catalogues, are not easily catalogued themselves. Balanced between commerce and culture, and between entertainment and education, and between art and the ordinary, they demand a decision: to trash or to conserve. The weight of current opinion is to throw the bugger out. And why not? Most appear to have been constructed in an off-handed almost inattentive way intended to be widely cast and so cast-out. Except the high gloss and the slick, the expensive production of hardback and fine illustrations. Except obvious importance because items listed are rare and expensive.

The limited space, the outer edge of attention, content below interest, shoddy? Dump it. Does it pay for its weight in the life-boat? Does it redeem itself with joy, with instruction, with piety, with astonishment?

If not, off with its head, down the drain, good-bye and come not between the sun and us again.

But allow me to ask you, with your hand in mid-gesture, the poor little pamphlet ready to be deep-sixed into a wastebasket and from there on to the chopper, the moldy mound, the slow fire, to reconsider.

Here in this flimsy pamphlet is a unique gathering of titles, together for the moment but to be dispersed. A sampling of the possible, far richer than the reshuffled deck of cards, coming closer to the gene code in reproduction. Isn't this expression of the association realized worthy of salvage, even if it is otherwise empty?

Price as an expression of opinion--and it is certain that these pamphlets are precisely that--opinion: straightforward, directly expressed. Each book listed with its associated number backed by the willingness of the particular dealer to exchange. Concrete, specific, directly linked with the opinionator, isn't this enough to hold your hand?

An observer's report on his investigations: For the physical book is described in detail, its faults, its marks, its enhancements and, on occasion, a review of substantive content. It is like a photograph, if done correctly the physical object, the book itself, is identified. The homogenized facade is pierced and the pamphlet itself can become the singular carrier of the singular. Yes, save it.

There are frequently extras: The sequence of pamphlets issued by one dealer--the development over time, changes in style and emphasis. Illustrations, including photos of books, reproductions of illustrations in books, sketches. Bibliographies of reference books useful in the evaluation of books. Notes, asides, poems, commentary.

Collecting patterns are as numerous as collectors. I will sketch in a few possibles. WIDE AND RANDOM, any and every: The intention is toward encyclopedic; frequently leads to a compilation of a price guide. SUBJECT SPECIFIC: You not only want to gather books on your specific subject but you want associated bibliographies, ergo the dealers' catalogues that fit. TITLE SPECIFIC: If you have a book you prize you will want to enrich your holding by collecting associatons, like reviews. This would include mentions in dealer catalogues. DEALER SPECIFIC: A dealer's style and collecting interests might parallel your own and you might follow his or her work. The dealer frequently has other identity tags like being a novelist or a scholar that make a difference. William Buckley comes to mind.

One other point: The majority, but far from all, of book dealers' catalogues are undated. Tisk, tisk, bad form but understandable. It might take several years to sell out a list, if even then, and a date would date the material and the customer might start having doubts about availability. But generally we wouldn't expect a patron interested in old and used books to be put off by a date. Who knows? One possible remedy: The recipient of a pamphlet can note the date of arrival in light pencil on the margin of the rear cover.

Like a defense attorney I have probably overstated my case. But the next time you toss a dealer's catalogue you, as judge, might pause and consider.

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Alvin Katz Copyright 2001