Someone's Idea of the World's 10 Best Bookshops

From 18 miles of books in New York to a feast for the eyes in Singapore, The Independent lists their top literary hangouts.

Barron's Scopes Rare Book Market

Recession Beaters

THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A GOOD, OLD BOOK. Despite the ravages of the recession and the advances of the digital age, prices of high-end rare books are holding firm.

In fact, Swann Auction Galleries in New York, a specialist in the field, recently garnered a record $72,000 for a book from Latin America. In fact, it was the first book published in Peru (some light reading on Catholic doctrine).

Illustrated art books also have been selling well: A signed, first-edition Andy Warhol hardcover from 1967 recently went for $6,000 at Swann.

"People are turning to rare collectibles in an economy like this, because the supply is finite and you are getting something tangible -- it is a sounder investment than plenty of stocks," in the opinion of Swann's Rick Stattler.

The market hasn't been as kind to less-valuable collectible books. All told, books and related ephemera are fetching 18% less at auction than they did in 2008, or a median of roughly $400 per lot (usually just one book), reports online-bookselling source Americana Exchange. But in the luxe market, says Adina Cohen of New York's Argosy Book Store, a purveyor of antiquarian fare, "We haven't lowered our prices at all, and if we don't sell it today, we will sell it next week or next year."

One Way To Beat The High Cost of Rare Books.

A red notebook of 33 pencil drawings by Pablo Picasso has been stolen from a specially locked glass case in the Paris museum that bears the painter's name. The book is believed to be worth 8 million euros ($11 million), a police official said.

HBG Lands Big LEC Fish

HBG has recently purchased a most significant collection of modern Limited Editions Club issues...De Kooning, Motherwell, Balthus, Weston, Eisenstaedt, Henri Cartier-Bresson,Robert Ryman and Mapplethorpe..and many more of the most significant artists of our era.

We have a quarter of the collection catalogued and offered for inspection at :

http://www.heldfond.com/featurearts.htm

The remaining collection will be presently offered for sale in this manner.

Stay tuned. Subscribe.

Staff Meeting

View from location of today's staff meeting/BBQ.Treehouse estate
overlooking Mt.Tamalpais in Marin County.

Stanford Students Get Awards For Essays on Book Collecting

What is the use of hoarding books—those "fragile, papery materials that could easily be ruined with one casual slosh of a coffee cup"? But Ruth McCann, who wrote those words, became an addict. And while most addictions are far from profitable, hers has garnered her a $2,500 first prize with Stanford's Byra J. and William P. Wreden Prize for Collecting Books and Related Materials.

Antwerp's Beautiful Reading Room

The Nottebohm Room is everything you'd imagine a traditional reading room should be, all dark wood paneling, inviting desks, and two stories of books that will bring a respectful hush over any book lover.

Cops: Artifacts removed illegally from Italy

Italian immigrant John Sisto was known as a collector of art and rare books, but the enormity of the treasure his sons found in the 78-year-old widower's house on South Elmwood Avenue generated interest not only from his neighbors and other collectors, but from the Italian government, Berwyn police and the FBI said.

HBG New Office Digs

In addition to our showroom in Marin County, The HBG, Ltd. has now acquired this stunning property to serve as our office and remote operational center. All IT design work including Web and Print operations along with catalog production, auction interfacing, advertising,business operations and specialist third-party contracted design services will be conducted from this location. All Rare Book sales will continue to be conducted through our Marin County Gallery.This facility will be closed to the trade and general public but, we thought you'd like to have a look anyway
.

Man held over theft of Shakespeare first folio.

Brazen robbery rocks Rare Book World. We understand preliminary casting has already begun for the film version of the inevitable book to be written by the accused.Who said the rare book trade was dull ?

We Buy Books

Yes...we're always looking for good material to sell. We could ramble on like stuffy Rare Booksellers on this subject but...we've hired these folks to do some plain talking for us. We hope you'll listen to what they have to say.

HBG Does Deco

Art Moderne ( Art Deco) graphical application is our supreme focus.We offer specialized items of interest which pertain to this era.

Our ever-changing offerings comprise superior achievements in period illustration,design and production.

We also offer the most complete resource to Art Moderne and Art Deco Reference materials available online.

There's a bit rennovation going on presently
but we'll be fully available come summer.