The Reform. It is not two years since the American book trade, demoralized and nearly disheartened, began a movement toward reform, in the face of most unpromising circumstances. The evils of the cut-throat system were universal, the heads of the trade were apathetic, many distrusted any sort of co-operation, and the trade sales were steadily making bad worse. This week we look back upon an enthusiastic convention of the trade from all parts of the country, whose acts are of the highest promise; a hearty co-operation in the movement on the part of all classes, and a Book Fair, which has been a marked success, and done away forever, let us hope, with the unwise and unsound system of old times. We print separately a full report of the Convention, with some editorial remarks upon it. Of the Book Fair we shall speak editorially at length in a future number, saying now only that, as a first experiment, its success was remarkable, and that the teachings of the experience the trade has gained by it will make the second one so thoroughly satisfactory to all as to assure the permanency of the new system. That there are modifications to be made in the plan, goes without saying; but the sales, even this first time, were fair, and great good was accomplished, all agreed, in bringing buyers together, making them acquainted with the stocks, and, by personal acquaintanceship thus formed, stimulating business the country through. Our present purpose is to congratulate the trade on the success of the reform. Nothing has so far been done but that the most conservative can accept, and yet a power has been evolved that promises to cure many of the evils that afflict the trade. To hope that every thing can be cured, at once or in the end, is asking too much of human nature. The reform is in a nutshell: let us stick mainly to retail prices, and let us close down in discounts upon those who won't see the sun when it shines. That is what the present aspect of the reform is, and this will go so far to remedy present evils as virtually to accomplish all. There seems to be now no reason why the whole trade can not unite in active co-operation on this platform. There is no interference, or no dictation in it, and because there is none of either, we believe it is bound to go through. Certainly it is the only platform on which all the trade can unite, and which is yet competent to cure the evils for which it is the alternative. And after all, nothing succeeds like successand the reform is a success! By resolution of the Convention, the 1st of August is definitely set as the time for the retail price rule to go into force, wherever it is not already observed. We trust the trade will generally put it into operation on that date, even if local arrangements may not then be perfected. Especially in these dull times, when there is little buying, the trade can afford to exercise some faith-and faith will produce works. If there are any who hold back, they are scarcely likely to hold back long, and meanwhile the houses in the reform can not afford to set them a bad example, by following their precedent instead of the wise rules. The Book Fair. THE first Book Fair of the American book trade opened at Clinton Hall, New-York, Monday, 19th July, at nine, and closed at noon of Saturday, 24th July. There were represented at it 97 publishing houses, of whom 58 were of New-York, 17 of Boston, and 15 of Philadelphia, and 52 manufacturing stationers, art publishers, or paper makers. There are recorded 94 buyers, from 17 different States, who were present in person; this list may be incomplete, and there were some present who did not buy. Our figures, which are nearly complete and approx. imately correct, record 32,694 samples as exhibited, of which 22, 598 were from New-York, 3982 from Boston, and 5886 from Philadelphia houses. Some houses exhibited their full stock, with duplicates in extra bindings; others only those books to which they wished to call especial attention. The former was the general rule, and Harper & Bros. led the list with 4400 volumes. The sales for the week can not yet be given with any accuracy, but they are estimated at something above a quarter of a million dollars-more than was ever sold at a trade sale. These sales were made chiefly by the large houses, and four leading firms sold nearly $150,000 of this total, or about half. These were Harpers, Appleton, Osgood, and either one of two or three other firms. Those houses which did not make large sales were nevertheless their stock and making new personal acquaintgreatly pleased with the opportunity of showing ances through the trade, and hope for definite results from the Fair in the ensuing fall trade. Take it all in all, and remembering that it was a first experiment, the first meeting of the Booksellers' Exchange and Clearing House" was a notable success, and is thought to insure the permanency of the new system, especially in view of the modifications the experience of this sale will cause in those to come. The scene at the Fair was one long to be remembered. Entrance was had through the doors to the regular trade-sales room, and thence through Mr. George A. Leavitt's private office, which was a headquarters room, to the large reading-room of the Mercantile Library, offered to the Association by the courtesy of the directors. From the auction-room, a new stairway led directly to the stationery-room above, where the most effective show was made, for it must be confessed that the long racks and tables below, with their thousands of books, became somewhat monotonous. Up-stairs, the room was bright with Prang's chromos and Taber's photographs, and all the pretty things that represent the etc. side of the bookstore, although we are happy to state that neither wall-papers nor Crandall's acrobats were visible. In fact, the Fair fairly represented, on a large scale, what we hope every bookstore may become in less degree. Down-stairs, it was book after book, line upon line, from one end to the other. The large firms were generally in the main room, the north-west corner being occupied by Harper & Bros., who, intrenched behind their immense stock, made a cosy counting-room for themselves out of their corner. Their great sign above was the conspicuous thing in the room. Somebody came up to W. H. Demarest, that veteran favorite at Franklin square, and expressed surprise at the unusual sight of him anywhere except at the Harpers' establishment. Why, this is part of the Harper establishment!" said he pleasantly, and so it looked. Elsewhere other large signs called the friends of other houses to rally under their standards, and smaller signs, which the managers had caused to be prepared in abundance, marked each assignment of space. The well-known owl which had descended from Mr. Leypoldt to Henry Holt & Co., blinked wisely from above their display-a capital idea, which other houses, having manageable symbols, would do well to take advantage of for the next Fair. A general decoration of this sort would add much to its picturesqueness. The PUBLISHERS' WEEKLY was given a place of honor, occupying the main desk in the reading-room, and directly below was the sum of the whole matter-all the books in the room in the rough-at the office of Webster's Dictionaries. Both rooms were divided by a long aisle running lengthwise of the buildings; on the tables running crosswise from these, racks had been ingeniously constructed, on which the stock was displayed. The larger houses occupied both sides of a compartment so made, using the space between for its desk and counting-room. The smaller firms were assigned parts of a rack, or a table wherever one could be wedged in, and it gave Mr. George Leavitt a headache to know what to do with the people who would rush in at the last moment. Another year, nearly double this space will be required. buyers. Col. Ammon, of Osgood's, was kept so busy one afternoon, that he thought leading a regiment into battle was a little easier and less dangerous, on the whole, and the afflicted buyers, even the strictly temperance men, had chronic headaches. They would be seized upon first here, then there, until they began to grow vain, and one publisher objects to the Fair, because it "gives these fellows altogether too big a sense of their own importance." The scene was animated indeed, not least when in "the intervals of business" some bit of practical humor would get together an impromptu convention, and seller as well as goods be "sold." The bust of the venerable Peter Cooper beamed serenely upon the aggregated wisdom one afternoon from under " Bill Lee's" hat, but the gravity of Mr. Holt's owl preserved it from being boiled or otherwise made a fool of. Good nature reigned, but we saw no bibulatory excess of the article. In these respects, every thing went off admirably. The sales, as we have said, reached probably over $250,000. The chief attractions were the larger houses, whose discounts had hitherto been stiff, and who had therefore some margin for extra terms. Thus the Harpers made a clean 40 off on the whole line, and they sold, we believe, over fifty bills. The number of individual bills in each case was considerable, and a very large proportion of these were with buyers whom the sellers met directly for the first time. The great jobbing houses were among the largest buyers, despite the notion that the Fair would hurt their business. Mr. Dillingham expressed the sentiment when he said, "This is altogether too big a country for any one thing to do all the business," and every body agreed that the personal acquaintanceship and knowledge of stocks gained at the Fair, with the inspiration from the reform movement and its general gatherings, would stimulate the booksellers to such extra exertion at home as would much increase the total of bookselling in this country, and make business better for every interest in the trade. The five per cent stood in the way with some sellers, and the indorsement of notes was objected to by some buyers, and both these points need to be fully discussed; we shall treat of them editorially hereafter. But the chief supporters of the trade sales found their sales larger, at better average It had required nearly two weeks' hard work prices-without its dangers and with less comto get things in shape for the contributors, and missions. It should be said that there is a good many of the samples did not arrive till Satur- deal more work in looking after such a Fair day. Mr. Kimball, of Lippincott's, for instance, than many at first sight have much idea of. came on in the midnight train with his stock, Most houses made as good terms as, or better was on hand at five o'clock Monday morning, than, at their own stores, the prominent excepand had every thing arranged so that he sold, to tions being some of the school-book men. The a New-Hampshire buyer, the first bill of books A. B. T. A. Committee on Book Fair held a ever sold at a fair, thus enrolling his name in meeting Wednesday morning in consultation the temple of fame. Our Mr. Brinckerhoff, with Messrs. Barnes, Blakeman, Armstrong, however, claims both the first and the last sales and Holt, to try to overcome this difficultyat the Exchange, in subscriptions to the Literary but without success. One of the prominent News. Matters were rather in confusion during dealers put it that they had come into the Fair Monday; there was a good deal of curiosity, not so much for their own good as to take part and scarce any one bought. The sellers felt in the trade movement; they were perfectly blue, and prophesied failure for the Fair. By willing to sell $100,000 and draw a check diWednesday morning, however, it was proved rectly to Mr. Leavitt for $2500, for the sake of that the buyers were there, and had been look-promoting so excellent a thing as the Fair, but ing around to some purpose, and the sales grew greater each day as the Fair continued, until Saturday, when preparations for closing up rather interfered with selling. The work of the week was pretty hard, both upon sellers.nd their agents, with whom they had previously made special terms, had entered definite protest against reductions at the Fair, and in justice to them they could not make better. rates. Some sales were made during or after the Fair at the stores, but chiefly in the case of those buyers who had established relations, and insisted on so doing; for we should be slow to believe that many used the advantages of the Fair and dodged payment for them. The dinner, elsewhere spoken of, was gotten up altogether at the Fair, without formality and in something of a hurry, and was a pleasant episode. A publishers' invitation dinner was at first proposed, but it was thought better by officers of the Association to make it an A. B. T. A. matter, as was done. In his speech at the dinner, President Randolph referred to the success of the Fair, noting the difference between old days, when the entire American production would not fill one of the racks that now crowded Clinton Hall, and these times, when one house made an offer for 20,000 Webster's Quartos, and the publishers split on a quarter of a dollar! The offer referred to was from D. Appleton & Co., at $7.75, or $155,000 in a lump; it would have absorbed nearly half the year's production. Besides the criticisms upon this or that detail of the plan of the committee-for which plan, working for a first time so admirably on the whole, they deserve all thanks-two things conspired against the present Fair. First, it was too early; the attempt to hit two birds, the school-book and miscellaneous trades, with one stone, did not work. Secondly, a good part of the buying trade, despising the prophecies of the WEEKLY, were quite sure the Fair would be a failure, and didn't come on. They are sorry enough now. Large orders came in by mail from Pittsburg, Portland, and elsewhere, but in all cases the writers were notified that they could not be sold on the Fair terms except they were there. Mr. S. A. Clark, of the former place, immediately took train for New-York and bought largely the last days. These two drawbacks made the sales half of what they would otherwise have been-and yet the Fair was thoroughly a success, by universal acknowledgment of those present. The chief question now is about the next Fair. The trade generally believe in having only one a year, in September or October, at which the most reliable dealers estimate a million dollars' worth could hereafter be sold. Opinion is divided as to the expediency of having a supplementary one next October: some say this did not touch the holiday trade, which would flock to a sale then; others say that those who hadn't enough faith to come on and buy now had better be left hungry till the great sale of next year. We had meant to have given our readers a plan of the Fair, but the delay in the applications for and assignment of space made it impossible to have it ready to be of use then, and we find the expense so considerable as to be precluded now by the other outlay necessitated by the Convention and Fair. We give, however, a full list of contributors, of their representatives as far as could be learned, and a count or estimate, where it could be obtained, of the number of samples each displayed. Also a list of buyers, which it will be seen includes some of the best houses from all parts of the country. For any imperfections in these lists we must plead the inherent difficulties in procuring them. List of Selling Houses. Adams, Victor & Co... M. N. Walsh (stationery dep't). Francisco de Oliveira. C. W. Barnes. Frank Dodd. A. C. Warner. C. K. Dabney. D. G. Cunningham. J. Abner Harper. G. A. Barnes. Haverty, P. M. A. G. Houghton. Kelly, T...... Lee, Shepard & Dillingham (see Lee & Shepard). Strong, T. W., late E. Dunigan & Bro..... 287 Gill, William F. & Co..... P. H. Hughes. William F. Gill. Souder, S. T. & Co... 50 18 S. T. Souder. BOSTON. Brewer & Tileston.... Davis, Robert S. & Co.. Ditson, Oliver & Co.... Estes & Lauriat. 102 Anthony, E. & H. T. & Co., Albums...... 300 Wallach, Willy.... L. Brower. H. P. Tibbals. M. V. Foster. T. D. McCormack. Baker, Pratt & Co.... William T. Pratt. R. H. Stevens. J. H. Brown. PHILADELPHIA. Artemus & Co..... Gladding, John & Son... M. J. F. Doyle. SPRINGFIELD, MASS. Bradley (Milton) & Co... . . . . S. L. Welch. |