Sufficient material about Jose Gaspar exists to keep a keen researcher occupied for some time.
The quest for treasure of the literary kind
It’s not a huge stretch to draw a connection between the Tampa Bay area’s rich and colorful swashbuckling heritage and the hunt for literary treasures awaiting book lovers at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair.
It’s a fundamental part of life in our area. The Caribbean pirating era lasted three centuries. It started in the 1500s, and seafaring desperados sometimes used the peninsula now known as Florida as a hiding place for their booty. So, in that context, it’s easy to imagine a treasure chest full of wonderful antiquarian books, though one reasonably questions whether storing them in chest in the high humidity you’d find at the beach is such a good idea.
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Pirate ship replica Jose Gaspar 2 sails into Tampa.
It’s merely a visual representation of the notion but hardly to be taken literally.
In modern times, the pirate legacy continues. Tampa Bay has been celebrating the legendary privateer Jose Gaspar for more than 100 years. Conflicting accounts abound about whether the fabled pirate actually existed — and if he did, to what extent the tales about him are true. Such material exists that could keep a keen researcher occupied for some time.
Regardless, each year at Gasparilla, locals gather by the Tampa Bay waterfront for the mock invasion as a replica pirate ship sails into town. It is, perhaps, one of the largest events in Florida.
Drawing of Jose Gaspar from a 1900 brochure.
Of course, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers professional football team extends the myth with a whole team built around the legend.
So, this year’s theme for the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair is a tribute to that exciting heritage, and it’s an opportunity to highlight the trove of literature treasures to be march 2025
found at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg.
Book lovers will find a vast array of old, rare, and collectible books to add to their collections. Books on almost any subject imaginable, including classic literature, Florida history, world history, poetry, cooking, military history, art books, religion books, children’s books. The list goes on. Plus, collectors will find prints, maps, post cards, photographs, ephemera and other paper collectibles.
Items range in price from a few dollars to several hundred thousand dollars.
A complete listing of the exhibitors and their specialties is available at the Florida Antiquarian Booksellers' website: https://www.floridaantiquarianbookfair.com/exhibitors
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Gasparilla revelers await the invasion.
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Vintage map of Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
Florida Antiquarian Book Fair is the largest and longest running fair of its kind in the southeastern United States and features specialized booksellers from all over the country. Food and beverages, including cash bar, are available inside The Colisem.
St. Petersburg’s 1920s-era Coliseum at 535 Fourth Avenue North is known as “the finest ballroom in the South.” The venue has played host to such famed artists as Louie Armstrong, Buddy Rich, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Harry James, among others.
The City of St. Petersburg, which bought the facility in 1989, restored it to its original splendor, with polished oak floors and a high arched ceiling. The Coliseum boasts plenty of free parking and is conveniently located for easy walking to downtown hotels, shops, and restaurants.
The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair is sponsored by WUSF. It is presented by the Florida Antiquarian Booksellers Association, Florida’s quality rare book organization since 1981.
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Our Motley Krewe
During the book fair, watch for these costumed, funloving buccaneers. This photo is from an appearance on WTSP Channel 10’s morning program Great Day Live. On left, book dealer Sandi Silverman of The Unbound Bookery, and posing with Great Day Live producer Jackie Keenan (middle) are Madeline Knecht, Johana Bull, Caleb Knecht, and Hannah Tharp. The students are members of DeArmon Creative Arts School and Theater (CAST) in Lutz.
WELCOME TO THE BOOK FAIR
1 Mori Books
Children's Illustrated & Series, Americana, Modern Firsts, Boy & Girl Scouts, Sports including golf, baseball & fishing, Counter Culture, Cookbooks, General.
2 Intergalactic Trading Photoplays, Movie & TV Books
3 Lighthouse Books, FABA, ABAA, ILAB
General Antiquarian, with an emphasis on Florida History, Americana, Caribbean History, Military History; Children’s Books; Maps
4A Old New York Book Shop, ABAA, ILAB
General Antiquarian
4B Crow Hop Rare Books, ABAA
African Americana, Social Movements, Archives, Ephemera
5 Liberty Book Store, FABA
6A A-Book-A-Brac Shop, FABA
Art, Architecture, Medicine, Photography, Hunting, Firearms, Fishing, Military, First Editions, General, Appraisal Services
6B One of a Kind Collectibles
Autographs, Documents, Photography, Books
7 Inklings Book Shoppe, FABA, SIBA, ABA
General stock, Modern first editions, Vintage paperbacks, Space race-era, Sci-fi/ Fantasy, and early 1900s Children’s, Detective Series
8 As Time Goes By
General
9 Sleuth Books, FABA
Juvenile Series, Children's, Florida History, Mystery, Sports
10-11 Back in Time Rare Books, FABA
General
12-13 Glover's Bookery, ABAA, ILAB
General Scarce, Rare and Antiquarian Books
14 The Book Chaser, FABA
Florida & the South, Special Bindings & Unique Editions of Every Subject; Plus Book Binding Services, Repairs and Custom Design Bindings
15 Paul & Elaine Jones, Booksellers
Signed modern first editions
16 Yesterday's Books
General Stock
17-18 Books 4 Ewe Rare Books
Modern First Editions, Southern Lit
19 Good Books in the Woods
Modern Literature, Hunting, Exploration
20 Ed’s Editions, LLC, ABAA, ILAB
General, Antiquarian
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21 West Side Bookshop, ABAA, ILAB
Travel & Exploration, Literary First Edition, Americana
22 Kenneth Leininger
Early Printing, Americana, Bibles
23 Little Button Rose
Literary First Editions, Alcott, Hemingway, etc.; Vintage Children’s
24 Riverow Bookshop, Inc., ABAA General.
25 Roses & Onions
Vintage, Children’s, Children’s Series, Signed
26 Cardtique
Victorian Ephemera, Valentines, Trade Cards
27 The Ridge Books
Southern, African American, Music, American Edge, Native American
28 Doyle’s Books
Modern First Editions, Rivers of America, Modern Library
29 The Last Folio Americana, Floridiana, Modern Firsts, Travel, History, Art
30 Foster Books, FABA
Signed books in most categories, Music, Entertainment, Modern Firsts, Children’s Illustrated and Juvenile Series
31-38 Grayshelf Books, ABAA
Modern First Editions, Science Fiction, Horror
32 Toadlily Books, ABAA, ILAB
Occult, Natural History, Books about Books, LGBTQI, Illustrated, Cookbooks, General
33 Whalon Books, FABA
34A Book Bazaar, Inc., FABA
Modern First Editions, Sets, History
34B A. Parker's Books Inc., FABA, ABAA, ILAB Art, Fine Bindings, Literature
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35 Copperfish Books, FABA Florida, Literature, Children’s, General
36 Shelf Indulgence
Collectible Science Fiction & Fantasy
37 Bob Lakin Books Fiction, Vintage Juvenile, Signed Books
39 New World Maps, Inc., FABA
Original antique and collectible maps, prints, and atlases, with an extensive inventory of transportation-related folding maps, travel brochures, and paper ephemera.
40-41 Bookleggers Fine Books, ABAA, ILAB
Quality Books in all Categories - General Antiquarian
42 Kings Arms Rare Books 18th/19th Century Fine Bindings
43 Imperial Fine Books Inc., ABAA, ILAB Leather-bound Sets, Fine Bindings, Children’s, Churchill, Fine & Rare Books
44 Bauman Rare Books, ABAA, ILAB Americana, Autographs, Children’s Books, History, Literature
45 First Folio, ABAA, ILAB Fine Bindings, Illustrated, General Rare Books
46 Shelley and Son Books
General antiquarian with special emphasis on C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien and the Inklings, Religion
47 InkQ Rare Books Literature, Ephemera, Drugs, William Goldman, Larry McMurtry
48 Reagan’s Rare Book Fine Leather Bindings
49 Jonathan Tomhave, Bookseller Fine Bindings, Silver Bindings, Travel, Sets
50 The Family Book Shop, FABA General, books of all interests
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51-52 Blind Horse Books, FABA, ABAA, ILAB
Pleased to Present Travel, Exploration,Geography and Other Noteworthy Books
53-54-55 Bernard E. Goodman, Bookseller
Modern First Editions, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Ephemera
56 Books of the Ages
Children’s, Illustrated, Tasha Tudor, Pop Ups, Caldecott and Newbery Award Winners, Series, Tolkien
57 Old Editions Book Shop, ABAA, ILAB
General Antiquarian
58-59 Tall Stories
Vintage Military, HPL, REH, PKD, SF&F ephemera, Signed C.S. Lewis, signed Octavia Butler, Romantasy (sprayed edges), SIGNED art by George Barr, Thomas Canty, John Harris, Chris Achilleos, Virgil Finlay, and more.
60 A Thousand Words
General Antiquarian
61 Starr Bookworks Bookbinding
62 Angel’s Bookshoppe
General Antiquarian, Medieval History, South Carolina History, Revolutionary & Civil Wars
63 Signed, Sold, Delivered Books
Autographed Books
64 Sean Donnelly, Bookseller
Signed Books, Modern First Editions, Mystery & Science Fiction, Americana, Ephemera
65 Tennyson Williams, Books & Fine Art
66 The Unbound Bookery Antique, rare, collectible.Specializing in Margaret Armstrong and other cover artists
67 Courtside Books
Modern First Editions
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68 The First Edition Rare Books
U. S. Political History, Signed Books, Limited Editions, Military History
69 Capitol Hill Books Generalist
70-71 William Hutchison Books General
72 Rio Verde Co Rare & Collectible Books; Children’s Books; Illustrated
73 Michael Tormey Books Mysteries of the 20s, 30s, 40s; Books into Film; Literary High Spots
74 Tippecanoe Antiques Trader Women’s Studies, First Editions, Florida, Unusual Books, Early Papers & Prints
75 Caroliniana Rare Books, ABAA, ILAB Americana, Ephemera, Photographs, General Antiquarian
76 Andy Meek, Inc. Interesting Americana, American Social History, Books, Photographs, Ephemera
77 Four Winds Books, ABAA, ILAB Children's & Illustrated, Horse & Dog Sporting, General.
77 Carnegie Hill Books Architecture, Design, Ephemera
78A Americana Books, ABAA, ILAB History, Travel, Exploration, Ephemera, General Stock
78B Kenneth Mallory, Bookseller, ABAA, ILAB Art, Architecture, Photography, General.
79 Underground Books, ABAA Fairy Tales & Folklore, Science & Nature, Publisher’s Cloth, Women in Literature, Occult & Esoteric, Fine Press, Print Curiosities, Bookish Gifts
80 K & S Fine Arts Maps, Books, Prints
81 Stand-Up Librarian Designs Literary fashions and accessories
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82 Florida Bibliophile Society
83 Ageless Literature Marketplace for Book Collectors
LOBBY
Imperial House Antiques
Vintage Halloween
Robb Smith, Jr Caricatures, Children’s Florida History Books
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CODE OF ETHICS
PREAMBLE
The Florida Antiquarian Booksellers Association was formed to bring together persons involved in the selling of rare and out-of-print books, manuscripts, letters, prints, documents, and other written and printed materials. As such, we are proud to be a part of a time-honored tradition whereby booksellers, private collectors and institutional libraries promote the preservation and protection of important literary and historical works which are our common heritage.
The mutual trust ordinarily found between antiquarian booksellers and their customers is an honorable tradition we seek to extend through our adoption of this Code of Ethics which sets forth standards and guidelines for members in transactions with both customers and one another.
Its intent is to advance the highest ethical considerations in our profession, to promote mutual trust amongst members, and to increase public confidence in our trade.
CODE OF ETHICS
1. Membership in the Florida Antiquarian Booksellers Association should signify commitment to high ethical standards and honest business practices. Each member accepts this premise and these guidelines.
2. Members will not misrepresent value in buying or selling. We recognize that there is a wide variance for pricing in the antiquarian book trade, and no absolute criteria for pricing exist. However, members will endeavor to follow generally accepted standards and practices when
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florida antiquarian book fair
appraising and pricing their own merchandise, or when they are providing similar services to others.
3. Members will provide prospective customers with all information known to them about any flaws or defects in material offered for sale.
4. Members will allow for a return of items purchased from them, with a full refund or exchange, if the customer discovers flaws or defects which were not previously noticed – if such return is made in a timely manner, and insofar as the seller is persuaded that such defects were present at the time of sale and were not occasioned after the purchase.
5. Members will make no alterations to material they offer for sale where such would tend to deceive customers as to the edition, state, or basic condition of such material. This does not preclude skillful cleaning or repair.
6. Members will not knowingly purchase material from others which they have reason to believe was stolen or may rightfully belong to another. Should such be offered, the bookseller will notify other members who may be similarly solicited. With sufficient cause, appropriate authorities should be notified.
7. If it is determined later that something acquired in good faith was wrongfully obtained or stolen by the party providing it, other members in the area should be advised to beware of the material offered by that person. Also, every effort should be made to see that such material is restored to its rightful owner.
8. Members will maintain a standard of excellence and honesty in their advertising and promotional claims which is consonant with their offerings, and which does not disparage their fellow members.
9. While recognizing they are competitors in the marketplace, members regard their professional and fraternal association as a bond of trust and mutual support, and will readily refer customers to one another as the situation warrants. Members will make available to customers the annual Directory of the Association.
10. These guidelines can and shall be used as a yardstick in consideration of applications for membership in the Association.
11. Members of the Florida Antiquarian Booksellers Association pledge themselves to do all that is necessary to maintain the good reputation generally enjoyed by antiquarian booksellers throughout the country.
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