After a busy early part of the year exhibiting successfully at the California Antiquarian Book Fair and the New York Antiquarian Book Fair, Lloyd Currey and I exhibited together at the Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention. The Windy City Con was held in Lombard, IL recently (April 21-23).
We were planning for a relaxing weekend as this is a relatively small show but the buyers are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Sales were robust and exceeded expectations. It was enjoyable meeting old and new customers and our tables remained busy throughout the show.
This show could easily become the premiere show for genre material. There are great selections of pulp magazines that run the gamut from reasonably priced material to rare and scarce issues. Dealers also bring a wide selection of books from reading copies to interesting and rare books that cover a wide range; science fiction, fantasy, horror and supernatural, mystery and detective, and other popular fiction. Also original artwork is available for purchase.
The convention is a casual affair during which fans and dealers conduct business and socialize most of the day and evening. A few seem to have no issues with closing down the bar. Each year a stunning art show is put on, there are auctions in the evening and a film program. The venue of the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center provides a comfortable atmosphere with a number of dining choices as well as plenty of nearby restaurants.
Doug Ellis, John Gunnison and their staff put on an enjoyableweekend. If you have an interest in this type of material, this is the show to come to.