On Missing CIROBE and Friends

I'm sorry to say I was not be able to attend CIROBE in 2014. This was the last year it was held at the Chicago Hilton, where it started over two decades ago. This year it will be at the Navy Pier, a few blocks away, and a great space for a trade show, but not the old home. Just about everybody I know goes to CIROBE, so I missed seeing you all.

The reason I could not be there is that my wife, Gale, is fighting cancer and, while her prognosis is good, she is in a difficult phase of that fight, so I need to be with her for at least the next few months. She is, other than my everything, very important to the business on several levels, so I must apologize for my slowness and missed calls and emails lately. I'll get back to a better routine soon, but it will be a while longer before we're back up to speed.

Some of my customers no longer attend trade shows, which is unfortunate as they have much to offer, especially CIROBE, GABBS, and CIANA, as these are remainder shows and have some of the best, and best priced, inventory on the planet.

I always recommend going to GABBS, CIANA, CIROBE and other trade shows. If you would like to read some of my thoughts about trade shows, please check out my earlier post:
http://benarcherbooks.blogspot.com/2013/06/in-trade-show-state-of-mind.html, or a more recent one: http://benarcherbooks.blogspot.com/2015/03/spring-for-gabbs-next-week.html

Please read my latest post in which booksellers talk about what is so great about bargain books:

http://benarcherbooks.blogspot.com/2015/03/whats-so-great-about-bargain-books.html

I hope you had a great time in Chicago, and I'll see you next year on the Pier.