| Antiquarian Booksellers Association | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | ABA |
| Motto | Amor Librorum Nos Unit |
| Formation | 1906 |
| Type | Trade association |
| Legal status | Non-profit company |
| Purpose/focus | Antiquarian booksellers in the UK |
| Headquarters | Sackville House, 40 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 0DR |
| Region served | United Kingdom |
| Membership | UK antiquarian booksellers |
| Affiliations | International League of Antiquarian Booksellers |
| Website | ABA |
The Antiquarian Booksellers Association (ABA) is the senior trade body in the British Isles for dealers in antiquarian and rare books, manuscripts and allied materials.
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It was founded in 1906 and is the oldest organization of its kind in the world. Its membership also extends to many leading booksellers overseas.
It is based just west of Piccadilly Circus, next to the Royal Academy of Arts, in the City of Westminster.
It is run by a professional secretariat under the overall control of a democratically elected president and council, the Association is the book trade’s professional and regulatory body. Its ethos is one both of high professional standards and the provision of continually expanding support and services for its members.
Members are elected solely on the basis of proven experience, expertise and integrity. They are expected to observe the highest professional and ethical standards and to foster mutual trust between the trade and the public. Applicants for membership must have been full-time professional antiquarian booksellers for five consecutive years before becoming eligible. Members are bound by the Articles of Association and Rules, as well as the most stringent Code of Good Practice yet adopted anywhere in the world of books.
The display of the ABA badge, which is a Registered Trade Mark, pledges members to:
Antiquarian booksellers are defined as individuals, sole traders, partnerships, companies, and corporations having antiquarian book departments, routinely and professionally engaged in purchasing, valuing, pricing and selling antiquarian books.
Presidents originally served for one year, although the term increased to two years from the 1940s. The first President of the association was Henry N Stevens in 1907, who was followed by B.D Maggs of London Booksellers Maggs Bros. Other notable Past Presidents include Sir Basil Blackwell (1925-6), Percy Muir of Elkin Matthews (1946-7), Anthony Rota (1971-2), Hylton Bayntun-Coward (1980-2 and 1992-3) and Adrian Harrington (2001-3).