UK book collecting magazines, rare & scarce

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As some of you may already be painfully aware, the UK book collector's magazine, Bookdealer, announced that it is suspending publication for the near future. Coming fast on the heels of the closure of Book and Magazine Collector last month, and Rare before that, it seems Britain is bereft of bibliophiles.

Stephen Maughan, who writes regularly for Bookdealer and also contributes to FB&C, told me Monday that he doesn't think that's the case. He wrote, "As far as book collecting in the UK, I would say it was in a pretty healthy state.The internet is a challenge for magazines and collectors tend to go to Abebooks rather than the listed dealers in these mags. But, saying that, the "news" was often far better and up to date in Bookdealer than online."

Bookdealer changed hands in the past year, and Richard Sawyer is now the editor there. He has expressed to his writers that he is trying to find a way to move forward and resume publication in early 2011. On the magazine's website, a posted message from Sawyer asserted, "Talks are already taking place with another publishing concern and it is hoped that the above will be only a temporary measure. A letter will be sent to our subscribers and regular advertisers later in the month."