PBA Galleries COVID-19 Response
Berkeley, California — PBA Galleries announced the postponement of upcoming auctions as part of the ongoing efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19. Seven Bay Area counties and the City of Berkeley have issued a shelter-in-your-residence order which has resulted in PBA Galleries suspending operations until at least April 7 . The auctions specifically affected are the “Art & Archaeology of Asia” auction on March 19, PBA’s inaugural “Comics” auction on March 26, and the “Americana – Travel & Exploration” sale on April 2. This period marks only the second time PBA Galleries has postponed one or more sales in its long history of proud service to collectors of rare and collectible books.
“In accordance with the three-week shelter-in-your-residence policy instituted on Monday, and currently set to last until April 7, PBA Galleries has postponed all business March 16 operations,” said company president Sharon Gee. “Auctions will not resume until the order has been lifted.”
PBA anticipates resuming to normal biweekly auctions, but until then, staff will be asked to work remotely if possible. All customer email inquiries will be answered. The public is welcome to continue to browse upcoming auction catalogs on the PBA Galleries website, place online absentee bids, follow the PBA Galleries social media pages for content and information relating to rare books, art & illustration, and Americana and to contact the PBA team via email with questions about consignments or their own collections.
“PBA Galleries is committed to the health and safety of not only our staff, but our clients, neighbors, and the rest of the community,” notes Gee. “We will be actively following all recommendations from our public health authorities to prevent the transmission and spread of COVID-19. We thank everyone for their support and understanding during these trying times.”
PBA Galleries was founded under the name California Book Auction Galleries in 1955. After 35 years of successful book auctions, founder Maurice Powers passed away and his heirs placed the company into voluntary bankruptcy. Butterfield’s acquired the name and mailing list, but not the people or the spirit of the company. The current iteration of the company, Pacific Book Auction Galleries, was founded in 1992 by the core members of the original auction house, including current Senior Vice President Bruce MacMakin. The company changed its name to PBA Galleries in October of 2001 to reflect its increasingly global presence in the marketplace as well as its diversified offerings. We are proud to have buyers and sellers from all over the world participating in our auctions.
Updates will be provided regularly as this situation is continually changing.
