NUMISMATIC BOOK PUBLISHING IN 2020

In 2020 things looked dicey for book publishing. Starting that March, when libraries and brick-and-mortar businesses were shutting down because of COVID-19, American bookstores experienced 12 consecutive months of falling sales. This is finally turning around—and with gusto. Today the world of books is bustling.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that bookstore sales increased 35 percent in March 2021, benchmarked against March 2020. Publishers Weekly reported that unit sales of print books rose 25 percent in the week ending May 8, compared to the same week in 2020. Adult nonfiction—which is the category most numismatic books occupy—jumped 25.1 percent compared to one year ago.

In our cozy corner of the publishing world, nestled within antiques and collectibles, sales are strong. We've seen a surge in numismatic purchasing this year. We had to crank the presses back up when several new books quickly sold out of their initial print runs in the first quarter. These included specialized as well as beginner books, and new titles as well as updated/revised editions of popular older books. Here are a few of the strong sellers:

• A Guide Book of Continental Currency and Coins (Q. David Bowers)
• A Guide Book of United States Currency, 8th edition (Kenneth Bressett)
• United States Gold Counterfeit Detection Guide (Bill Fivaz)
• Check List and Record Book of United States and Canadian Coins
• A Guide Book of Gold Eagle Coins, 2nd edition (Bowers)
• A Guide Book of U.S. Paper Money, 7th edition (Arthur and Ira Friedberg)

Where is this increased demand coming from? The COVID pandemic explains some of it. Locked down without movie theaters, concerts, restaurants, shopping malls, and other traditional distractions, Americans have been reading. We've also returned to our classic hobbies, a scenario that hearkens back to the Great Depression. Coin collecting enjoyed a boom in the 1930s when everyday Americans found it was a fun, affordable, and easy-to-begin pastime. Coin boards, folders, books, albums, and similar hobby supplies became hot commodities—much as they are today.

To read the complete article, see:
Notes published: Looking back, and ahead (http://news.coinupdate.com/notes-published-looking-back-and-ahead/)

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