ABEBOOKS CELEBRATES 8TH BIRTHDAY IN SIDNEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA-ONE OF CANADA'S OFFICIAL BOOKTOWNS

AbeBooks sponsors Antiquarian Book Fair in the Pacific Northwest to recognize local sellers who helped AbeBooks.com grow

(Victoria, BC, CANADA; May 5, 2004)-AbeBooks.com, the world's largest online marketplace for books, is celebrating its eighth birthday at the Sidney Antiquarian Bookfair on May 7th.

"AbeBooks started here in British Columbia, so we like to celebrate our birthday with local sellers and support local fairs." explains Hannes Blum, chief executive officer of AbeBooks. "It's our sellers who list fifty million books on our website, and our sellers who make AbeBooks.com a great place to find books."

AbeBooks invites all current booksellers-and those thinking of selling on AbeBooks.com-to attend the fair and meet AbeBooks staff at a reception on Friday, May 7th, 8-10 PM at the Mary Winspear theatre in downtown Sidney, BC.

The book fair runs Friday, May 7 (2:00 PM - 8:00 PM) and Saturday, May 8 (10:00 AM to 4:00 PM) at the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney BC. Over 45 booksellers from Canada and the US will show and sell rare antiquarian books, collectible first editions, and fine maps, documents and ephemera. Prices range from $1 to $27,000.

Rare books on display include:

• Set of rare books on Captain Cook's Third Voyage
• Personal bible signed by Governor James Douglas
• 1878 watercolour of Esquimalt, British Columbia
• First Nations' books and artifacts
• The Grave, a poem by Robert Blair Illustrated by William Blake
• Limited Edition Charles Darwin in oak case
• Directions for Love and Marriage by Francesco Barbaro 1677
  

About AbeBooks
AbeBooks is the world's largest online marketplace for books. AbeBooks makes it simple and safe to find and buy-or list and sell-new, used, rare, and out-of-print books online. Bookbuyers love the variety of over 50 million books offered by more than 12,000 independent booksellers. Booksellers love AbeBooks for providing the tools to help them succeed online. AbeBooks offers a range of services including dedicated support, HomeBase inventory management software, options for selling via strategic partners (Amazon, Barnes & Noble), and four international sites (AbeBooks.com, AbeBooks.co.uk, AbeBooks.de, AbeBooks.fr). AbeBooks is a private company based in Victoria, BC Canada, with offices in Düsseldorf, Germany.

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Contacts
Richard Davies, PR & Publicity Mgr., AbeBooks.com
Ph: 250-412-3238
rdavies@abebooks.com

Mike Elcock, Sidney Antiquarian Book Fair
Michael.Elcock@millymolly.com T:(250) 642-3793