The following is a press release issued by Pacific Book Auction that I
thought might be of interest to this forum.
Bruce MacMakin
Vice President, Cataloguing & Appraisals
Pacific Book Auction Galleries
PRESS RELEASE
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
PACIFIC BOOK AUCTION GALLERIES
FEBRUARY 13, 2001
For further information, please contact:
Marjorie E. L. Shaw
Pacific Book Auction Galleries
133 Kearny Street, 4th Floor ? San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone: (415) 989-2665 ? Fax: (415) 989-1664
E-mail: marjorie@pacificbook.com ? Web: www.pacificbook.com
Bold Changes at Pacific Book Auction Galleries
Pacific Book Auction Galleries (www.pacificbook.com) of San Francisco,
CA, the leading west-coast auction house for rare books, maps,
autographs and manuscripts, is pleased to announce the successful
completion of private financing. As a result, PBA is now able to better
enhance and expand the professional services it provides to clients.
Moreover PBA will continue to develop its pioneer role in developing a
leading brand online as the Galleries solidifies their position in the
traditional rare and collectible book market. PBA views the Internet as
an important tool that will allow the Galleries to leverage up its
reputation and the tradition of trust and expertise it enjoys with its
customers.
PBA recognizes the important tradition of rare book auction houses and
is committed to blending the best of the old with the new – effectively
maintaining our Dickensian atmosphere, as it implements the latest
advances in information technology. Pacificbook.com will offer
sophisticated search capabilities to make our site both efficient and
pleasant to visit, state-of-the-art navigational methods, and a fresh
new look overall. In addition, the online version of catalogues for our
gallery auctions (traditional live sales) will be accessible to the
entire online community and every lot catalogued will be illustrated
with a digital photograph. Overall, these upgrades will be advantageous
to gallery saleconsignors and bidders as well as those participants in
our online auctions.
Jay Zalewski, recently appointed Chief Operating Officer of PBA, will
oversee business operations. He will also lead the reconstruction and
enhancement of the Internet site. “We are committed to being a change
leader in the auction business. Our goal continues to be superior
customer satisfaction,” says Zalewski.
PBA is also implementing business practice changes that will combine
PBA’s highest prices with reliable payment in one of the shortest
settlement periods in the auction industry. Effective January 1, 2001,
PBA consignors are being paid 20 banking days following the sale—an
effective settlement period of about one month. In addition, PBA will
be creating a new internal network to allow a more efficient flow of
information to the customer. Our settlement period, combined with PBA’s
overall expertise in the rare book, manuscript, autograph and map
market, makes PBA the most intelligent choice for consignors. All of
these changes add up to better liquidity for collectors, dealers and
institutions.
PBA President, Doug Johns, will be responsible for sale planning and
consignments. Johns’ extensive knowledge of the business will be key in
capturing additional market share. Johns, founder of PBA, comments, “We
are all pleased with the combination of personnel and financial
resources that completion of this financing brings together—the
reliability of PBA cataloging and our reputation for quality customer
service makes PBA a preferred choice for bidders and consignors—both for
gallery and online auctions.”
About PBA
Pacific Book Auction Galleries, headquartered in San Francisco, CA, is
the auction house of choice by collectors of rare books and manuscripts.
The company has become unique in its ability to offer theme-focused
collections at auction. The Pacific brand gives clients access to its
staff of in-house appraisers, an online illustrated catalogue of
upcoming auctions, continuous live auctions throughout the year where
participants can bid at the Pacific Book Auction Galleries, by phone,
fax, e-mail or the live auction.
Pacific Book Auction Galleries,
133 Kearny Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone: (415) 989-2665 Fax: (415) 989-1664
E-mail: pba@pacificbook.com Web: www.pacificbook.com
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