The Finnish Association of Antiquarian Booksellers was established in Helsinki in 1941 to represent the interests of its members. The first and a long-standing chairman of the association was Erik Olsoni during whose time the association became a member of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB). The members of the association abide by the code of ethics of this international umbrella organisation. In the founding meeting of the association there were ten antiquarian booksellers represented; now we have 24 members across the country.

The logo of the association was designed by the artist Signe Hammarsten-Jansson. The logo has a large calligraphic letter A in the middle of a circle with an open book in front of it.

The purpose of the Finnish Association of Antiquarian Booksellers is to promote the interests of its members and bring the actors in the field together. The international book fairs we organise have been the most visible part of our activities. The first fair took place in Helsinki in 1988. The annual event usually took place in the White Hall in Helsinki, but since autumn 2001 it has been organised as part of the International Book Fair in the Helsinki Fair Centre.

Our members wish to help their customers in all queries relating to old literature and books. We want to establish a good relationship with our customers and make them feel that they can rely on the expertise of our member booksellers at all stages of the transaction. To guarantee this, the Finnish Association of Antiquarian Booksellers requires that all its members are well-established and have a high level of expertise.

Should you have any questions about old books, their evaluation, selling or buying, please do not hesitate to contact any of our members. Some of our members also trade in maps, graphics and postcards. Our member list shows you what our member shops specialise in.