08/05/2026
Before the printing press, some medieval bookstores doubled as scriptoria where books were both sold and painstakingly copied by hand; this meant customers often commissioned personalized bindings, marginalia, or illuminations right where they bought the book, creating a direct link between maker, seller, and reader that persisted into early modern Europe. That craft-driven retail model shaped how rare collections and provenance were tracked for centuries.
At BookTrader we source books with clear provenance and vintage bindings, so you can own a piece of that maker-seller history.
https://booktrader.co.nz
