When the stock market declined in 2008, anxiety and alarm took over the previously strained rare book market. The trade was under pressure due to failing bookshops, changes in collecting habits, availability of materials, and the rise of the Internet. In the end, the fine arts market felt the effects of the downturn in the economy more than the rare book trade. Books were quite stable. The writer will discuss reasons for the stability of antiquarian books by explaining the market, defining the collector, investigating brick and mortar establishments and auction houses, the influence the Internet has had on the market, and the current state of the institution.