Proprietor
Burbank Books & Antiques
3429 W. Magnolia Blvd. Burbank, Ca 91505
After 15 years of selling and buying online, we now have our own brick and mortar store and are buying and selling first edition autographed books, fine art, antique furniture and others. Our rare book inventory has books from 1502 to contemporary autographed first state editions. We are always looking to enrich our inventory with quality rare books.For many years, I’ve been known as a corporate executive within both financial and technological industries, but very few know how I became a book and antiques dealer. So, here's my story!I am a 3rd generation antiquarian going back to 1920s when my uncle opened his own shop in France. After moving to Romania in 1939, he opened another store. Later, my mother became involved in this business while working for a government owned store. I grew up surrounded by rare book such as incunabulas, first edition Romanian authors and antique furniture. My uncle’s house was a museum and I loved walking around as a child. As a teen, I admired not only the books, but the Biedermeier, Louis XV and XVI, Boulle and many other types of furniture. I was mostly impressed with Art Nouveau and Art Deco as I became fond of the artistic value of the pieces. Book binding became a real obsession for me as Romania experienced a rise in interest in French literature brought in during the 1930s by the Romanian elite. My uncle was my teacher and my mentor and by the time I finished college, rather than being an accountant, I decided to join my uncle and became a book dealer while working for the government. In 1976, when I left Romania, I was hoping to continue working for one of the large auction houses. Unfortunately, the dream did not come to fruition after I realized how difficult it was to penetrate the network. Instead, I became a computer engineer and went back to collecting books, art and furniture when I was financially able to afford them. Now, after over 32 years in the business, I am back to do what I always loved!