Bright Young Things: Zoltan Földvári
Our series profiling the next generation of antiquarian booksellers continues today with Zoltan Földvári, proprietor of Földvári Antikvárium in Budapest.
NP: How did you get started in rare books?
ZF: I was always interested in avant-garde art and I started to collect Hungarian avant-garde books when I was 14.
NP: When did you open Földvári Antikarium and what do you specialize in?
ZF: Beside collecting I was also trading and for that reason I founded Földvári Books in 2007. First I was specialized in avant-garde, literature and philosophy, later the fields has been broadened so now I also trade with books and manuscripts from the 16th to the 20th century in various fields.
NP: Could you tell us about the rare book trade in Hungary? What's it like?
ZF: In Hungary most of the antiquarian book stores are not specialized in any field and they are both trading with rare and used books.
NP: Do you source most of your books within Hungary or do you travel abroad to find books?
ZF: I buy books in Hungary from collectors, and I also travel in Europe, America, and Asia to find books.
NP: What's your favorite rare book that you've handled?
ZF: Always the recent acquisition is my favorite.
NP: What do you personally collect?
ZF: It is not easy to create the harmony between collecting and trading, but I'm working on this and continued to collect rare avant-garde editions.
NP: Thoughts on the future of the book trade?
ZF: There will only be market for scarce and important books.
NP: Any catalogues / fairs coming up?
ZF: I have participated at the California Antiquarian Book Fair in February. The next fairs in 2013 are Paris and London.
![Origen of Alexandria (c. 185–253) Homilia in Genesim, Homiliae in Exodum, in Latin, translation by Rufinus, decorated manuscript on parchment [Austria, Lambach Abbey? c. 1150–1175]. Estimate: $150,000-$200,000.](/sites/default/files/styles/category_card/public/media-images/2026-06/origen.jpeg?itok=0V_4_Lt2)
