Rare Book & Manuscript Dealer – Antiqua Books

Antiqua Books acquires, restores, and sells rare books and manuscripts internationally. Each item’s provenance, condition, and restoration history is essential for its value. Previously, tracking these details was scattered across spreadsheets, email threads, and paper files, leading to errors, lost information, and risk of misplacement.

The restoration process was also difficult to monitor: different staff handled pages, bindings, and conservation materials, but no single system captured all steps or associated costs. Shipping items to galleries, collectors, and exhibitions globally added another layer of complexity. Financially, purchase prices, restoration expenses, and sales revenue were managed separately, making accurate profitability calculations almost impossible.

FireFlight Solution

Provenance & Acquisition Tracking:Every book or manuscript is logged with full acquisition details, previous ownership, and historical significance.

Restoration Workflow Management:Each restoration step, responsible staff, and costs are tracked within FireFlight, providing transparency and accountability.

Inventory & Global Location Tracking:Items are tracked across storage facilities, galleries, and exhibitions, ensuring real-time location awareness.

Financial Consolidation: Purchase cost, restoration expenses, and sales revenue are consolidated per item for accurate margin calculation.

Exhibition & Shipping Management:FireFlight logs the history of exhibitions  and shipments, reducing risk of loss or damage and improving client confidence.

Scenario Planning:Managers can simulate pricing, restoration budgets, and shipment logistics to maximize profitability and minimize risk.

Antiqua Books reduced risk of lost or mismanaged items, accurately calculated margins, and streamlined restoration processes.​

 Inventory visibility and provenance tracking strengthened credibility with collectors and galleries. The company could confidently expand exhibitions and sales globally, while maintaining full control of finances and inventory.
The names of this company has been changed to protect their information, and each scenario represents a practical use case of FireFlight.