He started working for his father, George, at the age of five and has been working here full time since 1973. It is rumored that Ken's first word as a baby was "book." He attended Boston Latin School and graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Gloss is a past President of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America's New England Chapter. He also sits on the Associate Board of the Boston Public Library. He appraises books and libraries for several universities including Harvard University, Boston University, Boston College and Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Gloss lectures on the antiquarian book field to library groups, historical societies and other book-interested groups throughout the New England area. He also has written many articles on appraising books, book collecting and selling, and will give verbal appraisals for those in attendance at his talks.

Gloss is the recipient of a number of awards, including one from the Historic Neighborhoods Foundation for making a definitive contribution to the design and social heritage of Boston and from the Brookline Preservation Commission for his donation of the original plans of the Larz Anderson Estate. Having spoken before hundreds of organizations, he has appeared as a guest on over eighty radio, television and cable stations throughout the Boston area, and is a frequent guest on PBS' Antiques Roadshow.