Auction Update Review

If its July there are fireworks

For the week ending Saturday June 28th 23 auctions were archived to the AED; 9 denominated in euros, 4 in British pounds, and 10 in US dollars.  Turnover was $12,699,640 as 13,499 lots were offered and 8,609 sold for a relatively weak 64% success rate.  Reoffers and weaker material on the sell side and less attention on the buy side often show up as spot weakness.  Nevertheless great material continues to come into the rooms.

<--- Profiles in History.  Property of a Distinguished American Private  Collector IV on July 11th.  Lot 1:  Adams, John, Second President.  Fine autograph letter signed.  Estimated $15,000 - $20,000  Click on the image to see the full sale

3 auctions saw their total proceeds reach a million dollars: 

Sothebys. Modern Art - Prints on June 23rd: $3,782,500
Sothebys. A Rock & Roll History: Presley to Punk on June 24th: $3,210,817
Kiefer Buch und Kunstauktionen. Old and Rare Books and Manuscripts on May 3rd: $1,016,769

8 auctions saw total sales exceed 100% of the high estimates of all lots offered in the sale:

OSENAT. The Empire at Fontainebleau on June 15th: 184.83%
Ferraton. Books and Prints, Part II on June 21st: 157.87%
Bonhams. Printed Books, Maps and Photographs on June 25th: 129.86%
Ferraton. Books and Prints, Part I on June 20th: 112.34%
PIASA. Ancient and Modern Prints on June 20th: 111.15%
Dirk Soulis Auctions. the Estate of Mary McRory on June 20th: 105.23%
Gonnelli Casa DAste. Books, Manuscripts, Prints on May 16th: 101.73%
Sothebys. Modern Art - Prints on June 23rd: 101.14%

12 sales saw at least 80% of their lots sell:

Dirk Soulis Auctions. the Estate of Mary McRory on June 20th: 100.00%
Sothebys. Modern Art - Prints on June 23rd: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Comics -Internet bidstart 6/15 on June 22nd: 99.87%
Heritage Auctions. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 6/15 on June 22nd: 94.01%
Rachel Davis Fine Arts. Works on Paper and Books on June 14th: 89.64%
Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society. RARE, OUT-OF-PRINT, AND USED BOOKS on June 13th: 89.15%
Bonhams. Printed Books, Maps and Photographs on June 25th: 88.27%
Bonhams. ASIAN DECORATIVE WORKS OF ARTS - Ref Books and Woodblock Prints on June 25th: 86.96%
Heritage Auctions. Rare Books - Internet bidstart 6/19 on June 26th: 85.25%
Ferraton. Books and Prints, Part I on June 20th: 84.92%
Bruun Rasmussen. Modern and Contemporary Prints on June 24th: 82.86%
Ferraton. Books and Prints, Part II on June 21st: 80.27%

In the rare book, manuscript, map and ephmera auction market anymore the sun never sets.

 

Bruce McKinney

AE

 

  • Bonhams, Apr. 28 – May 7: Isaac Newton on chemistry and matter, and alchemy, Autograph Manuscript, "A Key to Snyders," 3 pp, after 1674. $100,000 - $150,000
    Bonhams, Apr. 28 – May 7: Exceptionally rare first printing of Plato's Timaeus. Florence, 1484. $50,000 - $80,000
    Bonhams, Apr. 28 – May 7: On the Philosophy of Self-Interest: Adam Smith's copy of Helvetius's De l'homme, Paris, 1773. $40,000 - $60,000
    Bonhams, Apr. 28 – May 7: "Magical Calendar of Tycho Brahe" - very rare hermetic broadside. Engraved by Merian for De Bry. c.1618. $30,000 - $50,000
    Bonhams, Apr. 28 – May 7: Author's presentation issue of Einstein's proof of Relativity, "Erklärung der Perihelbewegung des Merkur aus der allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie." 1915. $30,000 - $50,000
    Bonhams, Apr. 28 – May 7: First Latin edition of Maimonides' Guide for the Perplexed. Paris, 1520. $20,000 - $30,000.
    Bonhams, Apr. 28 – May 7: De Broglie manuscript on the nature of matter in quantum physics, 3 pp, 1954. $20,000 - $30,000
    Bonhams, Apr. 28 – May 7: Tesla autograph letter signed on electricty and electromagnetic theory. 1894. $20,000 - $30,000
    Bonhams, Apr. 28 – May 7: Heinrich Hertz scientific manuscript on his mentor Hermann Von Helmholtz, 1891. $20,000 - $30,000
    Bonhams, Apr. 28 – May 7: The greatest illustrated work in Alchemy: Micheal Maier's Atalanta Fugiens. Oppenheim, 1618. $30,000 - $50,000
    Bonhams, Apr. 28 – May 7: Illustrated Alchemical manuscript, a Mysterium Magnum of the Rosicurcians, 18th-century. $30,000 - $50,000
    Bonhams, Apr. 28 – May 7: Rare Largest Paper Presentation Copy of Newton's Principia, London, 1726. The third and most influential edition. $60,000 - $90,000
  • Doyle, May 1: Thomas Jefferson expresses fears of "a war of extermination" in Saint-Dominigue. $40,000 to $60,000.
    Doyle, May 1: An exceptional presentation copy of Fitzgerald's last book, in the first issue dust jacket. $25,000 to $35,000.
    Doyle, May 1: The rare first signed edition of Dorian Gray. $15,000 to $25,000.
    Doyle, May 1: The Prayer Book of Jehan Bernachier. $10,000 to $15,000.
    Doyle, May 1: Van Dyck's Icones Principum Virorum Doctorum. $10,000 to $15,000.
    Doyle, May 1: The magnificent Cranach Hamlet in the deluxe binding by Dõrfner. $7,000 to $10,000.
    Doyle, May 1: A remarkable unpublished manuscript of a voyage to South America in 1759-1764. $3,000 to $5,000.
    Doyle, May 1: Bouchette's monumental and rare wall map of Lower Canada. $12,000 to $18,000.
    Doyle, May 1: An rare original 1837 abolitionist woodblock. $8,000 to $12,000.
    Doyle, May 1: An important manuscript breviary in Middle Dutch. $15,000 to $25,000.
    Doyle, May 1: An extraordinary Old Testament manuscript, circa 1250. $20,000 to $30,000.
  • Sotheby’s
    Modern First Editions
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Winston Churchill. The Second World War. Set of First-Edition Volumes. 6,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: A.A. Milne, Ernest H. Shepard. A Collection of The Pooh Books. Set of First-Editions. 18,600 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Salvador Dalí, Lewis Carroll. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Finely Bound and Signed Limited Edition. 15,000 USD
    Sotheby’s
    Modern First Editions
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Ian Fleming. Live and Let Die. First Edition. 9,500 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter Series. Finely Bound First Printing Set of Complete Series. 5,650 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Ernest Hemingway. A Farewell to Arms. First Edition, First Printing. 4,200 USD