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Articles - September - 2026 Issue

Why isn’t this book in Transactions+?

- by Bruce E. McKinney

Rare Book Hub recently was asked about a book that a recent correspondent felt it should logically be in our Transactions+ database of 16 million auction records.

 

The book? Americanism by Hubert Groves Beckwith, was registered at the Library of Congress in 1924. Mr. Beckwith wrote many books (6). None of them appear in Transactions+ on our site. Did we ignore him or systematically remove records relating to him? Nope.

 

Our database is built on auction records. Printed material posted at auction will be added to Transactions+. Did it have to sell?  No, because from our perspective, an unsold lot reflects a market’s judgement.

 

The absence of Mr. Beckwith’s records simply reflects that no auction house we have covered, have posted any of his 6 titles.

 

This said, we have scoured the market for this title, Americanism. There is a copy! It’s posted on eBay. It’s being offered by our correspondent.

 

Perhaps you’ll be the buyer!

 

It still won’t show up in our Transactions+ because this will be a negotiated transaction. We cover auctions.

 

Here's a link to it: https://www.ebay.com/itm/164649515128?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20250417133020%26meid%3D66cf3d140aea42a3acd4433cb70ddaf1%26pid%3D102726%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D164649515128%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2DWebWithPSItemDRV2_BP&_trksid=p4375194.c102726.m162918

 

Rare Book Monthly

  • Heritage, Nov. 18: Orson Welles. Signed Third Revised Final Draft for Citizen Kane (RKO, 1941). July 16, 1940.
    Heritage, Nov. 18: Bob Dylan. Autograph manuscript working lyrics to "Man on the Street."
    Heritage, Nov. 18: Ernest Hemingway. Death in the Afternoon. Inscribed by the author to the daughter of the Spanish Ambassador.
    Heritage, Nov. 18: Jack London. The Call of the Wild. Inscribed by the author.
    Heritage, Nov. 18: John Steinbeck. East of Eden. Inscribed by 27 members of the movie cast and crew, including James Dean and Elia Kazan.

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