Auction Update Review

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Forty-eight auctions archived, 5 sales upcoming this week

For the week ended Saturday, December 17th, 48 auctions were archived to the Rare Book Hub Transaction Database; 18 denominated in euros, 7 in British pounds, and 23 in US dollars.  Turnover was a robust $29,194,875 as 21,308 lots were offered and 14,782 sold for a 69% success rate.  Bidders were both fussy and aggressive.

 

5 auctions saw their total proceeds reach a million dollars: 

Christies. Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts, including Americana on December 14th: $9,433,072 
Sothebys. English Literature, History, Children's Books & Illustrations on December 13th: $3,425,565 
Sothebys. Important Judaica on December 15th: $3,009,125 
Heritage Auctions. Animation Art on December 11th: $1,386,702 
RR Auction. Autographs and Artifacts - Internet bidstart 11/18 on December 7th: $1,001,088 


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

Dorotheum . Books and Decorative Prints on December 12th: 168.88% 
Keys Fine Arts Auctioneers. Books, Prints on December 12th: 167.70% 
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Children's and Illustrated Books on December 15th: 152.98% 
Henri Godts Books and Prints Auctions. Antiquarian Books on December 13th: 138.55% 
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Books, Maps and Documents on December 14th: 128.56% 
Christies. Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts, including Americana on December 14th: 127.12% 
Bonhams. Entertainment Memorabilia on December 15th: 125.90% 
Ader. Ancient and Modern Prints on December 7th: 122.41% 
Sothebys. English Literature, History, Children's Books & Illustrations on December 13th: 120.89% 
Bruun Rasmussen. Prints on December 13th: 118.17% 
ALDE. Autograph Letter and Manuscript on December 12th: 109.87% 
Bloomsbury Auctions. Fine and Important Books and Works on Paper on December 15th: 107.25% 
Artcurial. FROM THE WILLY RONIS SUCCESSION STÉPHANE KOVALSKY COLLECTION on December 13th: 104.84% 


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

National Book Auctions. Books on December 10th: 100.00% 
Heritage Auctions. Comics - Internet bidstart 12/4 on December 11th: 99.62% 
Heritage Auctions. Animation Art on December 11th: 98.52% 
Heritage Auctions. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 12/4 on December 11th: 98.23% 
Aspire Auctions. Fine Art - Prints - Internet Bidstart 12/2 on December 10th: 96.88% 
Potter and Potter Auctions. Winter Magic: The Rex Conklin Library and Other Fine Conjuring Collections on December 3rd: 94.82% 
Stair Auctioneers and Appraisers. Deck the Halls: December Exposition Auction on December 10th: 93.75% 
Bruun Rasmussen. Prints on December 13th: 93.26% 
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Children's and Illustrated Books on December 15th: 90.32% 
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Books, Maps and Documents on December 14th: 85.50% 
Waverly Auctions. BooksWaverly Rare Books Catalog Auction on December 1st: 84.19% 
Christies. Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts, including Americana on December 14th: 81.13% 
Sothebys. Important Judaica on December 15th: 80.16% 
 

Top 25 Lots Reported This Past Week.
  1. Christies Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica on December 14th Actual price: USD $3,719,500.
  2. Sothebys Evening Service of Roshashanah, and Kippur, or The Beginning of the Year, and The Day of Atonement on December 15th Actual price: USD $468,500.
  3. Sothebys THE TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL RUNES, 2007 on December 13th Actual price: USD $468,313.
  4. Vermot de Pas Asterix on December 10th Actual price: USD $312,000.
  5. Christies Autograph letter signed (''Go: Washington'' to François Jean de Beauvoir, Marquis de Chastellux (1734-1788), Mount Vernon, 25 April, 1 May 1788. on December 14th Actual price: USD $307,500.
  6. Christies A SCIENTIFIC MANUSCRIPT, in Latin, manuscript on paper on December 14th Actual price: USD $295,500.
  7. Sothebys FOR PRIVATE DISTRIBUTION ... EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS ADDRESSED TO PROFESSOR HENSLOW BY C. DARWIN, ESQ. on December 13th Actual price: USD $269,875.
  8. Christies The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution, as Agreed Upon by the Federal Convention, September 17, 1787 on December 14th Actual price: USD $247,500.
  9. Christies THE COUNCIL OF VIRGINIA. A True Declaration of the estate of the Colonie of Virginia, With a confutation of such scandalous reports as have tended to the disgrace of so worthy an enterprise on December 14th Actual price: USD $223,500.
  10. Christies Ulysses on December 14th Actual price: USD $223,500.
  11. Sothebys AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED ("JA"), TO HER SISTER CASSANDRA, on December 13th Actual price: USD $190,500.
  12. Christies Autograph letter signed (''Th:Jefferson''), Paris, 2 September 1785, to François Jean de Beauvoir, Marquis de Chastellux (1734-1788) on December 14th Actual price: USD $187,500.
  13. Sothebys COLLECTION OF 36 PAMPHLETS IN ONE VOLUME: on December 13th Actual price: USD $174,625.
  14. Christies Leaves of Grass on December 14th Actual price: USD $162,500.
  15. Christies Autograph letter signed (''Go: Washington'') to François Jean de Beauvoir, Chevalier de Chastellux (1734-1788), Mount Vernon, 1 February 1784. on December 14th Actual price: USD $150,000.
  16. Christies Comedies, Histories and Tragedies. Published according to the true Originall Copies. on December 14th Actual price: USD $150,000.
  17. Sothebys Pinkas Mattersdorf (Autograph Commentary of the Hatam Sofer on the Haggadah, Shabbat ha-Gadol, and Liturgical Readings for Passover), [Mattersdorf], 1799-1800. Bound with Ma'aleh Beit Horin (a printed Haggadah on December 15th Actual price: USD $143,750.
  18. Bubb Kuyper The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke. Ed. J. Dover Wilson. on November 25th Actual price: USD $143,451.
  19. Christies Autograph letter signed ("Go: Washington") as Commander-in-chief, to François Jean de Beauvoir, Chevalier de Chastellux (1734-1788), Princeton, New Jersey, 12 October 1783. on December 14th Actual price: USD $137,500.
  20. Sothebys Sefer ha-Hinnukh, Pinhas ben Joseph ha-Levi of Barcelona, on December 15th Actual price: USD $137,500.
  21. Sothebys A VERY LARGE COLLECTION OF WORKS, PAMPHLETS AND TRACTS IN 31 VOLUMES: on December 13th Actual price: USD $134,938.
  22. Christies A briefe relation of the Discovery and Plantation of New England: and of Sundry Accidents therein occurring, from the yeere of our Lord M.D.CVII on December 14th Actual price: USD $125,000.
  23. Sothebys A Magnificent Decorated Ketubbah on December 15th Actual price: USD $125,000.
  24. Christies Prufrock and Other Observations on December 14th Actual price: USD $118,750.
  25. Christies The Dialoges of Creatures Moralysed. Applyably and edificatyfly, to euery mery and iocounde mater, of late tra[n]slated out of latyn into our Englysshe tonge right profitable to the gouernaunce of man. And they be to sell, vpo[n] Powlys churche yarde. on December 14th Actual price: USD $112,500.


48 total sales reported this week:

PIASA. Photographs on December 15th: 24.11%
De Baecque and Associes. Ancient and Modern Books - Autographs and Documents on December 15th: 61.27%
Bloomsbury Auctions. Fine and Important Books and Works on Paper on December 15th: 64.53%
Waverly Auctions. BooksWaverly Rare Books Catalog Auction on December 1st: 84.19%
Vermot de Pas. Comic Strips and Original Boards, 3D, Japanese Animation on December 10th: 64.82%
Adams Amsterdam Auctions. Kees van Dongen – His Illustrated Books - and - Fine Art on December 13th: 70.80%
Bonhams. Entertainment Memorabilia on December 15th: 70.20%
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. Fine Prints on December 14th: 71.90%
Sothebys. Important Judaica on December 15th: 80.16%
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Children's and Illustrated Books on December 15th: 90.32%
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Books, Maps and Documents on December 14th: 85.50%
Artcurial. FROM THE WILLY RONIS SUCCESSION STÉPHANE KOVALSKY COLLECTION on December 13th: 75.61%
Artcurial. Photography on December 13th: 61.97%
Artcurial. Limited Editions on December 12th: 66.30%
Keys Fine Arts Auctioneers. Books, Prints on December 12th: 48.00%
Vermot de Pas. NASA Photographs on December 8th: 41.03%
Ader. Ancient and Modern Prints on December 7th: 73.63%
Bruun Rasmussen. Books on December 13th: 78.46%
Bruun Rasmussen. Prints on December 13th: 93.26%
Christies. Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts, including Americana on December 14th: 81.13%
Henri Godts Books and Prints Auctions. Antiquarian Books on December 13th: 77.33%
Knotty Pine Auction Service. Antique and Estate Book Sale on May 7th: 78.60%
National Book Auctions. Books on December 10th: 100.00%
Jeschke van vliet Buch und Kunstauktionen GmbH. Books, Prints on December 9th: 32.21%
Bloomsbury Auctions. The Sporting and Country Life Sale on December 13th: 51.35%
Sothebys. English Literature, History, Children's Books & Illustrations on December 13th: 64.09%
Mid Hudson Auction Galleries. Contemporary Art, Antiques and Fine Art on December 10th: 59.15%
Guernseys. The Neil Leifer Photographic Collection - Day 2 on December 3rd: 29.17%
Guernseys. The Neil Leifer Photographic Collection - Day 1 on December 2nd: 55.00%
ALDE. Autograph Letter and Manuscript on December 12th: 55.06%
Stair Auctioneers and Appraisers. Deck the Halls: December Exposition Auction on December 10th: 93.75%
Sothebys. Exceptional Exposures: 20th Century Photographs Online - Internet bidstart 11/28 on December 12th: 65.57%
Dorotheum . Books and Decorative Prints on December 12th: 79.23%
Michaans Auctions. December Estate Sale - Books and Prints on December 10th: 37.84%
Aspire Auctions. Fine Art - Prints - Internet Bidstart 12/2 on December 10th: 96.88%
Profiles in History. Animation and Disneyana on December 9th: 66.72%
Knotty Pine Auction Service. Main Ephemera and Book Auction on November 5th: 72.32%
Winter Associates. December Auction - Americana on December 5th: 60.00%
RR Auction. Autographs and Artifacts - Internet bidstart 11/18 on December 7th: 67.53%
Alexander Historical Auctions. Revolutionary War on December 10th: 65.59%
Heritage Auctions. Comics - Internet bidstart 12/4 on December 11th: 99.62%
Clars Auction Gallery. Antique, Art, Jewelry, Asian - Prints, Books on December 11th: 76.47%
Clars Auction Gallery. Asian, Antique, Jewelry, Art - Prints, Books on December 10th: 57.89%
Pierre Berge and Associes. Philippe Zoummeroff on December 9th: 62.50%
Auctionata. Collectibles and Rarities on December 7th: 23.33%
Potter and Potter Auctions. Winter Magic: The Rex Conklin Library and Other Fine Conjuring Collections on December 3rd: 94.82%
Heritage Auctions. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 12/4 on December 11th: 98.23%
Heritage Auctions. Animation Art on December 11th: 98.52%


For the week ahead 5 sales are scheduled:

Mon. Dec. 19th
Bruun Rasmussen. Copenhagen. Prints. 83 lots

Tue. Dec. 20th
Stockholms Auktionsverk. Stockholm. Rare Books, Maps and Manuscripts. 413 lots

Wed. Dec. 21st
Moreshet Auctions. Jerusalem. Judaica, Manuscripts, Holy Texts, letters, Rabbinical letters, Jewish objects, Items from the Land o. 368 lots

Sun. Dec. 25th
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Comics - Internet bidstart 12/18.
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 12/18.

Bruce McKinney

RBH and AE

  • Ketterer Rare Books
    Auction November 23
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: L. Feininger, Collection of autograph letters to Alois J. Schardt, 1920-1955. Est: € 150,000-250,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: Flemish book of hours, Ghent-Bruges School around 1480-1500. Est: € 40,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: F. de Wit, Atlas maior, um 1700. Est: € 50,000
    Ketterer Rare Books
    Auction November 23
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: A. Stieglitz, Camera Work, 48 volumes, 1903-1914. Est: € 60,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: M. Merian & M. Zeiller, Sämtliche Topographien, 21 volumes, 1642-1736. Est: € 50,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: R. Indiana and R. Creely, Numbers, 1968. Est: € 4,000
    Ketterer Rare Books
    Auction November 23
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: Salerno Breviarium, Latin manuscript on vellum, North Italy around 1470-1476. Est: € 40,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: M. S. Merian, Surinaamsche (&) europische Insecten, 1730. Est: € 30,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: M. Beckmann, Jahrmarkt, Portfolio of 10 signed etchings, 1922. Est: € 25,000
    Ketterer Rare Books
    Auction November 23
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: Justinianus, Infortiatum, 1475. Est: € 10,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: B. Besler, Hortus Eystettensis, um 1750. Est: € 28,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: J. Gris and P. Reverdy, Au soleil du plafond, 1955. Est: € 3,000
  • 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.
  • Sotheby’s
    Nelson, His Life and His Navy:
    The Clive Richards Collection of Letters and Manuscripts
    November 18, 2026
    Sotheby’s
    Nelson, His Life and His Navy:
    The Clive Richards Collection of Letters and Manuscripts
    November 18, 2026
    Sotheby’s
    Nelson, His Life and His Navy:
    The Clive Richards Collection of Letters and Manuscripts
    November 18, 2026
  • Forum
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    Thursday 19th November
    Forum, Nov. 19: The ‘Saxe-Meiningen Psalter’, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum, [northern France or adjacent southern Netherlands, second half of the thirteenth century]. £30,000 - £50,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Crescenzi (Bartolomeo). Nautica mediterranea, 2 parts in 1, second edition, with rare engraved folding map, Rome, Bartolomeo Bonfadino, 1607. £15,000 - £20,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Aristotle. [The Works], 10 vol.,, translated by Thomas Taylor, Printed for the Translator... by Robert Wilks, 1807-12. £6,000-8,000
    Forum
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    Thursday 19th November
    Forum, Nov. 19: Turing (Alan).- Alan Turing's Slide Rule, engraved initials "A.M.T. Noli Hoc Furari", alongside other ephemera, housed in early 20th-century letter box, [mid.1920s-40s]. £6,000-8,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Vitruvius Pollio (Marcus). I Dieci Libri dell'Architettura, translated by Daniele Barbaro, Venice, Francesco Marcolini, 1556. £7,000-10,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Rowling (J.K.) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, first edition, hardback issue, first printing, Bloomsbury, 1997. £50,000-70,000
    Forum
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    Thursday 19th November
    Forum, Nov. 19: Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Lord of the Rings, later impressions, each vol. signed by the author, London, George Allen & Unwin, 1957-58. £15,000-20,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Gould (John). The Birds of Great Britain, 5 vol., first edition, [1862]-73; plus a presentation copy of Gould's Introduction to the Birds of Great Britain (6). £35,000-45,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Galilei (Galileo). Istoria e Dimostrazioni intorno alle Macchie Solari e loro accidenti, comprese in tre lettere scritte all’illustrissimo signor Marco Velseri Linceo, first edition, Rome, 1613. £15,000-20,000
    Forum
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    Thursday 19th November
    Forum, Nov. 19: Gersdorff (Hans von). Feldtbuch der Wund-Arzney, enlarged edition, Strassburg, Hans Schotten, 1540. £20,000-30,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Kitchin (Thomas). A New Universal Atlas, first edition with maps in full original hand-colouring, Printed and Published by Robert Laurie and James Whittle, 1796. £8,000-12,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Cassas (Louis François). Voyage Pittoresque de la Syrie, de la Phenicie, de la Palestine, et de la Basse Egypte, 2 vol., first edition, [Paris], 1799. £10,000-15,000
  • Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 41. Rare First State of the First Printed Map Devoted to the Arctic (1595) Est. $14,000 - $17,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 63. The Largest of the Strada "Leo Belgicus" Editions (1632) Est. $3,250 - $4,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 71. Blaeu's Stunning Carte-a-Figures Map of the Americas (1640) Est. $4,000 - $4,750
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 8. Mariette's Rare and Decorative Map of the World Based on the Work of Hondius (1642) Est. $4,750 - $6,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 172. 1775 Edition of the Landmark Fry-Jefferson Map of Virginia and Maryland (1775) Est. $12,000 - $15,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 46. Doppelmayr's Fine Celestial Chart (1742) Est. $800 - $950
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 212. First Edition Ski Country Map by Pioneer Hal Shelton (1965) Est. $500 - $700
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 732. Ruscelli's Complete Atlas with 69 Maps and Updated Maps of the Continents (1599) Est. $8,000 - $9,500
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 329. Ortelius' Map of Iceland Surrounded by Sea Monsters (1585) Est. $11,000 - $13,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 600. Heinrich Bunting's Rare Map of Asia in the Form of a Pegasus (1581) Est. $3,000 - $3,750
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 716. Bible Leaf with Hand-Colored Image of the Adoration of the Magi (1490) Est. $2,000 - $2,300