For the week ending April 8, 20 auctions were archived to the Rare Book Transaction History database, 3 denominated in euros, 5 in British pounds, 1 in Hong Kong dollars, and 11 in U.S. dollars. Total sales were $19,504,690 as 4,169 lots were offered and 3,517 lots were sold. The sell-through rate was 84.4% with the average lot price being $5,546. Both the sell-through rate and average price were unusually high.

5 auctions saw their total proceeds reach a million dollars:

Sothebys. Prints and Multiples on April 4th: $3,882,750
Christies. PHOTOGRAPHS INCLUDING PROPERTY SOLD TO BENEFIT THE ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION on April 6th: $3,701,750
Sothebys. Photographs on April 5th: $3,395,500
Christies. PORTRAIT OF A COLLECTOR: THE JOHN M. BRANSTEN COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS on April 6th: $1,888,125
Sothebys. Made in Britain - Prints, Photographs on April 5th: $1,458,008

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

OSENAT. Empire at Fontainebleau. Historical Souvenirs on March 26th: 236.72%
Jacksons Auction. Americana Art, Antiques and Collectibles on March 29th: 212.88%
Bonhams. The Contents of Glyn Cywarch on March 29th: 176.32%
Sothebys. Moments of Flash on April 3rd: 141.45%
Sothebys. Made in Britain - Prints, Photographs on April 5th: 134.09%
Dorotheum . Master Prints Before 1900 on April 4th: 115.53%
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. McRorie Auction - Prints, Books on March 30th: 112.60%
OSENAT. L’EMPIRE À FONTAINEBLEAU - SECOND SESSION - Books and Prints on March 26th: 106.13%
Winner's Auctions and Exhibitions. Holy books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical & Admors letters, Americana & Judiaca on March 27th: 101.99%


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

Sothebys. Moments of Flash on April 3rd: 100.00%
Bonhams. The Contents of Glyn Cywarch on March 29th: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Knott's Berry Farm Signature Auction on March 31st: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Sunday Internet Movie Posters - bidstart 3/26 on April 2nd: 96.69%
Heritage Auctions. Sunday Internet Comics - bidstart 3/26 on April 2nd: 96.58%
Jacksons Auction. Americana Art, Antiques and Collectibles on March 29th: 96.55%
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. McRorie Auction - Prints, Books on March 30th: 93.75%
Sothebys. Made in Britain - Prints, Photographs on April 5th: 91.54%
Christies. PORTRAIT OF A COLLECTOR: THE JOHN M. BRANSTEN COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS on April 6th: 89.29%
OSENAT. Empire at Fontainebleau. Historical Souvenirs on March 26th: 87.80%
Forum Auctions. Fine Books and Works on Paper on March 30th: 85.00%
Sothebys. Prints and Multiples on April 4th: 83.67%

20 total sales reported this week:

PBA Galleries. Fine Books and Miscellanea on April 6th: 72.56%
Christies. PORTRAIT OF A COLLECTOR: THE JOHN M. BRANSTEN COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS on April 6th: 89.29%
Christies. PHOTOGRAPHS INCLUDING PROPERTY SOLD TO BENEFIT THE ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION on April 6th: 67.60%
Bonhams. The Contents of Glyn Cywarch on March 29th: 100.00%
Jacksons Auction. Americana Art, Antiques and Collectibles on March 29th: 96.55%
Winter Associates. Americana - Books and Prints on March 27th: 70.59%
Winner's Auctions and Exhibitions. Holy books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical & Admors letters, Americana & Judiaca on March 27th: 74.64%
OSENAT. Empire at Fontainebleau. Historical Souvenirs on March 26th: 87.80%
OSENAT. L’EMPIRE À FONTAINEBLEAU - SECOND SESSION - Books and Prints on March 26th: 59.68%
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. McRorie Auction - Prints, Books on March 30th: 93.75%
Sothebys. Photographs on April 5th: 67.91%
Sothebys. Made in Britain - Prints, Photographs on April 5th: 91.54%
Sothebys. Scarfe at Sotheby's on April 5th: 53.85%
Sothebys. Prints and Multiples on April 4th: 83.67%
Dorotheum . Master Prints Before 1900 on April 4th: 72.00%
Forum Auctions. Fine Books and Works on Paper on March 30th: 85.00%
Heritage Auctions. Knott's Berry Farm Signature Auction on March 31st: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Sunday Internet Movie Posters - bidstart 3/26 on April 2nd: 96.69%
Heritage Auctions. Sunday Internet Comics - bidstart 3/26 on April 2nd: 96.58%
Sothebys. Moments of Flash on April 3rd: 100.00%

For the week ahead 18 sales are scheduled:

Mon. Apr. 10th
Bruun Rasmussen. Copenhagen. Prints. 92 lots
Sothebys. New York. In Motion: Photos by Eadweard Muybridge - Online bidstart 3/24. 70 lots

Tue. Apr. 11th
Bolaffi Ambassador Auctions. Milan. Photographs. 220 lots
Galerie Bassenge. Berlin-Grunewald . Book Sale - Day 1: Valuable Books. 1002 lots
Potomack Company. Alexandria. Online Auction - Books, Prints. 35 lots

Wed. Apr. 12th
Purcell Auctioneers. Birr. Irish Interest Book Auction. 623 lots
ALDE. Paris. Modern Illustrated Books and Original Bindings. 263 lots
RR Auction. Amherst. Fine Autographs & Artifacts - Internet bidstart 3/17. 726 lots
Galerie Bassenge. Berlin-Grunewald . Book Sale - Day 2: Literature and Autographs. 490 lots
Grays Auctioneers. Cleveland, . Fine Art - Prints. 37 lots

Thu. Apr. 13th
PBA Galleries. San Francisco. Rare Golf Books & Memorabilia. 509 lots
One Of Kind Collectibles. Coral Gables. Autographs, Manuscripts and Sports. 234 lots
Galerie Bassenge. Berlin-Grunewald . Book Sale - Day 3: Modern Literature. 562 lots
Forum Auctions. London. Online Sale: Books and Works on Paper. 105 lots

Fri. Apr. 14th
Skinner. Marlborough. Studio Art online - Prints - bidstart 4/6. 148 lots
Skinner. Marlborough. Discovery Interiors Online - bidstart 4/6. 27 lots

Sun. Apr. 16th
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Sunday Internet Comics - bidstart 4/9.
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Sunday Internet Movie Posters - bidstart 4/9.

Next week the auction rooms will be a bit quieter, a result of the Easter, Good Friday, and Passover holidays all falling in this coming week.

Mike Stillman

RBH and AE