Auction Update Review

Happy Holidays

For the week ended Saturday 23 December 28 auctions were archived to the Rare Book Hub Transaction Database; 4 denominated in euros, 4 denominated in British pounds, and 20 in US dollars.  Turnover was $8,086,561 as 9,570 lots were offered and 7,546 sold for a 79% success rate.  The average lot brought $1,067.66.  

 

3 auctions saw their total proceeds reach a million dollars: 

Sothebys. Important Judaica on December 20th: $2,268,500 
Bonhams. Prints and Multiples on December 18th: $1,408,519 
Forum Auctions. Banksy on December 12th: $1,261,298 

5 auctions saw total sales exceed 100% of the high estimates of all lots offered: 

Stair Auctioneers and Appraisers. Books, Manuscripts, Prints on December 16th: 130.44% 
Robert Siegel Galleries. Stampless Stories: A Postal History of America on December 12th: 124.55% 
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Children's and Illustrated Books on December 15th: 124.13% 
Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers. Rare Books on December 5th: 110.23% 
Bonhams. Prints and Multiples on December 18th: 100.32% 

Top 25 Lots Reported This Past Week.
  1. Sothebys An Exceedingly Rare Ashkenazic Hebrew Bible with Numerous Micrographic Decorations, Scribe: Mattithiah ben Jedidiah on December 20th Actual price: USD $555,000.
  2. Sothebys An Exceptional Copy of the Sefer Minhagim of Rabbi Samuel of Ulm, Accompanied by Numerous Other Historical, Rabbinic, and Literary Texts on December 20th Actual price: USD $435,000.
  3. Sothebys Tefillah mi-Kol ha-Shanah ke-Minhag ha-Ashkenazim, with Seder ha-Haggadah shel Pesah (A Previously Unknown and Earliest Extant Complete Western Ashkenazic Daily Prayer Book and Haggadah), on December 20th Actual price: USD $312,500.
  4. Sothebys Pentateuch with Masorah on December 20th Actual price: USD $237,500.
  5. Forum Auctions Girl with Balloon on December 12th Actual price: USD $177,375.
  6. Bonhams Cirque on December 18th Actual price: USD $153,188.
  7. Sothebys Torah Scroll on December 20th Actual price: USD $150,000.
  8. Forum Auctions NOLA (Pink to Yellow Rain) on December 12th Actual price: USD $137,063.
  9. Bonhams Nola (Blue and Green Rain) on December 18th Actual price: USD $96,750.
  10. Bonhams Alexander The Great on December 18th Actual price: USD $77,400.
  11. Dominic Winter Book Auctions Down and Out in Paris and London, on December 15th Actual price: USD $73,660.
  12. Forum Auctions Christ with Shopping Bags on December 12th Actual price: USD $72,563.
  13. Forum Auctions Girl with Balloon on December 12th Actual price: USD $67,725.
  14. Forum Auctions Watchtower on December 12th Actual price: USD $58,050.
  15. Sothebys The Haggadah, Executed by Arthur Szyk, Edited by Cecil Roth on December 20th Actual price: USD $56,250.
  16. Forum Auctions Rude Copper (Anarchy) on December 12th Actual price: USD $54,825.
  17. Sothebys A Monumental Micrographic Manuscript Plaque on December 20th Actual price: USD $50,000.
  18. Bonhams The Sunshine Roof on December 18th Actual price: USD $48,375.
  19. Forum Auctions Happy Choppers on December 12th Actual price: USD $48,375.
  20. Bonhams No Ball Games on December 18th Actual price: USD $45,150.
  21. Bonhams Pulp Fiction on December 18th Actual price: USD $45,150.
  22. Forum Auctions Bomb Love (Bomb Hugger) on December 12th Actual price: USD $45,150.
  23. Forum Auctions Morons (Sepia) on December 12th Actual price: USD $45,150.
  24. Sothebys Miniature Torah Scroll on December 20th Actual price: USD $43,750.
  25. Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers The World Described; or A New and Correct Sett of Maps, shewing the Several Empires, Kingdoms, Republics, Principalities, Provinces & c., in all known parts of the Earth; tall atlas on December 5th Actual price: USD $42,480.



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

National Book Auctions. Fraternal, Children’s, Antique, etc. on December 9th: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Sunday Internet Comics - bidstart 12/10 on December 17th: 99.57%
Robert Siegel Galleries. Stampless Stories: A Postal History of America on December 12th: 99.55%
Heritage Auctions. Sunday Internet Movie Posters - bidstart 12/10 on December 17th: 98.96%
Stair Auctioneers and Appraisers. Books, Manuscripts, Prints on December 16th: 97.56%
Heritage Auctions. Tuesday Internet Currency Auction - Online bidstart 12/12 on December 19th: 96.88%
Christies. Collection Jean Lafont on September 22nd: 96.30%
Forum Auctions. Banksy on December 12th: 95.00%
Dirk Soulis Auctions. Autographs/Animation Art on December 5th: 92.21%
Bruun Rasmussen. Prints on December 19th: 86.76%
Rachel Davis Fine Arts. Fine and Decorative Arts - Prints on December 9th: 84.78%
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Children's and Illustrated Books on December 15th: 84.32%
Holabird Kagin Americana. December Premiere Sale - Day 3 on December 3rd: 83.64%
Forum Auctions. Online Sale: Books and Works on Paper on December 14th: 82.88%
Cowans Auctions. Fine Books, Including the Culpin World War I Art Collection on December 18th: 82.73%
Heritage Auctions. Sunday Internet Sports Collectibles - Internet bidstart 11/19 on December 17th: 82.01%
Trillium Antique Prints & Rare Books. Fine Art - Antique Engravings & Lithographs - Works on Paper on December 14th: 81.07%


28 total sales reported this week:

Stair Auctioneers and Appraisers. Books, Manuscripts, Prints on December 16th: 97.56%
Rachel Davis Fine Arts. Fine and Decorative Arts - Prints on December 9th: 84.78%
Moreshet Auctions. Judaica: Books and Manuscripts on December 6th: 67.30%
Sothebys. Important Judaica on December 20th: 57.30%
Alexander Historical Auctions. Autographs on December 20th: 76.10%
JellyFishTree. Books on November 15th: 43.52%
Cowans Auctions. Fine Books, Including the Culpin World War I Art Collection on December 18th: 82.73%
Bruun Rasmussen. Prints on December 19th: 86.76%
Bonhams. Prints and Multiples on December 18th: 77.24%
Trillium Antique Prints & Rare Books. Fine Art - Antique Engravings & Lithographs - Works on Paper on December 14th: 81.07%
Forum Auctions. Online Sale: Books and Works on Paper on December 14th: 82.88%
Forum Auctions. Banksy on December 12th: 95.00%
Heritage Auctions. Tuesday Internet Currency Auction - Online bidstart 12/12 on December 19th: 96.88%
Winner's Auctions and Exhibitions. Holy books, letters from Rabbis and Rebbes, Judaica, Maps, Periodicals, Postcards, banknotes, Eretz on November 29th: 60.20%
Minerva Auctions Roma. Prints and Multiples on December 12th: 52.61%
Robert Siegel Galleries. Stampless Stories: A Postal History of America on December 12th: 99.55%
Dirk Soulis Auctions. Autographs/Animation Art on December 5th: 92.21%
Grays Auctioneers. Paintings, Prints & Photographs on December 13th: 56.25%
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Children's and Illustrated Books on December 15th: 84.32%
National Book Auctions. Fraternal, Children’s, Antique, etc. on December 9th: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Sunday Internet Sports Collectibles - Internet bidstart 11/19 on December 17th: 82.01%
Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers. Rare Books on December 5th: 71.10%
Holabird Kagin Americana. December Premiere Sale - Day 3 on December 3rd: 83.64%
Holabird Kagin Americana. December Premiere Sale - Day 2 on December 2nd: 69.42%
Holabird Kagin Americana. December Premiere Sale - Day 1 on December 1st: 69.62%
Heritage Auctions. Sunday Internet Movie Posters - bidstart 12/10 on December 17th: 98.96%
Heritage Auctions. Sunday Internet Comics - bidstart 12/10 on December 17th: 99.57%
Christies. Collection Jean Lafont on September 22nd: 96.30%

For the week ahead 4 sales are scheduled:


Tue. Dec. 26th
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Heritage Auctions: Sunday Internet Sports Collectibles - Internet bidstart 11/26. 280 lots
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Tuesday Internet Currency Auction - Online bidstart 12/19. 244 lots

Fri. Dec. 29th
Tooveys. West Sussex. End of Year Sale - Prints. 31 lots

Sat. Dec. 30th
Artcurial. Paris. Paris#Marrakech. 11 lots

Bruce McKinney

RBH and AE

  • 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
  • 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