Rare Book Monthly

Articles - September - 2022 Issue

It doesn’t have to be old to be gold: RR Auctions is offering 21 items

Elon Musk in 1995

Elon Musk was once a mortal and had an appealing girlfriend when he was a student at the University of Pennsylvania where he and she lived and worked as Resident Advisors in 1995.  The relationship was fleeting, family members met, and in time some pictures were taken and kept.  Elon went on and on and on and Jennifer Gwynne, his girlfriend, found a lasting love and made a life with two children now in tow.

 

Being practical, and remembering she had a few souvenirs, she contacted RR Auctions wondering if her 21 items relating to Elon, might be converted into money she and her husband could invest in their children’s educations.

 

Bingo those 21 keepsakes will soon be changing hands on September 14th.

 

Lest you be interested, be aware others are too.  In general the estimates are slim and the bidding is early.  Nevertheless, there are already bids on every item.  A birthday card with terms of endearment has 13 breathless bidders demanding, “mine, mine, mine.”  A necklace he bestowed, the only lot that can be worn, has already received 22 bids.  My personal favorite, a photograph of Mr. Musk suspended upside down, should be purchased by Mary Barra, the Chief Executive Officer of General Motors.  She is committed to turning Elon’s life upside down in real life.

 

Given that the goal of selling these items is to improve the lives of Jennifer’s children, you never know if one of the big money guys might show up in the bidding to make a significant difference.  If so, we’ll know on the 14th.   

 

Here is a link to the sale:   https://www.rrauction.com/search/results/?navsearch=true&str=musk&cp=current-auctions

Rare Book Monthly

  • Manuscript Masterpieces from the Schøyen Collection
    London auction, 11 June
    BROWSE NOW
    Christie’s, Explore now: The Holkham Hebrew Bible. In Hebrew, decorated manuscript on vellum [Toledo, 2nd quarter 13th century]. £1,500,000–3,000,000
    Christie’s, Explore now: The Crosby-Schøyen Codex. In Coptic, manuscript on papyrus [Upper Egypt, middle 3rd century / 4th century]. £2,000,000–3,000,000
    Christie’s, Explore now: The Geraardsbergen Bible. In Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum [Southern Netherlands, late 12th century]. £700,000–1,000,000
    Christie’s, Explore now : Jean de Courcy (fl. 1420). The Chronique de la Bouquechardiere. In French, illuminated manuscript on vellum [Paris, c.1480]. £200,000–300,000
    Christie’s, Explore now: The ‘Catherine de Medici’ Hours. In Latin and French, illuminated manuscript on vellum [Paris, c.1485]. £120,000–180,000
  • Freeman’s | Hindman, June 6: MELVILLE, Herman (1819-1891). Moby-Dick; or, The Whale. FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, IN THE BAL FIRST BINDING. $12,000 - $18,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, June 6: PUZO, Mario (1920-1999). The Godfather. FIRST EDITION, PROOF COPY in wrappers. SIGNED BY PUZO. $3,000 - $5,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, June 7: HUGHES, Langston. Scottsboro Limited. 1932. FIRST EDITION, LIMITED ISSUE. INSCRIBED BY HUGHES TO NOEL SULLIVAN. $6,000 - $8,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, June 7: HOMANN, Johann Baptist, HOMANN HEIRS, and Georg Matthäus SEUTTER. [Composite Atlas]. [maps dated between 1728-1765]. $30,000 - $40,000.
  • 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
  • Bid on iGavelAuctions.com: Heller, Joseph, Closing Time, Advance Readers Copy of Uncorrected Proof with a letter from Heller on his personal stationary
    Bid on iGavelAuctions.com: Gates, Bill, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, N Y: Knopf, 2021; first edition, with a handwritten note from Bill Gates
    Bid on iGavelAuctions.com: Heller, Joseph, Catch-22, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1961, first edition, first printing, first issue dust jacket, inscribed on the front end paper by Heller
    Bid on iGavelAuctions.com: Heller, Joseph, Something Happened, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1974, first edition, inscribed on the front end paper by Heller
    Bid on iGavelAuctions.com: Austen, Jane, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, London: John Murray, 1818, in four volumes

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