For the week ending Saturday September 8^th 6 auctions were archived to the AED; 1 in euros, 1 in British pounds and 4 in dollars.  One thousand four hundred and forty six lots were offered and 1,307 sold for an exceptional 90.4% success rate.  Total turnover was a million dollars.

Two sales reached 100% of their aggregate high estimates on their lots in the books, manuscripts, maps and ephemera field:

Bruun Rasmussen.  Books on September 4^th:  147%

Christie’s.  The London Sale on September 12^th:  142%

Every sale archived this week sold at least 80% of their lots:

National Book.  Books and Ephemera on August 12^th:  100%

National Book.  Books and Ephemera on July 29^th:  99.6%

Bruun Rasmussen.  Books on September 4^th:  94%

Christie’s.  The London Sale on September 3^rd:  85%

Heritage Auctions.  Rare books online ended September 6^th:  80%

For the week ahead 11 sales are scheduled:

Wed. Sept. 12^th  Dorotheum.  Posters, Advertising Art, Comics, Film and Photo History [9596]

                                    Heritage Auctions.  Estate Sale:  Prints and Photography [5101]

                                    Rupert Toovey and Co.  Prints [1068].

Thurs. Sept. 13^th        Bloomsbury Auctions.  Bibliophile [35949]

                                    Heritage Auctions.  Estate Sale:  Prints and Photography [5101]

                                    Heritage Auctions.  Rare Books.  Online bidding ending today.

                                    PBA Galleries.  Rare Books and Manuscripts [488]

                                    Swann Galleries.  Fine & Vintage Writing Instruments [2285]

                                    Waddington’s.  Joyner-Waddington Online Auction of Post-War Canadian Art including Prints [91312]

Sat. Sept 15^th             Alain & Evelyne Morel de Westgaver.  Books, etc. [91512]

Sun.  Sept. 16^th          Bonhams.  Prints and Photographs [20041]

The PBA Sale is interesting.  For starters it's a big sale and for institutions and collectors an opportunity to consider some very good material.  Details of the sale are appearing on AE home, auction and AEM pages.

The Swann sale of Fine and Vintage Writing Instruments the same day, Thursday the 13th, is also showcased on AE pages.   Both sales deserve a careful look.

We enter the fall season undecided if the tool of choice will be the cross-cut or rip saw.  We know the music will be a Brandenburg Concerto but not yet the key.  My sense is we are in the new reality.  Old price assumptions are no longer dictating.  Demand is and it’s increasingly a very different game, the ability to build and command an audience now essential and inseparable from great material and very good descriptions.

For institutions and collectors the market has never been better.  For dealers its an adjustment.

Bruce McKinney

AE

September 9^th, 2012