Pacific Book Auction - A good place to do business
- by Karen Wright
Christina Geiger prepares for an auction.
They have an expert staff of thirteen people, most of whom have been with them for a long time. Administrators are Cameron Whiteman, President; Shannon Kennedy, VP of Client Services; Scott Evans, VP Operations & Technology; Rachel Frothingham, Client Services Associate; Justine Berkeley, Logistics Manager; and Larry Page, Shipping Manager. Then they have the book folk; Consignments, Appraisals and Cataloguing are done by Bruce MacMakin, Senior VP; George Fox, VP of Market Development and Senior Auctioneer; and aides, Thomas Lommen and Christina Geiger. When we were there, Christina was just doing her first big auction, and an awesome job she did!
"So tell me the process," I said to Bruce. "When a consignment comes in where does it go?" He said that the very first and most important thing they do, even before they accept a consignment, is talk to the consignee and get a feel for what books the person has to offer. There is no sense taking books that they know they can't sell. A lot of effort goes into each book in each consignment, so they are not looking for $5.00 books, but for higher end antiquarian and rare books. Sometimes when they accept an estate or big collection, they have to accept all the books, wonderful and not so wonderful. As Bruce put it; "PBA's interest is the same as the consignor's; we all need to make money."
Once they decide to take on a consignment, then PBA picks up or sends for the books, depending upon where they are located. They turn them over to their consignment department and the experts go through them and catalog them. The catalog contains the usual title, author, etc., and an excellent description of each book. Bruce said that they photograph approximately one in every 30 books, especially if they are real gems. In the meantime, all the books are also cataloged online. Once the print catalog is put together it is sent to their printer. "They can take the catalog and usually get it back to us in four days," Bruce told me. "We also put the catalog online and begin taking bids there."
Personally, I love the Category Watch that PBA offers. I have a very specialized bookstore and another job as well, so I don't have time, nor do I want to have to go through their entire catalog of fiction et al. to find my scarce, but wonderful books on architecture, travel, botany, cooking, or how to make jewelry. So when I signed up with PBA, I filled out the Category Watch form and now, when there are books in my arena of interest, they send me an email so I can check them out and bid if I want them.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue, inscribed by the author pre-publication. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the E flat Piano Quartet, K.493, 1786. £150,000 to £200,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.
Rare Book Hub is now mobile-friendly!
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 156: Cornelis de Jode, Americae pars Borealis, double-page engraved map of North America, Antwerp, 1593.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 206: John and Alexander Walker, Map of the United States, London and Liverpool, 1827.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 223: Abraham Ortelius, Typus Orbis Terrarum, hand-colored double-page engraved world map, Antwerp, 1575.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 233: Aaron Arrowsmith, Chart of the World, oversize engraved map on 8 sheets, London, 1790 (circa 1800).
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 239: Fielding Lucas, A General Atlas, 81 engraved maps and diagrams, Baltimore, 1823.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 240: Anthony Finley, A New American Atlas, 15 maps engraved by james hamilton young on 14 double-page sheets, Philadelphia, 1826.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 263: John Bachmann, Panorama of the Seat of War, portfolio of 4 double-page chromolithographed panoramic maps, New York, 1861.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 265: Sebastian Münster, Cosmographei, Basel: Sebastian Henricpetri, 1558.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 271: Abraham Ortelius, Epitome Theatri Orteliani, Antwerp: Johann Baptist Vrients, 1601.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 283: Joris van Spilbergen, Speculum Orientalis Occidentalisque Indiae, Leiden: Nicolaus van Geelkercken for Jodocus Hondius, 1619.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 285: Levinus Hulsius, Achtzehender Theil der Newen Welt, 14 engraved folding maps, Frankfurt: Johann Frederick Weiss, 1623.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 341: John James Audubon, Carolina Parrot, Plate 26, London, 1827.
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/00d5fd41-2542-4a80-b119-4886d4b9925f.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.")
