The number of auctions for the rare book, manuscript, map and ephemera field has long been increasing, and finding and following lots relevant to your focus now needs more time to manage the data flow. It’s long been easy to search upcoming events in our Upcoming Auction Search but anymore, there are so many auctions it’s becoming useful to have your terms running automatically against fresh auctions as they are posted. Otherwise, you may later find in Transactions+ what you’ve been hoping to find, recently slipped by undetected.
All memberships [including free] have access to Matchmaker that will match your search terms against new auctions as they are posted. Use it because it’s useful.
What is different these days is simply the volume of auctions and lots.
Through August in 2020 we covered 315,755 lots, while this year, through August, the running total is running much higher: 391,123.
For 2020, the full year, we covered 521,422 lots. We are projecting this year to cover 645,885. As to what the numbers will look like in 2022, it’s likely the numbers will continue to increase.
To understand how your areas of interest are faring in the upcoming auction market, it takes only a few minutes to set your Matchmaker preferences after which you’ll receive a fresh report daily.
It’s easy, and it’s free.
How to use it?
From the main menu bar running across every RBH page, when signed in, select Matchmaker:
Enter your terms by clicking “Add Keywords.” Regular reports will begin the next day.
If you find your first terms to be overly broad, adjust your search terms by adding modifiers to narrow their focus. It works like this based on a quick search of Upcoming Auctions (your results may differ as auctions conclude and are uploaded to Upcoming Auctions daily):
“Benjamin Franklin” finds 13 lots coming up:
“Washington” finds 303 upcoming lots. When you add “George,” “George Washington” finds 61. If you are looking for manuscript material, simply add “manuscript” to “George Washington” and you find 4 relevant lots.
Heritage, May 13: Isaac Asimov. I, Robot. The dedication copy, inscribed to John W. Campbell, Jr.
Heritage, May 13: Aldous Huxley. Brave New World. A fine copy, in a brilliant dust jacket.
Heritage, May 13: Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author.
Heritage, May 13: Robert A. Heinlein. Stranger in a Strange Land. A fine copy, signed by the author.
Heritage, May 13: Jules Verne. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas. Exceedingly rare true first American edition, first issue.
Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1481 ❧ THE FIRST VIEW OF VENICE. ROLEWINCK, WERNER. 1425-1502. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1496 ❧ GREEK INCUNABLE. MANUTIUS, ALDUS. 1449-1515. $15,000 - $25,000
Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1544 ❧ THE SQUARING OF THE CIRCLE. FINÉ, ORONCE. 1494-1555. $4,000 - $6,000
Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1544 ❧ ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SCIENTIFIC BOOKS OF THE RENAISSANCE. $12,000 - $18,000
Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1544 ❧ RENAISSANCE CYPHERS AND REBUSES. PALATINO, GIOVANNI BATTISTA. 1515-1575. $3,000 - $5,000
Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1588 ❧ "ONE OF THE MOST ELEGANTLY PRODUCED OF ALL TECHNOLOGICAL TREATISES." $15,000 - $25,000
Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1618 ❧ THREE DUTCH EMBLEM BOOKS BY DANIEL HEINSIUS BOUND IN ONE. $5,000 - $8,000
Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1710 ❧ A BEAUTIFULLY COLORED "PRINT BIBLE". BASNAGE, JAKOB. 1653-1723. $12,000 - $18,000
Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1818 ❧ EARLY COLOR LITHOGRAPHY. BARTH, JOHANN AUGUST. 1765-1818. $8,000 - $12,000
Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1896 ❧ KELMSCOTT CHAUCER: THE FINEST BOOK SINCE THE GUTENBERG BIBLE. $60,000 - $90,000
Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1903 ❧ DOVES PRESS MAGNUM OPUS: THE DOVES BIBLE. $10,000 - $15,000
Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1680 ❧ FREIBERG FÊTE BOOKS FROM THE GOURARY COLLECTION. $1,000 - $1,500
One of a Kind Auctions Tesla, Einstein & The American Presidency: Rare Historical Documents Ending April 30, 2026
One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: The Republican Court; Autographs of George Washington, (Signers) Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, John Dickinson, Charles Carroll of Carrollton and More!
One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Nikola Tesla Signed Holograph Manuscript Page from "Tidal Wave to Make War Impossible," Describing the World's First Conceived Remotely Operated Weapon of Mass Naval Destruction.
One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Albert Einstein — Incredible possibly Unique Signed & Inscribed Einsteins hand “Relativitätstheorie / A. Einstein” Booklet: Relativitätstheorie, 10th Ed., 1920, Original Wrappers.
One of a Kind Auctions Tesla, Einstein & The American Presidency: Rare Historical Documents Ending April 30, 2026
One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: James Joyce Personal Copy of Finnegan's Wake (With Signature).
One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Buster Keaton Flamingo Films / Kennedy Productions Archive Group, 1933–1937.
One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Extremely rare Josiah Henson (Uncle Tom) Signature & Harriet Beecher Stowe Cabinet Card.
One of a Kind Auctions Tesla, Einstein & The American Presidency: Rare Historical Documents Ending April 30, 2026
One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: William Livingston (Signer of DOI), the New Jersey State Convention had unanimously ratified the Federal Constitution.
One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Complete 1927 Tunney-Dempsey "Long Count" Fight Ticket Signed by George Getz, with 1923 Dempsey-Firpo Dinner Card and Jack Dempsey Signed Photograph.
One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: James Buchanan Cabinet Signed Autograph album
One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: CHARLES LINDBERGH SIGNS HIS NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL BANQUET INVITATION, JUNE 14, 1927 — THREE WEEKS AFTER THE TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: APRÈS de MANNEVILLETTE, Jean-Baptiste d’- Le Neptune Oriental.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: DELISLE, Guillaume – Atlas françois,1725.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: HONTER. SOPHOCLE - Recueil composite réunissant deux ouvrages.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: PHÉROTÉE DE LA CROIX, A. - Algemeene weereld-beschryving.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: LA PÉROUSE, Jean-François de Galaup de - Voyage autour du monde.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: BLAEU, Guillaume & Jean -Septième volume de la Géographie Blaviane.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: TATIKIAN, Boğos - Figures et costumes du Levant.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: GIRAULT DE PRANGEY, Joseph-Philibert -Monument arabes et moresques de Cordoue, Séville et Grenade.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: CHAMPOLLION le jeune. Monuments de l’Egypte et de la Nubie.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: CASSAS, Louis-François. - Voyage pittoresque de la Syrie, de la Phénicie, de la Palestine et de la Basse Egypte.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: SONNERAT, Pierre. Voyage aux Indes orientales et à la Chine.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: GARNIER, Francis. Voyage d'exploration en Indo-Chine.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: SUBERBIE, Alix (E. SMITH). Dessins et aquarelles de Madagascar.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: BYRON -Viage del comandante Byron.
Sotheby’s Précieuses reliures d’une bibliophile Collection Georgette J. Salles Open for bidding 8-29 April
Apr. 8-29: Delaunay, Sonia — Blaise Cendrars. La Prose du Transsibérien. 1913. €120,000 to €180,000.
Apr. 8-29: Picasso, Pablo — Georges Hugnet. La Chèvre-feuille. 1943. €80,000 to €120,000.
Apr. 8-29: Schmied, François-Louis ─ Joseph-Charles Mardrus. Cantique des cantiques. 1925. €30,000 to €50,000.
Apr. 8-29: Bonnard, Pierre — Paul Verlaine. Parallèlement. 1900. €30,000 to €50,000.
Apr. 8-29: Derain, André — Guillaume Apollinaire. L’Enchanteur pourrissant. 1909. €20,000 to €30,000.
