Over the past 50 years John Zubal’s Zubal Books has been providing a service to institutions and buyers – handling large quantities of books and pamphlets, acquiring, describing and selling them first via printed catalogs and later via the internet. He has long provided a valued service. He has retired but it’s his voice on the telephone message you hear.
Most of 20 years ago he mentioned he had stacks of auction catalogues and suggested I fly to Cleveland to see them. In time I literally bought them all in time converting them into at least 2 million of the records that ultimately became part of Transactions+. I was grateful then and remain grateful today.
These days Zubal Books posts 500 to 1,000 items a day and the descriptions are brief to the point of being laconic. You get the idea but it’s useful to know what you are looking for.
These days the Zubals in Zubal Books are his sons Tom and Michael and they are carrying on their Pop’s enterprise. I mention this because I received a mailing recently from them about one of their quarterly sales. Out of curiosity I ran some of my personal search terms New Paltz and found a temperance pamphlet dated 1852. What did this gem cost? $32.96.
John’s retired and he’s still making good things happen.
Sotheby’s Fine Manuscript and Printed Americana 27 January 2026
Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: An extraordinary pair of books from George Washington’s field library, marking the conjunction of Robert Rogers, George Washington, and Henry Knox. $1,200,000 to $1,800,000.
Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: An extraordinary letter marking the conjunction of George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Benjamin Franklin. $1,000,000 to $1,500,000.
Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: Virginia House of Delegates. The genesis of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. $350,000 to $500,000.
Sotheby’s Fine Manuscript and Printed Americana 27 January 2026
Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: (Gettysburg). “Genl. Doubleday has taken charge of the battle”: Autograph witness to the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, illustrated by fourteen maps and plans. $200,000 to $300,000.
Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: President Lincoln thanks a schoolboy on behalf of "all the children of the nation for his efforts to ensure "that this war shall be successful, and the Union be maintained and perpetuated." $200,000 to $300,000.
Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: [World War II]. An archive of maps and files documenting the allied campaign in Europe, from the early stages of planning for D-Day and Operation Overlord, to Germany’s surrender. $200,000 to $300,000.
![<b>Sotheby’s, Jan. 27:</b> [World War II]. An archive of maps and files documenting the allied campaign in Europe, from the early stages of planning for D-Day and Operation Overlord, to Germany’s surrender. $200,000 to $300,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/9d2762bc-9f26-47ef-96de-1c28070e19f6.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Jan. 27:</b> [World War II]. An archive of maps and files documenting the allied campaign in Europe, from the early stages of planning for D-Day and Operation Overlord, to Germany’s surrender. $200,000 to $300,000.")