For Robert Rulon-Miller, past president of the ABAA and proprietor of Rulon-Miller Books of Saint Paul,
Minnesota, "This was an off year but we will of course continue to participate." Mr. Rulon-Miller
brought more valuable material and he may yet close some sales based on the exit survey we conducted.
We found that about 10% of the one thousand six hundred who attended came with clear collecting agendas. Their
collections were long ago defined and they now rarely reach beyond their collections' natural
boundaries. They are looking for specific material and whether they see it at shows or simply learn
about it there their process includes research and negotiations which mean completed transactions may
be weeks away.
Greg Gibson of Ten Pound Island didn't have a big fair either although year in and year out shows are
an important part of his business. He issues catalogues, posts about 6,000 items on line and does
about a dozen book-selling events annually.
Kol Shaver of Zephyr Books of Vancouver did well. He too sold mainly less expensive material but
also completed the sale of a Bancroft set. He's closing his shop after 14 years, following the trend
that is seeing book selling move from bricks and mortar to websites and mice. Shows are an important
part of his future. Like a liquid becoming a gas he's simply changing state.
David Meeker of Nick Adams & Co. of Sacramento had a different but nevertheless positive experience.
He sold only three books for $500 but purchased $18,000 of material for stock. He neither lists nor
issues catalogues. Shows and personal relationships are the heart of his business and he's a frequent
exhibitor on the west coast circuit.
Helen Kahn of Montreal exhibited at this fair for the first time, in part to fill a space on her dance
card left open after she stopped exhibiting at the ABAA's November Boston Fair two years ago. She
brought "Northwest" material and made several very good sales to knowledgeable collectors.
An example of the new collector was on the floor and went virtually unrecognized. He's 26 years old
and is an avid collector of science fiction, fantasy, Steven King and baseball cards. He makes money
buying at garage and library sales and at Good Will and sells on eBay, Abe and Alibris. With the
money he makes he goes to serious shows to buy better material for himself. When I sat down with him
he had $2,000 in his wallet and had been rebuffed by one dealer who stepped in when he opened a
valuable book to examine it. "Hey young man, that's a very valuable book" and shoed him away. Let's
all recognize that the new collector is 30 or 40 years younger than we are.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Jerry Thomas. How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion, Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States…
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Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("Martinus Luther") to His Friend the Theologian Gerhard Wiskamp ("Gerardo Xantho Lampadario"). $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: An Exceptionally Fine Copy of Austenís Emma: A Novel in Three Volumes. $40,000 - $60,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Presentation Copy of Ernest Hemmingwayís A Farewell to Arms for Edward Titus of the Black Mankin Press. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript Signed Integrally for "The Songs of Pooh," by Alan Alexander. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript of "Three Fragments from Gˆtterd‰mmerung" by Richard Wagner. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Preliminary Artwork, for the First Edition of Snow Crash. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("T.R. Malthus") to Economist Nassau Senior on Wealth, Labor and Adam Smith. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Finely Bound by Michael Wilcox. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: First Edition of Lewis and Clark: Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Artwork for the First Edition of Neal Stephenson's Groundbreaking Novel Snow Crash. $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: A Complete Set Signed Deluxe Editions of King's The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams") to James Le Ray de Chaumont During the Crucial Years of the Revolutionary War. $8,000 - $12,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Francesco Colonna. Hypnerotomachie, Paris, 1546, Parisian calf by Wotton Binder C for Marcus Fugger. €200,000 to €300,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Nausea. De principiis dialectices Gorgias, and other works, Venice, 1523, morocco gilt for Cardinal Campeggio. €3,000 to €4,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Billon. Le fort inexpugnable de l'honneur, Paris, 1555, Parisian calf gilt for Peter Ernst, Graf von Mansfeld. €120,000 to €180,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Salinger, J.D. The Graham Family archive, including autographed letters, an inscribed Catcher, a rare studio photograph of the author, and more. $120,000 to $180,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of Sense and Sensibility, the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Massachusetts General Court. A powerful precursor to the Declaration of Independence: "every Act of Government … without the Consent of the People, is … Tyranny." $40,000 to $60,000.
![<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/8caddaea-4c1f-47a7-9455-62f53af36e3f.jpg "<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.")
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/9a74d9ff-42dd-46a1-8bb2-b636c4cec796.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.")
