In the next few days, I went to my ABE account and found orders for about thirty books, half of which I didn't have in my inventory and hadn't had for months. What the heck?! My cool, calm facade was beginning to crack a bit. I wasn't yelling yet, but I was borderline. The next day, I purged my old inventory, sent along my new file (I turn it over at least thrice a week), and noticed that they had me down for almost three times as many books in stock as I actually had for sale. I emailed them again, told them that they had books in my inventory that hadn't been in my store for months and that had long ago and far away been deleted. Their left-hand agent said that I really should purge my inventory before I sent in a new file. Huh?
I went to their web site to upload and when I hit the purge button, it went to the page and said, 'A book purge has already been requested and will be processed with your next file upload.' This was the same note I got the week BEFORE when I requested a purge, so their system was not purging my books and when I sent them a new file it was just putting it on top of the old file so I had triplicates of every book and all the sold books were back online. I said @$#-&f-%-^*$#%. I was getting mad now. I always purge before loading a new inventory file. I've been sending these files for years.
So finally, after raising my voice on the phone and peppering them with emails, they said that if I didn't straighten my inventory out soon, they would have to drop me from their site. I said that as far as I was concerned, if this was what they called "customer service" they could take it and ... well, you know. After that threat, I actually got an email from a very polite representative saying that they had finally turned it over to their technical department. Finally!
Next day an automated message told me that they had not purged my books when I asked them to as I had reduced my inventory by more than 25% of the current online inventory and, if the book purge and replacement file was intentional, to please reply so they could process my request to reduce my book count. After letting out a piercing scream that sent my dog skittering under the desk, I emailed them back and said that if I said purge and replace four times in a row, I meant purge and replace, dammit.
The next morning I had three new orders, but they still were not coming to my email, I had to go in and check the website every morning, which I did anyway. I emailed again - don't even try to phone them! The answer came back three days later - amazing: It seems that their system had not picked up my purges or my new inventory files, but of course, since I am technologically challenged, I just assumed, as did they, that it was my fault. But, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, it wasn't! At this point, ABE and I have parted company.
The bad news is that the U.S. Post Office is raising its rates, yet again, in May. Here we go again! More later, we're off to Costa Rica and will have more news next month. Saludos.
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.
Heritage Auctions Rare Books Signature Auction December 15, 2025
Heritage, Dec. 15: John Donne. Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death. London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan of the Apes.
Heritage, Dec. 15: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tender is the Night. A Romance.
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…
![<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.")
![<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.")
