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Articles - August - 2010 Issue

Amazon's E-Books Outsell Hardcovers for the 2nd Quarter

- by Thomas C. McKinney

Amazon's browser-based online Kindle store

Amazon's browser-based online Kindle store


By Tom McKinney

E-books are enjoying a wave of growth as new devices like Apple's iPad and its competitors provide a great platform for a potential rebirth in reading for the future. Spurred also by price cuts to many of the leading E-Readers (see my article last month about Amazon and Barnes & Noble's price war), and by cheaper pricing page per page versus hardcover books, Amazon.com announced earlier this month that for the entire second quarter, their Kindle e-books had outsold hardcovers by a margin of 143 to 100. And that wasn't all; the pace has also been accelerating - the last month they sold closer to 180 e-books for every 100 hardbacks. And finally, it's overall rate of e-book sales for the first six months of 2010 has been more than three times that of 2009.

I've been watching the news and reading articles trying to make sense of it all. Many publications in the media seem to have equated the term "hardcover" to mean hard copy. I've seen the two replaced as if they were synonyms. Sadly, they are not. Last year, Publisher's Weekly projected hardcover sales to be about $4.4 billion in 2009, while paperbacks were expected to generate $5.1B. In that same Weekly report, e-books were anticipated to produce about $81 million in 2009. Not exactly a fox in a henhouse, though, the fox is looking more and more like a lion! And, there is absolutely a difference between hardcover and hard copy. To clarify Amazon's meaning, here's a quote from their News Release, dated July 19, 2010:

"Recent milestones for Kindle books include:
• Over the past three months, for every 100 hardcover books Amazon.com has sold, it has sold 143 Kindle books. Over the past month, for every 100 hardcover books Amazon.com has sold, it has sold 180 Kindle books. This is across Amazon.com's entire U.S. book business and includes sales of hardcover books where there is no Kindle edition. Free Kindle books are excluded and if included would make the number even higher."

Rare Book Monthly

  • <B><CENTER>Forum Auctions<br>Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026<br>25 March 2026</center></b> <b>Forum, Mar. 25:</b> Botany.- Andrews (H.C.) <i>Coloured Engravings of Heaths,</i> 4 vol. in 2, first edition, [1710,--94]-1802-1809-[1830]. £10,000 - £15,000. <b>Forum, Mar. 25:</b> Butterflies.- Cramer (Pierre) and Caspar Stoll. <i>De Uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de drie Waereld-Deelen…,,</i> 5 vol., Amsterdam & Utrecht, 1779-91. £8,000 - £12,000. <b>Forum, Mar. 25:</b> Voyages.- Darwin (Charles) and others. <i>Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle,</i> 3 vol. in 4, including Appendix to vol.2, first edition, 1839. £8,000 - £12,000. <b>Forum, Mar. 25:</b> Butterflies.- de Graaf (Willem Diederik Vincent). <i>[Inlandsche Kapellen in beeld],</i> 170 fine original watercolours, [Enkhuizen], [1800-40]. £8,000 - £12,000. <B><CENTER>Forum Auctions<br>Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026<br>25 March 2026</center></b> <b>Forum, Mar. 25:</b> Birds.- Dresser (Henry Eeles). <i>A History of the Birds of Europe,</i> 9 vol., including supplement, first edition, by the author, 1871-96. £6,000 - £8,000. <b>Forum, Mar. 25:</b> Zoology.- Felines.- Elliot (Daniel Giraud). <i>A Monograph of the Felidæ or Family of the Cats,</i> first edition, for the Subscribers, by the Author, [1878]-1883. £25,000 - £30,000. <b>Forum, Mar. 25:</b> Birds.- Frisch (Johann Leonard). <i>Vorstellung der Vögel Deutschlandes,</i> 2 vol., first edition, Berlin, Friedr. Wilhelm Birnsteil, [1736]-1763. £40,000 - £60,000. <b>Forum, Mar. 25:</b> Birds.- Gould (John). <i>The Birds of Great Britain,</i> 5 vol., first edition, by the author, 1862-1873. £30,000 - £40,000. <B><CENTER>Forum Auctions<br>Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026<br>25 March 2026</center></b> <b>Forum, Mar. 25:</b> Pomology.- France.- Poiteau (A.) <i>Pomologie Française. Recueil des Plus Beaux Fruits cultivés en France,</i> 4 vol., Paris, 1846. £30,000 - £40,000. <b>Forum, Mar. 25:</b> Botany.- [Robin (Jean)]. <i>Histoire des Plantes, nouvellement trouvées en l'Isle Virgine…,</i>, 1620; with Geoffrey Linocier <i>L'Histoire des plantes,</i> second edition, 1619-20. £3,000 - £4,000. <b>Forum, Mar. 25:</b> Asia.- Japan.- Siebold (P.F. von). <i>Nippon. Archiv zur Beschreibung von Japan,</i> 7 parts in 6 vol., first edition, Leyden, [1832]-1852. £35,000 - £45,000. <b>Forum, Mar. 25:</b> Asia.- Valentijn (Francois). <i>Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën...,</i> 5 vol. in 8, first edition, Dordrecht [&] Amsterdam, 1724-26. £8,000 - £12,000. <b>Forum, Mar. 25:</b> Botany.- Australia.- Redouté (P.J.).- Ventenat (Étienne Pierre). <i>Jardin de la Malmaison,</i> 2 vol.,, Paris, 1803-04[-05]. £30,000 - £40,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026
    25 March 2026
    Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- Andrews (H.C.) Coloured Engravings of Heaths, 4 vol. in 2, first edition, [1710,--94]-1802-1809-[1830]. £10,000 - £15,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Butterflies.- Cramer (Pierre) and Caspar Stoll. De Uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de drie Waereld-Deelen…,, 5 vol., Amsterdam & Utrecht, 1779-91. £8,000 - £12,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Voyages.- Darwin (Charles) and others. Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle, 3 vol. in 4, including Appendix to vol.2, first edition, 1839. £8,000 - £12,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Butterflies.- de Graaf (Willem Diederik Vincent). [Inlandsche Kapellen in beeld], 170 fine original watercolours, [Enkhuizen], [1800-40]. £8,000 - £12,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026
    25 March 2026
    Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Dresser (Henry Eeles). A History of the Birds of Europe, 9 vol., including supplement, first edition, by the author, 1871-96. £6,000 - £8,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Zoology.- Felines.- Elliot (Daniel Giraud). A Monograph of the Felidæ or Family of the Cats, first edition, for the Subscribers, by the Author, [1878]-1883. £25,000 - £30,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Frisch (Johann Leonard). Vorstellung der Vögel Deutschlandes, 2 vol., first edition, Berlin, Friedr. Wilhelm Birnsteil, [1736]-1763. £40,000 - £60,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Gould (John). The Birds of Great Britain, 5 vol., first edition, by the author, 1862-1873. £30,000 - £40,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026
    25 March 2026
    Forum, Mar. 25: Pomology.- France.- Poiteau (A.) Pomologie Française. Recueil des Plus Beaux Fruits cultivés en France, 4 vol., Paris, 1846. £30,000 - £40,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- [Robin (Jean)]. Histoire des Plantes, nouvellement trouvées en l'Isle Virgine…,, 1620; with Geoffrey Linocier L'Histoire des plantes, second edition, 1619-20. £3,000 - £4,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Asia.- Japan.- Siebold (P.F. von). Nippon. Archiv zur Beschreibung von Japan, 7 parts in 6 vol., first edition, Leyden, [1832]-1852. £35,000 - £45,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Asia.- Valentijn (Francois). Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën..., 5 vol. in 8, first edition, Dordrecht [&] Amsterdam, 1724-26. £8,000 - £12,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- Australia.- Redouté (P.J.).- Ventenat (Étienne Pierre). Jardin de la Malmaison, 2 vol.,, Paris, 1803-04[-05]. £30,000 - £40,000.
  • <b>ALDE, Mar. 11:</b> AUGUSTIN (Saint). <i>De civitate Dei.</i> Rome, Konrad Sweynheym et Arnold Pannartz, 1470. €20,000 - €30,000. <b>ALDE, Mar. 11:</b> [REGNART (LE LIVRE DE)]. <i>[Le] Docteur en malice, maistre Regnard, demonstrant les ruzes et cautelles qu'il use envers les personnes…</i> Rouen, 1550. €20,000 - €30,000. <b>ALDE, Mar. 11:</b> TRITHÈME (JEAN). <i>Polygraphie et universelle escriture cabalistique.</i> Paris, [Benoît Prévost pour] Jacques Kerver, 1561. €8,000 - €10,000. <b>ALDE, Mar. 11:</b> CAUS (SALOMON DE). <i>La Perspective, avec la raison des ombres et des miroirs.</i> Londres, John Norton, 1612. <b>ALDE, Mar. 11:</b> NICERON (JEAN-FRANÇOIS). <i>La Perspective curieuse ou magie artificielle des effets merveilleux de l'optique.</i> Paris, Pierre Billaine, 1638. €6,000 - €8,000. <b>ALDE, Mar. 11:</b> VONTET (JACQUES). <i>L’Art de trancher la viande et toute sorte de fruits…</i> S.l.n.d. [probablement Lyon, vers 1647]. €20,000 - €30,000. <b>ALDE, Mar. 11:</b> HUGO (VICTOR). [Paysage spectral avec une église], [vers 1837]. €20,000 - €30,000. <b>ALDE, Mar. 11:</b> [HERVEY DE SAINT-DENYS (LÉON D')]. <i>Les Rêves et les Moyens de les diriger. Observations pratiques.</i> Paris, Amyot, 1867. €3,000 - €4,000. <b>ALDE, Mar. 11:</b> GACHET (PAUL-FERDINAND). <i>Les Chats de Gachet</i> (Manuscrit). S.d. [avant mai 1873]. €6,000 - €8,000. <b>ALDE, Mar. 11:</b> [REDON (ODILON)]. PICARD (EDMOND). <i>Le Juré. Monodrame en cinq actes…</i> Bruxelles, Mme veuve Monnom, 1887. €7,000 - €9,000. <b>ALDE, Mar. 11:</b> [TOULOUSE-LAUTREC (HENRI DE) ET HENRI-GABRIEL IBELS]. MONTORGUEIL (GEORGES). <i>Le Café-concert.</i> Paris, [1893]. €4,000 - €5,000. <b>ALDE, Mar. 11:</b> [TERRY (EMILIO)]. <i>Projet de fontaine.</i> Dessin original au stylo et à l'encre noire. 1938. €2,000 - €3,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: AUGUSTIN (Saint). De civitate Dei. Rome, Konrad Sweynheym et Arnold Pannartz, 1470. €20,000 - €30,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [REGNART (LE LIVRE DE)]. [Le] Docteur en malice, maistre Regnard, demonstrant les ruzes et cautelles qu'il use envers les personnes… Rouen, 1550. €20,000 - €30,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: TRITHÈME (JEAN). Polygraphie et universelle escriture cabalistique. Paris, [Benoît Prévost pour] Jacques Kerver, 1561. €8,000 - €10,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: CAUS (SALOMON DE). La Perspective, avec la raison des ombres et des miroirs. Londres, John Norton, 1612.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: NICERON (JEAN-FRANÇOIS). La Perspective curieuse ou magie artificielle des effets merveilleux de l'optique. Paris, Pierre Billaine, 1638. €6,000 - €8,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: VONTET (JACQUES). L’Art de trancher la viande et toute sorte de fruits… S.l.n.d. [probablement Lyon, vers 1647]. €20,000 - €30,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: HUGO (VICTOR). [Paysage spectral avec une église], [vers 1837]. €20,000 - €30,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [HERVEY DE SAINT-DENYS (LÉON D')]. Les Rêves et les Moyens de les diriger. Observations pratiques. Paris, Amyot, 1867. €3,000 - €4,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: GACHET (PAUL-FERDINAND). Les Chats de Gachet (Manuscrit). S.d. [avant mai 1873]. €6,000 - €8,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [REDON (ODILON)]. PICARD (EDMOND). Le Juré. Monodrame en cinq actes… Bruxelles, Mme veuve Monnom, 1887. €7,000 - €9,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [TOULOUSE-LAUTREC (HENRI DE) ET HENRI-GABRIEL IBELS]. MONTORGUEIL (GEORGES). Le Café-concert. Paris, [1893]. €4,000 - €5,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [TERRY (EMILIO)]. Projet de fontaine. Dessin original au stylo et à l'encre noire. 1938. €2,000 - €3,000.

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