Books at auction is not a new idea but rather one factor in the complex evolutionary chain that a hundred years ago efficiently recycled material from collectors to dealers who resold it. And since 1980, what had been a wholesale market for dealers, began to become the retail market it is today.
Along the way many factors changed. Databases exploded and most people with books of value consult them today. These databases have also made it possible to identify the scale of non-standard subjects that are becoming the focuses of choice for many new collectors. How is this done? By deve...
AbeBooks has released their list of the Top 10 highest prices paid on their book selling website during the months of July-September. They fall into three categories: books or authors you know, ver...
A right of passage in New England each fall, the ABAA Book Fair in Boston, returns to the Hynes Center November 15-17. This is one of the ABAA’s fairs and a stalwart event for east coast dealers a...
Boston, MA—On Saturday, November 16, 2019, the Boston Book, Print Ephemera Fair returns to the Back Bay Events Center, 180 Berkeley at Stuart St., for its eight edition. The show features 60 deale...
There are no superheroes in this comic strip. No one is paying millions of dollars for a copy of her first edition. No one is spending tens of millions of dollars turning her into a super action fi...
It is not too difficult to find items signed by Mark Twain. There are lots of signed books, letters, photographs, postcards, documents, even checks out there. However, a first for Twain autographs ...
During the week of the Boston book fairs Skinner’s is running a 530 lot online auction of collectible paper including books, manuscripts, maps, photography, and ephemera. It’s a very interesting s...
In 1770, the atheist Philosopher Paul Henri Thiry, baron d’Holbach (1723-1789), revisited the history of Jesus Christ in his book Histoire critique de la vie de Jésus-Christ/A Critical History Of J...
A new library has opened in Los Angeles, but it is not your typical library. Rather, it is officially known as the “Homicide Library.” It will house what are called “murder books.” This is not a pl...
In the past year I’ve seen cultured approaches to collectors and collecting presented in magazines both by Freeman’s of Philadelphia and Christie's of everywhere else and thought this makes sense b...
The 18th Paris Map, Instruments Globes Fair will be held on November 9 in, you guessed it, Paris, France. It will bring dealers in the map field from all over the world to one of the world's favor...
Suicide, depression, anxiety, tornadoes, homelessness, hurricanes, tidal waves, impeachment, climate change, corruption and an unending litany of bad news 24/7. Yes my fellow book people, it’s scar...
Kevin Kelly, an ABAA dealer and resident of New Paltz, New York is someone I’ve known for many years. I grew up in New Paltz and was first introduced to book collecting there by Bill Heidgerd in t...
Here is a creative use for your old books now that no one reads anymore, except, maybe, on an electronic device. Credit this original idea to French fashion designer Sylvie Facon. According to her ...
This month we review eight new bookseller catalogues. Aleph-Bet Books is offering a new selection of children's and illustrated books. Hordern House focuses on Australia and the Southern Hemisphere...
Kestenbaum & Company Sale 115: The Library of the late Dr. Michael D. Paul of St. John’s, Newfoundland Featuring: Travel, Atlases, Natural History, Science, Medicine and Fine Color-Plate Books Thursday, 5th March, 2026
Kestenbaum, Mar. 5: (AMERICA). COLLOT, GEORGES H. VICTOR. Voyage dans l'Amérique Septentrionale…, Paris, 1826 (but printed 1804/5). $60,000 to $90,000.
Kestenbaum, Mar. 5: (INCUNABLE). SCHEDEL, HARTMANN. Liber Chronicarum. Nuremberg, Anton Koberger, 1493. $40,000 to $60,000.
Kestenbaum, Mar. 5: (ENTOMOLOGY). MERIAN, MARIA SIBYLLA. Dissertatio de Generatione et Metamorphosibus Insectorum Surinamensium, Amsterdam, 1719. $40,000 to $60,000.
Kestenbaum & Company Sale 115: The Library of the late Dr. Michael D. Paul of St. John’s, Newfoundland Featuring: Travel, Atlases, Natural History, Science, Medicine and Fine Color-Plate Books Thursday, 5th March, 2026
Kestenbaum, Mar. 5: (ATLAS). BLAEU, WILLEM JANZOON. <>Le Flambeau de la Navigation…, Amsterdam, 1620. $40,000 to $60,000.
Kestenbaum, Mar. 5: (ATLAS). MERCATOR, GERARD. L'Atlas ou Méditations Cosmographiques de la fabrique du monde et Figure diceluy, Amsterdam, 1613. $30,000 to $50,000.
Kestenbaum, Mar. 5: (ORNITHOLOGY). GOULD, JOHN. The Birds of Great Britain, London, (1862-)73. First edition. $30,000 to $50,000.
Kestenbaum & Company Sale 115: The Library of the late Dr. Michael D. Paul of St. John’s, Newfoundland Featuring: Travel, Atlases, Natural History, Science, Medicine and Fine Color-Plate Books Thursday, 5th March, 2026
Kestenbaum, Mar. 5: (ATLAS). BLAEU, WILLEM & JOHANNES. Appendix Theatri A. Ortelii et Atlantis G. Mercatoris…, Amsterdam, 1631. $30,000 to $50,000.
Kestenbaum, Mar. 5: (ASTRONOMY). DOPPELMAYR, JOHANN GABRIEL. Atlas Coelestis in quo Mundus Spectabilis, Nuremberg, 1742. $12,000 to $18,000.
Kestenbaum, Mar. 5: (BOTANY). WEINNMANN, JOHANN WILHELM. Duidelyke Vertoning, Eeniger Duizend in alle vier waerelds deelen wassende…, Amsterdam, 1739-48. $20,000 to $30,000.
Kestenbaum & Company Sale 115: The Library of the late Dr. Michael D. Paul of St. John’s, Newfoundland Featuring: Travel, Atlases, Natural History, Science, Medicine and Fine Color-Plate Books Thursday, 5th March, 2026
Kestenbaum, Mar. 5: (ENGLAND). KIP, JOHANNES. Nouveau Theatre de la Grande Bretagne, London, 1714-16. $20,000 to $30,000.
Kestenbaum, Mar. 5: (ASTRONOMY). DOPPELMAYR, JOHANN GABRIEL. Atlas Coelestis in quo Mundus Spectabilis, Nuremberg, 1742. $12,000 to $18,000.
Kestenbaum, Mar. 5: (ARCHITECTURE). PIRANESI, GIOVANNI. (Miscellaneous). Prima parte di architetture e prospettive, (Paris, circa 1800). $12,000 to $18,000.
Sotheby's Fine Books & Manuscripts Available for Immediate Purchase
Sotheby’s: Balthus, Emily Brontë. Wuthering Heights, New York: The Limited Editions Club, 1993. 6,600 USD.
Sotheby’s: Charles Dickens. Complete Works, Philadelphia & London: J.B. Lippincott Company & Chapman & Hall, LD, 1850. Limited Edition set of 30 volumes. 7,500 USD.
Sotheby’s: John Lennon, Yoko Ono. Handwritten Letter from John Lennon and Yoko Ono to their Chauffer. 1971. 32,500 USD.
Sotheby’s: Winston Churchill. First edition of War Speeches, Cassell and Company, Ltd., 1941. Set of 7 volumes. 5,500 USD.
Sotheby’s: Andy Warhol, Julia Warhola. Holy Cats First Edition, Signed by Andy Warhol. 1954. 30,000 USD.
Il Ponte, Feb. 25-26:
HAMILTON, Sir William (1730-1803) - Campi Phlegraei. Napoli: [Pietro Fabris], 1776, 1779. € 30.000 - 50.000
Il Ponte, Feb. 25-26: [MORTIER] - BLAEU, Joannes (1596-1673) - Het Nieuw Stede Boek van Italie. Amsterdam: Pieter Mortier, 1704-1705. € 15.000 - 25.000
Il Ponte, Feb. 25-26: TULLIO D'ALBISOLA (1899-1971) - Bruno MUNARI (1907-1998) - L'Anguria lirica (lungo poema passionale). Roma e Savona: Edizioni Futuriste di Poesia, senza data [ma 1933?]. € 20.000 - 30.000
Il Ponte, Feb. 25-26: IL MANOSCRITTO RITROVATO DI IPPOLITA MARIA SFORZA. TITO LIVIO - Ab Urbe Condita. Prima Decade. Manoscritto miniato su pergamena, metà XV secolo. € 280.000 - 350.000