Rare Book Monthly Articles - November - 2023 Issue

Need to Sell Your Valuable Books but have No Idea How? We Can Help!

Need to Sell Your Valuable Books but have No Idea How? We Can Help!

Over the past 20 years, the Rare Book Hub has grown to be far and away the world's largest source of sales data about rare and collectible books. As a result, we have come to work with many of the leading auction houses and booksellers. When it comes to collectors, the one question I have been asked most often is “how do I sell my books?” For most collectors, whether it's age, space limitations, finances, changed focus or fading interest, it eventually becomes time to sell. For others, it is books they inherited but know nothing about. They would like to dispose of them for a fair price but...

Library Sale Turns into Library Theft

Library Sale Turns into Library Theft

The Batley Library in Wales, U.K., saw dozens, maybe hundreds of books taken from its shelves in one of the more bizarre misunderstandings seen lately. The Friends of the Batley Library were holdin...

Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair Turns 45!

Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair Turns 45!

The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair celebrated its 45th anniversary, Oct 27-29, at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston’s historic Back Bay. The event brought together over 100 exhibito...

The Columbus Letter, History and Forgery

The Columbus Letter, History and Forgery

Fake old books are rare, as it’s very expensive, and thus hardly profitable to forge one. Yet there are a few documents that are worth the effort—the letter Columbus sent to the Court of Spain when...

Bankruptcy Filing at Denver’s Tattered Cover Raises Concern in the World of Books

Bankruptcy Filing at Denver’s Tattered Cover Raises Concern in the World of Books

The news that Tattered Cover, Denver’s iconic long running independent bookseller, had declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 16th sent ripples of concern through the world of books.   Accordi...

AbeBooks Most Expensive Books Sold in July-September 2023

AbeBooks Most Expensive Books Sold in July-September 2023

AbeBooks has announced their latest list of the top prices paid for books sold on the top old and used books website in the world. This one covers the third quarter, July-September, of 2023. It is ...

Doyle is offering the interesting and obscure on November 7th:  Be mindful!

Doyle is offering the interesting and obscure on November 7th: Be mindful!

Salem Witch Trials + very early New England   ·       Auction of Rare Books, Autographs Maps on Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 10am ·       Including the Esmond Bradley Martin Collection of Afric...

Hindman Auctions Offers Two Book and Paper Sales on 9-10 November

Hindman Auctions Offers Two Book and Paper Sales on 9-10 November

Hindman Auctions of Chicago has two auctions soon coming into the rooms:  165 lots from The Dorros Family Collection on the 9th, and 411 more of Fine Books Manuscripts, Including Americana on the ...

A NEW “SHADOW”  HAS RISEN

A NEW “SHADOW” HAS RISEN

Contributed by Mr. Stevens and Richard Mori who were this show’s promoters.   From all accounts the Boston shadow fair was one of the most successful in years, in terms of the quality of dealers ...

Book Legal Case #1 – Massive Copyright Violation

Book Legal Case #1 – Massive Copyright Violation

A group of publishers have sued what is known as a “shadow library,” what the publishers describe as “just a ruse for a massive piracy effort.” The defendant is Library Genesis, better known for sh...

Book Legal Case #2 – The Internet Archive to Appeal Copyright Infringement Judgment Against It Over Their Open Library

Book Legal Case #2 – The Internet Archive to Appeal Copyright Infringement Judgment Against It Over Their Open Library

The Internet Archive (IA), creator of the famed Wayback Machine and numerous other free services, has announced that it will appeal a legal decision against it in a suit by publishers over copyrigh...

SPENCER W. STUART, Bibliophilic Advisor, chats with The Institute Library Community via ZOOM EVENT

SPENCER W. STUART, Bibliophilic Advisor, chats with The Institute Library Community via ZOOM EVENT

Spencer Stuart, author of Contemporary Issues in Rare Book and Manuscript Collecting: A Handbook for Collectors and the Trade, speaks to questions of interest to today’s bibliophiles. Book collecti...

The Veatchs inventory begins to appear at NE Auctions mid-November

The Veatchs inventory begins to appear at NE Auctions mid-November

Eight hundred+ items from the Veatchs’s stock, to be included in many New England Auctions sales continuing into 2024.  In mid-November this will be the first sale that will include their material ...

Emily Kerrigan joins Leland Little

Emily Kerrigan joins Leland Little

Auction houses are finding more consignors and interesting material to sell.   Leland Little Auctions is expanding their services to the rare book community by hiring book specialist Emily Kerrig...

Paris Map Fair Returns November 4

Paris Map Fair Returns November 4

The 22nd annual edition of the Ancient Geographical Map Exhibition, also known as the “Paris Map Fair,” will take place on Saturday. November 4. Hours are 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Naturally, it is he...

US New Book Sales Drop Across the Board in First 9 Months of 2023, But eBooks, and Audiobooks Show Gains

US New Book Sales Drop Across the Board in First 9 Months of 2023, But eBooks, and Audiobooks Show Gains

Unit sales of print books fell 4.1% in the first nine months of 2023, compared to the same period in 2022, at outlets that report to Circana BookScan according to a recent article in Publishers Wee...

Nine Catalogues Reviewed This Month

Nine Catalogues Reviewed This Month

This month we review nine new bookseller catalogues. Jonathan A. Hill Bookseller features Chinese, Japanese Korean books, manuscripts scrolls. Type Punch Matrix has a collection of fine and varie...

Rare Book Monthly

  • Heritage, May 13: Isaac Asimov. I, Robot. The dedication copy, inscribed to John W. Campbell, Jr.
    Heritage, May 13: Aldous Huxley. Brave New World. A fine copy, in a brilliant dust jacket.
    Heritage, May 13: Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author.
    Heritage, May 13: Robert A. Heinlein. Stranger in a Strange Land. A fine copy, signed by the author.
    Heritage, May 13: Jules Verne. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas. Exceedingly rare true first American edition, first issue.
  • Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1481 ❧ THE FIRST VIEW OF VENICE. ROLEWINCK, WERNER. 1425-1502. $8,000 - $12,000.
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1496 ❧ GREEK INCUNABLE. MANUTIUS, ALDUS. 1449-1515. $15,000 - $25,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1544 ❧ THE SQUARING OF THE CIRCLE. FINÉ, ORONCE. 1494-1555. $4,000 - $6,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1544 ❧ ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SCIENTIFIC BOOKS OF THE RENAISSANCE. $12,000 - $18,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1544 ❧ RENAISSANCE CYPHERS AND REBUSES. PALATINO, GIOVANNI BATTISTA. 1515-1575. $3,000 - $5,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1588 ❧ "ONE OF THE MOST ELEGANTLY PRODUCED OF ALL TECHNOLOGICAL TREATISES." $15,000 - $25,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1618 ❧ THREE DUTCH EMBLEM BOOKS BY DANIEL HEINSIUS BOUND IN ONE. $5,000 - $8,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1710 ❧ A BEAUTIFULLY COLORED "PRINT BIBLE". BASNAGE, JAKOB. 1653-1723. $12,000 - $18,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1818 ❧ EARLY COLOR LITHOGRAPHY. BARTH, JOHANN AUGUST. 1765-1818. $8,000 - $12,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1896 ❧ KELMSCOTT CHAUCER: THE FINEST BOOK SINCE THE GUTENBERG BIBLE. $60,000 - $90,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1903 ❧ DOVES PRESS MAGNUM OPUS: THE DOVES BIBLE. $10,000 - $15,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1680 ❧ FREIBERG FÊTE BOOKS FROM THE GOURARY COLLECTION. $1,000 - $1,500
  • One of a Kind Auctions
    Tesla, Einstein & The American Presidency: Rare Historical Documents
    Ending April 30, 2026
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: The Republican Court; Autographs of George Washington, (Signers) Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, John Dickinson, Charles Carroll of Carrollton and More!
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Nikola Tesla Signed Holograph Manuscript Page from "Tidal Wave to Make War Impossible," Describing the World's First Conceived Remotely Operated Weapon of Mass Naval Destruction.
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Albert Einstein — Incredible possibly Unique Signed & Inscribed Einsteins hand “Relativitätstheorie / A. Einstein” Booklet: Relativitätstheorie, 10th Ed., 1920, Original Wrappers.
    One of a Kind Auctions
    Tesla, Einstein & The American Presidency: Rare Historical Documents
    Ending April 30, 2026
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: James Joyce Personal Copy of Finnegan's Wake (With Signature).
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Buster Keaton Flamingo Films / Kennedy Productions Archive Group, 1933–1937.
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Extremely rare Josiah Henson (Uncle Tom) Signature & Harriet Beecher Stowe Cabinet Card.
    One of a Kind Auctions
    Tesla, Einstein & The American Presidency: Rare Historical Documents
    Ending April 30, 2026
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: William Livingston (Signer of DOI), the New Jersey State Convention had unanimously ratified the Federal Constitution.
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Complete 1927 Tunney-Dempsey "Long Count" Fight Ticket Signed by George Getz, with 1923 Dempsey-Firpo Dinner Card and Jack Dempsey Signed Photograph.
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: James Buchanan Cabinet Signed Autograph album
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: CHARLES LINDBERGH SIGNS HIS NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL BANQUET INVITATION, JUNE 14, 1927 — THREE WEEKS AFTER THE TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT
  • Gros & Delettrez, May 5: APRÈS de MANNEVILLETTE, Jean-Baptiste d’- Le Neptune Oriental.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: DELISLE, Guillaume – Atlas françois,1725.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: HONTER. SOPHOCLE - Recueil composite réunissant deux ouvrages.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: PHÉROTÉE DE LA CROIX, A. - Algemeene weereld-beschryving.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: LA PÉROUSE, Jean-François de Galaup de - Voyage autour du monde.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: BLAEU, Guillaume & Jean -Septième volume de la Géographie Blaviane.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: TATIKIAN, Boğos - Figures et costumes du Levant.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: GIRAULT DE PRANGEY, Joseph-Philibert -Monument arabes et moresques de Cordoue, Séville et Grenade.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: CHAMPOLLION le jeune. Monuments de l’Egypte et de la Nubie.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: CASSAS, Louis-François. - Voyage pittoresque de la Syrie, de la Phénicie, de la Palestine et de la Basse Egypte.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: SONNERAT, Pierre. Voyage aux Indes orientales et à la Chine.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: GARNIER, Francis. Voyage d'exploration en Indo-Chine.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: SUBERBIE, Alix (E. SMITH). Dessins et aquarelles de Madagascar.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: BYRON -Viage del comandante Byron.
  • Sotheby’s
    Précieuses reliures d’une bibliophile
    Collection Georgette J. Salles
    Open for bidding 8-29 April
    Apr. 8-29: Delaunay, Sonia — Blaise Cendrars. La Prose du Transsibérien. 1913. €120,000 to €180,000.
    Apr. 8-29: Picasso, Pablo — Georges Hugnet. La Chèvre-feuille. 1943. €80,000 to €120,000.
    Apr. 8-29: Schmied, François-Louis ─ Joseph-Charles Mardrus. Cantique des cantiques. 1925. €30,000 to €50,000.
    Apr. 8-29: Bonnard, Pierre — Paul Verlaine. Parallèlement. 1900. €30,000 to €50,000.
    Apr. 8-29: Derain, André — Guillaume Apollinaire. L’Enchanteur pourrissant. 1909. €20,000 to €30,000.

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