Auction Update Review
Count Down
The auction season, entering its
final month of 2011, has delivered a series of highly successful results around
the world. With twenty–four auctions
reporting this week total sales reached $21.4 million, a nudge above 100% of
the high estimate of all lots offered.
This is a rare and important result for, during the year, the percentage
of the aggregate high estimates range from 70% to 90% and rarely reach 100%. It suggests confidence in the rooms.
For the auctions reported this past
week 12,279 lots were offered and 9,035 lots sold for a 74% sell-through. The aggregate low estimate of the lots sold
was $12,262,929 million and their aggregate high estimate $15,971,575. Total sales were $21,386,007, a fraction
higher than the aggregate high estimate of all lots offered - $21,341,259. Europe may be in a funk, what with the
Euro-debt crisis, and the United States be in the throes of political reality
television but bidders, understanding that they need to bid when material is
available are coming through in a significant way.
For the week eleven sales reached
or exceeded 100% of their aggregate high estimates:
Rupert Toovey. Ephemera on November 1st: 257%
Burgersdijk & Niermans. Books on November 15th: 192%
Artcurial Briest-Le Fur-Poulain- F.
Tajan. Comic Strips – Herge’s Universe
on November 26th: 137%
Piasa. Ancient and Modern Prints on November 23rd: 123%
Ader. Books – ancient and modern – Architecture –
Manuscripts on November 23rd:
115%
Sotheby’s. Music, Books, Children’s and Illustrated
Books on November 20th: 110%
Alde. Modern Books, Works on Paper on November 28th: 106%
Ketterer Kunst / F. Doerling. Rare Books on November 21st: 104%
Galerie Bassange. Prints on November 24th: 102%
Bonhams. Books, Maps and Manuscripts on November 29th: 101%
The Romantic Agony Book and Print
Auctions. Books on November 25th: 100%
For the week ahead 23 sales are
scheduled:
December 5th Ader. Posters and Periodicals (11569)
Antiquarian
Auctions.co.za. Books (15)
Cowan’s
Auctions, Inc. The Herbert Merritt
Collection of Books on Cincinnati and Southwestern Ohio
(297)
December 6th Antiquarian Auctions.co.za. Books (15)
Artcurial
Briest-Le Fur-Poulain-F. Tajan. Prints
and Illustrated Books (2088)
Henri
Godts Books & Prints Auctions. Books
from the 16th to 20th Centuries (16123)
Piasa. Manuscripts Second Vacance (120611)
Sotheby’s. Western and Oriental Manuscripts (L11241)
December 7th Antiquarian Auctions.co.za. Books (15)
Christie’s. Old Master, Decorative, Modern and Contemporary
Prints (3311)
Old
World Auctions. Maps, Atlases, Prints,
etc (138)
Piasa. Succession of Mister X. (17832)
December 8th Ader. Judaica, Paintings, Sculptures, Liturgical
objects, Books (17514)
Alexander
Autographs, Inc. WWII Militaria and
Autographs (46)
Antiquarian
Auctions.co.za. Books (15)
Heritage. Manuscripts Grand Format Auction (6603)
Piasa. Modern Prints Henri M. Petiet (120811)
Swann
Galleries. Maps & Atlases, Natural
History & Historical Prints, Ephemera (2264)
December 9th Alexander Autographs, Inc. WWII Militaria and Autographs (46)
Dorotheum. Autographs (12911)
Galerie
Koller Auctions. Modern Prints (A159)
Heritage. Manuscripts
Grand Format Auction continuing
(6603)
December 11th Michael Treloar. Manuscripts, Books, Photographs and Artwork (121111)
Good hunting!
Bruce McKinney
AE
December 4th, 2011