For the week ending Saturday November 24^th 22 auctions were archived to the AED; 4 in British pounds, 8 in dollars, and 10 in euros.  Ten thousand six hundred and ninety-nine lots were offered and 7,834 sold for a 73% success rate.  Total turnover was $20,752,258 or 100% of the aggregate of the high estimates for all lots offered.  This was achieved on the wings of Heritage Auction’s Comics and Comic Art sale on November 15^th that realized $6,690,015, an astounding 325% of its aggregate high estimate.  Some may debate the importance of Lincoln but no one is questioning Super Man, Batman and Robin.  It turns out the kids who 50 years ago had comic books tucked into their text books were onto something:  the future.

The total of the low estimates of all lots sold was $10,910,569, the total of their high estimates $14,198,171.

Six sales saw their total turnover reach a million dollars:

Heritage Auctions.  Comics and Comic Art on November 15^th:  $6,690,015

Christies.  Valuable Books and Manuscripts on November 21^st:  $3,260,525

Sotheby’s.  Books and Manuscripts on November 19^th:  $2,092,450

Sotheby’s.  Photographs on November 16^th:  $1,563,100

Skinner, Inc.  Fine Books and Manuscripts on November 18^th:  $1,303,466

Guernsey’s.  The Roger Tory Peterson Auction on September 8^th:  $1,051,672

Five auctions saw their total sales reach 100% of the total of their high estimates and 3 others came close enough to warrant recognition:

Heritage Auctions.  Comics and Comic Art on November 15^th:  325%

Aydup & Mirabaud.  Books on November 7^th:  159%

Dominic Winter.  Historic Aviation Memorabilia, Motoring & Transport, Militaria, Railway Tickets, Books & Ephemera on November 15^th:  117%

Dominic Winter.  Printed Books, Maps & Decorative Prints on November 14^th:  115%

Alde.  Modern Illustrated Books; Children’s Books on November 19^th:  99%

Christie’s.  Valuable Books and Manuscripts on November 21^st:  98%

The Romantic Agony Book and Print Auctions.  Books and Prints:  97%

Four sales saw at least 80% of their lots sell:

Heritage Auctions.  Comics and Comic Art on November 15^th:  99.7%

Heritage Auctions.  Rare Books online auction ended November 22^nd:  86%

Dominic Winter.  Printed Books, Maps & Decorative Prints on November 14^th:  85%

Skinner, Inc.  Fine Books and Manuscripts on November 18^th:  82%

For the week ahead 39 sales are scheduled and 13,974 lots are searchable in the AE Auction Search:

Mon. Nov. 26^th  Australian Book Auctions.  Books [61].  382 lots

Tues. Nov. 27^th           Bonhams.  Printed Books and Maps [19851].  688 lots

                                    Bubb Kuyper.  Library of Gerrit Komrij, Part I [57a].  1,046 lots

                                    Bubb Kuyper.  Library of Gerrit Komrij, Part II [57b].  591 lots
Bruun Rasmussen.  Books [1248].  176 lots
Tajan.  Modern and Contemporary Photographs [9746].  213 lots

                                    Bonhams.  Prints [20274].  234 lots

                                    Christie’s.  Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts [7558].  395 lots

                                    Australian Book Auctions.  Books [61].  382 lots

                                    Ader.  Judaica [19597].  375 lots

Wed. Nov. 28^th           Sotheby’s.  Musical Manuscripts and Continental Books [L12406].  159 lots

Thurs. Nov. 29^th         AntiquarianAuctions.com.  Rare Books – online bidding starts today [23].  432 lots

                                    Heritage Auctions.  Vintage Movie Posters [7067].  1,199 lots

                                    Galerie Bassenge.  Prints, 15^th to 19^th Century [100h].  690 lots

                                    Swann Galleries.  Autographs [2296].  294 lots

                                    Bonhams.  Marcus, The Property of Lord Mowbray and Stourton & The Honorable
  James Stourton [20558].  9 lots

                                    Keys Fine Arts Auctioneers.  Books – Day 1 [1052].  1,053 lots

                                      Pierre Berge & Associes.  Library of the Egyptologist Roger Khawan [19690].  265 lots

                                    Bubb Kuyper.  Prints [57e]

                                    Bubb Kuyper.  Rare Books [57f]

                                    Galerie Bassenge.  “Drama and Vision” Collection of Ivan Nagel [100i].  125 lots                    

Fri.  Nov. 30^th             Heritage Auctions.  Vintage Movie Posters [7067].  1,199 lots

                                    Keys Fine Arts Auctioneers.  Books – Day 2 [1053].  119 lots

                                    Bubb Kuyper.  Prints, Photographs [57g]

Sat Dec. 1^st                 Neret – Minet & Tessier.  Sale No. 14592.  Comic Strips.  33 lots

Sunday Dec. 2nd       Osenat.  Sale No. 13962.  Fontainbleau Empire

In horse racing and for auctions of the printed word we can say at this moment we are rounding the three quarter post and heading for home.

Bruce McKinney

AE

November 25^th, 2012