Auction Update Review
We are into the high snow
For the week ending Saturday
December 1st 30 auctions were archived to the AED; 16 in euros, 9 in
British pounds, 4 in dollars and 1 in Swiss francs. Total turnover was $26,449,140, 103% of the
total high estimate of all lots offered.
Eleven thousand eights hundred and forty-two lots were offered and 8,697
sold for a 73% success rate.
Sixteen sales saw their total sales
exceed the total of their high estimates:
Pierre Berge & Associes. Books on November 21st: 227%
Bonhams. Marcus, The Property of Lord Mowbray and
Stourton & The Honorable James Stourton on November 29th: 227%
Burgersdijk &
Niermans. Books on November 13th: 186%
Sotheby’s. Musical Manuscripts and Continental Books on
November 28th: 134%
Artcurial Briest-Le
Fur-Poulain-F.Tajan. Comic Strips - 1st Vacation on November 18th: 131%
Zisska & Schauer. Books, Manuscripts on November 8th: 130%
Zisska & Schauer. Books, Manuscripts on November on November 9th: 129%
Christies. An Important Collection of Russian Books and
Manuscripts with Imperial Provenance on November 29th: 120%
Bonhams. Printed Books and Maps on November 27th: 117%
Zisska & Schauer. Books, Manuscripts, Incunabula on November 7th: 112%
Alde. Documents; Artistic and Literary Autographs
on November 29th: 111%
Zisska & Schauer. Books, Manuscripts on November 8th: 111%
Dirk Soulis
Auctions. Prints on November 10th: 108%
Bonhams. Printed Books and Maps on November 23rd: 107%
Swann Galleries. Autographs on November 29th: 101%
Eights sales saw their
totals reach a million dollars:
Sotheby’s. Musical Manuscripts and Continental Books on
November 28th: $5,661,040
Artcurial Briest-Le
Fur-Poulain-F.Tajan. Comics on November
24th: $3,754,687
Christie’s. An
Important Collection of Russian Books and Manuscripts with Imperial Provenance
on November 29th: $2,340,282
Ketterer Kunst / F.
Doerling. Rare Books on November 19th: $2,014,522
Sotheby’s. Important Manuscripts, Letters and
Memorabilia from the family of Arturo Toscanini on November 28th: $1,895,923
Bonhams. Prints on November 27th: $1,400,096
Pierre Berge &
Associes. Books on November 21st: $1,114,786
Zisska & Schauer. Books, Manuscripts, Incunabula on November 7th: $1,101,448
Fourteen sales saw 80%
or more of their lots sell:
Dirk Soulis Auctions. Prints on November 10th: 96%
Artcurial Briest-Le
Fur-Poulain-F.Tajan. Comic Strips - 1st
Vacation: 92%
Swann Galleries. Autographs on
November 29th: 92%
Bonhams. Printed Books and Maps on November 27th: 91%
Sotheby’s. Important Manuscripts, Letters and
Memorabilia from the family of Arturo Toscanini on November 28th: 90%
Christie’s. An Important Collection of Russian Books and
Manuscripts with Imperial Provenance on November 29th: 90%
Bonhams. Marcus, The Property of Lord Mowbray and
Stourton & The Honorable James Stourton on November 29th: 89%
Heritage Auctions. Rare Books Internet bidding ended November 29th:
Pierre Berge &
Associes. Books on November 21st: 86%
Burgersdijk &
Niermans. Books on November 13th: 84%
Zisska & Schauer. Books,
Manuscripts, Incunabula on November 7th: 84%
Bruun Rasmussen. Books on November 27th: 84%
Zisska & Schauer. Books, Manuscripts on November 9th: 82%
For the week ahead 34
sales are scheduled:
Tuesday Dec. 4th
Bonhams. Sale No. 19952. Polar Sale, Travel and Photographs
Christies. Sale No. 2769. Multiples by Matisse from the Matisse Family
Collections Internet only (bidstart 11/19)
Mealy’s Auctioneers. No. 120412.
Rare Books and Literature
Delvaux. Sale No. 19735. Books and Autographs
Bonhams. Sale No. 20475. The Dictionary Collection of Thomas Malin
Rodgers
Bonhams. Sale No. 20078. Fine Books, Maps and Manuscripts
Dorotheum. Sale No. 120412. Autographs
Minerva Auctions Roma. Sale No. Roma-83. Books, Autographs and Prints
Artcurial Briest-Le
Fur-Poulain-F.Tajan. Sale No.
20334. Collection Liuba and Ernesto Wolf
Carlsen Gallery. Sale No. 20334. Prints, Books
Wednesday Dec. 5th
Bloomsbury Auctions. Sale No. 36005. Bibliophile
Galerie Bassenge. Sale No. 100o. Photography from the 19th- 21st Century
Christies. Sale No. 7572. Modern and Contemporary Prints
Rupert Toovey and Co. Sale No. 1089. Prints
Bonhams. Sale No. 20377. Russian Literature and Works on Paper
Bonhams. Sale No. 20830. Illuminating Space
Galeria Bassenge. Sale No. 100n. Photo Books and Photographic Literature
Guernsey’s. Sale No. 34318. The Arader Sale: Color Plate Books, Rare Maps, Natural History
Thursday Dec. 6th
Artcurial Briest-Le Fur-Poulain-F.
Tajan. Sale No. 19585. Prints and Illustrated Books
Christies. Sale No. 5701. Old Master Prints
Bloomsbury Auctions. Sale No. 35997. Modern and Contemporary Prints
Alde. Sale No. 19728. Ancient and Modern Books
Aguttes. Sale No. 20255. Ancient and Modern Books
Piasa. Sale No. 20129. H. M. Petiet
Swann Galleries, Inc. Sale No. 2297. Maps & Atlases, Natural History &
Historical Prints, Ephemera.
Waverly Auctions, Inc. Sale No 120612. Quinn’s Auction: Fine and Rare Books
Friday Dec. 7th
Galerie Koller Auctions. Sale No. A163. Modern Prints
Alde. Sale No. 19729. Ancient and Modern Books, Day 2
Christies. Sale No. 2607. Books and Manuscripts Session I
Christies. Sale No. 2656. Books and Manuscripts Session II
Saturday Dec. 8th
Heritage Auctions [HA.com]. Sale
No. 6083. Civil War and Militaria
Clars Auction Gallery. Sale No. 120812. Prints
Sunday Dec. 9th
Clars Auction Gallery. Sale No. 120812. Prints continued.
National Book Auctions. Books, Art, Ephemera, and Collectibles
[120912]
For those with an
interest in rare books and works on paper the results this past week suggest
strength in the rooms. It is uncommon
for total sales for any week to exceed the total of high estimates for all lots
offered. This past week sales were
103%. This said it needs to be also pointed
out that most sales were outside the United States. This coming week the focus shifts to New York with
among other events the Arader Sale conducted by Guernsey’s.
Bruce McKinney
AE
December 2nd
2012