Auction Update Review
What to make of a wild week: opportunity
By the numbers this was a significant
week. More than 16,000 lots were offered
and, because earlier undisclosed results are included, 19,497 lots
reported. Two decades ago these numbers
represented a full year, these days a week. Today we live
in a brave new world that is seeing a
copy of Huxley’s classic of the same name come up at auction every 23 days. Fifteen sales were denominated is euros, 14
in US dollars, 8 in British pounds, and 1 in Australian dollars – 38 sales in
all. Twelve thousand and three lots, or
62% of all lots offered, sold. Leaving
aside the 8,074 lot sale handled by Kiefer that saw 4,114 lots, or 51% sell,
the percentage of lots sold at all other reported auctions was 69%, just a
small fraction below the 72% statistical norm that has prevailed for most of the
year.
The total low estimates of
the lots sold was $20,968,244, their aggregate high estimate $27,486,920. Altogether these items brought $35,528,340, a
29% premium to their high estimates.
Thirty eight percent, or 7,464 lots, did not receive bids at
or above consignor reserves.
Of the auctions archived 12 reached
a million dollars:
Christie’s. Books and Manuscripts Session I on December 7th: $7,709,252
Christie’s. Old Master Prints on December 6th: $2,362,131
Guernsey’s. The Arader Sale - Color Plate Books, Rare Maps, Natural History on
December 5th: $2,258,342
Heritage Auctions.
Vintage Movie Posters on November 29th: $2,216,847
Galerie Bassenge.
Prints 15th to 19th Century on November 29th: $1,697,754
Osenat.
Fontainebleau Empire on December 2nd: $1,328,889
Kiefer - Buch- und Kunstauktionen. Books, Graphics modern and ancient Arts,
Antiques on October 5th:
$1,318,488
Bloomsbury Auctions. Modern and Contemporary Prints on December 4th: $1,312,248
Bonhams.
Illuminated Space on December 5th: $1,263,980
Christie’s.
Multiples by Matisse from
the Matisse Family Collections Internet only ended December 4th: $1,290,125
Bonhams. The Dictionary Collection of Thomas Malin Rodgers
on December 4th: $1,133,692
Eleven
sales saw their total sales reach a hundred percent of their total high
estimates:
Osenat. Fontainebleau Empire
on December 2nd: 297%
Bonhams. The Dictionary Collection of Thomas Malin Rodgers
on December 4th: 169%
Heritage Auctions.
Vintage Movie Posters on November 29th: 161%
Profiles in History. Historical Documents on November 15th: 146%
Galerie Bassenge.
"Drama and Vision" Collection of Ivan Nagel on November 29th: 126%
Ketterer Kunst / F. Doerling. Old Master Prints on November 23rd: 124%
Bonhams.
Polar Sale, Travel and Photographs on December 4th: 117%
Galerie Bassenge.
Modern Art Part I on December 1st: 115%
Christie’s.
Multiples by Matisse from
the Matisse Family Collections Internet only ended December 4th: 106%
Christie’s. Old Master Prints on December 6th: 105%
Galerie
Bassenge. Modern Art Part II on December
1st: 101%
Seven
sales saw at least 80% of their lots sell:
Bonhams. The Dictionary Collection of Thomas Malin Rodgers
on December 4th: 95%
Christie’s.
Multiples by Matisse from
the Matisse Family Collections Internet only ended December 4th: 93%
Profiles in History. Historical Documents on November 15th: 89%
Heritage Auctions.
Vintage Movie Posters on November 29th: 87%
Swann Galleries.
Maps & Atlases, Natural History and Historical Prints,
Ephemera: 86%
Heritage Auctions.
Books and Autographs, internet sale ended December 6th: 85%
Galerie Bassenge.
Modern Art Part I on December 1st: 82%
For the week ahead 36 sales are
upcoming and 13,327 lots searchable in the AE Auction Search:
Monday Dec. 10th
Cornette de Saint Cyr. Sale No. 19629. Prints and Multiples. 352 lots
Cowan’s. Stereoview and Early Photography – Internet
sale ending today. 168 lots
Tuesday Dec. 11th
Henri Godts Books & Prints
Auctions. Sale No. 18147. Books from the XVth to the XXth Century. 431 lots
Piasa. Sale No. 20131. Manuscripts.
306 lots
Heritage Auctions [HA.com]. Legends of the Old West. 1825 lots
Swann Galleries, Inc. Sale No. 2298. Fine Photographs and Photobooks. 425 lots
Wednesday Dec. 12th
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Sale No. 121212. Printed Books, Maps and Documents. 641 lots
Sothebys. The Art of Illustration from the Collection
of Michael Winner [12409]. 157 lots
Ader. Sale No. 19598. Prints.
500 lots
Bloomsbury. Astronomy and Space Exploration [36006]. 403 lots
Woolley and Wallis. Sale No. 121212b. Books.
54 lots
Woolley and Wallis. Sale No. 121212p. Books.
43 lots
Sothebys. Sale No. N08886. A Show of Hands: Photographs from the Collection of Henry Buhl. 428 lots
Sothebys. English Literature and History [L12408]. 183 lots
Dorotheum. Sale No. 121212. Prints.
366 lots
Thursday Dec. 13th
Artcurial Briest-Le Fur-Poulain-F.
Tajan. Sale No. 19588. Books and Manuscripts. 290 lots
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Sale No. 121312. Children’s Illustrated Books. 568 lots
Knotty Pine Auction Service. Sale No. 121312. Ephemera, Advertising and Estate Books. 222 lots
Sothebys. N08886.
A Show of Hands: Photographs from
the Collection of Henry Buhl. 428 lots
PBA Galleries. Sale No. 495.
Fine Books in all Fields. 406
lots
Minerva Auctions Roma. Books, Autographs and Prints [ROMA-85]. Ends
today. 820 lots
Tajan. Sale No. 9758. Ancient and Modern Prints. 336 lots
Ader. Letters, Manuscripts and Autographs
[20504]. 127 lots
Ader. Francis Picabia [20503]. 87 lots
Heritage Auctions. Rare Books internet bidding ending December 6th
[201250]. 272 lots
Friday Dec. 14th
Sothebys. Sale No. N08919. Books and Manuscripts. 190 lots
Keys Fine Arts Auctioneers. Sale No. 1031. Selected Quality Pictures, including
Ornithological [1031]. 26 lots
Bloomsbury Auctions. Sale No. 36007. Antiquarian Books. 417 lots
Aspire Auctions. Prints – Internet bidding ends today [319]
Heritage Auctions [HA.com]. Music Memorabilia and Autographs [7064]. 259 lots
Ferraton. Ancient Books and Prints – 1st
Vacation [20471]. 590 lots
Ader. Letters, Manuscripts and Autographs II
[20505]. 228 lots
Saturday Dec. 15th
ERA Encheres. Sale No. 19969. Books about Teratology, Curiosa, Documents
about Cinema. 366 lots
Ferraton. Ancient Books and Prints – 2nd
Vacation [20472]. 622 lots
Profiles in History. Drama, Action, Romance – the Hollywood
Auction [53]. 400 lots
Sunday Dec. 16th:
Bonhams. Sale No.
20087. Period Art and Design.
We are now in the crescendo and the
opportunities are alive.
Bruce McKinney
AE
Sunday December 9th,
2012