For the week ending Saturday January 19^th 7 auctions were archived to the AED; 3 in US dollars, 2 in British pounds and 2 in euros.  Total turnover was $1,642,742.  The total of the high estimates of all lots was $2,140,511.  Two thousand one hundred and fourteen lots were offered and 1,620 sold for a 77% success rate.  The recent trend has been for reserves to be modest and it’s helping to clear materials accumulating to sell.  It’s a healthy trend although too early to say what it portends for the important spring season.

One indicator is clear; the number of sales posted in the January auction calendar. That number in 2012 was 32, this January 51.

Only one sale saw total sales exceed 100% of the total of their high estimates:

Lyons and Turnbull.  Rare Books, Maps, Manuscripts and Photography on January 16^th:  111%

Their runner up was Bloomsbury Auctions’ Bibliophile Books on January 17^th:  93%

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

Heritage Auctions.  Rare Books Internet sale ended January 17^th:  91%

Bloomsbury Auctions.  Bibliophile Books on January 17^th:  88%

Lyon and Turnbull.  Rare Books, Maps, Manuscripts and Photographs on January 16^th:  82%.

For the week ahead 18 sales are scheduled:

Mon. Jan. 21^st      Bruun Rasmussen.  Old Prints [1304a].   23 lots

                                    Copley Fine Art.  Sporting Prints, Books [12113].  48 lots

Tues. Jan 22^nd        Bruun Rasmussen.  Modern Prints [1304b].  49 lots

Wed. Jan. 23^rd          Rupert Toovey and Co.  Prints [1098].  37 lots

Thurs. Jan. 24^th          Bloomsbury Auctions.  Antiquarian Books [12413].  202 lots

                                    Keys Fine Arts Auctioneers.  Books, Day 1 [1071].  730 lots

                                    PBA Galleries. Americana – Asian-American History – Travel – Maps and Views [498].  434 lots

                                    Swann Galleries.   20^th Century Illustration Original Art / Books, Featuring Maurice Sendak [2300].  281 lots

                                    Heritage Auctions.  Rare Books.  Internet bidding ends today [201304].  201 lots

                                    Rossini.  Posters [20990]  299 lots

Friday Jan. 25^th          Christies.  American Prints [2670].   14 lots

                                    Sothebys.  Audubon Prints [N08950].  39 lots

Saturday Jan. 26^th     Robert C. Eldred, Inc.  Prints, Books [778].  50 lots

                                    Morton Casa de Subastas.  Maps [660].  202 lots

                                    Sotheby’s.  Prints [N08950].  39 lots

                                    Neret – Minet & Tessier/  Marine – Voyages [15190].

Sun. Jan 27^th              National Book Auctions.  Books and Ephemera – Americana, Antique, Firsts, Nautical, etc.  [01272013]

Here is a link to the RecentAuctions Spreadsheet.  It’s still being tweaked but is already useful.

It’s much too early to see any pattern other than the rising volume present all through continues into 2013.

Bruce McKinney

AE

20 January 2013