For the week ending Saturday June 22^nd 41 auctions were archived to the AED; 20 in US dollars, 1 in Mexican pesos, 6 in British pounds, and 14 in euros.  Turnover was $25,773,487 as 11,872 lots were offered and 8,711 sold for a 73% success rate.

Six sales reached the million-dollar level:

Sothebys.  Collection Raoul Simonsen on June 19^th:  $5,169,957

Christies.  Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts on June 21^st:  $4,103,750

Christies.  The Collection of Arthur & Charlotte Vershbow Part Three:  The Baroque and Rococo on June 20^th:  $3,452,439

Bonhams.  Books on June 19^th:  $2,641,263

John Innis Auctioneers.  Presidential Auction on February 17^th:  $1,203,388

Christies.  Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts on June 18^th:  $1,094,700

Thirteen sales saw their total proceeds exceed 100% of the total of the high estimates of all lots offered:

RR Auction.  Marvels of Modern Music, online bidding ended February 21^st:  589%

Dorotheum.  Books and Decorative Prints on June 20^th:  211%

Audap & Mirabuad.  Autographs and Manuscripts, Ancient and Modern Books on June 17^th:  185%

Sothebys.  Collection Raoul Simonsen on June 19^th:  183%

Stair Auctioneers.  The Photograph Collection of Jan Cowles on February 16^th:  181%

John McInnis Auctioneers on February 17^th:  176%

Bonhams.  Books on June 19^th:  158%

Henri Godts Books & Prints Auctions on June 18^th:  148%

Aguttes.  Books, Posters, Ancient Paper on June 12^th:  119%

Northeast Auctions.  Historical Americana on May 25^th:  118%

Christies.  Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts on June 18^th:  116%

Dominic Winter Book Auctions.  Printed  Books, Maps and Documents on June 19^th:  113%

Dominic Winter Book Auctions.  Children’s Illustrated Books, etc. on June 20^th:  102%

Twenty-two auctions saw at least 80% of their lots sell:

Clars Auction Gallery.  Books on June 16^th:  100%

National Book Auctions.  Books and Ephemera – Circus, Maps, Hunting and Fishing, West, etc.  on May 12^th:  100%

National Book Auctions.  Books and Ephemera – Earhart, Antique, History, etc. on June 2^nd:  100%

Stair Auctioneers & Appraisers.  The Photograph Collection of Jan Cowles:  100%

Stair Auctioneers & Appraisers.  Works on Paper on February 2^nd:  98%

Aspire Auctions.  Works on Paper – internet bidding ended February 14^th:  97%

Heritage Auctions [HA.com].  Rare Books internet bidding ended June 20^th:  96%

Sothebys.  Collection Raoul Simonsen on June 19^th:  93%

Heritage Auctions [HA.com].  Rare Books internet bidding ended June 13^th:  92%

Robert A. Siegel Galleries.  The Alyeska Collection of Pony Express Mail on March 20^th:  91%

Clars Auction Gallery.  Prints, Photographs on June 15^th:  89%

Dorotheum.  Books and Decorative Prints on June 20^th:  88% 

Rupert Toovey and Co..  Prints on June 12^th:  87%

Dominic Winter Book Auctions.  Children’s Illustrated Books on June 20^th:  86%

Dominic Winter Book Auctions.  Printed Books, Maps and Documents on June 19^th:  84%

Bruun Rasmussen.  Modern Prints on June 18^th:  84%

Northeast Auctions.  Historical Americana on May 25^th:  83%

Christies.  Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts including Americana on June 21^st:  82%

Bloomsbury Auctions.  Bibliophile Sale on June 19^th:  81%

Henri Godts Books & Prints Auctions.  Books on June 18^th:  81%

Bonhams.  Books on June 19^th:  81%

PBA Galleries.  Fine Literature – Illustrated & Children’s Books – Oz:  The Collection of Robert A. Massey on June 13^th:  80%

For the week ahead 21 sales are scheduled:

Mon. June 24th Alde.  Ancient and of the 19th Century Books [21426].  251 lots

Tues.  June 25th Alde.  Modern Illustrated Books [21425].  352 lots
Artcurial Briest-Le Fur-Poulain-F. Tajan.  Prints [21844].  135 lots
Bonhams.  Books [20698].  395 lots
Bonhams.  Fine Books and Manuscripts [20981].
Bonhams.  Northwest America and the Arctic [21309]

Wed.  June 26th Gary's Auctioneers.  Prints [68].
Waverly Auctions.  Prints [33864]
Bonhams.  Fine  Books and Manuscripts [20981].  427 lots
Bonhams.  Russian Literature and Works on Paper [21421].  294 lots.

Thurs. June 27th Adams Amsterdam.  Modern Art and Literature:  Jan Cremer [62713].  743 lots
Bloomsbury Auctions.  Modern and Contemporary Prints [36059].  254 lots
Eldred's.  Prints [779].  43 lots
Heritage Auctions [HA.com].  Rare Books internet bidding ending today [201326].  206 lots
PBA Galleries.  Fine & Rare Books [509].  252 lots
Swann Galleries.  Discovery [2320].  514 lots
Tajan.  Ancient and Modern Prints [22207].  329 lots

Fri. June 28th Aguttes.  Books [21541].  10 lots
Rossini.  Prints [22287].

Sat. June 29th Alain & Evelyne Morel de Westgaver.  Books [38].  594 lots

Sun.  June 30th Bonhams.  Prints, Books [20985].  154 lots

The auction field has been so busy that a mere 21 sales for the week upcoming almost seems slow.  But think again.  Twenty-one times 52 is well over a thousand, that is a thousand book, manuscript, map and ephemera auctions in a single year.  It remains busy, even as we head into summer.

Bruce McKinney
AE