For the week ending Saturday August 17^th 11 auctions were archived to the AED; 5 in US dollars, 4 in British pounds, and 2 in euros.  This is mostly the bits and pieces period, cleaning up what’s accumulated on cataloguers’ shelves.  Altogether 1,098 lots were offered and 952 sold for an 87% success rate.  Turnover was a svelte $649,119. 

Five sales saw the total of their sales exceed the total of their high estimates:

Rupert Toovey and Co.  Photographs, Autographs, Printed and Manuscript Ephemera on August 6^th:  201%

Doyle New York.  End of Summer Sale – Books and Prints on August 14^th:  147%

Bruun Rasmussen.  Old Prints on August 12^th:  118%

Heritage Auctions [HA.com].  Entertainment and Music  Memorabilia on August 10^th:  105%

Bruun Rasmussen.  Modern Prints on August 13^th:  103%

Eight of this week’s 11 reported sales sold more than 80% of their lots:

Doyle New York.  End of Summer Sale – Books and Prints on August 14^th:  100%

Bruun Rasmussen.  Old Prints on August 12^th:  96%

Bonhams.  Pictures, Prints and Maps on August 13^th:  94%

Clars Auction Gallery.  Prints, Photographs on August 10^th:  93%

Rupert Toovey and Co.  Photographs, Autographs, Printed and Manuscript Ephemera on August 6^th:  93%

Heritage Auctions [HA.com].  Rare Books – Internet bidding ended August 15^th:  92%

Bruun Rasmussen.  Modern Prints on August 7^th:  86%

Heritage Auctions [HA.com].  Entertainment and Music Memorabilia on August 10^th:  81%

For the week ahead 15 sales are scheduled:

Mon. August 19^th

Bruun Rasmussen.  Old Prints [1334a].  11 lots

Tues.  August 20^th

Modern Prints [1334b].   37 lots

James D. Julia Auctioneers.  Prints, Globes, Manuscripts:  Session 1 [345a].  44 lots

Wed.  August 21^st   

Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood.  Books, Maps and Prints [BK10].  735 lots

Bonhams.  Scottish Sale:  Books, Maps, Prints [20653].  10 lots

Cowan’s Auctions, Inc.  World at War [369].  42 lots

Eldred’s.  The Prints of Paul Jacoulet [774].  51 lots

James D. Julia.  Prints, Manuscripts:  Session II [345b].  20 lots

Morton Casa de Subastas.  Books, Historical Documents, Prints and Photographs [678].

Thurs.  August 22^nd 

Heritage Auctions [Ha.com].  Rare Books – Internet bidding ending today [201334].  242 lots

James D. Julia Auctioneers.  Prints:  Session III [345c].  4 lots

PBA Galleries.  Rare Golf Books and Memorabilia [513].   587 lots

Fri. August 23^rd

James D. Julia Auctioneers.  Prints, Manuscripts:  Session IV [345d].  56 lots

Sun.  August 26^th

Bonhams.  Prints, Books [20991].  72 lots

National Book Auctions.  Books and  Ephemera – Art, WWI Posters, Firearms, etc [08252013]

Into the shortening days of August the auction houses pause between relaxing and preparing.  Bidders watch with expectation as the lots of summer saunter across the stage, knowing they are prologue to the approaching sales that will, with gathering exhilaration, claim center stage and our attentions soon enough.

Bruce McKinney

AE