For the week ending Saturday February 15th 28 sales were archived to the AED, 5 in euros, 4 in British pounds, and 19 in US dollars.  Turnover was $4,923,390 as 5,541 lots were offered and 4,209 sold for a 76% success rate. 

<-- Heritage.  Garth Williams [1912-1996].  Lot of Preliminary Cover Designs for Margaret Wise Brown's book.  Realized $687.50

3 auctions saw total sales exceed 100% of the high estimates of all lots offered:

Doyle New York. Prints on February 11th: 112.60%
Bloomsbury Auctions. Bibliophile on February 13th: 105.10%
James D Julia Auctioneers. Winter Antiques, Asian & Fine Art Auction on February 5th: 104.65%

<--Swann Sale 233.  Lot 49.  Dox Thrash [1892-1965].  Realized $10,625

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

Heritage Auctions. Comics -Internet bidstart 2/2 on February 9th: 100.00%
Aspire Auctions. Prints - Internet bidstart 1/30 on February 7th: 100.00%
Doyle New York. Prints on February 11th: 96.43%
Heritage Auctions. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 2/2 on February 9th: 94.02%
John McInnis Auctioneers. The Legends Auction - Session III on November 24th: 89.34%
Bonhams. Fine Books and Manuscripts on February 10th: 87.13%
James D Julia Auctioneers. Winter Antiques, Asian & Fine Art Auction on February 5th: 87.04%
Christies. Post-War and Contemporary Art: Photographs on February 13th: 83.33%
Bruun Rasmussen. Old Master Prints on February 10th: 83.33%
Bonhams. Prints on February 9th: 82.76%
Bloomsbury Auctions. Bibliophile on February 13th: 82.32%
James D Julia Auctioneers. Antiques, Asian and Fine Arts: Prints on February 4th: 82.05%
Skinner. Fine Prints and Photographs - Internet bidstart 2/3 on February 3rd: 81.67%
John McInnis Auctioneers. The Legends Auction - Session I on November 22nd: 80.50%

For the week ahead 22 sales are scheduled:

Mon. Feb. 17th
Bruun Rasmussen. Copenhagen. Old Master Prints. 3 lots

Tue. Feb. 18th
Bruun Rasmussen. Copenhagen. Modern and Contemporary Prints. 86 lots
Alexander Autographs. Chesapeake City. Winter Sale - Autographs. 1049 lots

Wed. Feb. 19th
Audap and Mirabaud. PARIS. Ancient and Modern Books. 285 lots
Bonhams. London. Prints, Featuring the St. Ives School. 395 lots
Morton Casa de Subastas. México DF CP 11000. Books and Documents. 254 lots
Old World Auctions. Glen Allen. Antique Maps, Globes, Charts, Atlases & Vintage Graphics. 827 lots
Bonhams. London. Asian Art - Books. 6 lots
Christies. New York. Interiors - Prints. 24 lots
Webbs. Auckland. Art - Prints. 104 lots

Thu. Feb. 20th
Heritage Auctions. New York. Comics. 1211 lots
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Rare Books - Internet bidstart 2/13. 387 lots

Fri. Feb. 21st
Holabird Kagin Americana. Reno. Western Americana. 509 lots
Ferraton. Bruxelles. Books - Old and Modern. 1120 lots

Sat. Feb. 22nd
Jeschke van vliet Buch und Kunstauktionen GmbH. Berlin-Schoneberg. Art and Artist's Books. 695 lots
Eldreds. East Dennis,. Antiques and Accessories - Books and Prints. 38 lots
Holabird Kagin Americana. Reno. Western Americana - Day 2. 304 lots
John McInnis Auctioneers. Amesbury. Prints. 37 lots

Sun. Feb. 23rd
Grogan and Company. Dedham. Prints, Books. 50 lots
Bonhams. San Francisco. Period Art and Design - Prints.
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Comics -Internet bidstart 2/16.
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 2/16.

The economy is picking up.  Neither the crowds in San Francisco or Pasadena at recent book fairs were particularly remarkable but the trade was strong.  You couldn't sell the unsaleable but you could sell fine, well priced copies.

The business seemed to have a refreshing logic - very good copies, reasonable prices and discerning acquirers.

Bruce McKinney

AE