For the week ending Saturday October 4^th 31 auctions were archived to the AED; 8 in euros, 5 in British pounds, 1 in Mexican pesos, and 17 in US dollars.  Turnover was $23,766,194 as 7,075 lots were offered and 5,120 were sold for a 72% success rate.  The fireworks were in London as Sotheby’s sold part two [D-J] of the Library of Franklin Brooke-Hitching’s - Exploration and Discovery 1576-1939 - for $6,318,675. 

<---- Sothebys Library R. and BL First Editions, Autographs and Manuscripts of the 20th Century in association with Binoche & Giquello.  The sale is on 7 October beginning at 2:30 CEST in Paris.  Click on the image to view the entire sale.

7 auctions saw their total proceeds reach a million dollars: 

Sothebys. Exploration and Discovery 1576-1939: The Library of Franklin Brooke-Hitching, Part II, D-J on September 30th: $6,318,676
Sothebys. Photographs on September 30th: $5,547,188
Christies. Photographs on September 29th: $2,705,125
Christies. Triple XXX: Photographs from the Collection of Don Sanders on September 29th: $2,085,500
Christies. Photographs from the Forbes Collection on September 29th: $1,278,125
RR Auction. Remarkable Rarity - Internet bidstart 9/11 on September 18th: $1,258,125
Venator and Hanstein. Books, Prints and Autographs on September 27th: $1,106,148

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

Sothebys. Exploration and Discovery 1576-1939: The Library of Franklin Brooke-Hitching, Part II, D-J on September 30th: 201.90%
Keno Auctions. Modern and Contemporary Fine Art and Design Auction - Prints on October 1st: 153.91%
Stair Auctioneers and Appraisers. Prints and Photographs on September 27th: 125.36%
Bloomsbury Auctions. Antiquarian Books on October 2nd: 107.38%
Bruun Rasmussen. Modern Prints on September 29th: 102.77%


13 of 31 sales saw at least 80% of their lots sell:

Bonhams. The Warden Family Collection: Americana - Prints and Books on September 30th: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Texas State Historical Association Benefit Auction on October 1st: 100.00%
Keno Auctions. Modern and Contemporary Fine Art and Design Auction - Prints on October 1st: 100.00%
Bruun Rasmussen. Old Master Prints on September 29th: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Comics -Internet bidstart 9/21 on September 28th: 99.84%
Sothebys. Exploration and Discovery 1576-1939: The Library of Franklin Brooke-Hitching, Part II, D-J on September 30th: 99.43%
Alaska Auction. Nuremberg trial - historical documents, prints on September 27th: 97.56%
Heritage Auctions. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 9/21 on September 28th: 95.78%
Stair Auctioneers and Appraisers. Prints and Photographs on September 27th: 93.59%
RR Auction. Historic Collection of Raleigh DeGeer Amyx - Internet bidstart 9/11 on September 18th: 92.31%
Heritage Auctions. Rare Books - Internet bidstart 9/25 on October 2nd: 83.94%
Adams Amsterdam Auctions. From the Archives of Nico Kosterby on September 22nd: 83.85%
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. Fine Prints on September 29th: 80.32%


A list of all 31 sales reported this week:

Morton Casa de Subastas. Books and Ancient Documents on September 30th: 39.33%
Bloomsbury Auctions. Antiquarian Books on October 2nd: 79.32%
Dorotheum . Prints on October 2nd: 41.56%
Heritage Auctions. Rare Books - Internet bidstart 9/25 on October 2nd: 83.94%
Heritage Auctions. Texas State Historical Association Benefit Auction on October 1st: 100.00%
Alaska Auction. Nuremberg trial - historical documents, prints on September 27th: 97.56%
Keno Auctions. Modern and Contemporary Fine Art and Design Auction - Prints on October 1st: 100.00%
Autographes Encheres. Autographs - Internet bidstart 9/17 on October 1st: 21.53%
Swann Galleries. Art, Press & Illustrated Books on October 1st: 78.46%
Bonhams. The First World War Centenary Sale on October 1st: 61.39%
Keys Fine Arts Auctioneers. Books - Day 1 on September 25th: 72.98%
Keys Fine Arts Auctioneers. Books - Day 2 on September 26th: 61.83%
Bonhams. The Warden Family Collection: Americana - Prints and Books on September 30th: 100.00%
Sothebys. Photographs on September 30th: 69.36%
Sothebys. Exploration and Discovery 1576-1939: The Library of Franklin Brooke-Hitching, Part II, D-J on September 30th: 99.43%
Sothebys. Edward Weston/Cole Weston: The Master Set on September 30th: 0.00%
Bruun Rasmussen. Modern and Contemporary Prints on September 30th: 77.59%
ALDE. Workshop of Jean Viardot on September 29th: 48.15%
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. Fine Prints on September 29th: 80.32%
Christies. Triple XXX: Photographs from the Collection of Don Sanders on September 29th: 70.89%
Christies. Photographs from the Forbes Collection on September 29th: 59.68%
Christies. Photographs on September 29th: 66.67%
Bruun Rasmussen. Old Master Prints on September 29th: 100.00%
Venator and Hanstein. Books, Prints and Autographs on September 27th: 51.00%
Stair Auctioneers and Appraisers. Prints and Photographs on September 27th: 93.59%
Heritage Auctions. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 9/21 on September 28th: 95.78%
Heritage Auctions. Comics -Internet bidstart 9/21 on September 28th: 99.84%
RR Auction. Remarkable Rarity - Internet bidstart 9/11 on September 18th: 50.70%
RR Auction. Historic Collection of Raleigh DeGeer Amyx - Internet bidstart 9/11 on September 18th: 92.31%
Bruun Rasmussen. Modern Prints on September 29th: 63.64%
Adams Amsterdam Auctions. From the Archives of Nico Kosterby on September 22nd: 83.85%

The world has recently been unsettled as war, disease and economic and political uncertainty have dominated the daily headlines.  But in the etherial world of the rarest and finest books the experienced know you have to buy when you can, not when you want.  Those who stepped up did well.

Bruce McKinney

AE