Auction Update Review
A Torrent in April
Sixteen auctions
were archived this past week. Heritage had two auctions at well over
$1 million, Venator and Hanstein two in the one-half to one million
range, Swann's and Leslie Hindman almost half a million.
Nevertheless, one auction was on everyone's mind and it was a rousing
success. The auction of bookseller Ken Nebenzahl at Christie's blew
by practically everyone's expectations. With an estimate range of
$4.7 - $7 million, it took in $11,663,939, 166% of the high estimate.
If confirmation was needed that there is healthy activity, at least
at the high end of the book market, confirmation was received. The
sale was topped by a copy of Edward Curtis' North American Indian
series, plowing way past prices it had received in the past when it
sold for $2,882,500. A 16th century portolan atlas was not
far behind at $2,770,500.
Your regular
reporter, Bruce McKinney, was away attending the ABAA show in New
York this week and will return next with news of the heavy activity
in the auction rooms in New York and elsewhere this month.
Mike Stillman
The Americana Exchange
Sunday April 15th, 2012
