For the week ending May 5^th, 2012 21 auctions were archived; 3 in British pounds, 12 in euros and 6 in US dollars.  Turnover was $8,531,888, 78% of the aggregate high estimate of all lots offered - $10,919,178.  Seven thousand three hundred and thirty-five lots were offered and 4,906 sold for a 67% success rate.  It was a good, if not great, week.

Four sales reached or exceeded 100% of the aggregate high estimate of all lots offered:

Gallerie Bassenge.    Autograph Letters on April 20^th:  141%

Gonnelli Casa d’Aste.  Books on April 28^th:  117%

Sotheby’s.  From the Collection of Prince and Princess Henry de la Tour D’Auvergne Lauraguais:  110%

Gallerie Bassenge.  Special Sale – Emil Rudolf Weiss:  106%

Two sales reached or exceeded a million dollars:

Sotheby’s.  From the Collection of Prince and Princess Henry de la Tour D’Auvergne Lauraguais on May 3rd:  $2,120,682

Bonhams.  Prints on May 1^st:  $1,277,409

For the week ahead 21 sales are scheduled:

Monday May 7^th Australian Book Auctions.  Books [58].  261 lots

Tuesday May 8^th       Alexander Autographs, Inc.  Autographs and Militaria [47].  948 lots

                                    Bonhams.  Photographs [19470].  170 lots

Wednesday May 9^th  Alexander Autographs, Inc.  Autographs and Militaria [47].  948 lots continuing

                                    Sotheby’s.  Travel, Atlases, Maps & Natural History [L12401]  211 lots

                                    Zisska & Schauer.  Books, 1^st Day [59a].  1,010 lots

Thursday May 10^th   Coutau-Begarie.  Antiquarian Books [51012]

                                    Heritage Auctions.  Comics and Comic Art [7509]  1,359 lots.

                                    PBA Galleries.  Rare Books and Manuscripts [479]  233 lots

                                    Swann Galleries.  Modernist Posters [2278]  205 lots

                                    Zisska & Schauer.  Books, 2^nd Day [59b]  1,366 lots

Friday May 11^th         Christie’s.  Important Books, Art Books, Manuscripts [3504]  226 lots

                                    Heritage Auctions.  Comics and Comic Art [7059].  1,359 lots

                                    Jeschke – van vliet Buch und Kunstauktionen GmbH [79a].  543 lots

                                    Jeschke – van vliet Buch und Kunstauktionen GmbH [79b].  272 lots

                                    Keys Fine Arts.  Prints [051112]

                                    Zisska & Schauer.  Books, 3^rd Day [59c].

Saturday May 12^th    Alain & Evelyne Morel de Westgaver.  Books, Postcards, Prints [51212]  665 lots

                                    Heritage Auctions.  Americana – online bidstart 4/23/12 [6086].  189 lots

                                    Heritage Auctions.  Space Exploration – online bidstart 4/23 [6087].  148 lots.

                                    Morton Casa de Subastas.  Documents, Prints and Books [630].  253 lots.

The pace of sales is impressive.

Bruce McKinney

AE

May 6, 2012