For the week ending Saturday May 12^th 13 auctions were archived; 1 in British pounds, 1 in Australian dollars, 4 in euros, and 7 in greenbacks.  Ten thousand and twelve lots were offered and 6,591 sold for a 66% success rate.  Total sales were $17,904,290.  From a distance it was a very good week.  Up close there were a few dings on the fenders.  Heritage had another very successful sale of comics and comic art – raising $5,493,154 while selling 99.71% of the 1,359 lots offered.  Three other sales reached the one million dollar level.

Heritage Auctions.  Comics and Comic Art on May 10^th:  $5,493,154

Christie’s.  Important Books, Art Books, Manuscripts on May 11^th:  $4,708,189

Sotheby’s.  Travel, Atlases, Maps & Naval History on May 9^th:  $3,846,355

Kiefer – Buch – und Kunstauktionen.  Rare Books on April 20^th:  $1,125,215

Only one sale exceeded 100% of its aggregate high estimate:

Christie’s.  Important Books, Art Books, Manuscripts on May 11^th:  142%

Heritage’s sale of comics and comic art belongs in this category but they provide only a start bid rather than a range so there is no aggregate high range to compare.  What can be seen is that the average of all the 1,355 lots sold was $4,042, a remarkable number.

The following auctions sold at least 90% of their lots:

Heritage Auctions.  Comics and Comic Art on May 10^th:  99.71%

Heritage Auctions.  Rare Books.  Internet bid start May 3^rd:  98.93%

Knotty Pine Auction Service.  Autographs and Militaria, Antique and Estate Books on April 28th:  95.02%

For the week ahead 21 auctions are scheduled

Tuesday May 15^th Alde.  Modern Illustrated Books [19156]:  384 lots

                                    Artcurial Briest-Le Fur-Poulain-F. Tajan.  Modern Books [18097]:  457 lots

                                    Bloomsbury Auctions.  Important Books and Manuscripts [35916]:  371 lots

                                    Burgersdijk & Niermans.  Books, Manuscripts and Graphic Arts [335]:  1,343 lots

                                    Coutau-Begarie.  Books and Manuscripts [19198]:  292 lots

                                    Sotheby’s.  Photographs [PF1220]:  108 lots

                                    Sotheby’s.  Books and Manuscripts [PF1203]:  184 lots

                                    Swann Galleries.  Early Printed and Travel Books [2279]

Wed. May 16^th           Alde.  Original Editions.  Prints [19157]:  208 lots

                                    Bonhams.  Modern Prints [19781]:  312 lots

                                    Burgersdijk & Niermans.  Books, Manuscripts and Graphic Arts [335]:  1,343 lots [continuing]

                                    Christie’s.  Photographs [5323]:  104 lots

                                    Christie’s.  Photographs 1840 – Present [6556]:  61 lots

                                    Dominic Winter.  Printed Books, Maps and Documents [051612]

                                    Rupert Toovey and Co.  Prints [1040]

                                    Tajan.  Ancient and Modern Prints [9703]  328 lots

Thurs. May 17^th         Bonhams.  Photographs [20154]:  90 items

                                    Heritage Auctions.  Rare Books internet bidstart May 11^th:  383 lots

Friday May 18^th         Christie’s.  Important Printed Books and Americana from the Albert H. Small Collection [2655]:  151 lots

                                    Skinner, Inc.  Fine Prints [2598B]

Sunday May 20^th       Bonhams.  Books and Manuscripts [20004]

Anymore this is what a week looks like, twenty-one sales, thousands of lots, the steady flow of material months in preparation, marching into the rooms for their verdicts to be read.  It is a fascinating sight.

Bruce McKinney

AE

Sunday May 13^th, 2012