By the numbers this was a significant week.  More than 16,000 lots were offered and, because earlier undisclosed results are included, 19,497 lots reported.  Two decades ago these numbers represented a full year, these days a week.  Today we live in a brave new world that is seeing a copy of Huxley’s classic of the same name come up at auction every 23 days.   Fifteen sales were denominated is euros, 14 in US dollars, 8 in British pounds, and 1 in Australian dollars – 38 sales in all.  Twelve thousand and three lots, or 62% of all lots offered, sold.  Leaving aside the 8,074 lot sale handled by Kiefer that saw 4,114 lots, or 51% sell, the percentage of lots sold at all other reported auctions was 69%, just a small fraction below the 72% statistical norm that has prevailed for most of the year.

The total low estimates of the lots sold was $20,968,244, their aggregate high estimate $27,486,920.  Altogether these items brought $35,528,340, a 29% premium to their high estimates.  Thirty eight percent, or 7,464 lots, did not receive bids at or above consignor reserves.

Of the auctions archived 12 reached a million dollars:

Christie’s.  Books and Manuscripts Session I on December 7^th:  $7,709,252

Christie’s.  Old Master Prints on December 6^th:  $2,362,131

Guernsey’s.  The Arader Sale - Color Plate Books, Rare Maps, Natural History on December 5^th:  $2,258,342

Heritage Auctions.  Vintage Movie Posters on November 29^th:  $2,216,847

Galerie Bassenge.  Prints 15^th to 19^th Century on November 29^th:  $1,697,754

Osenat.  Fontainebleau Empire on December 2^nd:  $1,328,889

Kiefer - Buch- und Kunstauktionen.  Books, Graphics modern and ancient Arts, Antiques on October 5^th:  $1,318,488

Bloomsbury Auctions.  Modern and Contemporary Prints on December 4^th:  $1,312,248

Bonhams.  Illuminated Space on December 5^th:  $1,263,980

Christie’s.  Multiples by Matisse from the Matisse Family Collections Internet only ended December 4^th:  $1,290,125

Bonhams.  The Dictionary Collection of Thomas Malin Rodgers on December 4^th:  $1,133,692

Eleven sales saw their total sales reach a hundred percent of their total high estimates:

Osenat. Fontainebleau Empire on December 2^nd:  297%

Bonhams.  The Dictionary Collection of Thomas Malin Rodgers on December 4^th:  169%

Heritage Auctions.  Vintage Movie Posters on November 29^th:  161%

Profiles in History.  Historical Documents on November 15^th:  146%

Galerie Bassenge.  "Drama and Vision" Collection of Ivan Nagel on November 29^th:  126%

Ketterer Kunst / F. Doerling.  Old Master Prints on November 23^rd:  124%

Bonhams.  Polar Sale, Travel and Photographs on December 4^th:  117%

Galerie Bassenge.  Modern Art Part I on December 1^st:  115%

Christie’s.  Multiples by Matisse from the Matisse Family Collections Internet only ended December 4^th:  106%

Christie’s.  Old Master Prints on December 6^th:  105%

Galerie Bassenge.  Modern Art Part II on December 1^st:  101%

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

Bonhams.  The Dictionary Collection of Thomas Malin Rodgers on December 4^th:  95%

Christie’s.  Multiples by Matisse from the Matisse Family Collections Internet only ended December 4^th:  93%

Profiles in History.  Historical Documents on November 15^th:  89%

Heritage Auctions.  Vintage Movie Posters on November 29^th:  87%

Swann Galleries.  Maps & Atlases, Natural History and Historical Prints, Ephemera:  86%

Heritage Auctions.  Books and Autographs, internet sale ended December 6^th:  85%

Galerie Bassenge.  Modern Art Part I on December 1^st:  82%

For the week ahead 36 sales are upcoming and 13,327 lots searchable in the AE Auction Search:

Monday Dec. 10th

Cornette de Saint Cyr.  Sale No. 19629.  Prints and Multiples.  352 lots

Cowan’s.  Stereoview and Early Photography – Internet sale ending today.  168 lots

Tuesday Dec. 11th

Henri Godts Books & Prints Auctions.  Sale No. 18147.  Books from the XVth to the XXth Century.  431 lots

Piasa.  Sale No. 20131.  Manuscripts.  306 lots

Heritage Auctions [HA.com].  Legends of the Old West.  1825 lots

Swann Galleries, Inc.  Sale No. 2298.  Fine Photographs and Photobooks.  425 lots

Wednesday Dec. 12th

Dominic  Winter Book Auctions.  Sale No. 121212.  Printed Books, Maps and Documents.  641 lots

Sothebys.  The Art of Illustration from the Collection of Michael Winner [12409].  157 lots

Ader.  Sale No. 19598.  Prints.  500 lots

Bloomsbury.  Astronomy and Space Exploration [36006].  403 lots

Woolley and Wallis.  Sale No. 121212b.  Books.  54 lots

Woolley and Wallis.  Sale No. 121212p.  Books.  43 lots

Sothebys.  Sale No. N08886.  A Show of Hands:  Photographs from the Collection of Henry Buhl.  428 lots

Sothebys.  English Literature and History [L12408].  183 lots

Dorotheum.  Sale No. 121212.  Prints.  366 lots

Thursday Dec. 13th

Artcurial Briest-Le Fur-Poulain-F. Tajan.  Sale No. 19588.  Books and Manuscripts.  290 lots

Dominic Winter Book Auctions.  Sale No. 121312.  Children’s Illustrated Books.  568 lots

Knotty Pine Auction Service.  Sale No. 121312.  Ephemera, Advertising and Estate Books.  222 lots

Sothebys.  N08886.  A Show of Hands:  Photographs from the Collection of Henry Buhl.  428 lots

PBA Galleries.  Sale No. 495.  Fine Books in all Fields.  406 lots

Minerva Auctions Roma.  Books, Autographs and Prints [ROMA-85]. Ends today.  820 lots

Tajan.  Sale No. 9758.  Ancient and Modern Prints.  336 lots

Ader.  Letters, Manuscripts and Autographs [20504].  127 lots

Ader.  Francis Picabia [20503].  87 lots

Heritage Auctions.  Rare Books internet bidding ending December 6^th [201250].  272 lots

Friday Dec. 14th

Sothebys.  Sale No. N08919.  Books and Manuscripts.  190 lots

Keys Fine Arts Auctioneers.  Sale No. 1031.  Selected Quality Pictures, including Ornithological [1031].  26 lots

Bloomsbury Auctions.  Sale No. 36007.  Antiquarian Books.  417 lots

Aspire Auctions.  Prints – Internet bidding ends today [319]

Heritage Auctions [HA.com].  Music Memorabilia and Autographs [7064].  259 lots

Ferraton.  Ancient Books and Prints – 1^st Vacation [20471].  590 lots

Ader.  Letters, Manuscripts and Autographs II [20505].  228 lots

Saturday Dec. 15th

ERA Encheres.  Sale No. 19969.  Books about Teratology, Curiosa, Documents about Cinema.  366 lots

Ferraton.  Ancient Books and Prints – 2^nd Vacation [20472].  622 lots

Profiles in History.  Drama, Action, Romance – the Hollywood Auction [53].  400 lots

Sunday Dec. 16th:

Bonhams.  Sale No.  20087.  Period Art and Design.

We are now in the crescendo and the opportunities are alive.

Bruce McKinney

AE

Sunday December 9^th, 2012