For the week ending Saturday July 13^th 15 auctions were archived to the AED; 9 in US dollars, 3 in British pounds and 3 in euros.  Eight thousand nine hundred and seventy lots were offered and 4,801 sold for a slim success rate:  54%  Total sales amounted to $10,771,168.  Four European sales brought the percentage of lots sold down.  In the eternal summer struggle of beach versus rare book the beach won this past week.  For the summer overall I’d bet on the rare books.

Three sales saw their totals reach the million-dollar level:

Sothebys.  English Literature:  Children’s Books and  Illustrations on July 10^th:  $3,451,747

Profiles in History.  The Property of a Distinguished American Private Collector,
     - Part II:  $3,016,080

Sothebys.  The Joseph Conrad Collection from the Library of the late Stanley J. Seeger – Part I:  $1,190,378

Three sales saw their sales totals exceed 100% of the total of the high estimates of all lots offered:

Profiles in History.  The Property of a Distinguished American Private Collector, Part II:  108%

De Baecque & Associes.  Autographs, Documents, Photographs on July 4^th:  102%

Addison and Sarova.  Rare Books:  “God, Guts and Glory”, the Library of a Southern Collector on March 16^th:  102%

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

Profiles in History.  The Property of a Distinguished American Private Collector, Part II:  98%

Addison and Sarova.  Rare Books:  “God, Guts and Glory”, the Library of a Southern Collector on March 16^th:  96%

Heritage Auctions.  Rare Books internet bidding ended July 4^th:  91%

James D. Julia Auctioneers.  Advertising on June 21^st:  90%

Heritage Auctions.  Rare Books Internet bidding ended July 11^th:  86%

Profiles in History.  Rare Books and Manuscripts on July 10^th:  86%

For the week ahead 14 events are scheduled:

Tues. July 16^th              Bloomsbury Auctions.  Vintage Posters [36067].  203 lots
Bonhams.  Prints [20737].  177 lots

                                                Christies.  Prints and Multiples [2718].  437 lots

                                                Freeman’s [Samuel T. Freeman & Co.]  Books and Maps [1465].  181 lots

Wed. July 17^th                  Dominic Winter Book Auctions.  Old Master and Modern Prints [71713].  134 lots

                                                RR Auction.  Autographs [412].  1,615 lots

                                                Skinner, Inc.  Ephemera [2664M].  97 lots

Thurs. July 18^th                  Bloomsbury Auctions.  Bibliophile [36066].  483 lots

                                                Eldred’s.  Marine Art and Antiques [777].  213 lots

                                                Heritage Auctions [HA.com].  Rare Books online bidding ending today [201329].   216 lots

                                                Skinner, Inc.  Ephemera [2664M].  97 lots

                                                Sothebys.  Beyond The Paper Screen:  An Exhibition of Japanese Erotic Prints
  from the Uragami Collection [HK0441]

Fri.  July 19^th                    Eldred’s.  Marine Arts and Antiques [777].  213 lots

Sat. July 20^th                    Aguttes.  Posters [22627].  30 lots

The market is complex and rewarding.

Bruce McKinney

AE