Dada is 100 Years Old!

February 5, 2016
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While critics of German Chancellor Angela Merkel are becoming increasingly vocal against her open-door policy that allowed 1.1 million migrants to enter Germany last year, history may be on her side. A century ago in the middle of World War I, immigrant artists from all over Europe, energized by a sense of outrage against the […]

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Rare Book Sale Monitor Update – 4th Quarter 2015

January 22, 2016
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How exciting to investors could the introduction of a mutual fund that invests solely in rare books be? Before you rule that everything about it is controversial, consider this: The mutual fund industry has embraced alternative investing 1 sixty plus years later from the time that Harry Markowitz conducted his breakthrough research on portfolio theory based […]

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New Year Wishes from Shakespeare & Company

December 31, 2015
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Forty years ago, John Lennon, in his Christmas melody song “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” wished everyone: So this is Xmas And what have you done Another year over And a new one just begun …. A very Merry Xmas And a happy New Year Let’s hope it’s a good one Without any fear As […]

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Kay Thompson’s Christmas Message to All

December 17, 2015
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As Christmas steadily approaches, it is nearly impossible to refrain from experiencing some form of stress or another, when one reflects (often with dread) on the countless lists of tasks and responsibilities that demand one’s attention before December 25th arrives. It is during these frantic and frenzied moments that a simple pause in a comfortable […]

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The Death-Effect in Rare Books

December 4, 2015
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The most collectible P.D. James novel is the 1962 London first edition, of “Cover her Face” that comes with its original dust wrapper and is signed by the author. During the later years of the crime mystery author’s life, the book had been trading around £6,000. A year ago, when Faber & Faber announced the […]

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THE CAT IN THE HAT BUT NOT THE JACKET

November 20, 2015
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The collecting world probably seems nuts to sane people. In books, as with other things, it is astonishing how very small things that would pass unnoticed to a novice can keep serious collectors up at night.   “Dear Mr. Dawson,             I saw your website and wanted to see if you would be interested in […]

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“THE GLORIOUS/WILL BE GLORIOUS TO ALL ETERNITY” TWO PORTRAITS OF PETRARCH IN A 15th CENTURY ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT

November 6, 2015
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The production of richly illuminated manuscripts continued well after the invention of the printing press. A good example of their value for research in cultural history, in particular the history of portraits1 , is provided by the sumptuous manuscript of Petrarch’s poems in Italian (4648 Bd. Ms 24+) produced in Florence around 1465-70 and acquired […]

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Rare Book Sale Monitor Update – 3rd Quarter 2015

October 16, 2015
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The Rare Book Sale Monitor (RBSM) has been tracking the sales performance of “blue chips” for some of the major genre of rare books. In addition the author breakdown follows some of the most frequently traded authors of books that are considered rare, in order to track their performance. The sampling selection included in each […]

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Introducing: Rare Book Offer Manager (RBOM)

October 2, 2015
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Alternative type investment mutual funds are often pitched as providing decent returns that are not tied to the fate of stocks or bonds. But getting the right asset mix to deliver on both of these goals has proven quite difficult. Alternative fund strategies, in addition to providing diversification, cushion stock-heavy portfolios by reducing volatility. During […]

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Alice is 150 years old, but she doesn’t look it!

September 16, 2015
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Printed books usually sit around, demanding very little to survive. Water, mold, smoke, dirt, direct sunlight, insects, bad shelving, fire, human misuse are enemies to avoid for a healthy long life that guarantees a book to outlive its creators. Long lifespan coupled with popularity, may lead to production of multiple new editions, revisions, foreign language translations […]

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