Bay Psalm Book – Most expensive book sale ever?

November 1, 2013
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One of the greatest artifacts of American history, The Whole Booke of Psalmes, commonly known as the Bay Psalm Book, will be auctioned at 7pm on the 26th day of this month at Sotheby’s in New York. The 6-by-5-inch hymnal book’s estimated value was raised by 10 million dollars since the end of last year […]

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Codex Seraphinianus rare again?

October 25, 2013
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Ever since the Codex Seraphinianus was first published in 1981, the book has been recognized as one of the weirdest and most enigmatic art books ever created. Luigi Serafini , the book’s author and illustrator has also taken on projects as an architect, ceramist, glazier, painter, sculptor, designer, opera director, set designer, and critic. As […]

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Eleanor Vere Boyle (1825-1916)

October 18, 2013
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Eleanor Vere Boyle was a painter and illustrator whose arresting technique was influenced by the pre-Raphaelites. Her best works were simultaneously moody, immensely detailed, and haunting. Dante Gabriel Rosetti admired her art, and called her “great in design.” She is one of the earliest woman artists to be recognized for her achievements, although she kept […]

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Pumpkin Moonshine for Halloween

October 11, 2013
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     As the trees gradually don their brilliant hues of blazing reds, oranges and golden yellows, a crisp air blows throughout the terrain, powerfully signifying that autumn has descended upon New England. In the distance, a flock of southbound geese carry out their song to the sky, of departure for warmer climates. In response to […]

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Rare Book Sale Monitor update – 3rd Quarter 2013

October 4, 2013
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As every statistician or analytics professional in today’s environment can affirm, collecting the information is crucial, but not enough, since most of data’s value lies in its use.  While information is getting increasingly complex and there is certainly more of it, technology is actually helping unearth some of the insights hidden in the raw data […]

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The collectible Weird Tales pulps

September 27, 2013
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Without television widely available, the medium charged to provide bigger-than-life heroes, pretty girls, exotic places and strange and mysterious villains was in the form of low quality paper between beautifully decorated covers. It was the early twentieth century and “pulp magazines” were the breeding ground for much of the creative work of the times. The […]

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The factor of book censorship and controversy

September 20, 2013
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Controversy and censorship usually rally positive media support that results in more interest and favorable contribution towards a book’s demand.  Publicity from censorship is quite easy to generate in a world where ideological agendas are backed by media organizations and special interests groups. Book censorship has been with us for quite some time and it […]

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A day at the Athens flea market

September 13, 2013
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Like many people do, I get to visit the local flea-market in Athens every weekend. The first thing I turn my attention to are the piles of books on large cloth sheets lying on the ground. Of course, some book sellers use benches, tables and so forth, but most of them prefer to use something […]

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Collectible Pocket Books

September 6, 2013
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The full-page ad in the June 19, 1939 edition of the New York Times titled “The New Pocket Books that may revolutionize New York’s reading habit,” read:  Today is the most important literary coming-out party in the memory of New York’s oldest book lover. Today your 25 cent piece leaps to a par with dollar […]

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Rare Book Provenance

August 29, 2013
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If you had a choice between copies of the same book that either came with a provenance file or without one, which would you choose? The answer is a no brainer for the majority of we collectors. But what if the price was higher for the provenance file accompanied copy? How much more would you […]

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