When Ian Fleming looked at his first published James Bond novel, Casino Royale, in the early 1950s, prospects for a buyer paying $9,412.26 for it were slim. But that's just what happened on July 17, 2005 when a Scots seller's auction resulted in the highest priced fiction book to sell that month.

Not just any copy, this is described as "First edition, first state, with dust wrapper, without reviews, original cloth with red title & 'Heart' design on front board. London 1953." The seller notes that 4728 copies were printed and that this copy has a bit missing from the top of the dj and has a wrapper not price clipped plus a few minor flaws.

The auction attracted over 1500 viewers and more important, 13 bids taking it from the starting price of GBP 650 to the final selling price.

Propelled by its status as "An authentic first edition autographed hard covered playbook with autographs including Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Diana Sands, Ruby Dee, John Fielder, Glynn Turnman, David Susskind, Jan Petrie. Book autographed August 29, 1960." This auction reached its $7,500 price on one bid on July 3, purchased by a buyer with no feedback. The seller kept the auction simple. With one picture, a short canned summary of the play and its history, and no condition statement, the seller bet on the item selling itself. Though winning no style points, the auction did well.

These three titles, all flatsigned on the title page, went for $3,518.60 on July 18. Condition notes were included for all three, ranging from near fine to unread and mint. All include the dust jackets in very good to mint condition. One picture suffices to show all three books in djs. Thirty-seven bids brought the price up from a GBP 0.99 starting price.

Coming in at #4 is the same trilogy in #3 but this time from another seller. These books are listed as "all true first ever printings Nothing added, nothing removed." Offered by a British seller, this auction garnered 25 bids from a GBP 0.01 starting price with no reserve. Condition for each is described in detail with notes on the prices the seller thinks each should bring if sold alone. Four pictures accompany the auction. By the way, the seller missed his estimated value by a significant margin.

Yet another UK seller brings the total to four of the top five fiction sellers in July. Using the same stacked-books-on-left-and-top background as the sellers of #1 and #3, this auction describes the condition of each book in detail. Ten pictures are included, two showing the separate autograph with doodle. Starting at GBP 99.99, the 16 bidders drove the price to GBP1,200 or $2,111.16.