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BookThink's Top 10 on eBay
April 2009

by Pamela Palmer

#136, 10 August 2009

 
NOTE: Items numbers are now included in this article. They are in the individual auction comments section below the author and title. Click the links to see the listings.

Reading tea leaves could be easier than extracting top 10 facts from the new eBay format. Is this listing an auction or fixed price? Dunno unless it has a BIN or shows the number of bids. How long was it listed? Dunno again. If the By the Numbers section in this article seems skimpy, eBay's changes are the reason. But by the time I gathered the July top 10, I'd learned to glean some details from the search results screen that are no longer in the listings themselves.

eBay
Fiction Top 10
June 2009

#1 tie $5,000.00 J.R., William Gaddis, Very Good Book
#1 tie $5,000.00 The Screwtape Letters by C.S.Lewis 1st/1st UK HBDJ RARE
#3 $4,550.00 The Screwtape Letters C.S.Lewis 1st/1st UK RARE COPY
#4 $1,975.00 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, original (1960)
#5 $1,800.00 AYN RAND ATLAS SHRUGGED FIRST EDITION 1ST PRINTING 1957
#6 $1,250.00 Michael Jackson Biography SIGNED BY JACKSON & DRAWING
#7 $1,000.00 The Host by Stephenie Meyer (2008) SIGNED BY AUTHOR
#8 $930.00 Clive Cussler Vixen 03 ARC Proof Extreamly RARE
#9 $799.00 STEPHEN KING Danse Macabre #93/250 signed in slipcase
#10 $750.00 Anne Rice Roquelaure-BEAUTY TRILOGY 1st/1st F/F Signed

#1
JR
William Gaddis
270396185265

Other than describing the 1975 book as in "very good" condition, the US seller included no details. Two of the author's later novels won National Book Awards. Looking at the listing after it closed, it's not possible to be sure the type of listing. Signs are, though, that this was a fixed price listing because no number of bids or BIN indicators are noted.

#2
The Screwtape Letters
C.S. Lewis
220395728066

The 1942 1st edition in good condition sold for $4,500 on June 12. Then what seems to be the same book, sold 12 days later for $5,000 to become #3 on the fiction list.

#3
The Screwtape Letters
C.S. Lewis
220395731723

The 1942 1st edition in good condition sold for $5,000 on June 24. What seems to be the same copy, sold 12 days earlier for $4,500 to come in at #2 on the fiction list.

#4
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
290325444100

Sold as a BIN, the 1960 1st edition sold for $1,975. It was described as in acceptable condition and lacking a dust jacket.

#5
Atlas Shrugged
Ayn Rand
130309229229

Sold by a Canadian seller in a rather confusing listing, the copy of Atlas Shrugged was called a 2001 1st edition in the item specifics, but the next section of the listing shows that that title was first published in 1957.

#6
Michael Jackson - Unauthorized
Christopher Andersen
120334278291

Jackson's signature and "self-portrait drawing" added value to this book. It is described as a "very good slightly used copy."

#7
The Host
Stephenie Meyer
270402606458

Benefitting Project BookBabe, the 1st edition signed book sold for $1,000.

#8
Vixen 03
ARC Proof
Clive Cussler
280350243648

The ARC proof was called "extreamly rare" and in "very good condition for its age."

#9
Danse Macabre
Stephen King
220411606600

Signed by King, this is #93 of 250 in the limited edition. The volume is in a slipcase and was described as "an as new uncread ... copy."

#10
Beauty Trilogy
The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty
Beauty's Punishment
Beauty's Release

A.N. Roquelaure
[pseud. of Anne Rice]
140282294209

All volumes are 1st editions with the 1st 2 also 1st printings. The 3rd title is a 2nd printing. All 3, described as "in fine condition in fine dust jackets," were signed by the author.  

eBay
Non-Fiction Top 10
June 2009

#1 $7,100.00 Helmut Newton's Sumo by Helmut Newton NO Reserve
#2 $5,000.00 Helmut Newton's Sumo by Helmut Newton NO Reserve
#3 $2,266.00 Among the Indians by Henry A. Boller (1868)
#4 $2,000.00 ROLLING STONES "EXILE" Limited Edition Genesis Book
#5 $1,724.99 SIGNED -DATED JEFF KOONS VERSAILLES W/ ORIGINAL DRAWING
#6 $1,650.00 Dreams From My Father, Barack Obama (1995), True First
#7 $1,523.30 A-HA THE SWING OF THINGS 20 YRS WITH AHA BY JAN OMDAHL
#8 $897.00 THE CROSSING (SIGNED BY AUTHOR) LTD 1ST CORMAC MCCARTHY
#9 $748.00 SIGNED Francis Bacon 1987 hc/dj art book Marlborough
#10 $680.00 Peter Zumthor Works by Peter Zumthor

#1
Sumo
Helmet Newton
120426276168

Coming in at #1 (and likely at #2 as well) on the non-fiction list is a copy of Sumo. The seller used a stock photo in both listings and the descriptions don't rule out a re-sale. The book and stand sold after 8 bids for $7,100.00.

#2
Sumo
Helmut Newton
120436129614

Listed by the seller of #1, Sumo sold 15 days after #1 closed. It sold as a BIN for $5,000.

#3
Among the Indians: Eight Years in the Far West, 1858-1866
Henry A. Boller
390061152283

Published in 1868, the hardcover 1st edition in very good condition sold after 5 bids.

#4
Exile
Dominique Tarle
290325348542

In "brand new" condition, the limited edition Genesis publication sold for $2,000 after 9 bids.

#5
Jeff Koons: Versailles
Jean-Pierre Criqui and others
360159491619

Signed and dated by Koons, the 2009 1st edition is described as in "near mint condition." It sold as a BIN.

#6
Dreams From My Father
Barack Obama
160342537125

14 bids took this like new 1st edition to $1,650.

#7
AHA: The Swing of Things
Jan Omdalh
180369501839

Listed by a UK seller, the 2004 1st edition had wide appeal; it garnered 79 bids to sell for $1,523.30.

#8
The Crossing
Cormac McCarthy
360160357334

The signed 1st edition in like new condition sold for $897.

#9
Francis Bacon: Paintings of the
Francis Bacon
220425993168

Listed in very good condition, the hardcover in dust jacket sold for $748.

#10
Peter Zumthor Works
Peter Zumthor
140323816081

29 bids took the 1998 Princeton Architectural Press book to $680. The seller wrote, "This is the Holy Grail of architectural monographs, documenting the works of thye current Pritzker Prize Winning architect."

By the Numbers

18 sellers were from the USA
1 sellers was from the UK
1 seller was from Canada
17 books were published during or after 1950
3 were published before 1950
Seller feedback ranged from 11 to 7807
17 books were sold by sellers with 100% positive feedback
Feedback percentage ranged from 88.2% to 100% for sellers who had feedback
The oldest book was published in 1868.

*feedback is noted at the time the auction is viewed by BookThink.

 

eBay
Antiquarian & Collectible Top 5
June 2009

#1 $8,000.00 F. Scott Fitzgerald Beautiful Damned 1st dj 1922 Nice!
#2 $6,000.00 SUMO Helmut Newton NEW IN BOX NEVER OPENED Fine/Fine
#3 $5,895.00 1655 O'daly IRELAND 1ST EDITION ULTRA RARE VELLUM
#4 $5,800.00 1904 RUSSIAN BOOKS VSEBSHAYA ISTORIYA O. IEGERA 4 VOL.
#5 $5,355.00 RARE signed This Side of Paradise F Scott Fitzgerald NR

#1
The Beautiful and Damned
F. Scott Fitzgerald

360159274250

The 1922 1st edition was described as "a nice copy in the notoriously fragile dust jacket." It sold on a single bid.

#2
Sumo
Helmut Newton
290321136284

Never opened, the Taschen publication is in as new condition.

#3
Initium Incrementa Exitus Familiae Geraldinorum Desm
Daniel Dominic O'Daly
200354449334

Previously owned by a library in Portugal, the 1655 Latin text attracted 42 bids to see for $5,895. It was listed by a Protuguese seller.

#4
Vseobshaya Istoriya O.Iegera
250331393106

. The 1904 4-volume set in Russian sold for $5,800

#5
This Side of Paradise
F. Scott Fitzgerald
180368207306

36 bids took the 1920 1st edition to $5,355. Described as "either a 3rd or 4th printing....The signed [by Fitzgerald] page is tipped in." It was 1 of 500 copies in the printing. The seller added later that it was a 1st edition, 3rd printing.

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