As well as those lots that are fully described and illustrated, book sale catalogues issued by Heritage (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) also contain, in the printed version, numerous pages of more modestly valued books that get just thumbnail images – a dozen or more per page – and the briefest of descriptions. There they run to just author, title, date and the occasional short note, but no estimate or guide price – though more detail is available online.
One such was the 1917 first of Gullible‘s Travels (right) by the US sports columnist and much admired short story writer Ring Lardner. In the March 8 sale, which also contained the Jack Kerouac typescripts and McMurtry typewriters featured in last week’s issue, made $4000 (£3175).
The only other auction notice I could find was for a copy in a chipped, rubbed and soiled jacket that made $130 in a 2007 PBA sale.