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.
December 2008 was a good month for relative novices on eBay. Four of the 18 sellers (2 sellers sold 2 books each) had feedback in the
single digits. The fiction top 10 included 3 copies of Twilight and 2 books by Haruki Murakami. Classic science fiction was represented
by 1st editions of Ray Bradbury's Dark Carnival published by Arkham House and Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric
Sheep. The non-fiction top 10 included 3 1st editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. Beyond that it was diverse - from a pre-revolutionary
history of St. Petersburg, Russia and Barack Obama to Mark Twain and Daytona Cobra coupes.
eBay
Fiction Top 10
December 2008
| #1 |
$4,000.00 |
Signed Pinball, 1973 by Haruki Murakami 1st/1st |
| #2 |
$2,950.00 |
Battlestar Galactica Crew Book |
| #3 |
$2,765.00 |
Cormac McCarthy-SUTTREE-A Novel-1st Ed. Author Signed |
| #4 |
$2,252.00 |
Philip K. Dick Do Androids Dream 1st Ed. Blade Runner |
| #5 |
$2,000.00 |
Signed Hear The Wind by Haruki Murakami 1st/1st |
| #6 |
$1,825.00 |
Stephanie Meyer Autographed Twilight - First Edition!!! |
| #7 |
$1,775.00 |
Stephen King- The Stand S/L Total Package + Brass Plate |
| #8 |
$1,700.00 |
Twilight |
| #9 |
$1,000.00 |
Ray Bradbury DARK CARNIVAL Arkham House SIGNED First |
| #10 |
$999.99 |
Signed First Edition HB Twilight by Stephenie Meyer |
Sold as a Best Offer, the 1st edition, 1st printing was signed by Haruki Murakami. The same US seller sold #5.
A Canadian seller saw 21 bids for the limited edition crew yearbook. The seller ntoed that "these books [are] made a gifts to the cast and crew who took part in the
series."
McCarthy's signed 1979 1st edition and dust jacket was described as in very good condition. It received 3 bids.
#4
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Philip K. Dick
320322245750
20 bids took this science fiction classic to $2,252. The ex-library copy was described as a "true first printing."
Sold by the seller of #1, this 1st edition/1st printing was signed by Murakami.
Though the seller misspelled Stephenie Meyer's first name [as Stephanie] in the auction title, buyers found it. 48 bids were placed for the signed first edition in like new condition.
A single bid won #1209 of 1,250 copies. It is a signed leather-bound copy "housed in the 2 piece wooded (Coffin) box with red velvet lining" and was signed by both King and the artist, Bernie Wrightson.
Another copy of Twilight sold as BIN. The 1st edition, 1st printing was described as very good in a very good dust jacket.
A 1947 Arkham House publication, the signed 1st edition of Bradbury's 1st book was among the 3000 copies printed. It is described as in fine condition.
Twilight appears on the list for the 3rd time, selling as a BIN. It is described as an "unread, first edition/first printing" in excellent condition.
eBay
Non-Fiction Top 10
December 2008
| #1 |
$10,000.00 |
Alcoholics Anonymous 1st Edition 1st Printing Original |
| #2 tie |
$2,000.00 |
Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama (1995)
|
| #2 tie |
$2,000.00 |
Daytona Cobra Coupes-Publisher's Lmtd Signature Edition |
| #4 |
$1,724.00 |
bernd and hilla becher Anonymous Sculptures 1st edition |
| #5 |
$1,600.00 |
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS BOOK 1ST EDITION 2ND PRINTING RARE |
| #6 |
$1,528.00 |
1920 MARK TWAIN SAMUEL CLEMENS AMERICA'S CUP INTERVIEW |
| #7 |
$1,506.00 |
ST. PETERSBURG RUSSIA Russian Imperial City HISTORY OLD |
| #8 |
$1,398.97 |
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS BOOK 1ST EDITION 3RD PRINTING RARE |
| #9 |
$1,150.00 |
Paul Weller's A Thousand Things Deluxe Version sold out |
| #10 |
$1,025.00 |
MS001 Collected Essays of Sir Winston Churchill V. I-IV |
The 1st edition, 1st printing is an ex-library book in good condition and without a dust jacket. Described as rare, the volume attracted 3 bids to top the non-fiction top 10.
A good condition 1st edition hardcover in a good condition dust jacket sold as a best offer for $2,000. The US seller noted it was unsigned.
#3 tie
Daytona Cobra Coupes
Carroll Shelby's 1965 World Champions
Peter Brock
230315082222
"Hey little Cobra" could be the theme song for this signed "number 10 of 20 limited signature edition Publisher's Proofs..."
It is described as brand new.
#4
Anonyme Skulptur
Eine Typologie technischer Bauten
Bernd and Hilla Becher
280289374614
The 1st edition, 1st printing is inscribed to "Hermann Kleine, a close friend of bernd and hilla becher." Listed by a German seller, the 1970 photo book was in very good condition. It sold after 23 bids.
The good condition 1941 1st edition, 2nd printing garnered 7 bids. The same seller sold #8.
#6
Mark Twain, Able Yachtsman,
Interviews Himself on Why
Lipton Failed to Lift the Cup
Samuel Clemens
160304641061
Published after Clemens died, this was among the 109 copies printed and is in very good condition.
#7
St. Petersburg
F. de Haenen, painter
Adam & Charles Black, text
130270684791
The 1910 1st edition was called "very scarce" by the US seller. It is a pre-revolutionary look at the capital city of Russia and includes both black-and-white photos and color plates. 55 bids took it from $.99 to $1,506.
The 1st edition 3rd printing copy in "great condition" sold after 12 bids. The same seller sold #5.
A 2008 signed deluxe copy of Weller's A Thousand Things came in at #9.
#10
Collected Essays of Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
260327128741
Listed by a Canadian seller, the 4-volume set attracted 14 bids.
By the Numbers
17 sellers were from the USA
2 sellers were from Canada
1 seller was from Germany
14 books were published during or after 1950
6 were published before 1950
2 sold as BIN
4 sold as BO
1 to 55 was the range of bids
Seller feedback ranged from 2 to 4679*
14 books were sold by sellers with 100% positive feedback
Feedback percentage ranged from 90.9% to 100% for sellers who had feedback
The oldest book was published in 1910.
*feedback is noted at the time the auction is viewed by BookThink.
eBay
Antiquarian & Collectible Top 5
December 2008
| #1 |
$26,111.11 |
Handwritten Breviary 1470 - 36 Goldinitials! Manuscript |
| #2 |
$15,655.00 |
Missale - richly decorated latin manuscript (1450) !! |
| #3 |
$12,099.00 |
Legends aurea - rare manuscript with 224 initials -1380 |
| #4 |
$10,100.00 |
Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book, 1st Edition 1st Printing |
| #5 |
$9,999.00 |
JK ROWLING Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone 1/1 |
A regular on this list, the German seller of #1 also sold #2 and #3. Described as "a true treasure of 15th century Italian
illumination," it has 36 ornate initials on "burnished gold ground."
37 bids took this "unique missale-manuscript!! Decorated gorgeously with numerous coloured jewel initials!!!"
The German seller of #1 and #2 saw 37 bids take the selling price of this manuscript up to $12,099.
A 1st edition, 1st printing volume without dust jacket was listed. Two days later, a reproduction dust jacket was added. After 24 bids, it auction ended at $10,100.
#5
Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone
J.K. Rowling
140286238171
A Canadia seller listed the 1st edition, 1st printing at $8,888. It sold as a BIN for $9,999.
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