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BookThink's Top 10 on eBay
March 2009

by Pamela Palmer

#134, 27 April 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.

Canada, New Zealand, and Australia were represented in the March top 10 lists. Canadian sellers took 3 places, and 2 US sellers each sold two titles on the fiction list. It veered toward more recent titles and less experienced sellers with all 10 titles were published during or after 1950, and 7 books listed by sellers with 50 or fewer feedbacks. The non-fiction group included sellers from New Zealand and Australia. A US seller sold 3 books in the top 10, and half the listings were sold by sellers with fewer than 50 feedbacks.

eBay
Fiction Top 10
March 2009

#1 $2,000.00 Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand Signed First in 1st DJ
#2 $1,500.00 Little Sisters of Eluria Artist # 2121 With Remark
#3 $1,400.00 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger First 1st/1st
#4 $1,282.77 m22) DUNE, Frank Herbert, 1965 First Edition, Sci Fi
#5 tie $1,000.00 Harry Potter - Prisoner of Azkaban (Uncorrected Proof)
#5 tie $1,000.00 AYN RAND ATLAS SHRUGGED FIRST EDITION 1ST PRINTING 57
#7 $956.00 * SIGNED * Harry Potter / Deathly Hallows / J K Rowling
#8 $937.77 FOUNDATION TRILOGY SET ISAAC ASIMOV FIRST EDITION BOOK
#9 $800.00 Deluxe Little Sisters of Eluria # 1154 Stephen King

#1
Atlas Shrugged
Ayn Rand
280320129828

Sold on a single bid, the signed 1st edition with wear and rubbing was in a 1st printing dust jacket. It was "housed in custom sculpted leather clamshell case with red leather spine label."

#2
Little Sisters of Eluria
Stephen King and Michael Whelan
180336022514

Who has the drawing? Artist Whelan told the publisher "he did drawings on 30 to 50 of the signature pages ... and we have no idea which numbered copies they ended up in." Up at auction is #2121 with an artist remark (drawing). It is described as brand new and perfect. The book sold as a BIN.

#3
The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger
280325946565

Listed by the seller of #1, the 1st edition in 1st state dust jacket was "housed in a custom sculpted leather clamshell case." It sold after a single bid.

#4
Dune
Frank Herbert
230328964798

15 bids took this 1965 1st edition from a starting bid of $9.99 to sell for $1,282.77. When asked if it was a 1st printing, the seller replied, "I merely quoted 'First Edition' from the copyright page." After that response, there were other questions about specifics of the book and dust jacket.

#5 tie
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
J.K Rowlings
270356665874

Listed by a Canadian seller, the uncorrected proof is described as the 1st version. It sold for $1,000 after a single bid.

#5 tie
Atlas Shrugged
Ayn Rand
130289356656

Another Canadian seller listed this copy of Atlas Shrugged. It sold as a best offer.

#7
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
J.K. Rowling
110368190400

A 3rd Canadian seller with only 6 feedbacks saw 24 bids take this signed copy described as in excellent condition to $956.00.

#8
Foundation Trilogy
Foundation
Foundation and Empire
Second Foundation

Isaac Asimov
120391330126

Described as in very good condition, the 3 volume set attracted 16 bids.

#9
Little Sisters of Eluria
Stephen King and Michael Whelan
180332762181

Signed by both King and artist Whelan, it is #1154 of 1250 published with a clamshell tray case. Not the Artist Edition, this edition is bound in different material and has a ribbon. It sold as a BIN.

#10
Twilight
Stephenie Meyer
180332627742

25 bids took this signed (in purple) 1st edition, 1st printing with dust jacket to $787.77

 

eBay
Non-Fiction Top 10
March 2009

#1 $5,100.00 three limited edition books of george harrison
#2 $3,100.00 George Harrison Genesis I Me Mine
#3 $2,390.00 George Harrison signed Live in Japan book Beatles
#4 $1,081.66 DAVE HEATH - A Dialogue with Solitude RARE PHOTOGRAPHY
#5 $1,025.04 "Screen Tests" by Andy Warhol 1967 Softcover Rare Art
#6 $1,025.00 Imperator Aleksandr Alexander 2 Emperor of Russia 1903
#7 $1,000.06 "Lithographs of Chagall" 11 original lithos 1960 RARE
#8 $1,000.00 Remaking a Man Courtenay Baylor Alcoholics Anonymous AA
#9 $995.00 Kikuji Kawada Bk The Globe Theatre - Lim Ed 500 Signed
#10 $948.00 1946 INTERPRETATION OF THE TWELVE STEPS AA

#1
Fifty Years Adrift
Songs by George Harrison, Vol. 1
Songs by George Harrison, Vol. 2

Kikuji Kawad
140306947624

All three of the Genesis publications are #974 of their numbered sets. They were listed by a New Zealand seller who described Fifty Years Adrift as in very good condition and the other 2 in "new and perfect" condition. The set sold after 7 bids.

#2
I Me Mine
George Harrison
130292193695

Another George Harrison Genesis publication was described as "immaculate, pristine." It is #332 and was previously owned by Joe Pope of Strawberry Fields Forever magazine. 9 bids took it to #3,100.

#3
Live in Japan
George Harrison
230331854858

George Harrison takes the #3 position too with "Live in Japan," a signed limited edition (#1526) book listed by an Australian seller. It sold after 6 bids.

#4
A Dialogue of Solitude
David Heath
160318134979

The 1965 1st edition photography book garnered 11 bids.It was described as "gently used and collectible."

#5
Screen Tests: A Diary
Andy Warhol
280316654279

Receiving 36 bids the Warhol book is described as "very solid" and to be "shipped in a custom built protective case."

#6
Imperator Aleksandr II
Sergei Spiridonovich Tatishchev
280316853663

Sold by the seller of #5 and perhaps ex-library, the 2-volume 1903 set written in Russian sold after 11 bids. Both of the US seller's auctions contain this note, "I have never graded books so please don't ask me to do so."

#7
The Lithographs of Chagall
Marc Chagall
280316650840

With 11 lithographs included, volume 1 of the English Edition is ex-library but "the original lithographs look great." It sold after 30 bids.

#8
Remaking A Man
One Successful Method of Refitting

Courtney Baylor
350178004121

Published in 1919, the author "was treated for his alcoholism by Elwood Worcester at Emmanuel Church." He became part of the Emmanuel Movement which used "lay therapy in the treatment of alcoholism." It sold after 2 bids.

#9
The Globe Theatre
Kikuji Kawada
270356345308

Signed by the author, the 1998 self-published book in near fine condition with a very good dust jacket sold on a single bid.

#10
An Interpretation of the Twelve Steps of the Alcoholics Anonymous Program
220373788414

The 1946 book was described as in very good condition. It sold after 11 bids.

By the Numbers

15 sellers were from the USA
3 sellers were from Canada
1 seller was from New Zealand
1 seller was from Australia
17 books were published during or after 1950
3 were published before 1950
2 sold as BIN
1 sold as BO
1 to 36 to was the range of bids
Seller feedback ranged from 6 to 744
13 books were sold by sellers with 100% positive feedback
Feedback percentage ranged from 92.6% to 100% for sellers who had feedback
The oldest book was published in 1903.

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

 

eBay
Antiquarian & Collectible Top 5
March 2009

#1 $30,000.00 Original 1830 THE BOOK OF MORMON
#2 $8,500.00 1782 THE INFERNO OF DANTE TRANSLATED 20 ENGRAVINGS RARE
#3 $7,995.00 1542 RARE ITALIAN HOLY BIBLE Biblia Italy Antique 16 NR
#4 $7,500.00 Ayn Rand THE FOUNTAINHEAD STATED 1ST EDITION w/ ERRORS
#5 $4,995.00 1536 MARTIN LUTHER ON THE 23RD PSALM HOLY BIBLE 1ST-ED!

#1
The Book of Mormon
Joseph Smith

140308393366

"A rare original 1830 printing of The Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith, Junior. Printed by E.B. Grandin in 1830 in Palmyra," reported the seller who noted it needs some restoration and is sold in a "as found" condition. A 1829 Bible is included in the auction.

#2
The Inferno of Dante
1782
250395408300

Called "the only copy available for sale in the world," the US seller saw it sell twice within 6 days. In the first auction that ended March 24, it seemed to sell for $15,000 as a BIN. But on March 29, the same seller sold it for $8,500 as a best offer. A handwritten note in the volume indicated the 1782 work was translated by Charles Rogers Esqre. It was published in London and "had ownership plates dating ... to the 1700s. "

#3
Bible
1542
260370384077

Clearance priced at $1505 off, "one of the oldest Italian Bibles for sale in the world" was purchased as a BIN. The 1542 Italian New Testament" contains woodcuts and is in its original vellum binding. Calling it "100% complete and ... 100% original," the powerseller whose listings at this writing range from $9,500 to $149,000 (and who regularly uses "L@@K" in his listings) was having a "giant clearancec sale!!! Everything must go!" The same seller sold #5.

#4
The Fountainhead
Ayn Rand
260370790404

Sold as a BIN, this copy was 1 of 2500 with errors. After 2 bids, it ended early to sell for $7,500.

#5
DER XXIII PSALM, AUF EIN ABEND UBER TISCH,
NACH DEM GRATIAS, AUSGELEGT, DURCH

Martin Luther
[1536]
330311600977

Martin Luther's thoughts on the 23rd Psalm are in this 1st edition called "exceedingly rare and scarce" by the same seller as #3. Reduced from $6,500 to $4,995 in the clearance sale, it sold as a BIN.

Want to read more articles by BookThink's Associate Editor Pamela Palmer? Click here.

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editor@bookthink.com

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