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Does selling for charity increase an auction's the final value? Probably - especially when
the charity is well known, appealing, and celebrities are involved. All these forces came together
in June when The Old Bakery in Lincoln, UK auctioned off a copy of The Da Vinci Code signed by the cast, crew, and author. The charity involved was The Mayor's Charity. As the auction states, it helps "purchase neo-natal incubators for premature children at Lincoln County Hospital."
Now this particular book with the same signatures would bring a hefty price on its own, but coupled with the fact the cast, crew, and author autographed and wrote messages in the volume specifically for this auction, it's a unique item of unquestionable authenticity. Even with 0 feedback, The Old Bakery had everything going for it. The auction garnered 37 bids and ended above $5800. Charity auctions may receive skewed returns, so other sellers should factor that in when looking for comparables.
#1
A self-published novel tops the fiction chart, selling on 1 bid for $9,050. Three photos and items specifics provide the only information in a minimalist 7-day auction that closed at the starting price. Item specifics shows it to be a 2001 signed first edition in new condition. The novice seller has 1 feedback.
#2
Loads of questions came in for this heavily autographed paperback copy of The Da Vinci Code. On sale to raise money for neo-natal incubators, the "over 50 pages of comments, autographs and messages from the cast and crew" give it added value. Signatures include Tom Hanks and the author. Sold for the charity by the The Old Bakery (a local restaurant with no feedback), the UK seller attracted 37 bids, raising the starting price of GBP 0.99 to $5,825.28 in a 10-day auction. Questions from other eBay members consisted mostly of good wishes, though one reminded the seller of potentially high eBay final value fees.
#3
James Bond is back on the Top 10 list with this very good + hardcover in a very good dust jacket. Described as having "one of the rare first issue dustjackets without the credit to Keneth Lewis on the front flap." Listed by a UK seller in a 7-day auction with 6 photos, the book started at GBP 4.99, received 31 bids, and sold for $4,692.98.
#4
A 2-line description sufficed for the P.K. Dick hardcover in a dust jacket. Minor flaws are listed by the US seller who started the 7-day auction with 1 photo at $9.99. After 36 bids, the book sold for $4,239.89.
#5
Yet another copy of The Da Vinci Code comes in at #5. This one is autographed by Tom Hanks, who donated his own signed copy to Macmillan Cancer Support in Scotland. Unable to attend a function to which they invited him, "he [Hanks] kindly sent his bodyguard with not only apologies but a signed personal copy of the book!" Sold by the charity (with no feedbacks), the 10-day auction with 3 photos attracted 52 bids, raising the starting price of GBP 0.99 to $4,149.
#6
Tolkien signed The Two Towers in this 3-volume set, and his daughter Pricilla signed above the first signature. Priscilla is described in the auction as having a "close relationship" with James Dyson, and it is from Dyson's estate that the set comes to auction. The 3 volumes are described as in very good condition with very good dust jackets by the UK seller who listed them in a 10-day auction starting at GBP 1,250.00. They sold with 1 bid at the starting price.
#7
The 1939 first edition is described as "An excellent copy of an extrememly rare book." Listed by a UK seller in a 7-day auction with 8 photos, the book sold at the starting price.
#8
Ian Fleming's Moonraker is described as "an attractive copy of this very scarce title" by the UK seller who listed it in a 7-day auction with 6 photos. Starting at GBP 4.99, it sold for $2,175.92 after 21 bids. The book is described as in very good + condition and the dust jacket in very good condition.
#9
Rebound in full red morocco but originally a paperback, this volume is described as "the first paperback and first single volume edition with the revised text of 1966." Signed but with "some bleeding of the signature" due to humidity, the book was listed in a 10-day auction with 6 photos. The UK seller started bidding at GBP 999.00 and it sold at that price.
#10
Another Tolkien listing, this time 1st editions 1st impressions, came in at #10. The UK seller started the 7-day auction at GBP 299, and the auction attracted 6 bids to close at $1,625.53. Twelve photos show the set described as "a sorry set of first editions waiting for somebody to put them back together" and "a set in need of a restorer/rebinder." In addition, the seller listed out flaws in detail, noted that the folding maps are present, and mentioned points.
BookThink turns up in the best places. In this case, BT appeared, along with a reference
to the April Top 10, in seller-added information. Describing this copy of It Works as "in Perfect condition" and #1314 of the first edition red book. The only flaws are a sticker inside the front cover and a name. The US seller started the 5-day auction with 6 photos at $100. After 12 bids, it sold for $2,247.22.
One of a limited edition of 10,000, this is a collector's edition copy signed by Muhammad Ali and Jeff Koons, the artist. A true heavyweight, the volume weighs 75 lbs and is bound in pink leather. Still in the opened original shipping box, the book is accompanied by a signed Koons' print. The 10-day auction with 5 photos started at $499.99, received 13 bids, and sold for $2,125.
The UK seller attracted 29 bids with a "mint condition, except for very slightest foxing to
page tops" copy of New Naturalist No 70: Orkney. The 1985 hardcover is a first edition. Listed in a 10-day auction with 1 photo, the book started a GBP 100.00 and sold for $1,906.85. Questions included height (related to 1st or 2nd state) and condition of the dust jacket.
Selling for $1,599.47 on 14 bids, the 1965 Autocourse was listed in a 10-day auction by a UK seller. The starting bid was GBP 99.99 for the hardcover book in a dust jacket. Condition is described in detail, from the small tears and scuffing to a small blemish.
Moving back in time, the 1816 book is an ex-library first edition with rubbing, some foxing, and a replaced spine. The UK seller calls it, "a good, ex-library copy" and showed it in 12 photos. The color plates are "fine aquatints." After a 7-day auction with 10 bids, the price went from GBP 99.99 to $1,510.93.
"All I can say is WOW," wrote the US seller in the auction of a first edition red copy of
It Works, numbered 2604. Flaws include wear along with some writing and highlighting. In the 7-day auction with 9 photos, 10 bids were received, taking it from the opening bid of $9.99 to a selling price of $1,476.50.
A first edition photobiography of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, this is #450 of 1500. The US seller described the book as in good condition and the dust jacket in fair condition. Listed in a 7-day auction with 1 photo and links to 5 others, the auction started at $1200, received 2 bids, and sold for $1,325.
It took close peering past drawings of naked bodies to decipher the title in a photo. Somehow, the UK seller didn't mention it. Are we just supposed to know? The seller did mention it is #106 of 200 and was hand signed by both Gysin and Haring. This is unusual because Gysin's name was usually hand-stamped after his death. Described as in mint condition, the book sold as a BIN for $1,256.08.
Hubbard's 1956 signed hardcover, 3d edition also was signed by a second person, identified in added information as M. Nicholls. The UK seller describes it as "in very good condition for its age" with the original dust jacket. The auction started at GBP 9.99, received 42 bids, and the book sold for $1,128.65.
13 of the sellers were from the UK
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