Rare Book Monthly

Articles - December - 2010 Issue

Auctions Going Postal

Ed Postal - building an auction based community

Ed Postal - building an auction based community


By Bruce McKinney

Antiquarian Auctions of Laguna Beach, California will be posting its first sale for bidding beginning on December 9th and concluding its first sale on the 16th. Ed Postal, of Barnaby Rudge Booksellers, is developing the business. The model is designed to enable those with books to sell to be able to offer material at auction in a direct and simple way. The structure and timing of the sales are controlled by Antiquarian Auctions, the items, descriptions, estimates and reserves controlled by consignors.

For this first sale there are no listing fees and for buyers no buyer's premiums ever. The bid is the final price.

Think of this as an auction commune. Mr. Postal, an ABAA member for many years, is presiding over a fresh approach, adapted from www.AntiquarianAuctions.co.za based in South Africa, that permits individual consignors to post listings - everything including images, description, estimates and reserves. Once the system is established, an 8% success fee will be charged if, and only if, a listed item sells.

For the first sale nine dealers have posted what is expected to be about 200 items when the starting gun is fired. Mr. Postal emphasizes that collectors, who can establish their bona fides, can also sell on the site. They can sell random items or complete collections.

Because shipments are made directly from the seller their reliability and expertise will be particularly important.

Here is a link to the site and to some of the material already posted.

www.antiquarianauctions.com/auctions/preview

To contact Mr. Postal about consigning or bidding by phone:

866-840-5900 toll free in the United States and Canada

By Spype: Ed.Postal

By local phone: 949-497-4079

By email: info@antiquarianauctions.com

Rare Book Monthly

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    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Ellis Smith Prints unsigned. 20” by 16”.
    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: United typothetae of America presidents. Pictures of 37 UTA presidents 46th annual convention United typothetae of America Cincinnati 1932.
    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec signed Paper Impressionism Art Prints. MayMilton 9 1/2” by 13” Reine de Joie 9 1/2” by 13”.
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    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Aberle’ Ballet editions. 108th triumph, American season spring and summer 1944.
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    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: An exhibit of printed books, Bridwell library.
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    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: 1963 Philadelphia Eagles official program.
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    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: 8 - Esquire the magazine for men 1954.
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    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Leaves of grass 1855 by Walt Whitman.
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    We Buy Librairies & Rare Books Nationwide
    RareBookBuyer.com
    Specialized in Purchasing
    Institutional Collections & Deacccessioned Books
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    Specialized in Purchasing
    Institutional Collections & Deacccessioned Books
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    We Buy Librairies & Rare Books Nationwide
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  • Sotheby's
    Fine Books, Manuscripts & More
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s: William Shakespeare.
    The Poems and Sonnets of William Shakespeare, 1960. 7,210 USD
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