Heading into November 115 auction events are scheduled.  This compares with 91 in November 2011.  Through August this year 179,000 lots have been archived, a 29.7% increase from the 138,000 offered in the January-August period in 2011.  If this percentage of increase holds the full year will see 317,558 lots pass through the rooms, an increase of 72,718.  There is much talk of a generally weakening market but no evidence of it in the rooms.

Within the day-to-day numbers there is also significant change.  Not so long ago bidders attended auctions personally to bid on many lots.  To accommodate this practice houses choose open days to avoid scheduling conflicts.  This year on two November days 11 or more sales are scheduled and on average 3.6 sales scheduled every day.  This suggests a strong and continuing shift of focus to the material wherever it is offered.  Where it is offered is becoming somewhat less important.  To accommodate broader participation auctions are increasingly attended electronically and by phone.  The physical events, with the exception of stellar sales, are becoming less important.

As to what’s apparent from the comparative data – a look back suggests lot values are holding steady but continue to be at the low end of the 5-year range, a good performance given that the number of opportunities to buy is way up.  That more bidders are competing seems logical but is only circumstantially confirmed.

Taken together the shift to the bid-ask model seems well underway.  It’s not inevitable but at this point is logical.

On the calendar linked at the bottom of this page sales in green are fully searchable both through the keyword and advanced searches.  Other sales are loaded daily.  Further sales, as identified, will be added to the calendar as the month progresses.

Questions about lots should be directed to the auction house.

The schedule as of October 27^th:

Thurs. Nov. 1^st Bloomsbury Auctions.  Bibliophile Sale [35991].  417 lots

                              Christie’s.  Vintage Posters in London [7303].  261 lots

                              Heritage Auctions.  Rare Book online bidding ending Nov.1^st [201244].

                              Sotheby’s.  Prints [NO8896].

Fri. Nov. 2^nd  Aspire Auctions.  Prints ending Nov. 2^nd.

                              Bloomsbury Auctions.  Old Master to 20^th Century Prints & Drawings and Vintage Posters [35990].

                          Heritage Auctions.  Space Exploration [6082].

                              Sotheby’s.  Prints [NO8896].

Sat. Nov. 3^rd      Heritage Auctions.  Americana and Political Memorabilia [6092].

Mon. Nov. 5^th  Doyle New York.  Books, Photographs and Prints [110512].

Tues. Nov. 6^th  Amsterdam Book Auctions.  Books, prints, comics, posters [18].

                              Rupert Toovey & Co.  Photographs, Ephemera [1083].

Wed. Nov. 7th   Audap & Mirabaud.  Books [19716].

                              Bonhams.  Photographs [20022].

                              Bonhams.  Sporting Sale [19873].

                            Leslie Hindman.  Fine Books and Manuscripts [216].

                            Zisska & Schauer.  Books, Manuscripts, Incunabula [60].

Thurs. Nov. 8^th  Aguttes.  Books, Posters, Photos [20050].

                              Bloomsbury Auctions.  Sporting Goods [35993].

                            De Baecque & Associes.  Books, Comic Books and Autographs [20158].

                            Dorotheum.  Prints [9737].

                              Heritage Auctions.  Rare Books internet bidding ending today

                              PBA Galleries.  Rare Books and Manuscripts [492].

                              Swann Galleries.  Rare & Important Travel Posters [2293].

                              Zisska & Schauer.  Books, Manuscripts, Incunabula [60].

Fri. Nov. 9^th    Librairie Loeb-Larocque.  Antique Maps – Old Books [110912].

                              Zisska & Schauer.  Books, Manuscripts, Incunabula [60].

Sat. Nov. 10^th    Clars Auction Gallery.  Photographs, Prints, Special Collection [111012].

                            Cottone.  Prints [67].

                              Dirk Soulis Auctions.  Prints [33820].

Sun. Nov. 11^th  Bonhams.  Prints [20069].

                              Bruun Rasmussen.  Books [1245].

Mon. Nov. 12^th  Artcurial Bries-Le Fur-Poulain. Tajan.  Historic Memories and Antiques Arms [19575].

                              Bonhams.  Prints [20069].

                              Christie’s.  Andy Warhol Benefit [2766].

                            Neret – Minet & Tessier.  Comic Strips [14093].

Tues. Nov. 13^th  Bonhams.  Books, Maps and Manuscripts [20139].

                            Burgersdijk & Niermans.  Books [336].

                            Galerie Koller.  Books [651].

Wed. Nov. 14^th  Bloomsbury Auctions.  Old Master to 20^th Century Prints & Drawings and Vintage Posters [35990].

                              Burgersdijk & Niermans.  Books [336].

                              Dominic Winter Book Auctions.  Printed Books, Maps and Documents [111412].

                              Freeman’s.  Pennsylvania Sale [1446].

                                Freeman’s.  Historic Muhlenberg Property from a Private Collection [1446A].

Thurs. Nov. 15^th  Bloomsbury Auctions.  Old Master to 20^th Prints & Drawings and Vintage Posters [35990].

                              Dominic Winter Book Auctions.  The Collectors Sale:  Aviation, Motoring and other Transport [111512].

                              Heritage Auctions.  Comics and Comic Art [7066].

                              Heritage Auctions.  Rare Books Internet bidding ends today

                              Neret – Minet & Tessier.  Photographs and Books [14094].

                              PBA Galleries.  Rare Manuscripts and Archives [493].

                              Piasa.  Ancient and Modern Prints [19944].

                              Profiles in History.  Historical Documents [111512].

                              Skinner, Inc.  Fine Books and Manuscripts [2620M].

                              Sotheby’s.  Travel, Atlases, Maps and Natural History [L12405].

                              Swann Galleries.  American Art * Contemporary Art [2294].

Fri. Nov. 16^th  Christie’s.  Photographs [3514].

                              Dominic Winter Book Auctions.  The Collector’s Sale:  Militaria, Railway Part V [111612].

                              Heritage Auctions.  Comics and Comic Art [7066].

                              Sotheby’s.  Photographs [PF1222].

                              Romantic Agony.  Books and Prints [49].

Sat Nov. 17^th    Addison and Sarova.  Rare and Fine Books [1002].

                            Christie’s.  Photographs [3514].

                              Heritage Auctions.  Photographs [5119].

                              Romantic Agony.  Books and Prints [49].

Sun. Nov. 18^th  Bonhams.  Prints [20070].

                              ERA Encheres.  Rare and Ancient Books about Regionalism [18804].

                            National Book Auctions.  Books, Art, Ephemera, and Collectibles [111812].

                              Piasa.  Herge:  Comic Strips [20011].

                              Skinner, Inc.  Fine Books and Manuscripts [2621B].

Mon. Nov. 19^th  Alde.  Modern Illustrated Books; Children’s Books [19725].

                              Ketterer Kunst / F. Doerling.  Rare Books [397].

                              Sotheby’s.  Books and Manuscripts [PF1213].

Tues. Nov. 20^th  Ketterer Kunst / F. Doerling.  Rare Books [397].

                              Swann Galleries.  19^th & 20^th Century Literature [2295].

Wed. Nov. 21^st  Bloomsbury Auctions.  Antiquarian Books:  The Property of a Collector, Part II [35999].

                            Christie’s.  Valuable Books and Manuscripts [5960].

                              Pierre Berge & Associes.  Books [19689].

Thurs. Nov. 22^nd Aguttes.  Books [14165].

                              Bloomsbury Auctions.  Photographs [Roma-83].

                              Heritage Auctions.  Rare Books Internet bidding ending today [201247].

Fri. Nov. 23^rd    Bloomsbury Auctions.  Photographs [35995].

                            Ketterer Kunst / F. Doerling.  Old Master Prints [394].

                            Keys Fine Arts Auctioneers.  East Anglia [1011].

Sat. Nov. 24^th    Artcurial Briest-Le Fur-Poulain-F. Tajan.  Comics [19577].

                            ERA Encheres.  Rare and Ancient Books about Regionalism [18804].

Tues. Nov. 27^th  Bonhams.  Printed Books and Maps [19851].

                            Bonhams.  Prints [20274].

                            Bruun Rasmussen.  Books [1248].

                            Bubb Kuyper.  Books, Manuscripts and Graphic Arts [56].

                          Christie’s.  Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts [7558].

                            Sotheby’s.  Musical Manuscripts and Continental Books {l12406].

                          Tajan.  Modern and Contemporary Photographs [9746].

Wed. Nov. 28^th  Alde.  Antiquarian Photographs, Historical Documents [19726].

                              Bubb Kuyper.  Books, Manuscripts and Graphic Arts [56].

                              Christie’s.  Fine Books and Manuscripts [7558].

                            Sotheby’s.  Musical Manuscripts and Continental Books [l12406].

Thurs. Nov. 29^th  Alde.  Documents; Artistic and Literary Autographs [19727].

                            AntiquarianAuctions.com.  Rare Books – online bidding starts today [23].

                          Bloomsbury Auctions.  Important Books & Manuscripts [36002].

                            Bonhams.  Marcus, The Property of Lord Mowbray and Stourton & The Honorable James Stourton [20558].

                              Bubb Kuyper.  Books, Manuscripts and Graphic Arts [56].

                              Christie’s.  An Important Collection of Russian Books and Manuscripts with Imperial Provenance [6769].

                            De Baecque & Associes.  Photography [19677].

                              Galerie Bassenge.  Prints [100h].

                              Heritage Auctions.  Vintage Movie Posters [7067].

                          Heritage Auctions.  Rare Books online bidding ends today [201248].

                          Keys Fine Arts Auctioneers.  Books – Day 1 [1052].

                            PBA Galleries.  Fine Americana – African American History – Cartography [494]

                            Swann Galleries.  Autographs [2296].

Fri.  Nov. 27^th    Bubb Kuyper.  Books, Manuscripts and Graphic Arts [56]

                              Heritage Auctions.  Vintage Movie Posters [7067]

                            Keys Fine Arts Auctioneers.  Books – Day 2 [1053]

                            Rossini.  Books [20030]

The AE Auction Calendar and Search Page