In a typical month several hundred auctions that include significant numbers of books, manuscripts, maps, and ephemera, are completed. Auctions are an old game relying on centuries old customs as well as new technologies that bring a worldwide audience to their attention with a single CLICK. Utilizing them is a challenge but age no barrier when the spirit is willing. Doug Macon who runs Macon Brothers Auctioneers is 71 and game. This past month his firm broadened their electronic footprint into the collectable paper field to sell a portion of the Dr. Vernon H. McFarlane’s collection.
For Macon Brothers there were three challenges, managing consignor expectations, researching and preparing the sale and figuring out how best to promote the event.
For research they used Rare Book Hub and reached out both to leading institutions and the Vatican.
To promote the event they left no stone unturned by advertising in the Newtown Bee, Antiques Weekly, Live Auctioneers, Maine Antique Digest, Facebook, Google and Rare Book Hub.
For their principal lot, a set of prints dated to 1649 that were hand-colored and remounted circa 1776-1780, were bought for $20,060. The sale overall brought $53,861 overall despite many low priced unsold lots.
Going forward Macon Brothers, in the months ahead, will be offering 400-500 firearms, 6-7 school buses, commercial kitchen equipment and a tractor with a front-end loader.
According to Doug Macon, “Our goal is to establish fair value for interested buyers. Our winning bidder is on the east coast and understand the set of hand colored prints may find a new home in South America.”
“If/when you are ready to consign, we are ready to help, whether it’s to place earth movers or Gutenbergs.”
High Bids Win Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines and Machine Manuals December 24 to January 9
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”.
High Bids Win Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines and Machine Manuals December 24 to January 9
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Aberle’ Ballet editions. 108th triumph, American season spring and summer 1944.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Puss ‘n Boots. 1994 Charles Perrult All four are signed by Andreas Deja
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Specimen book of type faces. Job composition department, Philadelphia gazette publishing company .
High Bids Win Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines and Machine Manuals December 24 to January 9
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: An exhibit of printed books, Bridwell library.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur Court By Mark Twain 1889.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: 1963 Philadelphia Eagles official program.
High Bids Win Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines and Machine Manuals December 24 to January 9
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: 8 - Esquire the magazine for men 1954.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: The American printer, July 1910.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Leaves of grass 1855 by Walt Whitman.
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
Sotheby’s: Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol, First Edition, 1843. 17,500 USD
Sotheby’s: William Golding. Lord of the Flies, First Edition, 1954. 5,400 USD
Sotheby's Fine Books, Manuscripts & More Available for Immediate Purchase
Sotheby’s: Lewis Carroll. Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, Inscribed First Edition, 1872. 25,000 USD
Sotheby’s: J.R.R. Tolkien. The Hobbit, First Edition, 1937. 12,000 USD
Sotheby’s: John Milton. Paradise Lost, 1759. 5,400 USD
