Another year has come to its conclusion so once again it is time to look back at the top 500 highest priced items sold in the books and paper collectible field for the past year. Along with books, we count manuscripts, maps, comics, trading cards, certain prints and photographs (which ones described at end of article), and other occasional ephemeral paper or related items.
One thing that jumps out is that high end collectors, like those across the entire spectrum, were pulling back on what they spent. Sometimes the most financially endowed spend regardless of conditions but not this year. Next month, we will be able to compile statistics for the entire market but here are two numbers that stand out. The first is that 12 items sold for prices exceeding $1 million in 2023. In 2022 it was twice that number, 24. The second is that the 500th highest priced item also slipped significantly. It sold for $93,449. The previous year it sold for $113,400. That's a decline of 17.6%. In other words, 500 items sold for $93,449 or more in 2023 while 500 sold for $113,400 or more in 2022. This past year, only 402 items sold for $113,400 or more, almost a 20% decline.
One other notable feature was the increasing popularity of trading cards. This past year 134 items in the top 500 were trading cards versus only 102 the year before. Baseball is the dominant form, but there are increasing numbers of basketball and football cards now, and other things such as Pokemon cards. This may reflect younger collectors for whom such cards reflect a part of their lives. The sports cards are not limited to historic players, though they remain the largest part, but we see very recent cards now selling for astronomical prices, Bryce Harper, Lebron James, Tom Brady. James made the list four times, Brady three. For comparison, William Shakespeare appears only twice, but that's okay for someone who never hit a home run.
Who leads the list? We know it isn't Shakespeare, and it isn't old mainstays like Washington and Lincoln. Lincoln makes it ten times, a healthy rise from four in 2022, while Washington stayed the same at four. Surprisingly, Mao equaled him with four. The runaway leader once again was Mickey Mantle. He, or specifically his baseball card, appeared on the list an astonishing 31 times. Mantle was a repeat leader from last year but his 31 was up from 21 in 2022. However, his card was only #2 this year, compared to #1 in 2022 when one sold for a head-scratching $12.6 million. For non-Americans, Mantle was a baseball player for the New York Yankees from the 1950s-1960s, a great player but not the greatest. His rookie card is supposed to be quite rare since he did not have much of an impact in 1952, but obviously it can't be that rare.
The second most popular name was not on the list in previous years, and may not be again for many to come. That honor went to Freddie Mercury, the leader of the 1980s rock band Queen. He tragically died in 1991 at the age of 45. A collection of his items, mainly handwritten lyrics of various of his songs, was sold at auction this past year. Eighteen of them made the top 500.
Before we get to the top 10, we will look at a few distinctive other items in the top 500. At the end is a link to the entire top 500.
491. An announcement from Thomas Gay to the people of Texas that the Alamo has fallen. “Fellow Citizens, I have just received information by Col. William T. Austin of the fall of the Alimo [sic], and massacre of our countrymen in that garrison.” He correctly predicted that Goliad would soon fall too, but it would only be a few weeks later that the Texans reversed the course at San Jacinto. $93,750.
433. Abigail Adams writes a friend in 1775, shortly after the battles of Lexington and Concord. “Such a scene as we never before Experienced, and could scarcely form an Idea of. If we look back we are amazed at what is past, if we look forward we must shudder at the view. Our only comfort lies in the justice of our cause; and in the mercy of that being who never said, 'Seek ye me in vain.'”
390. The 1952 rookie baseball card for pitcher Don Johnson. Don Johnson? I know baseball greats like Ruth, Aaron, Mantle, Mays and Gehrig are on this list, but who is Don Johnson? I looked him up. He didn't stick around anywhere for long. He pitched for 6 major league teams between 1947-1958. Much of that time was also spent in the minors. He ended up with a career record of 27-38 and an ERA of 4.78. Why is his card so valuable? If anyone knows, please post an answer. $117,000.
327. Check #2 from the Apple Computer Co. (Apple's name not even printed on this check) in the amount of $116.97, dated March 19, 1976, 13 days before the partnership was officially signed. Check signed by Stephen Wozniak and Steven Jobs. The recipient, Ramlor, Inc., made printed circuit boards. $135,261.
314. Comedies, Histories and Tragedies by William Shakespeare, better known as the Second Folio, dated 1632. First Folios go in the millions these days, if you can find one, but even seconds are very expensive now. $138,600.
252. Atomic Energy in the Coming Era by David Dietz (1949). Signed by 49 scientists and military personnel involved in creating and dropping the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Signatures include Einstein, Oppenheimer, Bohr, Urey, and the crew of the Enola Gay which dropped the bomb. Fourteen of the signers won a Nobel Prize in physics or chemistry. $162,500.
245, 203. Two separate lots of this reward poster, “$100,000 Reward – The Murderer of our late beloved President, Abraham Lincoln, is still at large.” Booth is worth $50,000, two others $25,000 each. $166,375, $187,500.
138. A newly discovered letter from Isaac Newton to Samuel Pepys concerning sea navigation, from 1695. $242,926.
107. A letter from 26-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Baroness von Waldstatten shortly before August 4, 1782 (his wedding date) expressing fear about rumors of an improper relationship with Constanze Weber and that he might have to marry her immediately to preserve her and her family's reputation. That is precisely what he did. $289,203.
39. The President's Answer to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, in the Herald of Freedom, September 7, 1790 (but written August 18). President George Washington unequivocally expresses his and his country's belief in tolerance toward all people, their “liberty of conscience.” “It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights.” $529,200.
And now, for the top 10:
10. Batman #1 from 1940. The first issue of Batman's comic in unusually good condition. $1,110,000.
9.5*** This is a late addition as we missed it when compiling the Top 500. On September 23, Christies held an auction in Shanghai, China, and we missed it as we were unaware that there was a sale in China. Now we know. The item was an autograph manuscript from Albert Einstein circa 1929, Altes und Neues zur Feld-Theorié. In it, Einstein explains the theory of relativity. We won't go into detail because everyone understands that theory, but in sum, E=MC2. The price converted to U.S. dollars was approximately $1,310,000.
9. Freddie Mercury's autograph manuscript of the lyrics for Bohemian Rhapsody. $1,722,168.
8. Detective Comics #27 (1939). The first appearance of Batman. $1,740,000.
7. Ydea Topografica de los altos del Missisipi y del Missouri. A 1795 pen and ink map of the upper Missouri and Mississippi rivers from a Spanish expedition, noting English encroachments on the land. $1,744,000.
6. 1916 Sporting News 1916 Babe Ruth rookie baseball card. $1,770,000.
5. 18 Cantos by Barnett Newman. Complete set of lithographs by the not all that well-known artist. Particularly appealing if you like vertical lines. $2,107,000.
4. The Declaration of Independence. Don't even ask the date of this (if you're an American, anyway). This is a very early Massachusetts printing, apparently July 16 or slightly earlier. $2,895,000.
3. Epistola Christofori Colom, a Columbus letter, printed by Stephan Plannck in 1493. $3,922,000.
2. A 1954 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball card. Mick would have been amazed that he beat out Columbus and the Declaration of Independence. I'm not sure whether he would have been proud or appalled. $4,500,000.
1. Codex Sassoon. The earliest complete copy of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament to Christians), created circa 900 in Israel or nearby. $38,126,000.
The entire Top 500 may be found at this link: www.rarebookhub.com/top500_auctions?year=2023
Note: Included in the Top 500 are books, manuscripts and maps. Prints and photographs are included only if they are of some historic context as there are very many of these created as artworks, which would squeeze out most books and similar material (Andy Warhol alone would have several dozen listed prints). Original art for books is included, but for comics, only if a complete book or panel from a newspaper version. Single page and cover art in particular would proliferate.
