Searching AE auctions for astro* finds all astrological and astronomical titles.
By Michael Stillman
The Americana Exchange recently updated its auction searching software to make it easier for many collectors to find the books and ephemera they seek at auction. For those unfamiliar with the AE's auction search, this site allows you to search listings in the book field from over 150 auction houses worldwide. At any one time, there are usually 10,000-40,000 books and book-related items being offered at live auctions around the world. All of these listings can be searched in an instant with a click of a computer mouse on this site.
To conduct such a search, simply enter your terms in the search box at the top of this page. Enter your keyword(s) and click search, and your results will appear (but wait until you finish reading this article to try it out!). Just above the title of this article, you will see how many auctions and how many lots are being searched today. This number changes almost everyday as new auctions are announced and others are completed.
Now for the new tool, suggested by a user of this site who collects in a field of unearthly matters, that is, astrology. Among the terms he searches regularly are astrology, astrological, astrologie, astrologia, astrologiam, astrologiae, astrologicum, astrologer, astrologers, astrologue, and astrologues. That's nine searches right there, plus he searches several others, such as zodiac, as well. Obviously this is a nuisance. However, one thing you will notice is that each of these words begins with a common root: "astrolog." If he could search for the root, rather than the complete term, those nine searches could be reduced to one. Now they can.
AE's auction search has now been updated to accept what are known as "wildcards." A wildcard, as you might imagine, is a symbol that substitutes for any other symbol(s) (or no symbol at all). The wildcard here is the humble asterisk. Just type in the root you are seeking, followed by an asterisk, and all terms containing that root will be found. In this case, you type in astrolog*. All nine of the above terms, and possibly a few more, will be matched. One search, and all items using some form of the word "astrology" are found.
Of course, you can adjust the root to find tighter or broader matches. For example, if you collect both astrology and astronomy, shorten the root to astro*. Now you will find all listings pertaining to both fields (along with those relating to AstroTurf™). Click the thumbnail image above to see some recent matches for "astro*". Naturally, you can use this for any other roots, or simply to cover both the singular and plural of a word. Entering horse* will find listings containing both the terms horse and horses, along with a few others such as horseman, horsemanship, horseshoe, horseback, and British Admiral Algernon de Horsey.
Root searches using the asterisk can also be performed with AE's Books For Sale listings, and the AE Bibliographic Database.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("Martinus Luther") to His Friend the Theologian Gerhard Wiskamp ("Gerardo Xantho Lampadario"). $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: An Exceptionally Fine Copy of Austenís Emma: A Novel in Three Volumes. $40,000 - $60,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Presentation Copy of Ernest Hemmingwayís A Farewell to Arms for Edward Titus of the Black Mankin Press. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript Signed Integrally for "The Songs of Pooh," by Alan Alexander. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript of "Three Fragments from Gˆtterd‰mmerung" by Richard Wagner. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Preliminary Artwork, for the First Edition of Snow Crash. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("T.R. Malthus") to Economist Nassau Senior on Wealth, Labor and Adam Smith. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Finely Bound by Michael Wilcox. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: First Edition of Lewis and Clark: Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Artwork for the First Edition of Neal Stephenson's Groundbreaking Novel Snow Crash. $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: A Complete Set Signed Deluxe Editions of King's The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams") to James Le Ray de Chaumont During the Crucial Years of the Revolutionary War. $8,000 - $12,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.
Heritage Auctions Rare Books Signature Auction December 15, 2025
Heritage, Dec. 15: John Donne. Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death. London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan of the Apes.
Heritage, Dec. 15: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tender is the Night. A Romance.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Jerry Thomas. How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion, Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States…
![<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/8caddaea-4c1f-47a7-9455-62f53af36e3f.jpg "<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.")
