Rare Book Monthly

Articles - July - 2010 Issue

Susan Heller: A Lifetime of Ephemera- for sale

A paper doll handout

A paper doll handout


By Bruce McKinney

Susan Heller of Pages 4 Sages of Beachwood, Ohio is a young 75+ and looking to wrap up her four-decade career in the book business. As is the experience of most booksellers she developed many categories of inventory, sold some and retained others as favorites. It is hard to let go but she has decided it's time.

That said, while still a few years shy of where Fulton J. Sheen told several generations of Americans life begins, she is preparing for what comes next, whatever that is. So for several months she and her close friend Gerry Farbman have been organizing, into a coherent electronic catalogue, her collection of pamphlets, now titled "A Lifetime of Ephemera." The material was gathered during her decades of bookselling. This month she is putting the collection of 1,300 pamphlets up for sale here on AE.

As the title suggests the thread that connects the material is simply that she came across it; the material generally pamphlets associated with the American experience, slavery, presidential campaigns, 19th and 20th century political issues, election campaigns, political missives and polemics to name only some of the categories. The material tends to be practical, the imprint dates span two hundred years. The electronic catalogue they have prepared makes it easy to parse and browse. The material is not priced.

She would like to sell the entire collection on the basis of a single bid, but will entertain offers on individual pieces or larger portions.

Material can be accessed via this link - A Lifetime of Ephemera. Those wishing to view the material in person may contact Mrs. Heller by email or phone.

She would like to receive bids by July 21st and will extend the deadline a few days for those prepared to view the material in person. She will ship once payment has been received.

She has no idea if the buyer will be a dealer, collector or institution or, if its a dealer, how the material will be sold. The material is already minimally described and includes images. For someone to post they simply need to set a price and choose a venue. This is a collection ready to be relinquished wholesale that will probably soon be offered at retail on a one by one basis.

Those visiting her will have the opportunity to view other collections she is selling -

A collection of signed or inscribed books;
A collection of collectible books including significant first edition literature.

A collection of basic and esoteric reference books, several from the inventory of Van Allen Bradley.

A collection of opera programs, the cast sheets only, signed by some of the performers.

Susan always looked for significant content with a little something added.

The electronic catalogue they have prepared can be transferred, descriptions and images together, to any buyer with an Americana Exchange premium account. A buyer, to put the material up for sale, simply needs to add a price and post to listing sites or eBay. The material is also already organized to be emailed as an electronic catalogue. This capability too will be transferred to the buyer if they wish.

Click here to search through the inventory.

Here is contact information:

Susan Heller

26300 Village Lane
Beachwood, Ohio 44122
216.765.1614

pages4sages@gmail.com

Packing and shipping will be for the buyer's account. Each ephemeral item is in a plastic sleeve.

Rare Book Monthly

  • Swann
    Printed & Manuscript African Americana
    March 20, 2025
    Swann, Mar. 20: Lot 7: Thomas Fisher, The Negro's Memorial or Abolitionist's Catechism, London, 1825. $6,000 to $9,000.
    Swann, Mar. 20: Lot 78: Victor H. Green, The Negro Travelers' Green Book, New York, 1958. $20,000 to $30,000.
    Swann, Mar. 20: Lot 99: Rosa Parks, Hand-written recollection of her first meeting with Martin Luther King Jr., autograph manuscript, Detroit, c. 1990s. $30,000 to $40,000.
    Swann, Mar. 20: Lot 154: Frederick Douglass, Autograph statement on voting rights, signed manuscript, 1866. $20,000 to $30,000.
    Swann, Mar. 20: Lot 164: W.E.B. Du Bois, What the Negro Has Done for the United States and Texas, Washington, circa 1936. $3,000 to $4,000.
    Swann
    Printed & Manuscript African Americana
    March 20, 2025
    Swann, Mar. 20: Lot 263: Susan Paul, Memoir of James Jackson, Boston, 1835. $6,000 to $9,000.
    Swann, Mar. 20: Lot 267: Langston Hughes, Gypsy Ballads, signed translation of García Lorca's poetry, Madrid, 1937. $1,500 to $2,500.
    Swann, Mar. 20: Lot 274: Malcolm X, Collection from Alex Haley's estate, 38 items, 1963-1971. $4,000 to $6,000.
    Swann, Mar. 20: Lot 367: Solomon Northup, Twelve Years a Slave, Auburn, NY, 1853. $2,500 to $3,500.
    Swann, Mar. 20: Lot 402: Anna Julia Cooper, A Voice from the South, Xenia, OH, 1892. $2,000 to $3,000.
  • Koller, Mar. 26: Wit, Frederick de. Atlas. Amsterdam, de Wit, [1680]. CHF 20,000 to 30,000
    Koller, Mar. 26: Merian, Maria Sibylla. Der Raupen wunderbare Verwandelung, und sonderbare Blumennahrung. Nürnberg, 1679; Frankfurt a. M. und Leipzig, 1683. CHF 20,000 to 30,000
    Koller, Mar. 26: GOETHE, JOHANN WOLFGANG VON. Faust. Ein Fragment. Von Goethe. Ächte Ausgabe. Leipzig, G. J. Göschen, 1790. CHF 7,000 to 10,000
    Koller, Mar. 26: Hieronymus. [Das hochwirdig leben der außerwoelten freünde gotes der heiligen altuaeter]. Augsburg, Johann Schönsperger d. Ä., 9. Juni 1497. CHF 40,000 to 60,000.
    Koller, Mar. 26: BIBLIA GERMANICA - Neunte deutsche Bibel. Nürnberg, A. Koberger, 17. Feb. 1483. CHF 40,000 to 60,000
    Koller, Mar. 26: HORAE B.M.V. - Stundenbuch. Lateinische Handschrift auf Pergament, Kalendarium französisch. Nordfrankreich (Rouen?). CHF 25,000 to 40,000
  • Sotheby's
    Sell Your Fine Books & Manuscripts
    Sotheby’s: The Shem Tov Bible, 1312 | A Masterpiece from the Golden Age of Spain. Sold: 6,960,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: Ten Commandments Tablet, 300-800 CE | One of humanity's earliest and most enduring moral codes. Sold: 5,040,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: William Blake | Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Sold: 4,320,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: The Declaration of Independence | The Holt printing, the only copy in private hands. Sold: 3,360,000 USD
    Sotheby's
    Sell Your Fine Books & Manuscripts
    Sotheby’s: Thomas Taylor | The original cover art for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Sold: 1,920,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: Machiavelli | Il Principe, a previously unrecorded copy of the book where modern political thought began. Sold: 576,000 GBP
    Sotheby’s: Leonardo da Vinci | Trattato della pittura, ca. 1639, a very fine pre-publication manuscript. Sold: 381,000 GBP
    Sotheby’s: Henri Matisse | Jazz, Paris 1947, the complete portfolio. Sold: 312,000 EUR

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