See the slide show below for other pre-auction estimates and lot details
We're off to see the Wonderful Wizard of OZ ...maybe to the tune of $60,000!
This Wednesday, December 16th, Profiles in History and iCollector.com, bring you one of the most significant, rarest children's literature offerings the Internet has ever seen in one sale! There will be 1st editions, author inscribed rarities, original art, artist's 1st appearances and more. The auction consists of 101 lots.
The sale comprises the Pat McInally collection of children's literature. It represents a unique opportunity to acquire rare books of the finest condition available. This amazing collection is a result of Mr. Pat McInally's determination to collect only the finest copies available of the most desirable editions for the most sought-after titles. The fine condition of such a scarce collection are what the auction company, (Profiles in History) is betting on will bring an interested and passionate audience.
Bidding is available after a simple registration process. Interested parties can place an early bid, or jump into the action as the auction goes live with real-time bidding.
How scarce are some of the lots being sold? Well, for starters, literally, lot #1 is an original unpublished handwritten poem by Hans Christian Andersen. The estimated value is $2,000-$3000, but I sincerely consider that to be a low estimate given the fact that there aren't be many handwritten, unpublished works by major authors floating around. See the current bid amount here.
A phrase and description of the work is as follows: Here it is at home again, dressed in a foreign way, But its heart will always remain Danish. H. C. Andersen.
This was given by the author to ‘the doctors of the Children’s Hospital. 1 December 1853” Anderson contributes an unpublished poem of particular resonance to the title page of the first volume of his Complete Works, which he donated to a children’s hospital, probably in his hometown of Odense, Denmark.
As a boy, the female inmates of the Odense Hospital told him the folktales that were later to provide the starting point for his paraphrases of the old stories and for the tales he created himself.
The work has uniform toning, small archival mend to lower right border. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from the Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Odense, Denmark. $2,000 – $3,000
If it's books themselves you're more interested in investing in, lot #3, a 1st edition of The Story of Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman is estimated to be worth $8,000 to $12,000.
It, like most of the lots in this auction, is in high collectible grade. This copy is the publisher’s original pale green cloth, lettered and decorated in dark green, is illustrated with 27 full-page color illustrations.
The pre-auction estimate for may sound a bit high to the uninitiated, but this is an incredibly rare book in truly fine condition with no restoration or repair. The author wrote to amuse her own children and this work was their favorite. Together with Beatrix Potter, Bannerman established the genre of children’s books that gave equal importance to the pictures and the text. Only a handful of the original printing has survived.
Now when you place that importance aside let's say a collectible coin, or a baseball card in the same price range, you are apt to find that the coin or card has a greatly larger surviving circulation, and therefore would be much less scarce. And I would argue is far less interesting than such a beloved colorful children's literature classic. Which is really more valuable? When you consider the superior condition this collection contains, many of the lots offered here, are a "once in a lifetime opportunity." That sounds very cliche perhaps, but it's true in this case.
Bwah, you say! You want something with a much higher investment potential. For something roughly in the same price range as a 2010 C-Class C63 AMG RWD 4-Dr Mercedes Benz Sedan, you need only look as deep as lot #10 of the auction.
There we find the Holy Grail of children's books: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This Frank L. Baum book is a first edition, in the first state text and first state of the plates. Published by George M. Hill Co. Chicago and New York, 1900. Octavo. The publisher’s advertisement is enclosed in a box, p. 14, line 1 begins “low wail on”, p. 81, fourth line from the bottom has “peices”, p. 227, line 1 begins “While Tin Woodman”, the colophon at the rear is set in eleven lines and enclosed in a box. Last lines of pages 100 and 186 have perfect type. Christmas gift inscription in ink on the front free endpaper, “A Merry Christmas to Walter from Cousin – and Cousin Harry, 1900”. A trace of rubbing; otherwise, Fine condition. No restoration or repair. Hinges are sound. Very bright and clean throughout. An extraordinary example of the holy grail of American children’s literature. Chemised within a full green morocco slipcase. We're off to see the Wizard, to an estimated tune of $40,000 – $60,000! See the current bid.
If some of those prices are a bit too steep for you, there are many lots estimated to be in the three figure range which are very interesting. There are several inscribed Peter Pan books for example, a first edition of Watership Down, and others which are estimated to sell at under $1,000
There is a lot to study in an auction like this. Collectors of rare books know that the devil is in the details when it comes to value. In light of that, I'll be doing a series of Examiner articles on specific authors and individual rare copies within this auction. Watch for recipricol links in these articles.
See the entire 101 lots offered and where the bidding stands.
Disclosure Statement: As an online columnist who is also licensed auctioneer, appraiser, antiques broker, events speaker and promotor, you can assume that I get conpensated for anything I publish.
Comments
Someday, books may be a thing of the past, due to technology, etc. These books are truly treasures!
As a book lover and dealer I'm just drooling over these. Nice write-up, I predict many of these items will exceed the estimates.
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