Rare Book News – Highlights from the March 7 Heritage House $2.1 Million Rare Book Auction
Heritage House Auctions just had a massive sale of a private collection of first editions and signed copies. The lot, belonging to a Nebraska publisher and philanthropist, sold for $918,196 and claimed nine of the auction’s 10 most expensive lots, bringing the total auction sale to over $2.1 million. There's some really awesome stuff that sold. Here are some highlights:
A signed and inscribed first printing of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby ($162,000):
A signed presentation copy of J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye ($27,500):
A first edition of Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita ($32,500):
A first printing of the first James Bond novel, Casino Royale by Ian Fleming ($23,750):
A signed and dated first edition of Charles Dickens' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby ($45,000):
You can view the full auction here:
https://historical.ha.com/c/auction-home.zx?saleNo=6186
That Fitzgerald is pretty awesome.
The Salinger too.
Was never a huge Fitzgerald fan in motif and setting, but his description has knocked me flat on my back before in the most beautiful way (i.e. a characyer describing the elbow of a woman he was attracted to. Yes, elbow description knocked me flat. Point in case.)
Much respect regardless of motif and setting.