Recommended auction sites for fine press books?

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Recommended auction sites for fine press books?

1punkzip
Oct 4, 2021, 11:23 pm

What are some good auction sites for fine press books?

2ambyrglow
Oct 5, 2021, 9:38 am

I don't have the expertise to judge which sites are better than others, but https://www.liveauctioneers.com/ consolidates multiple auction sites, sometimes lists fine press books, and is a site a friend successfully uses to buy a lot of art. Right now I'm trying to talk myself out of buying a set of 40 books that contains a single volume I want.

3kdweber
Oct 5, 2021, 11:02 am

I've bought from PBA Galleries a number of times. I'm very careful with my bidding and considering all the extra costs so I don't win very often but when I do I get a good deal.

4ambyrglow
Oct 5, 2021, 11:07 am

PBA is one of the sites that liveauctioneers tracks, if that helps.

5punkzip
Oct 5, 2021, 11:21 am

>3 kdweber: Is 50% over hammer a good rough estimate of true cost?

6Glacierman
Oct 5, 2021, 12:33 pm

>5 punkzip: PBA charges a 20% buyer's premium up to $100,000 hammer price plus California taxes.

7dpbbooks
Modifié : Oct 5, 2021, 7:54 pm

https://www.pbagalleries.com/content/ probably has the most regular book auctions with a good mix of offerings. They also have a reasonably priced in-house shipping department. The major auction houses, Bonham's, Sotheby's, Christie's, etc. all have book auctions, though they tend to be focussed more on very high end stock. Hindman in Chicago also has decent book auctions from time to time. As previously mentioned, https://www.liveauctioneers.com is a good place to watch more globally, though sometimes they tack on additional charges if you bid through them, i.e., 25% premium instead of 20%.

8vadim_ca
Oct 5, 2021, 6:33 pm

Another cost to consider is packaging and shipping. Most of the auction houses do not offer shipping, but will instead provide you with a list of local business that can pick-up your item from the auction house, package it and ship it. This service; however, comes at a premium. For example, I received a fee quote of £100 for a normal size book to be picked-up at an auction house in London and shipped to Canada. Perhaps not as much of an issue if the book in question is expensive, but if you are hoping to get a good deal on a book that costs a few hundred dollars or pounds, the shipping cost can quickly increase the relevant cost. Something to keep in mind. (Also, if the book is shipped internationally via one of the major courier companies, don't be surprise to see a significant surcharge for tariffs and "processing services".)

9kdweber
Modifié : Oct 5, 2021, 11:55 pm

>5 punkzip: I think so. PBA charges a 20% buyers premium, 10% California sales tax, plus shipping and handling. I've found all of these to add up to between a 40% to 50% premium over the hammer price. Higher for cheaper books and lower for more expensive books because the shipping and handling are roughly the same (though bigger/heavier books cost more to ship). I'm happy with using a 50% increment to find my max bid price. That said, they do a good job packaging/protecting the books.

10punkzip
Oct 6, 2021, 12:18 am

Thanks everyone. Another question - how do you determine what you are willing to bid? Do you use auction tracking sites? Used book prices?

11LBShoreBook
Oct 6, 2021, 12:42 am

>10 punkzip: I look at prior sales prices on Abe and if you register with the auction house you can typically see prior sale prices through that auction house.

12kdweber
Oct 6, 2021, 1:00 am

>10 punkzip: I have a wish list which I keep on an old school spreadsheet. I periodically scan Abe and eBay for pricing so I have a relatively good feel for what the books I'm looking for sell and then my max bid after the 50% overhead is 10-20% under those prices. What you're willing to bid is up to you. I don't tend to follow auction prices except for the bids that I lose.