Used books and the history of space exploration in the "literary Fund"
ARTinvestment.RU   26 апреля 2017

On cosmonautics Day, 12 April, the auction house "Russian enamel" held 52-е in its history auction

the Auction fell on a public holiday, it wasn't quite the usual: unusual was the day of the auction — environment, instead of the traditional Saturday, and the format of the directory. Abandoning the traditional General theme of the entire catalog, the auction house brings together under one cover two separate session. First — rare book — session participants were asked 325 lots in the traditional format rare books, autographs, photographs and postcards. Second session — theme: "the Day of cosmonautics is dedicated to...Rare collector's items on the subject of aviation and cosmonautics", it included 49 lots. Combined both parts of the catalogue, perhaps, only sequentially numbered lots.

But all in good time. The auction catalog, in the amount of 374 including the lot, was able to present to the public in just two hours. Needless to say, most of that time was spent on the first draw session. Total figures for all 374 lots are as follows: during 52-го auction "Russian enamel" was put up for auction of 369 lots (12 lots were withdrawn from the auction before the start of trading), which sold 145 lots (39.3 per cent of the catalogue). Total revenue amounted to slightly less than 13 million rubles, or 29.5% of the mean estimate of the directory.

But there is a caveat. The organizers of the auction have ventured to include in the catalogue the lot at a record-high preliminary estimate for the market of used books last months, if not years. We are talking about an entire collection of unique documents — manuscripts, lists, photographs and books related to the life and death of Sergei Yesenin (only 33 names), put up in one lot (lot 179). Each piece in this collection is valuable in itself, but taken together, all these things have not only a collectible, but also historical value, and it is not surprising that estimated the lot according to his level — 18-20 million. As the saying goes, he who doesn't risk never gets to drink champagne. Obviously, April 12 time for champagne in the "literary Fund" had not yet come. But the step is very brave and deserves respect (if not awe of the level of Yesenin's archive).

If you go on small cunning and to exclude from the calculations estimate that 179 of the lot, we get already quite familiar to the "literary Fund" and desirable for many other auction houses picture: almost 40 % of the sold lots sold in the amount of 52% of the mean estimate.

an interesting statistical observation: nearly 30 people gathered in the hall, and nearly 40 participating in the auction in real time, showed this time is almost equal to the activity: went to the gym 48 of 145 lots sold in online — 50. 25 of the lots purchased by telephone, and 22 lots went to absentee members.

now let us turn to the results of each session.

so, the beginning of the first rare book session auction, by seven o'clock, at the auction "Cabinet" there were about three dozen people. Another 22 participants from the first lot was watching the progress of bidding in real time, during the peak moments — during the second draw hundreds of lots — number online-участников increased to 39.

Of the 320 lots in the first session with hammer away 136 (42,5 %) for a total amount of slightly less than 12.5 million rubles, or 30% of the average total estimate of the lots (54.7 per cent, except for lot 179). The Internet and the audience went for 47 purchases 25 lots were purchased by phone and 17 — with absentee bids. The relevant hammer price of 1 million roubles has reached (orexceeded) from five lots of the first part, the directory, and the total amount of the sale the 10 most expensive lots in more than 70% of the total revenue of the day or 9.35 mln rubles.

the Most expensive that night was lot 33a — manuscript poems of Lev Alexandrovich Mey "Jew" 1860. With the launch of 500 thousand rubles in a dispute over an autograph came from room, Internet and telephone, with quick steps reached the amount of 1.5 million rubles. After a half million bets bidders was thoughtfully, carefully, by a half-step. That, however, did not prevent to reach to 2.1 million rubles, for which the manuscript went to the party in the hall.

the Second cost item — same verses and the same manuscript — was played between a couple of telephones and correspondence rate. The manuscript of the first part of the "Poem without a hero" by Anna Akhmatova, 18 pages on 11 leaves, on which she worked from 1940 to 1962 (lot 254), starting with 800 thousand rubles by correspondence rate was sold a few dozen steps later, on the phone for 1.45 million rubles.

On the third place ranking in the price of the evening — essay "Mail of spirits, or Academic, moral, and critical correspondence with the Arab philosopher Molekulare with water, air and underground spirits" Ivan Andreevich Krylov (lot 9). Starting the bidding at 1.2 million rubles, the book, the authorship of which for the sharpness and boldness of invective manners of texts at one time attributed to A. Radishchev, was sold for "only" half a step is more expensive — for 1.25 million rubles.

however, the Most impressive growth rates relative to the start remember the following items. Twice start, for 1 million rubles exactly was sold on the phone a lot 56 — Russian desideratum bibliophile, a full, uncensored copy of the publication "Notes on my life" editor of the newspaper "Northern bee" by Nikolai Ivanovich Grech. The book, published in Saint-петербургском publishing suvorina in 1886, was subjected to severe censorship were made 45 bills, replaced by octocam. It is known that the publisher was able to print for yourself and friends only 10 uncensored options. Here — such price and desire to have this rare book.

3.5 times higher than the start was sold for 350 thousand rubles book extremely completely different subject — alphabet in Russian, French and German, illustrated with engravings with hand-coloring "Children's gift, or a New joke in their society", published in the printing Pluchart in 1813 (lot 13).

finally, 10-кратным growth rates relative to the start of noted lot 319 —книга "Football through the years" Nikolai Petrovich Starostin with a dedicatory inscription to the head of sports-технического Department of FC "Spartak-Москва" Gileeva Valery: 2 thousand rubles start in the wrestling room and several online-участников lot wassold-in for 20 thousand rubles.

By the beginning of the second session of the auction atmosphere, and the participants in the auction room has changed markedly: in the hall there are less than ten people, and the number of participants in the web was reduced to two and a half dozen. Which, of course, could not affect the results: of the 49 lots for the second, "space" session of the new owners gained only 9, and 5 of them purchased for a starting absentee rates. Three lots purchased online, and one was sold in the room. Total revenue amounted to 458 thousand rubles, of which 300 thousand — hammer price one of 9 lots sold. For this, higher for the second part of the catalogue price to the new owner on the Internet has got lot 372 — scenic view from space on our planet, oil on canvas "Over the Caspian sea", created by artist Andrei Sokolov in 1993.

see the difference? This is what happens when parts of the directory are formed unevenly and when the lots are very narrow thematic focus (even very interesting) go up for auction at the ninth hour of the evening on Wednesday, in the hope that the casual fan of the space theme will decide to wait out the sale is not interesting to him personally three hundred lots more General topics and will be included in the auction. Again, I want to remember about risk and champagne. And again: not this time.

Well, except for some General points can be considered that the auction went well. In some aspects — even great. What we "literary Fund" and congratulations. And the risk — is a noble cause, and who knows what the stunning success of such ideas the organizers can turn in next time.

Maria Kuznetsova, AI