Auctions | February 1, 2012

"The Orchard Keeper" Leads at NBA's January Auction

[ITHACA, NY] National Book Auctions, located in Ithaca, NY, hosted a Sunday, January 29th auction featuring a broad range of rare antique and vintage books, as well as a large collection of intriguing ephemera and artwork. Of particular note were rare first editions of 19th century and modern titles as well as a very large collection of signed modern first editions. This 437-lot auction also featured a select group of estate furniture and other antiques.

A 1965 first printing of Cormac McCarthy’s “The Orchard Keeper” fetched a hammer price of $3240.00 (including buyer’s premium). This scarce first printing of this debut novel contains the author's signature on a laid-in illustrated bookplate. Additionally, a rare stated first edition of Cormac McCarthy’s third publication, “Child of God” brought a hammer price of $799.50 (including buyer’s premium). This volume features a dust jacket featuring a full rear panel photo of a young McCarthy.

Realizing a hammer price of $2829.00 (including buyer’s premium) was a rare first edition of Edwin Lefevre’s “Reminiscences of a Stock Operator.” This work is a thinly-disguised biography of early 20th-century stock investor Jesse Livermore, a remarkable character who first started speculating in New England bucket shops at the turn of the century. What makes this book so intriguing are the observations that Lefevre records about investing, speculating, and the nature of the market itself.

Bringing a hammer price of $799.50 (including buyer’s premium) was an original Disney poster for Children's Book Week which ran Nov. 12-18, 1939. This poster features an illustration of Pinnochio, with the caption "Film classics from the World's Best Books."

National Book Auctions is a public auction service specializing in books, ephemera, and art. National Book Auctions is a targeted service offering experience and expertise unique to marketing antique and modern books and ephemera for consignors and collectors alike. Preview for the upcoming Sunday, February 19th auction is at 10 a.m. and the live auction starts at noon. For more information or to consign collectible material please contact David Hall, Business Manager, at 607-269-0101 or email mail@nationalbookauctions.com.