Sales by Author, Title, Subject and Collection

This index is compiled from the sales reports published in every issue of The Book Collector. These reports have themselves been assembled principally from eye-witness accounts by our correspondents. It is therefore a record of context as much as of cost. Who was bidding against whom, what was sold afterwards, the cataloguing errors, extraordinary provenances, rarity considered objectively - so on and suchlike. Some account of this system can be found in The Price of Passion ( 2016-04).

Entries are differentiated between Author, Title, Subject and Collection. It should be noted, however, that in the case of most classical texts and many cartographers, the author is also the title.

When typing an author's name into the Search bar please do so either as Smith, John or as Smith or as John.

Suggestions on how to improve any aspect of this archival information will be welcomed at archive@thebookcollector.co.uk.

An asterisk (*) against an entry indicates that issue of The Book Collector is no longer available in print.


Title Sales Category Sub Category Sale Price View PDF
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title 'Slightly battered' Subscribe
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2017-02
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Contemporary calf Subscribe
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1971-01
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Subscribe
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2018-03
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Subscribe
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1972-01
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Contemporary sheep Subscribe
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1978-02
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Subscribe
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1978-04
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title A 'reasonable' copy Subscribe
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1979-02
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Original boards: 'spectacular' price - Subscribe
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1980-03
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title First Dublin edition Subscribe
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1981-01
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Subscribe
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1983-02
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Lord Haddington's copy Subscribe
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1988-01
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Subscribe
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1990-01
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Subscribe
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1998-03
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Subscribe
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2000-03
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Subscribe
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2005-01
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Subscribe
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2005-01
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Subscribe
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2006-01
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Subscribe
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2006-03
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title 'Uncut in early cloth boards', ex-lib Subscribe
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2007-01
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title In an Edwards of Halifax binding Subscribe
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2007-03
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Uncut, slightly later calf Subscribe
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2008-01
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title 'Completely unsophisticated calf' Subscribe
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2008-03
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title In full contemporary calf Subscribe
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2011-01
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title With letter Subscribe
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2013-01
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title In 'rather battered calf' Subscribe
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2013-03
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title 'The finest of many seen recently' Subscribe
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2014-01
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Given by Smith to Henry Herbert Subscribe
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2014-03
The Wealth of Nations 1776 Book Title Subscribe
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2015-04
The Wealth of Nations' 1911 Book Title Everyman edition, von Hayek's copy, annotated Subscribe
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2019-02
The Well at the World's End 1896 Book Title Presented to W.M. Rossetti by Cockerell Subscribe
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2001-03
The Well-Beloved 1897 Book Title Subscribe
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2002-01
The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish 1829 Book Title 'The third copy to be recorded' Subscribe
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1957-02
The Western Australian Almanack...containing a Native Grammar 1842 Book Title Subscribe
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2008-03
The Whale 1851 Book Title Subscribe
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2010-01
The Whale 1851 Book Title Presentation copy: 'an exceptional copy' Subscribe
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1977-02
The Whale 1851 Book Title Subscribe
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1981-02
The Whale 1851 Book Title From a circulating library but very fresh Subscribe
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1989-02
The Whale 1851 Book Title Allan Melville's copy, original cloth Subscribe
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1990-04
The Whale 1851 Book Title Rebound in black calf Subscribe
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2005-03
The Whale 1851 Book Title Bill Reese collection; original cloth Subscribe
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2022-04