Bukowski at PBA Galleries July 14th

[Pogue Mahone]

Ski, happy dreams about getting stuck in an elevator with no cell phone reception... and then the fat lady farts.

 

[pipelinecosby]

Very exciting auction happening, too bad i missed the first hundred lots. as a broadside collector im happy to see some of the prices

 

[mjp]

Lot	Item	Estimate....	Sold for
1	Aftermath of a Lengthy Rejection Slip	300-500	0
2	All the Assholes in the World and Mine	500-800	300
3	Alone in a Time of Armies	150-250	140
4	As Buddha Smiles	150-250	110
5	At Terror Street and Agony Way	200-300	160
6	At Terror Street and Agony Way	4000-6000	3250
7	“French Quarter, N.O., LA”	150-250	0
8	Betting on the Muse: Poems & Stories	600-900	500
9	Between the Earthquake, the Volcano and the Leopard	100-150	0
10	The Bluebird	100-150	60
11	Bone Palace Ballet, New Poems	500-800	275
12	Bring Me Your Love	250-350	400
13	The Bukowski / Purdy Letters: 1964-1974	250-350	200
14	A Bukowski Sampler-inscribed	200-300	700
15	Burning in Water Drowning Flame	2500-3500	2750
16	The Captain is Out to Lunch and the Sailors Have Taken Over the Ship	400-600	400
17	The Captain is Out to Lunch and the Sailors Have taken Over the Ship	300-500	150
18	Chilled Green	300-500	150
19	Cold Dogs in the Courtyard-inscribed	800-1200	1300
20	Confessions of a Coward	100-150	0
21	Confessions of a Man Insane Enough to Live with Beasts	300-500	225
22	Cornered	700-1000	850
23	Crucifix in a Deathhand	300-500	325
24	The Curtains are Waving and People Walking Through the Afternoon Here and in Berlin...	1000-1500	850
25	Dangling in the Tournefortia	1200-1800	2000
26	Darkness & Ice	1000-1500	700
27	The Day It Snowed in L.A.-deluxe lettered copy	300-500	550
28	The Days Run Away Like Wild Horses Over the Hills	3000-5000	3500
29	Dear Mr. Bukowski	2500-3500	1300
30	Dear Mr. Bukowski	250-350	130
31	Eight broadside poems by Bukowski	250-350	0
32	Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness	100-150	50
33	Face of a Political Candidate on a Street Billboard	300-500	0
34	Factotum	1500-2000	2750
35	Factotum-Broadside Announcement	200-300	180
36	Fire Station	400-600	500
37	Flower, Fist and Bestial Wail-inscribed	4000-6000	4250
38	The Genius of the Crowd	6000-9000	5000
39	Ham on Rye	3000-5000	3250
40	Ham on Rye-signed review copy with drawing	300-500	475
41	Heat Wave-deluxe lettered copy	1200-1800	4000
42	His Wife, The Painter	250-350	150
43	Hollywood	300-500	250
44	Hollywood	600-900	800
45	Hollywood-uncorrected proof	300-500	160
46	Horsemeat	1000-1500	750
47	Horsemeat Pferdefleisch-Signed	200-300	180
48	Hot Water Music	2000-3000	2250
49	Hot Water Music-inscribed with original drawings	200-300	325
50	Husk	200-300	0
51	If You Let Them Kill You, They Will	150-250	150
52	In the Shadow of the Rose	300-500	350
53	In the Shadow of the Rose	200-300	160
54	It Catches My Heart in its Hands: New & Selected Poems 1955-1963	800-1200	600
55	The Last Night of the Earth Poems	600-900	475
56	The Last Night of the Earth Poems	600-900	400
57	The Laughing Heart	100-150	0
58	Living on Luck: Selected Letters 1960s-1970's, Volume 2	400-600	250
59	Longshot Poems for Broke Players-signed	2000-3000	3500
60	Love is a Dog From Hell-signed advance review copy	150-250	275
61	Love is a Dog from Hell, Poems 1974-1977	2000-3000	2750
62	Love Poem to Marina	200-300	170
63	A man who can beat the horses can do anything he makes up his mind to do	300-500	300
64	Mockingbird Wish Me Luck	2000-3000	2250
65	Mockingbird Wish Me Luck-Broadside Announcement	300-500	190
66	The Movie: Barfly	400-600	650
67	The Movie: Barfly	200-300	190
68	A New War	100-150	0
69	The Night Torn Mad with Footsteps: New Poems	250-350	190
70	The Night Torn Mad with Footsteps: New Poems	100-150	80
71	A Note Upon a Workshop Instructor with Tiny Hairs Under His Chin	700-1000	600
72	Notes of a Dirty Old Man	100-150	110
73	Open All Night, New Poems	300-500	170
74	Pink Silks	100-150	0
75	Play the Piano Drunk Like a Percussion Instrument... Broadside announcement	300-500	250
76	Play the Piano Drunk Like a Percussion Instrument...	300-500	550
77	Play the Piano Drunk Like a Percussion Instrument... signed review copy	200-300	275
78	Poems Written Before Jumping Out an 8 Story Window-inscribed	200-300	140
80	Poems Written Before Jumping Out of an 8 Story Window	150-250	120
81	Popcorn in the Dark	100-150	0
82	Post Office	4000-6000	4750
83	The Previously Unpublished Poem Poop [and] 13 Colour Photographs, 1979-1992	150-250	80
84	Pulp	250-350	225
85	Pulp-confidential advance typescript	300-500	0
86	Pulp-review copy	200-300	0
87	Reach for the Sun: Selected Letters Volume 3 1978-1994	100-150	110
88	Red	1000-1500	800
89	Relentless as the Tarantula	200-300	450
90	The Roominghouse Madrigals: Early Selected Poems, 1946-66	600-900	400
91	Run with the Hunted	2000-3000	2000
92	Run with the Hunted: A Charles Bukowski Reader-one of 26 copies	1000-1500	750
93	Scarlet	1200-1800	1500
94	Screams from the Balcony: Selected Letters, 1960-1970	400-600	400
95	Septuagenarian Stew: Stories & Poems	700-1000	550
96	Septuagenarian Stew: Stories and Poems-uncorrected proof	100-150	50
97	Seven uncorrected proofs by or about Charles Bukowski	150-250	150
98	Shakespeare Never Did This	400-600	0
99	Shakespeare Never Did This	300-500	350
100	Shakespeare Never Did This-3 different issues	200-300	150
101	The Simple Truth	100-150	0
102	The Simple Truth (3), plus other items from the estate of Michael Montfort	300-500	150
103	The Singer	100-150	0
104	Talking to My Mailbox	200-300	225
105	There's No Business-two editions	200-300	325
106	This	600-900	500
107	Three Poems	400-600	250
108	Three Poems	400-600	200
109	To Lean Back Into It	100-150	0
110	Twenty New Year's greetings from Black Sparrow Press featuring Charles Bukowski	1000-1500	2000
111	2 Poems-inscribed	500-800	600
112	War All the Time: Poems 1981-1984	2500-3500	3750
113	War All the Time: Poems 1981-1984-inscribed	200-300	225
114	We Ain't Got No Money, Honey, But We Got Rain	150-250	140
115	Weather Report	300-500	190
116	The Wedding	2000-3000	2500
117	Winter	200-300	170
118	Women	3000-5000	3000
119	You Get So Alone at Times That It Just Makes Sense	400-600	475
120	You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense	300-500	375
121	You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense-inscribed with original drawing	200-300	275
122	You Kissed Lilly	400-600	650
123	Laugh Literary and Man the Humping Guns – complete, all 3 issues	250-350	375
124	The Earth Rose 1: Fuck Hate	200-300	0
125	Tales of Ordinary Madness – movie screenplay adapted from the stories of Charles Bukowski	200-300	425
126	Bukowski: The King of San Pedro	150-250	100
127	Ole Nos. 1-3-early Bukowski appearances	200-300	375
128	Charles Bukowski wedding invitation and memorial service leaflet	200-300	130
129	Hank: The Life of Charles Bukowski	200-300	120
130	Odyssey: Explorations in Contemporary Poetry and the Arts, Vol. II, No. 1	100-150	110
131	Existaria, September-October 1957-early Bukowski appearance	150-250	160
132	City Lights Journal-Numbers One to Four	100-200	50
133	Fifteen pieces of Charles Bukowski related ephemera	300-500	150
134	Five Charles Bukowski related items-two signed by Bukowski	200-300	150
135	Five periodicals featuring the work of Charles Bukowski	300-500	0
136	Four Issues of Targets featuring Charles Bukowski-one signed	600-900	1100
137	Four volumes of poetry with introductions by Charles Bukowski-one signed by Bukowski	150-250	90
138	Gallows nos. one and two-early Bukowski appearances	150-250	300
139	Seven issues of Hearse with work by Charles Bukowski	500-800	250
140	Let's Have Some Fun. [in X-Ray Broadside of the Month Club 2005]	100-150	60
141	104 issues of Wormwood Review-all with contributions by Bukowski, several signed	1500-2000	850
142	The Iris Prints	1000-1500	550
143	Bukowski	400-600	250
144	Bukowski: 24 Photographs, 1977-1987-One of 26 Lettered Copies	700-1000	375
145	Bukowski: Photographs 1977-1991	800-1200	400
146	Nine Issues of Onthebus with the work of Charles Bukowski	100-150	50
147	Nine periodicals from the 1970's featuring work by Charles Bukowski	200-300	110
148	Nine Volumes about Charles Bukowski	150-250	0
149	Nineteen issues of underground poetry magazines from the 1950's-1970's	300-500	160
150	Blowing My Hero	250-350	130
151	Promotional production notes for the movie Barfly	100-150	50
152	Earth Rose-signed by the author and Charles Bukowski	200-300	100
153	Hitler Painted Roses-Signed	100-150	0
154	Das Jarhbuch der Charles Bukowski-Gesellschaft-Four Issues	100-150	50
155	Seven volumes about Charles Bukowski published by Sun Dog Press	100-150	50
156	The Sword. [in Emigre 8: Alienation.]	200-300	0
157	Ten Bukowski related newsprint publications	150-250	80
158	Ten publications from the 1960's featuring work by Charles Bukowski	200-300	275
159	Three adult magazines featuring Charles Bukowski	100-150	50
160	Three anthologies featuring Charles Bukowski	100-150	50
161	Three Bukowski related poetry chapbooks	150-250	80
162	Three comic magazines featuring the work of Charles Bukowski	100-150	50
163	Three issues of Trace-with contributions by or concerning Charles Bukowski	150-250	0
164	Twelve periodicals featuring the work of Charles Bukowski-two signed	200-300	190
165	Two periodicals featuring the work of Charles Bukowski-signed	200-300	375
166	The Outsider, Nos. 1-5, complete	400-600	425
167	Writers Outside the Margin-1 of 12 hardcover copies	300-500	275
168	Coffin 1	2000-3000	1500
169	Peace Amongst the Ants	200-300	0
170	Portfolio III [With: 20 Tanks from Kasseldown]	700-1000	350
171	Aftermath of a Lengthy Rejection Slip [in] Story: The Magazine of the Short Story-Vol. XXIV, No. 106	1000-1500	750
172	Poems & Insults!	10-100	120
173	Poems and Drawings-In Epos: A Quarterly of Poetry, Extra Issue, 1962-inscribed	1200-1800	1100
174	Prospectus for Horsemeat-inscribed	150-250	190
175	Ten Black Sparrow Press broadside announcements for works by Bukowski	300-500	150
176	Three LP records featuring Charles Bukowski-one signed	150-250	500
177	Three VHS recordings featuring Charles Bukowski-one signed	200-300	100
178	#1-fax poem, one of ten copies, numbered and initialed by John Martin of Black Sparrow Press	1000-1500	1400
179	2 Horsecollars-original typewritten poem	500-800	325
180	Ah, Modernity-original typewritten poem	600-900	1300
181	And A Few Poems of Murder and Mud for Your Laughs, Vie They-original typewritten poem	700-1000	1100
182	Ariel-original typewritten poem	500-800	1600
183	Black Sun Black-original typewritten poem	300-500	400
184	Burning Bright-original typewritten poem	300-500	325
185	Confessions of a Coward and Man-hater-original early typewritten manuscript	3000-5000	4000
186	Conversation With A Lady Sipping A Straight Shot-original typewritten poem	600-900	1300
187	Cooperation-original typewritten poem	400-600	350
188	A Dollar for Carl Larsen-original typewritten manuscript, unpublished	3000-5000	7500
189	The First Love-original typewritten poem	600-900	425
190	From Shakespeare to Garbo-original typewritten poem	500-800	1400
191	The Fucking Horses-original typewritten poem	300-500	550
192	Gothic And Etc.-original typewritten poem	200-300	300
193	Group of 6 typed poems on carbon from the 1970's, each signed	2000-3000	3250
194	Hooked-original typewritten poem	500-800	350
195	It Doesn't Take a Lion to Make a Man Scream-unpublished poem handwritten on index card	200-300	800
196	Love And Courage-original typewritten poem	400-600	350
197	The Man She Saw at the Racetrack-original typewritten poem	500-800	325
198	My Style-original typewritten poem	300-500	350
199	Notes Of A Dirty Old Man-original 6 page typewritten manuscript, signed	3000-5000	4750
200	On Getting Famous and Being Asked: Can You Recite? - original typewritten poem	500-800	1200
201	The Princess Tina-original typewritten poem	300-500	350
202	A Problem of Temperament-original typewritten poem	500-800	1800
203	Red-manuscript poem, signed by Red Stoldolsky	200-300	400
204	The Red Porsche-original typewritten poem	600-900	400
205	Self-Destruction-original typewritten poem	500-800	1800
206	Spring Swan-original typewritten poem	500-800	2250
207	The Strangest Sight You Ever Did See-original typewritten poem	500-800	650
208	Too Late-manuscript typewritten poem	200-300	325
209	The Voice Of The Bukowski-original typewritten poem	500-800	425
210	Water the Plants-original typewritten poem	400-600	375
211	Where to Put it-manuscript poem	200-300	225
212	Your Own Toilet-original typewritten poem	500-800	500
214	Handwritten letter to Al Berlinski	300-500	425
215	Handwritten letter to Al Berlinski	200-300	300
216	Handwritten letters to Al Berlinski	250-350	325
217	Handwritten note to E.V. Griffith with drawing	300-500	190
218	Ten typed letters, signed, to Al Berlinski	1200-1800	2250
219	Two handwritten letters to Al Berlinski	250-350	150
220	Typed Letter, signed, to E.V. Griffith	500-800	325
221	Typed letter, signed, to E.V. Griffith	500-800	750
222	Typed Letter, signed, to E.V. Griffith	500-800	275
223	Typed Letter, signed, to E.V. Griffith	300-500	150
224	Typed Letter, signed, to E.V. Griffith	600-900	375
225	Typed Letter, signed, to E.V. Griffith	300-500	225
226	Typed Letter, signed, to E.V. Griffith	200-300	100
227	Typed letter, signed, to E.V. Griffith	500-800	250
228	Typed letter, signed, to E.V. Griffith	200-300	0
229	Typed Letter, signed, to E.V. Griffith	200-300	130
230	Typed letter, signed, to E.V. Griffith-with drawing	300-500	950
231	Typed letter, signed, to E.V. Griffith-with signed receipt for payment of accepted poems	700-1000	1600
232	Typed letter, signed, to Jon Griffith	200-300	130
233	Typed letter, signed, to Jon Griffith dated Oct. 29, 1962	1000-1500	1000

 

[mjp]

our buyer's premium is competitive with or lower than most other specialty auction houses...

Let's take a look at what that means for this particular auction.

Total bids: $157,185
PBA takes 15% (the cut they take from the seller) off the top of that total, which is $23,577.75
The "competitive" PBA buyer's "premium" of 20% is $31,437.00
PBA total take: $55,014.75

Using that total bid amount, let's compare the auction house take of 35% on the sale of any given item to, say, a real estate agent, who does roughly an equal amount of "work" and makes about 6% on a sale.

When a real estate agent sells a house for $157,185 they make $9,431.10 on the sale, which comes out of the seller's cut. They charge the home buyer no "premium."

Now, if PBA sold your $157,185 house using their standard auction fees, they'd take $23,577.75 from the seller's cut, and charge the buyer a "premium" price of $188,622 for the $157,185 house.

Is that justifiable? I don't know. Does the auction house provide a more valuable service than a real estate agent? Do they do more work to sell something?

Those are rhetorical questions, but thanks for playing!

 

[pipelinecosby]

oh man, why am i doing all this work? i have 188710 total, did you remove the premiums?
buk auction

anyway, pba uses value optimized pricing strategy and they sure offer more value than EVERY real estate agent ive ever known.

 

[skiroomalum]

Yeah, MJP, they utilize v.op. to rape, unlike Cosby who mostly uses 'ludes.
See the diff?

 

[mjp]

did you remove the premiums?

I didn't remove the premiums, you added them. ;) I'm listing the bid amounts.

they sure offer more value than EVERY real estate agent ive ever known.

PBA offers an audience, which is the same thing a good "specialty" (high-end) real estate agent offers. That's all they offer. If you think that audience justifies taking 35% of the sale of an item (more than most states will allow pawn shops to charge in interest), that's your prerogative.

unlike Cosby who mostly uses 'ludes.

I was going to make a rape joke, but my attorney wouldn't let me. I wouldn't have thought to tie it to Cosby though. That's where your superior comedy chops shine through.

 

[pipelinecosby]

The prices i pulled from the site are the hammer price, they are not the purchase price which includes the hammer price, buyer’s premiuma and California state and local sales taxes.

 

[mjp]

Hmm. Well, I sat there for more than four hours entering every winning bid amount into a spreadsheet as it was happening, but I suppose I could be wrong.

 

[mjp]

I meant to ask if anyone had spreadsheets (or just raw data similar to what we have below) for older auction results. So now here, six months later, I'm asking. Does anyone keep those?

I was considering adding sales prices to the database if there was data from enough auctions to make it worthwhile...

 

[roni]

PBA keeps them.
Like so:

Sale 354: Beat Literature Library of Stephen Ronan & Charles Bukowski Collection of Thomas Groff (#354) 04/26/2007 1:00 PM PDT

Sale 377: Fine Literature; Beats, Bukowski & the Counter Culture; Sci-Fi & Detective Fiction (#377) 04/03/2008 1:00 PM PDT

Sale 455: Charles Bukowski & His Circle: The Collection of Ross Runfola (#455) 06/02/2011 1:00 PM PDT

Sale 508: Fine Literature - Illustrated & Children's Books - Oz: The Collection of Ralph A. Massey (#508) 06/13/2013 11:00 AM PDT

Sale 590: Fine Modern Literature with the Allen Berlinski Collection of Charles Bukowski (#590) 07/14/2016 11:00 AM PDT

(note: the prizes include the buyer's fee for the galery)

 

[mjp]

Yes, those pages are just the raw material though. It would take a lot of time to get them into spreadsheets (which makes the database entries a little easier). I was hoping someone may have already done that for their own purposes.

I also see some stumbling blocks that I didn't consider before, like the variations - 5 or 6 or more different versions of something like Shakespeare Never Did This, for instance, which all have to exist as separate items in the database. Just makes it more complicated than I initially thought it might be.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

Managing a database is complicated enough; toss in poem title changes and various variants and you're buggered. Then again, you might like that; who am I to judge? :wb:

 

[mjp]

I like the end result. The rest I could live without.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

Maybe if your avatar were lifting up the backside of her dress I'd be less confused.

 

[mjp]

What's under the dress is even more confusing. You don't want to see it.