Bukowski material up for auction at PBA Galleries 13 June

[bospress.net]

Mike,
If a title did not sell and you are interested, contact PBA. Unless someone else already contacted them and bought it, I can see no reason why they would not sell it to you. If they don't sell it to someone, they have to return it to the owner anyway.

Bill

 

[Purple Stickpin]

You overpaid for the last two. Unless you collect books written by John Martin.

One rule here and IMO, you shattered it, notwithstanding my shared opinion of the posthumous works.

 

[mjp]

Someone is always shattering something around here. That's why we can't have anything nice in this house.

 

[skiroomalum]

I volunteered the info and MJP is correct. Should have combined the dough for those two and kicked in a bit more for Crucifix. Sometimes we need to hear what we know.

 

[Black Swan]

I had a meager 200. on Crucifix and didn't follow the auction at all. One of the 2 went for 240., which was cheap, was it?

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I think I did really well on this one.

I don't think people realized there were two volumes. Selling the trade edition should cover my 20% buyer's premium, plus there are the two prospectuses. Any advice on selling those separately or with the books?

I made a mistake with Lilly and probably paid more than I should have. It was my first auction and I bid the maximum I was willing to pay, thinking that the starting price would still be $150.00 and not what I paid. Still, after the buyer's premium and shipping, it'll still be $200 less than what Abe is asking.

But who knows, I may have scared other bidders off by starting large and would have paid the same or more if a bidding war ensued.

Mike

 

[DavidK]

Black Swan, $240 is a decent price, you'll rarely find an acceptable copy for less than that. $250-350 seems to be a common range that hasn't changed much over the past 5-6yrs.

Mike, I paid $310 some 3yrs back, so I guess you can't complain about Lilly.

 

[growing beard]

I think I did really well on this one ...
I made a mistake with Lilly and probably paid more than I should have...

Those both seem like keepers to me.

Mike,
If a title did not sell and you are interested, contact PBA. Unless someone else already contacted them and bought it, I can see no reason why they would not sell it to you. If they don't sell it to someone, they have to return it to the owner anyway.

Thanks Bill but I already spent my electric bill on other books last night right after I posted here. Among other things, a hardcover version of Rereading Merleau-Ponty: Essays Beyond the Continental-Analytic Divide.

Off topic as usual, but if anybody around the forum has ANY inclination towards western philosophy, this and another book by Hass (a monograph on Merleau-Ponty) are where it's at. Sartre got all the fame, but this guy Merleau-Ponty had the brainwaves. If I made another big buy, it would be at the expense of a couple new tires for the Chevy - the two up front are balder than eagles :/

 

[Papillon]

If a title did not sell and you are interested, contact PBA. Unless someone else already contacted them and bought it, I can see no reason why they would not sell it to you. If they don't sell it to someone, they have to return it to the owner anyway.

Thanks for the info. I wish I would've known that after the Runfola sale. I keep hoping some of that stuff comes back.

Overall, I thought the condition of some of the items available yesterday was weak. I understand that an early 60s chapbook is gonna be near impossible to find in perfect condition but some items might be found in better shape.

re: postcards

Not sure about dropping $80 for those ($96 with vig). There is a set available on abe for $75. Could be the psychology of an auction - you get outbid, you don't want to go home empty-handed, you get desperate and you reach.

I'd love to sit in on one of these things live one day.

 

[roni]

[...] Crucifix [...] 240., which was cheap, was it?

Definitely.
It's not an expensive item anyway, given the age and the autograph - but the high run of 3,100 makes them flowing around and kills the price it could (& should) be valued at (given the sheer quality of it and history behind it etc).
I bought it, I think at 450.- or so long ago (2004? 2005?) and it's a beautiful item to have. I'd say, whenever you see it under 400.- don't even start to calculate: Go for it!

[...] Could be the psychology of an auction - you get outbid, you don't want [...]

you're so right.
.

- Hey kids!
I'm angry to death, I could even cut off my left hand (I'm right-handed): When 'Flower Fist' came up I had to fix issues with my damn internet-connection.
I mean - HEY! - 3,000 USD for 'Flower Fist'???? It's worth at least 6.000 at any minute of any day of the week and even though I do not have that kind of money, it would HAVE to come in from somewhere somehow.
3 Grand for this one is not a bargain, it's a fuckin' STEAL.

 

[roni]

One more thing - a question to the experts and collectors:
(ya'll know, I've a special interest in MM-items) - Am I right, that This One - [Lot 143 - Shakespeare Never Did This - 3 different issues] went way to cheap? (180 USD)

I thought that the included 'First hardcover issue, black cloth, pictorial jacket. 1 of 300 copies. [Krumhansl 69b]' alone would be worth about 250 USD. Or am I too much in favor of MM here to be realistic? What would be a reasonable price?

 

[DavidK]

Roni, I paid $80 for the 1 of 300 first hardcover a few months back. Not the best of copies out there, but I couldn't say no at that price.

P.S.: Thank god for your internet troubles, you could have cost me money there! :)

 

[roni]

Thank god for your internet troubles, you could have cost me money there!

That was YOU????????

You damn bastard! I'll NEVER call or consider you a friend again.

Instead, I'll send my Sicilian and Romanian friends abroad to take care of you! (They'll do it VERY slowly, while you're awake all the time!)
They'll even sing Justin Bieber songs to you! HA! Take that you fucking SPHINCTER!

Or worse: They'll make you watch '2001 A Space Odyssey' over and over again! Without letting you fall asleep! No way out baby! You'll see this at least 5 or 6 times till your skin will leave your bones and your brain will sink down to your liver while the shit in your guts will rise to the (now empty) head!

 

[mjp]

I thought that the included 'First hardcover issue, black cloth, pictorial jacket. 1 of 300 copies. [Krumhansl 69b]' alone would be worth about 250 USD.

It may have had to do with the way they buried the best part of the lot in the picture. You couldn't even see it.

They did a bad job on a lot of the pictures. As if the online bidders weren't important. Not a smart move, but no one ever claimed that auction houses were run by geniuses.

 

[DavidK]

They'll even sing Justin Bieber songs to you!

Try HEINO if you want to make a proper threat!

 

[roni]

[...] sing Justin Bieber songs to you! HA! [...]

[...] to make a proper threat!

so you're a Justin Bieber fan on top of your stolen 'Flower Fist'?

 

[DavidK]

I sense a hint of jealousy Roni. Don't be, there's plenty of Justin Bieber for everyone.

 

[roni]

My tough guy attitude is only to cover my tears about this lost deal. But to be fair: it's better you got it that cheap than a bigging war with me after which you'd get it anyway, but much more expensive. So congrats (in a way).

p.s.:
I'd still like to get a copy of that Justin Bieber bootleg you recorded 3 years ago. Deal?

 

[DavidK]

I'd rather burn the Flower Fist than part with my precious JB collectibles Roni, no chance!

 

[roni]

Burn that damn thing! I just want to get hold of you JB stuff!
I'd throw in a milk tooth of Greyson Chance.

 

[mjp]

My guess is that some dealer will buy this set to break it up and sell the issues for $20-$30 a pop, more for signed by Bukowski ones...

Unless someone who isn't a dealer gets them. Like, oh, I dunno, me.

Bill's already got the list of signed copies, but I will almost certainly have some duplicates and extra stuff to get rid of after he gets what he wants and the dust settles. I will post here, of course, before going to eBay.

 

[skiroomalum]

Did you tip your UPS guy?

 

[Pogue Mahone]

An all-around happy ending...

I have a copy of "Horses Don't Bet on People..." and on the first page/poem (Dog Fight) there is a Bukowski signature. Do you know if that's just a mimeograph signature that's on all the copies? It looks like it, but I just want to be sure.

 

[mjp]

That signature is printed. The signed copies are signed on the inside of the front cover.

 

[roni]

The new display for 'large' pictures on the website sucks though.

They've changed another nice feature with their new bad website: You can't get the prices realized at older auctions anymore. So, if you'd like to know, say, what 'Flower Fist' brought in the auction of Apr. 2008, you'll look into a blank screen.

(have found it here now, took me some time, came up with $7,800 - but was this with or without buyers premium?)

 

[mjp]

was this with or without buyers premium?

The prices listed for the last auction are with the premium, so I assume the older ones are as well.