Good reads at auction

By William Gregory MRICS, Golding Young & Mawer

Book auctions have traditionally considered themselves a little special, with a combination of some old-fashioned trade practices, such as the catalogue description having to detail omissions, or the book is deemed in original condition – the complete opposite to everything else on offer in the auction.

Another trade practice I used to witness back in the 1980s, when books would be sold by the tea chest, certain book dealers would view the contents and carefully restack the books, hiding the most valuable at the bottom. An easy tell to a young auctioneer wanting to learn.

Finally, books are traditionally the font of all knowledge and great collections were amassed for status and intellectual superiority.

At today’s auction, once prized sets of encyclopaedias rarely get more than a token bid and sometimes not even that. One section that does generate interest is Folio Society books.

This book publisher was founded after the Second World War, producing high quality bound books across a range of subjects. By originally only selling to society members, this has created demand on the secondary auction market.

Also the books with special bindings were often accompanied with slipcases, an outer case which keeps the original book in good condition.

A perfect combination for today’s internet auction buyer, who after asking for a condition report can happily bid for rare editions in good condition.

Illustrated are some recent Folio Society books sold at auction.

Full details and results can be found at www.GoldingYoung.com

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