Every year the antiquarian bookselling powerhouse Abebooks compiles their monthly top sales, and releases a well-illustrated publication of the top sales. This year, they went one step farther in categorizing the top sales by certain collected subjects.
On the list, you will find exceptional examples of very well-known
uber-collectible items, as well as some not-so-well known titles.
In a down economy, these prices are lower than previous years, but it goes to show someone is willing to spend $14k for 5-6 linear inches of shelf space (Carroll's AAIW & TtLGaWAFT). Sorry for the long post, but there is a bunch of good info here. For copyright reasons, I took this directly from their email:
AbeBooks’ Most Expensive Overall Sales of 2009 1. Della Magnificenza ed Architettura de'Romaniand Osservazioni sopra la Lettre de M. Mariette by Giovanni Battista Piranesi -
$17,000Piranesi (1720-1778) is famous for his etchings of ancient Roman ruins and prisons. This work (published in 1765) translates to Roman Antiquities of the Time of the First Republic and the First Emperors and contains etchings of the structures from this period.
2. Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, Through The Looking Glass and And What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll -
$14,377First London editions in two volumes (1866 & 1872). Illustrated by John Tenniel and bound in red morocco with a slipcase.
3. The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King -
$14,000 First edition copies of all seven volumes of the series, signed and numbered in a slipcase.
4. YA-WAE PA-HU-CAE E-CAE AE-TA-NAE E-TU-HCE WA-U-N A-H A. Original Hymns in the Ioway Language by William Hamilton & Samuel M. Irvin -
$13,500A rare item of Americana relating to Native Americans printed in 1843. This book was one of the first two titles issued from the Sac Mission Press, limited to 125 copies. It is a lengthy hymn book, with the text written in the dialect used by this tribe from Iowa.
5= Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama -
$12,500 The 44th president’s first book, this is a first edition from 1996 signed by Obama.
5= Libellus ysagogicus Abdilasi Id est servi gloriosi dei: qui dicitur Alchabitius ad magisterium iuditiorum astrorum - by Alchabitius -
$12,500 Early German publisher Erhard Ratdolt produced this volume in 1485 containing the work of Alchabitius, the 10th century Arabian astrologer.
5= Works of Charles Dickens and Signed Letter -
$12,500 A complete set, 22 volumes, of Dickens’ works published by Chapman and Hall. The set included a note from Dickens on his Tavistock House note paper dated Nov. 10, 1859 – “To Peter Cunningham. This set of my library edition, in remembrance of an old engagement between us. Charles Dickens."
8. Imre: A Memorandum by Xavier Mayne -
$12,000One of the first openly gay love stories in America, first edition published 1906. Written by Edward Irenaeus Prime-Stevenson under a pseudonym the book is one of the most important in LGBT literature because it is considered the first novel where homosexuals are portrayed in a positive light. This copy was one of 500 limited first editions, inscribed by Stevenson’s alter-ego "From X.M --/ Florence -- March / 1922."
9= The Origin of Species - by Charles Darwin -
$11,000First American printing, published in 1860, of the book which contained the basis of Darwin's theory of Evolution. Learn more about the evolution of this book.
9= The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger -
$11,000 First edition, first printing, from 1951. A fine copy of the true first printing.
9= Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald -
$11,000 First edition of this American classic published by Charles Scribner in 1934.
9= The Four Gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ by Eric Gill -
$11,000 Printed and published at the Golden Cockerel Press in 1931. Limited to 500 numbered copies with 64 wood-engraved initial letters and illustrations by Gill.
AbeBooks' Most Expensive Sales of Children’s & Young Adult Books1. Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, Through The Looking Glass and And What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll -
$14,377First London editions in two volumes (1866 & 1872). Illustrated by John Tenniel and bound in red morocco with a slipcase.
2. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll -
$9,500First edition copy from 1866 published by D. Appleton and Co.
3. A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind In the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L’Engle -
$7,500The first British editions of the first three books in L’Engle’s Time Quartet sci-fi/fantasy series, including her Newbery Award winning novel, A Wrinkle in Time. The first two in the series are inscribed and the third flatsigned.
AbeBooks’ Most Expensive Sales of Art Books1. Cinquante Dessins by Henri Matisse -
$7,750 First edition published 1920, limited to 1,000 copies and signed with an original etching by Matisse of a woman’s face, entitled “Mlle. M. M.”
2. Early Italian Engraving by Arthur Hind -
$7,500Published in 1938, this collection (two parts in seven volumes) was limited to 375 copies (part I) and 275 (part II). Volume’s one and five are signed by author.
3. Album Pintoresco Isla de Cuba by Frédéric Miahle -
$6,752First edition printed in Havana in 1848. Illustrated with 30 lithographs from Miahle, the book depicts daily life in Cuba and its capital in the mid-19th century.
AbeBooks’ Most Expensive Sales of Photography Books1. Sumo by Helmut Newton -
$10,867Limited edition of 10,000 and this copy is signed by the German-born fashion photographer. This massive photography book measures 20 x 28 inches, and is accompanied by an embossed stand, designed by Philippe Starck.
2. Peter Beard: Art Edition -
$5,495 Another massive book. Limited edition elephant folio photobook from Tashen published in 2006. Each of the 2,250 copies was signed by Beard.
3. Kitaru Beki Kotoba no Tame ni by Takuma Nakahira -
$3,900First edition published by Fudo-sha in 1970, a complete copy of an iconic title featuring the Provoke Era (a period of social upheaval after World War II) by one of Japan’s most important photographers
AbeBooks’ Most Expensive Sales of Poetry Books1. Lamia, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems by John Keats -
$8,500First edition of Keats’ third and final book published in 1820.
2. Sonnets et Eaux Fortes by Various -
$8,248A collection of sonnets and etchings published in 1869, 42 original etchings by Manet, Corot, Daubigny, Jean François Millet, Jongkind, Bracquemond, Victor Hugo and others. From a limited edition of 350 copies.
3. Oeuvres by Pierre de Ronsard -
$7,435The complete first volume of the first edition of Ronsard's poetry; bound with an incomplete copy of the second volume and the preliminary matter of the third volume. Ronsard (1524-1585) was known as the Prince of Poets in his native France. Published in Paris in 1560.
AbeBooks’ Most Expensive Sales of Science Fiction & Fantasy Books1. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein -
$9,730Written in 1966 and set in 2075 where a lunar colony revolts against earth. This copy is a first edition (sixth printing) signed by both the author and his wife, Virginia.
2. The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov -
$9,042Complete set of first editions. Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation published by Gnome Press in 1951, ′52, and ′53 respectively. The second volume is inscribed by Asimov to one of his publishers.
3. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? By Philip K. Dick -
$6,500First edition of this iconic science fiction novel used as the basis for Ridley Scott's Blade Runner movie. Published by Doubleday in 1968.
AbeBooks’ Most Expensive Sales of Religious & Theology Books1. The Four Gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ by Eric Gill -
$11,000 Printed and published at the Golden Cockerel Press in 1931. Limited to 500 numbered copies with 64 wood-engraved initial letters and illustrations by Gill.
2. Wonders of the Invisible World by Cotton Mather -
$9,500This is the second edition printed in London in 1693, this copy also contains a fine engraved bookplate of Samuel Mather (1851-1931), on the front marbled paste-down endpaper as well as a handwritten slip by Thomas J. Holmes, that compares it with the first London edition, giving some omissions, and differences in spelling and punctuation.
3. Liber Psalmorum Hebraice By Benjamin Kennicott -
$8,250 Printed in 1809 this first edition copy of the first American Hebrew Psalter is written in Hebrew and Latin, the psalms appearing in Hebrew on each page, with the Latin commentary and notes below.
AbeBooks’ Most Expensive Sales of Science Books1. Libellus ysagogicus Abdilasi Id est servi gloriosi dei: qui dicitur Alchabitius ad magisterium iuditiorum astrorum - by Alchabitius -
$12,500 Early German publisher Erhard Ratdolt produced this volume in 1485 containing the work of Alchabitius, the 10th century Arabian astrologer.
2. On The Origin of Species - by Charles Darwin -
$11,000First American printing, published in 1860, of the book which contained the basis of Darwin's theory of Evolution.
3. Philosophia Magnetica by Niccolo Cabeo -
$8,880First edition published in 1629 describes Cabeo′s work with the Earth′s magnetism and electrical repulsion
AbeBooks’ Most Expensive Sales of Ephemera1. Photographic portrait of Frédéric Chopin -
$6,078An original print of the only known surviving photograph of the famous composer dating from 1849. This print seems to have been printed at the Goupil & Cie studio, around 1895.
2. The Store by Claes Oldenburg -
$5,500A poster published for Oldenburg′s one-man exhibition: The Store at 107 East Second Street in New York from December 1, 1961 - January 31, 1962. Based on the drawing: The Store, Study for a Poster. Oldenburg is best known for his public art installations including "Free Stamp" in Cleveland, "Dropped Cone" in Cologne, and "The Bottle of Notes" in Middlesbrough.
3. Original pen, ink, and water-color used for the dust wrapper of The Fairy Tales of Perrault by Harry Clarke -
$4,500Clarke’s set of pen, ink and water-color used to create the intricate dust cover for The Fairy Tales of Perrault.
AbeBooks' Most Expensive Sales of Bird Books1. Ootheca Wolleyana: An Illustrated Catalogue of the Collection of Birds' Eggs, begun by the late John Wolley, Jun., M.A., F.Z.S., and continued with additions, by the editor, Alfred Newton -
$5,580 Published in 1907, this was a first edition copy of this ornithology book.
2. Game Birds and Wild-Fowl of Great Britain and Ireland by Archibald Thornburn -
$1,830First edition, deluxe limited issue of 155 copies containing 30 plates in color, showing 58 species.
3. A History of British Birds by F.O. Morris -
$1,750Published in 1857, this six-volume set details the various species of birds in Britain, including 358 full color plates.
AbeBooks' Most Expensive Sales of Flower Books1. Indigenous Flowers of the Hawaiian Islands by Isabell Sinclair -
$5,500First edition published in 1885, and inscribed by the Sinclair. The Book includes 44 beautiful colour plates dedicated to the flora of the Hawaiian Islands. In the book Sinclair wars of coming threats to the native flora from non native species brought on by fires, animals, and human intervention.
2. Wildflowers of Great Britain by George W. Johnson and Robert Hogg -
$3,245Compiled in 11 volumes containing 924 colored plates and was originally published in 1863. Johnson was a master gardener who penned numerous works on the subject, and founded the Journal of Horticulture, which published this work.
3. Flore Des Dames et Demoiselles -
$3,000A romantic look at gardens, each volume is prefaced with a short discussion of a related topic, such as methods in foreign countries, arrangement of flower beds, and orangeries. Printed in six volumes but paginated continuously.
AbeBooks' Most Expensive Sales of Exploration Books
1= Beskrivelse over Eylandet St. Croix I America I Vest-Indien - by Reimert Haagensen -
$4,500Published in 1758 in Copenhagen this first edition is an early, and important, description of St. Croix in the Virgin Islands based on the author′s own observations; discussing economic conditions, slavery, social life, and local customs.
1= The Navigator by Cramer Zadok -
$4,500Seventh edition, published in 1811. It is fully titled; The Navigator: Containing Directions for Navigating the Monongahela, Allegheny, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers; with an Ample Account of These Much Admired Waters, from the Head of the Former to the Mouth of the Latter, and a Concise Description of Their Towns, Villages, Harbours, Settlements, &c. With Accurate Maps of the Ohio and Mississippi, to which is Added, an Appendix, Containing an Account of Louisiana, and of the Missouri and Columbia Rivers, as Discovered by the Voyage under Captains Lewis and Clarke.
1= Voyages and Travels to India, Ceylon, the Red Sea, Abyssinia, and Egypt 1802-1806 by Viscount George Annesley Valentia -
$4,500First edition published in 1809 in three volumes, it contains a dedication letter to Richard Maquis Wellesley, who was the Governor General of the British possessions and Captain General of the British forces in the East Indies.
AbeBooks’ Most Expensive Sales of Architecture Books
1. Della Magnificenza ed Architettura de'Romaniand Osservazioni sopra la Lettre de M. Mariette by Giovanni Battista Piranesi -
$17,000Piranesi (1720-1778) is famous for his etchings of ancient Roman ruins and prisons. This work (published in 1765) translates to Roman Antiquities of the Time of the First Republic and the First Emperors and contains etchings of the structures from this period.
2. Espana Artistica y Monumental, Vistas y Discripcion De Los Sitios y Monumentos Mas Notables De Espana by Genaro Perez Vila Amil -
$7,500Volume I and III of this set which depict the artistic and monumental sites of Spain. Written by Genaro Perez Villa Amil (1807-1854) who was one of the finest landscape artists in Spanish Romanticism. First editions published in 1842 and 1850 respectively.
3. Frank Lloyd Wright 12 Vol. Monograph by Frank Lloyd Wright et al -
$5,850First edition published in 1984. The complete 12-volume set of the astounding monograph of the Master of American architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright. Volumes 1-8 are monographs of his work; volumes 9-11 are ‘Preliminary Studies’; volume 12 is called Frank Lloyd Wright in His Renderings. The most exhaustive study of Lloyd Wright undertaken.
AbeBooks’ Most Expensive Sales of Vampire Books1. Dracula by Bram Stoker -
$3,000 First edition, early issue, published in 1899 and bound in original red-lettered yellow cloth.
2. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer -
$2,000 First edition, first printing, signed by the bestselling author
3. Salem’s Lot by Stephen King -
$1,450 Limited edition copy signed by King and illustrator Jerry Uelsmann.
'Why does this all matter?' you may ask. It matters because in our ever-busier world of shopping, scrolling down the aisles like our facebook feed, only stopping on something for a brief instance that really catches our attention - and only stopping to actually read something that stops us in our tracks. Book covers can tie us back to the memory of our eyes walking down the shelf of our neighborhood bookstore, catching that first glimpse of a striking book cover. Most of the times the book covers tie-in to the story (much like F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic dust jacket for 'The Great Gatsby') and at the end of the story, bring your memory back to the first time you laid eyes on it. 
