Murakami at auction - an update

The Bloomsbury Book Auction sale featuring the Murakami first editions was held earlier today. All of the Murakami lots sold, though for slightly under the estimated prices. Pinball 1973 went for a very respectible £428 including the premium, along with a later edition of Hear the Wind Sing. In my experience, the true first of Hear the Wind Sing is more difficult to obtain than Pinball, and perhaps would command a higher price in Auction.

Looking through the results, it is striking that the majority of lots were selling for under the lower estimate. It would be wrong to read too much into a single sale, but at least for the medium price lots which dominated the sale, it looks as if demand was relatively low. Given all the news about oil prices and inflation in the UK, and the strength of sterling against the dollar, maybe this is is not a great surprise.

One of the books to sell at well above its upper estimate was "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon which went for £228 for s signed first edition. Its still possible pick up an unsigned first edition (Weidenfeld and Nicolson) for around £35, which looks good value given that the author's signature might be picked up at a later date.