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Saturday, March 27, 2021

Something About Surplus Gorey Stuff

Buy in bulk and save.

Irwin Terry writes at Goreyana about a unique auction scheduled for April. The Great Gotham Gorey Collection auction at Ashcroft and Moore Auction Gallery showcases not only a number of Gorey items but a great number of similar Gorey items. There are some Bellairs-related nuggets in the mix, too:

  • Lot 0165: 31 hardcover books by John Bellairs w/ dust  jackets by Edward Gorey. Includes 4 copies of The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder; 1 copy of The Secret of the Underground Room; 3 copies of The Beast Under the Wizard's Bridge; 8 copies of The Ghost in the Mirror; 1 copy of The Mansion in the Mist;  8 copies of The Doom of the Haunted Opera; and 6 copies of The Specter from the Magician's Museum ($650).
I don't think I've ever seen this many copies of the same Bellairs book in one setting.  Buy a copy The Ghost in the Mirror for yourself, get seven more for friends!
  • Lot 0166: 21 hardcover books with dust jackets by Edward Gorey, by a variety of authors, including John  Bellairs and John Dickson Carr. ($100)
  • Lot 0168: Lot of 23 hardcover books with dust jackets by Edward Gorey, includes a first edition of John  Bellairs's The House with a Clock in its Walls in  VG condition, 3 copies of A Room in Chelsea Square  by Michael Nelson, chipped dust jackets, first US editions 1959 Doubleday; 5 copies of Ladies of Fantasy by Manley & Lewis Library Edition, and  many more Gorey treats. ($300)
  • Lot 0135: 60 Edward Gorey's Signatures. 60 pages prepared  for "The World of Edward Gorey" that he signed to  be tipped into the books. The pages were not  numbered or used. 52 just have his signatures, 6  have Gorey and Ms. Wilkin's signatures and 2 have Gorey, Ms. Wilkin and Mr. Ross' signatures. Also  included in this lot is an example of Edward Gorey's handwriting with the title of a John Bellairs book and 9 pages printed for use in "The  Headless Bust by The Gotham Book Mart but never signed or used. ($600)

What is the collective noun name for signatures?  A scrabble of signatures?  A hancock of signatures?

1 comment:

  1. Russ3/27/2021 2:54 PM

    I have seen this many or more copies of one Bellairs title in one place, but it has been some years ago. I do remember walking into a book store and seeing a stack of a new John Bellairs title out for sale. And I also remember seeing some stacks of Bellairs titles at the local Half Price Bookstore, although they were not all First Editions. I would usually buy all of the First Printing copies I could find at Half Price Books. I am curious what these piles of books will bring when the day finally comes. Most collectors are not looking for eight copies of one title, or even three or four copies. I guess this will probably go to some dealer who will resell them over time.

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