29/10/2025 Latest News
Rare books are among the most poetic and compelling treasures in the auction world. Whether hidden in a forgotten bookshelf or exhibited under glass, they carry stories of authors, readers, provenance, and chance. At Auctioneum, our Books & Works on Paper department has seen some remarkable sales over the years, seeing sales of rare and antiquarian books that exceeded expectations, revealed fascinating backstories, and captured the attention of collectors worldwide.
If you’re considering selling a rare book, these examples show what is possible, especially with expert cataloguing, good marketing, and clear provenance. And for those buying rare books at auction, they highlight the range of opportunities and risks in the marketplace.
Below are ten of our most noteworthy rare book lots, some for the size of their hammer price, some for their unexpected discovery, and others simply for their beauty.
Hammer Price: £43,000
Perhaps our most famous recent sale. This true first edition was discovered in a house clearance in Bristol, tucked away on an inconspicuous shelf. Auctioneum specialists identified it as authentic, and worldwide interest pushed the price to four times the estimate. This sale demonstrates a fantastic example of a “sleeper book”, ie. when books of great value sometimes lurk in plain sight, unrecognised until experts are able to uncover their significance.
The Guardian ran a detailed piece: “Unimaginably rare first edition of The Hobbit sells at auction for £43,000”, The BBC ran this piece on the record breaking sale, as well as explaining how the rare book was found on the shelf during a routine house clearance.
Hammer Price: £1,900
Dickens' first editions (especially first issues) are always of interest; this sale shows that even major authors can appear at more accessible levels in regional auctions. Bound in its original red cloth with gilt spine titles, it included all the identifying points of a first issue, from the misnumbered page 213 to the missing “B” on the list of plates. Complete with its engraved frontispiece and all fourteen plates by Phiz, it represented a rare surviving example of Dickens’s most famous historical novel. Selling for £1,900, the book reflected the enduring demand for authentic Victorian first editions, and the timeless appeal of one of literature’s most recognisable opening lines: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
Hammer Price: £520
Multi-volume sets, especially of Shakespeare’s works, remain staples in rare book sales. This one being a Hanmer edition adds historical interest. A highlight for collectors of early Shakespeare editions, this handsome six-volume 1744 first Hanmer edition of The Works of Shakespear offered both literary importance and visual splendour. Printed at the Oxford Theatre and adorned with engravings by Hubert Gravelot and Francis Hayman, it remains one of the most elegant eighteenth-century presentations of Shakespeare’s plays. The set retained its contemporary tree calf boards, later rebacked in calf with gilt spine labels, and displayed marbled endpapers and the armorial bookplate of Paulet St John Mildmay dated 1827. Complete with its engraved portrait frontispiece and richly detailed plates throughout, the set reflected the craftsmanship and ambition of mid-Georgian bookmaking. Selling at Auctioneum’s Bath saleroom for £520, it exemplified the enduring appeal of fine early editions for bibliophiles and collectors of historic English literature.
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Hammer Price: £145
While not a first edition, this is a collectable copy of one of the most beloved novels in English literature, showing that even “later” editions have demand. This charming late Victorian edition of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen was published by George Routledge and Sons around 1895, featuring its original decorative red cloth binding with gilt lettering and ornate spine detailing. Despite gentle wear to the extremities and some discolouration to the spine, the book retained much of its period character, complete with a gilt top edge and contemporary ownership inscription of Henry d’Ingilby Bart. to the half-title. Internally, the text remained clean apart from a small tear to page 357 just touching the text block. A scarce and visually appealing example of a nineteenth-century Routledge printing, it represents the enduring admiration for Austen’s magnum opus in the decades following her rediscovery by Victorian readers. Sold at Auctioneum’s Bath sale for £145, it captured the continued appeal of finely bound late nineteenth-century editions of classic English novels.
Hammer Price: £130
An elegant late Victorian printing of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, this c.1895 edition was produced by George Routledge and Sons and printed by Woodfall and Kinder. Bound in the publisher’s original red cloth with gilt lettering and decorative spines, it displayed the distinctive craftsmanship of Routledge’s fin de siècle bindings. The spine had gently faded to pink, with light wear to the head and tail, but the book remained in appealing condition overall. Inside, a charming gift inscription from Lady Ingilby to A. G. Leith dated 1919 added a touch of provenance and period sentiment. The pages showed natural toning consistent with age, and the title page bore slight offsetting. As a scarce late nineteenth-century issue of one of Austen’s most beloved novels, it exemplified the continuing popularity of her works more than eighty years after their first publication. Sold for £130 at Auctioneum’s Bath sale, this copy resonated with collectors drawn to early decorative editions of classic English fiction.
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Hammer Price: £250
Signed proof editions are rarer than standard signed copies, appealing strongly to thriller and historical fiction collectors. This was a particularly interesting lot for modern fiction collectors, this signed uncorrected proof copy of Sharpe’s Eagle: Richard Sharpe and the Talavera Campaign July 1809 by Bernard Cornwell offered a rare glimpse into the origins of one of British literature’s best-known historical heroes. Published in 1981 by Collins under copyright to Rifleman Productions, this was the very first novel in Cornwell’s long-running Sharpe series, signed on the title page with the author’s handwritten dedication, “Introducing Richard Sharpe!” The book was believed to feature later replacement blue wraps with a typewritten label to the front cover, showing expected signs of wear including edge rubbing, stains, and a slightly cocked spine. Despite light spotting inside, it remained an important and scarce example from Cornwell’s early career, appealing both to bibliophiles and fans of the celebrated television adaptation starring Sean Bean. Sold at Auctioneum’s Bath sale for £250, it illustrated the growing collector interest in modern firsts and proof editions that mark the debut of enduring fictional characters.
Hammer Price: £290
Alasdair Gray is a cult author with high regard in modern Scottish literature and signed first editions are especially prized. This signed first edition of Lanark: A Life in Four Books by Alasdair Gray, an 1981 Canongate publication is regarded as one of the defining works of modern Scottish literature. Signed and dated by the author on the front free endpaper, this copy remained in excellent condition, with only minor bumping to the spine ends and extremities and retaining its original dust wrapper. The book was housed in a bespoke slipcase, reflecting the meticulous care of its previous owner, Greg Harrowing, whose remarkable collection of modern first editions came to auction for the first time through Auctioneum.
Harrowing’s collection, built over four decades, showcased his wide-ranging passion for contemporary literature, from classic modern authors such as John le Carré, Hilary Mantel and Quentin Blake, to more niche selections of Japanese and Korean fiction. The inclusion of Lanark was particularly fitting, representing Gray’s visionary blend of realism and fantasy in his portrayal of life in Glasgow. Sold for £290 at Auctioneum’s Bath sale, this copy highlighted both the enduring significance of Gray’s debut and the exceptional provenance of the Harrowing collection.
Hammer Price: £320
Auction: Bath, May/June 2025 sale Auctioneum
A beautifully presented signed limited edition of The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro, this 2015 Faber & Faber publication was issued in an edition of just 205 copies, each specially bound and signed by the author. This example, numbered 11, included a matching portfolio containing exclusive facsimiles of Ishiguro’s handwritten manuscript pages. The book was bound in the publisher’s distinctive paper-covered boards with a window revealing the illustrated front free endpaper, and it was housed in a slipcase showing only the lightest signs of shelfwear. A modern author with a limited signed edition this is a good example of how even recent books can become collectable.
Part of the Greg Harrowing collection of modern first editions, the book exemplified Harrowing’s refined taste for contemporary literature and craftsmanship. His collection, gathered over four decades, reflected a deep appreciation for both literary achievement and fine production, spanning Booker Prize winners such as John le Carré and Hilary Mantel alongside international authors from Japan and Korea. Sold at Auctioneum’s Bath sale for £320, this copy demonstrated continuing enthusiasm among collectors for limited, hand-finished editions by major literary figures of the modern era.
Hammer Price: £100
Outhwaite’s fairy illustrations are beloved, especially in children’s and decorative book collecting. A delightful first edition of The Little Fairy Sister by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite and Grenbry Outhwaite, published in 1923 by A. & C. Black Ltd. This enchanting volume was beautifully illustrated with sixteen plates in both colour and black and white, all present and collated complete. Bound in the publisher’s quarter cloth with blue floral printed boards and a paper title label to the front, it showed expected signs of wear, with bumped corners, light spine discolouration, and some foxing throughout the text – typical of this title. Inside, a contemporary ownership inscription added a personal touch to an already characterful copy. Though the binding was a little tender and the front hinge starting, the book retained its charm and integrity, offering a lovely example of Outhwaite’s distinctive fairy art from the Golden Age of children’s illustration. Sold for £100 at Auctioneum’s Bath sale, it appealed to collectors drawn to early twentieth-century illustrated works and the enduring magic of Outhwaite’s ethereal woodland scenes.
Hammer Price: £55
An appealing pair of first editions by Jerome K. Jerome, comprising Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) and Diary of a Pilgrimage (and Six Essays), both published by J. W. Arrowsmith of Bristol in 1889. Three Men in a Boat included illustrations by A. Frederics, while Diary of a Pilgrimage was illustrated by G. G. Fraser. Each retained its original publisher’s full cloth binding, showing the characteristic design and finish of late nineteenth-century Arrowsmith printings.
The Three Men in a Boat volume remained the smarter of the two, with only light rubbing to the boards and a neat contemporary ownership inscription to the half title. Diary of a Pilgrimage showed slightly heavier wear, with some soiling to the boards, a cocked spine, and a partially exposed front hinge, though still complete and structurally sound. Both volumes exhibited scattered spotting typical of the period. Together, they represented an attractive pairing of Jerome’s much-loved comic travel writing, offering a glimpse into the Victorian humour and style that made Three Men in a Boat one of the most enduring comic novels in the English language. Sold together at Auctioneum’s Bath sale for £55, they appealed both to collectors of English humour and to those with an eye for early provincial publishing by Bristol’s own J. W. Arrowsmith.
These ten books span centuries, geographies, genres, and price levels—but all share something in common: they reveal the power of expert curation, precise presentation, and savvy marketing. Whether a first edition of The Hobbit or a signed modern limited, rare books have the potential to exceed expectations.
If you own a rare book (or a collection that might hide one), Auctioneum’s rare book and manuscript experts would be delighted to help you. We offer free valuations (in person or by inbox), professional cataloguing, and access to our global network of collectors and institutions.
Let us uncover your hidden treasures, and perhaps add your book to our next set of remarkable sales.