I was trying to find some pictures of these books the other day. Since it is Sotheby's I know I will never be able to afford one of these books but I really wanted to check out all the pictures.
At one time I used to deal in antiquarian books. While none I had were as nice or as relevant as these I wish I had collected them instead of selling them. I remember a nice 16th Century copy of the Codex of Justinian, I sold it for about $300. Now going for about $5,000. The internet has really changed prices on them. I used to go to London to pick coins, books, antiquities, etc. They were super cheap back then!
Ah, yes, prices change. I bought this 1752 book when I was in college ($10, or so?, not really certain) but there is a pencil note in the back of it having been sold in 1913 for 15 cents. I never really got a lot of good out of it since I didn't collect the coins it covered until about 1990 but I always thought the fold out plates were neat.
Very nice! Do you still have it? One of the things I have always learned is to hold on to things if possible. The price of replacement is usually prohibitive!
Maybe one day, photos of my coins might make it into a Sotheby's auction? ... well, if one of TIF's ties ends-up being featured, eh?
Yes. One thing we learn is that prices go up when the economy is good and go up some more when it is bad. The exceptions to this in my experience are two. Electronics (TV, computer etc.) and drinks. In 1950 my father bought a 19" B&W TV for $500 (then about a month's pay for him). Today that amount gets you 40" flatscreen color and a month's pay for a minimum wage employee is double that. My first 286 PC was over $2000 and ran like a snail. Today, we get better for a fraction. When I was a kid, Cokes were a nickel (but I didn't have a nickel a lot of the time). Now Cokes are free. Al I have to do is place my order at the Wendy's counter ending with "and a Senior Drink'. Worse than the price of replacement is some things never come back. In 1974, I sold my coins for $500 to Joel Malter. Included were fine examples of a Caligula sestertius, a Divus Pertinax denarius, a Decius double sestertius and about fifty other lesser coins. I have never seen one of those coins hit the market again. With enough money I could get other (maybe better) examples but let me know if you see any of those three for $500. You'd thing the buyer would have tired of them by now and let me have a chance of correcting the error.
