Sale 565: Americana & More auction on July 23rd

On Thursday July 23rd, PBA Galleries will offer over 500 lots of Americana, Travel & Exploration, African American History, Maps, and Sports Memorabilia -- Phew!

Give yourself some time to peruse the massive auction catalogue, which can be found here:

Sale 565 Americana & More

Beyond the usual Americana books & ephemera, you can also buy model airplanes, blueprints for a Boeing Model 15, a George W. Bush signed baseball cap, and Gold Rush letters.

Among some of the unusual and archival lots you can acquire is archive related to California poet and frontiersman Joaquin Miller, including an unfinished portrait by George Innes:

Archive of Joaquin Miller

And there's an archive of Maria Mitchell material, including a drawing of a "comet seeker." Maria Mitchell was the first female professional astronomer.

Maria Mitchell archive

And you can purchase an original ship's wheel from the U.S.S. President Hayes:

Ship's wheel

Also, starting with Lot 378 are several lots of African Americana dating from 1817, much of it first-hand material such as hand-written letters, plus pamphlets, photographs, ephemera, books and more.

Plus a small run of maps, followed by a selection of sports memorabilia, including this important 18th century description of baseball:

18th Century description of baseball in German

There are some nice signed baseballs, and other sports memorabilia. Due to the variety this catalogue merits perusal. Good luck bidding!

Golf auction on Thursday September 17th, 2015 at 5:00 PM Central Time

Please join PBA Galleries and the Golf Collectors' Society on Thursday, September 17th at 5:00 pm Central Time for our auction of The Library of Craig Ammerman (with Additions). More information about the GCS Annual Meeting & Trade Show can be found on their website (link below):

Information & Registration for GCS Meeting & Auction

The auction will have a preview on Thursday September 17th from 12 pm - 5 pm. The preview and auction will be held in The Turquoise Room, which is in the Tower Building on the 2nd Floor.

What can you buy at the auction? Over one hundred 19th and 20th century books on the game of golf, including nearly every book ever published about golf course architecture. Plus a nice variety of non-book collectibles including over forty premium hickory golf clubs, programs, ephemera, silver flasks, a feathery ball, signed Donald Ross architectural drawings, and much more! The free online catalog will be available in early August 2015.

Bidding is easy, and is available via absentee, online live, live in person, or over the phone (limited). How to Buy

If you want a printed catalog mailed to you, please contact PBA Galleries at (415) 989-2665.

Bargain Basement Clearance Auction at PBA Galleries on Tuesday June 9th

If you've ever wanted to enhance your collection on the cheap, now is the time. PBA Galleries is clearing out their warehouse on Tuesday, June 9th and have reduced estimates on over 400 lots. Material includes autographs & manuscripts, original photographs, ornithology, art, movie posters, maps, early printed books, modern literature, and even a hand-painted saw. Check out the sale here.

Auction Catalog

The first section are simply re-offered items with reduced reserves. The second section (starting at lot 142) is chock-full of goodies starting at $10 bids. Many lots are group lots, so the shipping regularly runs up your bill another $30...but it's worth it to get a group of the books you really want. Line your bookshelves at home, in your office, or at your bookstore, on the cheap!

The Chicago Pen Show 2015

The first pen in my collection. ACME Keith Haring pen, 1997.

I attended my very first pen show in Chicago this May. I introduced myself to as many pen dealers as possible, and the first thing I noticed about pen dealers, is that they are enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge. I even started my own pen collection with a Keith Haring ACME rollerball pen, 1997.

PBA Galleries will be hosting their inaugural Fine Writing Instruments auction on Thursday, November 12, 2015. The company is launching a new department dedicated to Fine Pens & Pencils. This is exciting news for collectors around the globe, who are increasing buying online, because PBA Galleries has easy online bidding. Plus you can bid over the phone, and as always in person live in the San Francisco gallery.

For more opportunities to buy and share pens, please view list of pen shows below.

List of Pen Shows in the USA

Fine Literature Auction with Archives from the Lord John Press - Thursday, April 16th

This Thursday beginning at 11:00 am Pacific, PBA Galleries will host another huge auction with over 600 offerings. There are 3 sections, the first is a nice selection of Fine Literature (nearly 400 lots), then books and files from The Lord John Press, then a bargain selection of collectibles with starting bids at $10.

The Fine Literature section features mostly 19th and 20th century literature, plus signed tomes and manuscript material from various authors. You can find mystery & detective, romance, and science fiction plus so many of the classics by famous, infamous and little known authors the world over.

There's a nice selection of Charles Dickens. Then there is lot 148, Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet. PBA is offering the rare first edition of this book by the third most widely read poet in history (behind Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu).

Lot 148: The Prophet

There are a few editions of Joyce's Ulysses, some Jack London books, including some inscribed, and a tremendous archive of correspondence from the publisher for Henry Miller's works. Lot 246 includes more than 100 autograph & typed letters from Henry Miller to his publisher Bradley Smith, plus much more.

Lot 246: Henry Miller Archive

There's a nice selection of John Steinbeck novels, and several classics are available by Mark Twain, the nicest of the group is a First American Edition of Huckleberry Finn.

Lot 352: Huckleberry Finn

And if you ever wanted to get your hands on some nice Lord John Press material, this is the auction for you. Not only books, but typescripts, correspondence archives, unique signed material, and more.

Check out the auction catalog for more offerings:

Sale 558: Fine Literature, Archive of Lord John Press

Sale 557 - Fine Americana & the Exploration of the West - Asian-American History & Art - Travel - Maps

Thursday, April 2 at 11:00 am Pacific Time, PBA Galleries is hosting an auction with over 750 lots of Americana, Asian-American History & Art, Travel, Maps, Atlases, & Views. The sale includes some African-Americana, Golf Rush, signed Presidential items, and items pertaining to the exploration of the West.

If you have not browsed the catalogue yet, hop to it! You can find it here: Sale 557 Catalogue

Let me take you on an abbreviated tour through this week's auction...

There's a small section of African-Americana, including this rare travel guide

Lot 29 - Rare Brochure

Then there is an amazing book on atomic energy, signed by over 50 specialists working at the Berkeley Radiation Laboratory in the 1940s.

Lot 47

Then, there is a big section of Californiana, small run of Civil War ephemera, 5 lots of rare and colorful Clipper Ship Cards, like this one:

Lot 119

Then, hundreds of lots of general Americana books, broadsides, photographs, and more including rare pieces of manuscript material like this Thomas Edison signed check:

Lot 146

Then there's a nice selection of Asian-Americana material including lots of manuscript material, dating from 1845-2006. One lovely piece from this collection is this etching, done by a WPA artist in 1939:

Lot 378

Then there's some nice angling books, then a massive travel & exploration section of the sale, starting with travels in Africa. Within the travel & exploration section can be found a 1634 edition of Walter Raleigh's Historie of the World.

Lot 512

Following this is an extensive maps, atlases & views section of the sale. Among the premium maps offered is Charles Preuss's landmark map, the first issue:

Lot 557

The last section is a huge offering of lots starting at $10 bids. They are all American, etc. But you can place bids starting at $10! Lots 586-751 are all $10 opening bid lots.

This was a very brief guide to the sale, so if you are serious about bidding, get to it!

45th Annual Golf Collectors' Society Annual Meeting & Trade Show - PBA Galleries Fine Golf Books Auction

PBA Galleries will host another auction of Fine Golf Books, Memorabilia, and Fine Golf Clubs at the Golf Collectors' Society Annual Meeting & Trade Show this September 17, 2015. The auction will include a library of golf books and memorabilia, plus a robust offering of rare hickory golf clubs and golf balls. 

Last November, PBA held a successful auction in Las Vegas, also at the GCS Meeting. Some of the highlights of the sale included very spirited bidding on the select group of hickory golf clubs, including a pair of waterfall face clubs that sold for $480. 

Pair of waterfall face clubs

A beautiful selection of rare and important golf books were offered, including a scarce third edition of The Goff, which sold for $60,000. 

The Goff: Third Edition

Also the first edition of The Rules of the Thistle Club in original wrappers sold for $10,800. 

Rules of the Thistle Golf Club: First Edition.

Important ephemera and memorabilia also sold above their estimates, like the 1935 Open Program, which sold for $1,080, 

1935 Open Program

and a great archive of advertising materials of Walter Hagen golf products, which sold for $1,920.

Archive of Walter Hagen promotional materials, some signed

Consignments for the September 17th, 2015 Golf Auction will be accepted until July 10. Contact Erin Escobar at (608) 819-6955 or by email erin@pbagalleries.com for more information.

Next stop - St. Charles, Illinois! See you on September 17, 2015.