Five Jane Austen First Editions Sold for $300,000

First editions of each of Jane Austen’s major novels led Hindman’s Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts auction. The five books, including Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, realized more than $300,000.

“The passion of private collectors for rare works of literature and first editions led to very competitive bidding on the Jane Austen novels,” commented Gretchen Hause, Hindman Vice President of Books & Manuscripts. “We are thrilled with the results, and to see that the market for literature, and particularly for literature written by women, continues to gain strength.”

Pride and Prejudice (lot 138) sold for $107,100, more than double its high estimate. Austen’s first novel Sense and Sensibility (lot 137) sold for $81,900 against a $20,000-$30,000 estimate.

In the Americana session, a presentation copy of the first octavo edition of John James Audubon’s The Birds of America from Drawings Made in the United States and their Territories (lot 362) led the Americana session, realizing $88,200. The double-elephant folio edition of Audubon’s The Birds of America (1827-1838) established his reputation as the greatest ornithological artist of his time, and this octavo edition adds 65 new images for a total of 500 plates.

A copy of the Bible (lot 360), owned by John Adams’s granddaughter and with a partial presentation note in Adams’s hand, soared past its pre-sale estimate to realize over $25,000. In addition to Adams’s warm presentation note to his granddaughter, the Bible included several leaves of family marriage, birth, and death records.