RETURN of the LANTHORN

No doubt you remember our April 2009 post about Stephen Crane signed copies of the Lanthorn Book available for sale. Well, as proof this blog is fast becoming the cutting edge of all things Crane, we've now seen one of the mentioned copies sold at auction earlier this month!

RR Auction of Amherst New Hampshire sold copy #38 of the Lanthorn in their July online auction. (The listing has already been taken down and replaced with the August auction items, and their past auction database is not currently functional). It sold for $3944 with the 20% buyers premium factored in. This is the same copy that was listed for sale by University Archives. John Reznikoff of University Archives is also affiliated with RR Auction.

The University Archives listing offered the book for $5,000. The RR Auction selling price of $3944 is respectable, but quite a bargain considering how rare the Lanthorn is, and considering the overall values of Crane signatures. The economy certainly has something to do with it. Also this Lanthorn book did have some stains, including a slight one under Crane's signature. Based on this result i personally wouldn't place any Crane signed items on the auction block right now.

It's interesting to take a look at how the Lanthorn Book fared against its fellows in the same Auction category (July 2009, Art & Literature, RR Auction). Among the top seven single-item sellers, Crane's Lanthorn placed right smack in the middle...

$5407 Mark Twain portrait of Howells or Laffan
$5251 Hemingway signed book For Whom The Bell Tolls
$4339 TE Lawrence autograph letter signed
$3944 Stephen Crane signed Lanthorn book #38
$3876 Charlotte Bronte clipped signature
$3586 Ernest Hemingway signed photo
$3259 Mark Twain signed photo

We should also note that this was described as a Stephen Crane signed book, with the other less famous signers being pretty much ignored in this case, poor boys!

Oh, and who was the buyer of this wonderful Lanthorn? Dear Sir, Madam, or Soulless Corporate Entity, you have exquisite taste, if you are reading this please leave a comment below and out yourself!