BAH HUMBUG! EARLY EDITION OF DICKENS’ CHRISTMAS CLASSIC SET TO SELL FOR BIG MONEY IN NORFOLK
An extremely rare early hand-coloured illustrated edition of Charles Dicken’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ is set to go under the hammer in Norfolk next week – one of a number of sought-after first and early editions ranging from Frankenstein to James Bond.
The tiny, and exquisitely illustrated volume of Dickens’ classic seasonal tale is set to be sold in a two day Book Sale at Keys Auctioneers in Aylsham on Thursday 9th and Friday 10th December.
Issued in 1843, the same year that the story was first published, the book is expected to sell for over £1,000 as collectors and book traders bid to own the rare volume.
“This is an extremely rare and beautiful edition of ‘A Christmas Carol’ which is already attracting huge interest from all over the UK and further afield,” said Andrew Lindsay-Bullock, head of books at Keys.
“It’s likely that one lucky book-lover is going to have a particularly nice present in their stocking this year.”
Also in the sale, which takes place at Keys’ Aylsham salerooms and online on the firm’s live bidding platform KeysLive, are:
- A limited first edition of Ian Fleming’s ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ , dating from 1963, and signed by the author, which has a pre-sale estimate of £4,000-£6,000
- A first illustrated edition of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ dating from 1831, which has a pre-sale estimate of £2,500-£3,000
- A first trade edition of Beatrix Potter’s ‘The Tale Of Peter Rabbit’, dating from 1902, with an estimate of £600-£900 – one of a number of first edition Beatrix Potters in the sale.
Keys two day Book Sale takes place on Thursday 9th December and Friday 10th December. Full details can be found at www.keysauctions.co.uk, where a full catalogue will be posted at the end of this week.