Re: Furstenberg library auction

["Fred Schreiber, E.K. Schreiber Rare Books" <ekslibris@AOL.COM>]

This is in reply to Geoff Read's inquiry:
<<A brief report in the local paper business
page mentions an auction of a library
of 3 million "ancient" books at Sotheby's
in London on July 1. The books come from
Joachim Prince zu Furstenberg, Baden-Wurttemberg,
Germany. Can anyone fill in the background to this?
It seems a major event.>>

There was an apparent break in communication
along the way in that report.

Yes, there will be a sale of incunables from the library
of Joachim Prince zu Furstenberg, Baden-Wurttemberg,
at Donaueschingen, at Sotheby's, London, July 1.

So far, so good.

However, the number of lots to be sold
will be about 300 (not 3 million: that number
refers to the amount in pounds the sale is estimated
to fetch).
To put things in perspective: a sale of 3 million
incunables (if there were that many: the total number
of incunables printed is in the 5-figure range),
sold at 500 lots per day, 5 days a week
(at that rate you would definitely
NEED the weekend to recuperate),
would take at least 20 years.
And I am quite certain that no bookseller,
librarian, or collector could demonstrate
the kind of superhuman Wiegendrucksitzfleisch
this would require.