The "manuscript" was, if I remember correctly, a 2nd printing of the third
folio, Pericles section, disbound. It was being offered by "Eldras" who
should be well known to many on this list. The listing was incredibly
entertaining, as are many of Eldras' listings. I had the item on my watch
list, again for entertainment, but this morning I find that it is no longer
listed, and doesn't show up under any of the various searched I tried. Two
nights ago the bidding was up to 80K pounds, but I can't confirm bids beyond
that.
I highly recommend viewing Eldras' listings for anyone interested in the
underbelly of eBay.
Best to all for the holidays.
Don Lindgren
jan van der donk - rare books, inc.
601 west 26th street, room 1201
new york, ny 10001
212.691.5973
212.463.8948
www.avantgardes.com
-----Original Message-----
From: exlibris@library.berkeley.edu
[mailto:exlibris@library.berkeley.edu]On Behalf Of David Klappholz
Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2003 11:12 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Re: Shakespeare manuscript at eBay
Doesn't seem to be on ebay at the moment...even with search terms shak* and
pericles.
Dave
PS There is a 3rd folio being sold by a person who's also listing a few
incunabula and other tidbits...with no bids on any.
At 06:40 AM 12/24/2003, you wrote:
>Bard's manuscript proves big draw in cyberspace bidding
>Vijay Dutt
>London, December 24
>
>In a bizarre marriage of the ancient and the IT modernity, a 340-year-
>old edition of William Shakespeare's Pericles, Prince of Tyre is soon
>to be sold on the internet site eBay. The bidding has already touched
>£5 million, according to The Mail.
>
>A priceless Shakespeare manuscript would have normally attracted some
>major auction house, but the dictates of modern times have overtaken
>such "antiquated" methods of sale.
>
>The offer on the internet site has been described as equivalent to
>car boot sale in cyberspace. eBay is now a popular site for computer
>users to clear out unwanted items and is also used as a trading
>centre by books and CD collectors.
>
>The bound, yellowing work of 20 pages is owned by a British collector
>who will close the bidding at 6:53 pm on Thursday. The manuscript
>formed one of seven plays in the third folio of Shakespeare's work
>which was produced in 1663/1664.
>
>The manuscript was one of only a few copies that survived the great
>fire of London at a printing warehouse in 1666. The report reveals
>that the work has been the subject of a bidding war involving
>collectors, libraries and universities on the eBay site.
>
>Until Tuesday night 87 bids had been received from across the world,
>the highest being £4,800,300 from an American collector. Bidding got
>so frenzied at one stage that part of the site crashed.
>
>Pericles tells of a man shipwrecked with is daughter and was
>published in 1608. The present seller John Ellis from Hampstead in
>north-west London, told The Mail that he purchased the manuscript
>from an antiquarian house in the US. He revealed that he had received
>a letter from Oxford University as well, expressing an interest in
>buying the manuscript. He is pleasantly amazed that bidding has
>touched £5 million. He initially expected about £200,000.
>
>
> http://www.hindustantimes.com/
>
>
>
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