Sender: Rare book and manuscripts <EXLIBRIS-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Don't forget to add to this the couple hundred thousand dollars Kraus
received for allowing another bookseller to have the B42 on consignment
for several months. That is another fascinating story.
C.J. Scheiner
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Now we have the inside knowledge of what Kraus paid the notorious
> book-breaker Houghton for his B42, let us suppose (by no means a secure
> supposition) your figure of $1.5m is correct. We do know that that HPK
> gave Houghton a check/-que for the book, presumably for the whole
> amount, and that nine years later he sold it for $1.74m. My memory of
> the 1970s is a little hazy (I was after all there), but I do recall it
> being a time of rampant inflation and historically high interest rates,
> at that period (1970-78) in the order of 8-10%. I leave it to you to
> work out whether Kraus could have made more money by leaving his $1.5m
> in the bank or by his long drawn out vanity-selling of the B42. Or what
> *was* the point you were originally trying to make?
>
> I beg to remain, yrs etc.
>
> mcd
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gabriel Austin" <gabrielaustin@EARTHLINK.NET>
> To: <EXLIBRIS-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
> Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2007 5:16 PM
> Subject: Re: [EXLIBRIS-L] NY Auction Bidding Legislation
>
>
>> It is now known to many people how much HPK paid for the B42 because
>> Arthur
>> Houghton told me. The copy had been on offer for several years
>> through John
>> Fleming. HPK approached Arthur and asked how much he wanted for it.
>> Arthur told him. HPK showed up the next day with a check.
>>
>>
>>
>> What exactly is your problem, mcd? Is it a rather tough worm in your
>> little
>> inside?
>>
>>
>>
>> Gabriel Austin