I was recently contacted by Invaluable.com which is an online auction site that specialises in collectible items. They wanted to know if I would be interested in sharing my dream literary collection; specifically what books I would love to get from a book auction. This sounded like something I would be really interested in, especially considering my love of collecting vintage books, so of course I agreed!
My Dream Literary Collection
I perused this site for absolutely ages as it really is like a book lover’s paradise. I only wish I was able to afford some of the beautiful books on offer. Still, this is a ‘dream’ selection (that means in this I can literally afford anything I want!) so here are some of the current lots I would love to have in my possession!
Lot 151: Harry Potter Signed Book
What book lover wouldn’t want to have a signed copy of Harry Potter in their collection? I would absolutely love this beauty on my shelf. I only got into the Harry Potter series as an adult so I think I missed out on a lot of the early buzz about this series. There is very little chance I would ever be able to get to a signing in person so this book would be an absolute treasure.
Lot 119: Barker (Cicely Mary) – Flower Fairies of the Spring
I would love to be able to own this collection. I really loved the Flower Fairies books as a child and owned a few of them. Sadly, they were given away at some point. I would love to get my hands on them again and they would definitely take pride of place on my shelves. I always adored the illustrations.
Lot 160: The Arthur Rackham Fairy Book
I have wanted a copy of The Arthur Rackham Fairy Book for a long time and this edition is signed as well so it would be a really amazing book to have in my collection. I really love his illustrations – I had so many books that contained his highly intricate and detailed drawings as a child and I really developed a great love for his particular style.
Lot 229: Dodgson (Charles Lutwidge) “Lewis Carroll”
This collection of Alice in Wonderland books are so gorgeous. I will always try to collect just about anything to do with Alice so this set would be a dream come true. They are all so lovely – each book is truly a work of art in its own right.
Lot 83: SIGNED 2 – Lynne Reid Banks
I have wanted to read this series for ages. I do so love reading vintage young adult books and this is one series I managed to miss when I was younger. These copies are also signed which is pretty awesome.
Lot 97: Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens
Now, I am a fan of Peter Pan anyway but an edition illustrated and signed by Arthur Rackham? Sign me up right away! This would really be a wonderful addition to my personal library.
Lot 94: Nielsen (Kay) – Andersen (Hans Christian) – Fairy Tales
I love the fairy tales of Hans Christian Anderson and this copy illustrated by Kay Nielsen would be an amazing book to have on my bookshelf. Nielsen was a brilliant artist and I really admire his work especially his depictions of some of my favourite fairy tales.
Lot 228: Dodgson (Charles Lutwidge) “Lewis Carroll”
More Alice in Wonderland goodness! Some real beauties here – I would love to get my hands on this lot. I was also a fan of the Alice: Madness Returns video game so love the fact that the art book for this game is included!
I hope you have enjoyed this little excursion into the world of online book auctions. I had a lot of fun browsing this site and I would highly recommend it for book lovers. Even if you are like me and short on cash, it is still pretty awesome seeing all they have to offer. Some of the lots can even fit my (paltry) book budget so it is definitely a site I will visit again.
None of these images are owned by me; all were sourced from Invaluable.com
Click on each image to go to the auction link
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