One of our founding directors, Mark Skipper, is a bookdealer with 40 years experience in the trade. One of our primary objectives is to ensure all the irritations that he's experienced over the years with auction houses are not repeated with Quire Auctions.
We provide professional valuations for auction, insurance, probate, and estate planning purposes in the UK.
Estimates are informed by current market demand, recent auction results, condition, rarity, and provenance, and are positioned to encourage competitive bidding. Our valuers will be fully transparent about how and why they reach their conclusions on estimates and valuations.
Condition is a critical determinant of value. Original bindings, dust jackets, and restoration can significantly affect desirability. Collectors seek the best and highest quality books, with originality to contemporary form highly important in the modern market. As with anything antique or collectable, the market for books which are worn is significant reduced – however that isn’t to say that something very tired is rendered worthless. It simply depends from item to item, and the best way to ascertain if your book has value is to let our experts examine it and offer you guidance.
Fine books are distinguished by exceptional quality, craftsmanship, and historical or cultural importance, including finely bound volumes, illustrated books, and private press editions.
Clients may submit details and images of their books for a confidential review. Our specialists will advise on valuation, estimates, and the most appropriate sale venue to achieve the strongest international result.
Here at Quire Auctions we offer expert and thoughtful cataloguing, targeted international marketing, and access to a wide pool of serious collectors, consistently achieving stronger results. Our market spans the entire world and our very doorstep alike, and we pride ourselves on our professional and understanding customer service to all.
The most sought-after books typically include first editions, signed books, limited editions, association copies,, private press books, letters and manuscripts, and volumes in fine original condition, particularly with dust jackets. Value is decided by a combination of rarity, condition and desirability. You may well have a book which fits two of these three categories, but if it significantly lacks in one of the three, that can be enough to render its value negligible.
Determining whether a book is a true first edition often requires careful examination of the title page, copyright page, binding, and known bibliographic points. As practices differ between UK and US publishers, professional assessment is strongly advised for potentially valuable books. Being a first edition does not always mean that a book is valuable, but it will certainly help and is usually the first point of identification an expert will make when assessing a book.
A true first edition is the earliest published form of a work, issued during the book’s initial print run. Identification varies by publisher and period and may include publication dates, impression statements, or other bibliographic points. Sometimes, a first appearance in print is not the same as a first edition in book form, and value can vary depending on scarcity and desirability. Our specialists are experienced in distinguishing true first editions in both British and American publishing.
All books are catalogued by experienced specialists and described accurately, with any defects or restoration clearly stated.