This on-going article series reports on the structural changes accelerated during the
COVID-19 Pandemic
and their impacts for the Collecting ecosystem of Collectors, the Trade and Auction Houses.
The forces impacting the rare book auction market are bigger than books. The economic drivers are originating from areas of the economy (Capital Markets, Digital technology, Social Media marketing and Cloud-based auction platforms) that have not historically played a major role in rare book, manuscript, and ephemera ecosystems. However once introduced, these forces have permanent impacts on the bottom lines of auction houses and the services they provide Collectors as well as the Trade and will have knock-on effects that will be felt for years to come until they become the status quo.
This ongoing Series charts these disruptions and the resolution of the Industry in light of an emerging Collecting Culture that expects transparent, market derived prices.
"Consolidation and the Mid-Range Auction Market" for
Rare Book Hub Monthly,
August 2022.
"The Changing Economics of Rare Paper Auctions” for Rare Book Hub Monthly,
March 2022.
“AFTER 2021: Structural Change in the Auction Industry?” for Rare Book Hub Monthly,
February 2022.
“The Final Stretch for 2021: Projections & Implications” for Rare Book Hub Monthly,
October 2021.
“Where aren we going from here?: Dealers & the Online Era” for Rare Book Hub Monthly,
August 2021.
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