New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-10-28
CITY ETEIIs.

CITY ETEIIs.
THE BooE-TsADE SatE.-The convention Of
booksellers adjourned on Saturday after session Of
more than week During this time more than
sl75 900 worth Of books and stercorypeplaies were
.old At auction the former at prices which, ia view
Of the unsettled condition Of tie country, are
re remarkably good. A better spirit prevailed from
first to lasl than has characterized tie sales Sor two
or .hree years; and the bidding always active, " as
at tmes-as, ior instance. when HugC5 Les
Mssrsbes was sold-qute exciting. The enhance-
men. in the price OF paper aud prospective iasther
rise, had, no doubt, much to 30 with this as any
Other influence. Lager lots VI books than were
actually needed to fill stock have been taken, and
stereotype plates Of costly works purchased on
speculation. Before the war . large proportion OF
tie paper stock Of Northern manufacturers came
from Tue South, in tho shape q old bed and body
clothing, and the waste Of co,ton-sai2s. We were
importing rags at the rate Of rom million and
bali TO two millions dollan worth per annum bit
the accessibility OF the Southern supply kept prices
within reasonable limits Now, however, that our
paper nakers are wholly dependant on foreign rage,
and tbs. European mills are running on quarter time,
for lack os the raw material, rags Of all kinds have
become sesrce and printing paper has risen fom 10
cents II. pound 10 l6 cent?. Book publishers have
the che &c Of three aiernadves-to raise their retail
prices, which is bad policy, cut down the number Of
pages, which is always possible reduce their
discounts 10 the trade, which they will probably 10.
So that the buyers in attendance IT the late sale used
only common prudence in laying in large stocks Of
STANDARD books.
Tho fast trade sale in this city was held a, the old
Tonline fee-IIouse about tie year 1905. Mt
thew CaTey and other leading publishers Of tho day
had borrowed money on the security Of some Of thsir
surplus stock and not being able 10 NEE, their obi
cations on maturity had the hooks sold at auction
by one Robsr: McMenamy. The trade Were Invited
by circular to be present, and some actually came.
After the sale there was dinner at which there WAS
much wine-drinking and speech-mnking, and the
auctioneer received bis notes om the BUYERS 7, is
said b,. not more than half o. them we're ever aid,
and the unucky auctoneer was forced TO fail. At
intervals until 1876 similar boek-aucto.s were held,
but in that year p. w. JohngOn held the frst formal
trade sale in This city in house which stood Oh the
site Of the present United States Hotel in gul;on
street, fronting the ferry. The whole catalogue was
printed sheet Of letter paper, and the sale lasted
from 10 r. N. until pm. The principal con-
tribuiors were Sas Andrews and John Doyle.
johnson held hIs trade sales for three or four years
subsequently at the old Panorama Sales Rooms No. |
Isl Broadway. The rival house of Virgins 81 |
Pearaon were doing business at No. 100 Broadway, |
and held trade sale, tbs catalogue Of which was
printed on TN imperial folio sheet folded in l2mo.
Ba, johnson failed and WAS succeeded by John
Doyle, and the rival corsern followed suit and the
nsw house of Pearsoa 81 Gsrloy hung out their sign.
Doyle had o short reign and succeeded by Peas-
lev & Cowperthwate. At about the same time G.. /
W. Lord holding trade sales on his own aceoant;
20 that there ally Tires concerns in the field
ut once. In the Spring Of 1872 cana the cholera,
and with its panic crash among tho euciioasers.
All thee houses h.iled, but in September Of that
year y r. Cooley held atraae sale, which Le 70.
peatod annually In lis own rame miil '3S when he
refined and placed he business in the haDds Of his
clerks who formed copnrtnership under the style
OF Barge, Richards 60 Plat. Mr.. Cooloy went to
Europe for several years, bat in 1877 formed the house
Of Cooley, Reese x Ill., with which hs remained
nr,l 1850, when he retired from business altogether
Two trade salea were held simultaneously in tho
city from 1917 to 1851, when trcabls arose among the
lghSe WIN releIeNte 10 tno pfacuco OF Duplicating
lots over and above tho amocnt olesei in the c4ia-
logue. Bangs & &c. were then the official auc-
tionecrs, but the controversy waxsd 30 warm be-
tween Harper and other Leading publishers that the
American Publishes Association was formed tho
new house II Geo A. Leavitt g. SO. was orgAnzed
lthe princ nj partner III which WA son-i2-law OF
Mr.. C)oley's), AMI Bangs u Go. were dc seried by
all except Messgh Harpers and n few Others. The
result WIS that tho Harpem sold about $4,000 OF
their own publications at Bangss salo, while the
young house WAS flooded with businesses. In the
Spring aud Fall Of 1856 shey said to have rold
nearly AGO. lO0 worth Of books, which probably
thu best years business ever done.
1t is AZ interesting circumstance shal Mr.. William
oowsn, an Old publisher of this city attended
Johnaons s,lo in 1876, and, with Mr. William Wool
and Mr.. Iyison, Mr. CooleY's hyst sale in 1871, and
was pressn. throughout tho salo just concluded.
Tho limos have changed indeed since Johnsoaa
et,erSheet catalogue wls issuod, for Leaylts list
his year filed au octave yolcme Of over 500 pages,