Artunderwraps

First Edition Prices, Values and Auction Results

In the final completed novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tender is the Night captures that what lies beneath a seemingly contented exterior is a tormented and restless soul. In his characters Dick and Nicole Diver there are traces of the author himself and his wife, Zelda. Mental issues and temptation abound in this story set in Switzerland and France. First printings of the 1934 novel published by Scribner's displays a color pictorial jacket with three quoted blurbs by T.S. Eliot, H.L. Mencken and Paul Rosenfeld on the front flap and an "A" on the copyright page. . Since only 7600 copies were published in the first printing, it is rare to find this edition in any condition. A signed first edition book is valued as high as $20,000. Titles in lesser condition without a dust jacket are valued in the $100-$300 range. This work was also published in serial format in four issues of Scribner's Magazine from January until April 1934, a set valued at $2000 at auction.

We collected a sample of 16 auction results of Fitzgerald, F. Scott's Tender is the Night from 2 different auction houses. The lowest overall price realized in our sample was $120 and the highest overall price realized was $20400. The overall average price was $3086 and the median price realized for the book was $585. There were 7 auctions (58%) with a price realized below the low estimate, 4 auctions (33%) exceeding the high estimates, and 1 auctions (8%) within the range of the low and high estimates. Auctions of interest include: a PBA sale on April 03, 2008 of a 1934 - Scribner's edition for $7800 that described as "very good or better"; a Bonhams sale on June 20, 2007 of a 1934 - Scribner's edition for $20400 that with an inscription from author; a PBA sale on January 26, 2006 of a 1934 - Scribner's edition for $12000 that in a custom cloth clamshell box with black morocco spine label;