Although not one of his better known titles, Bleak House by Charles Dickens still maintains a healthy pulse in the assemblage of this prolific author's body of work. It outlines the turmoil among the potential beneficiaries of conflicting wills. Earliest publications maintain the integrity of its serialized presentation in 19 blue-green monthly installments from March 1862-September 1853. Publisher Bradbury and Evans (London) offered both the collected individual installment version as well as a bound 2-volume first edition version in 1853. The former group sells for about $500-$5000 and chiefly depends on condition and inclusion of the parts. Many groups are missing some advertisements. Harper (New York) publishers also put out an 1853 set of installments which commands as much as $3000 intact and in fine condition. The 2-volume set is presented including 40 engraved plates by H.H. Browne with a modern green calf spine and corners and a marbled cover in the $100-$500 range.
We collected a sample of 57 auction results of Dickens, Charles's Bleak House from 3 different auction houses. The lowest overall price realized in our sample was $60 and the highest overall price realized was $5000. The overall average price was $823 and the median price realized for the book was $420. There were 23 auctions (59%) with a price realized below the low estimate, 9 auctions (23%) exceeding the high estimates, and 7 auctions (18%) within the range of the low and high estimates.Auction House | Auction Date | Author | Title | City | Publisher | Year | Estimate | Sale Price | Auction Page | Copies For Sale | |
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PBA | August 31, 2017 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $400-$600 | $240 | |||
PBA | July 27, 2017 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $250-$350 | $168 | |||
Bonhams | June 7, 2017 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $375 | |||
PBA | May 18, 2017 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $300-$500 | $180 | |||
PBA | November 17, 2016 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $400-$600 | $1800 | |||
PBA | March 24, 2016 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $500-$800 | $300 | |||
Bonhams | March 8, 2016 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $1588 | |||
PBA | January 14, 2016 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $300-$500 | $480 | |||
Swann | November 10, 2015 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $500-$750 | $563 | |||
Bonhams | September 22, 2015 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $2000 | |||
PBA | June 25, 2015 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $200-$300 | $192 | |||
Bonhams | April 13, 2015 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $5000 | |||
Bonhams | December 10, 2014 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $2750 | |||
Swann | November 18, 2014 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $1200-$1800 | $3750 | |||
Swann | June 19, 2014 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $800-$1200 | $2000 | |||
Bonhams | December 11, 2013 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $875 | |||
PBA | December 5, 2013 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $300-$500 | $216 | |||
PBA | October 10, 2013 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $300-$500 | $180 | |||
PBA | October 11, 2012 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $300-$500 | $570 | |||
Bonhams | September 25, 2012 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $668 | |||
PBA | July 5, 2012 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $500-$800 | $420 | |||
Swann | June 21, 2012 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $4000-$6000 | $3840 | |||
Swann | November 8, 2011 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $300-$400 | $240 | |||
Bonhams | October 18, 2011 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | New York | Harper and Brothers | 1853 | - | $3125 | |||
PBA | June 16, 2011 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $300-$500 | $390 | |||
Bonhams | April 19, 2011 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $770 | |||
PBA | October 7, 2010 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $300-$500 | $720 | |||
Swann | June 17, 2010 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | 1853 | $300-$500 | $390 | ||||
Bonhams | March 23, 2010 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $802 | |||
Swann | October 1, 2009 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $300-$400 | $270 | |||
PBA | December 11, 2008 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $600-$900 | $360 | |||
PBA | December 11, 2008 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $400-$600 | $270 | |||
PBA | October 9, 2008 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $400-$600 | $240 | |||
PBA | August 21, 2008 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $600-$900 | $510 | |||
PBA | August 21, 2008 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $400-$600 | $300 | |||
Swann | April 24, 2008 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | 1853 | $500-$750 | $1320 | ||||
PBA | March 20, 2008 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $400-$700 | $360 | |||
Bonhams | February 18, 2007 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $1434 | |||
Bonhams | February 18, 2007 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $131 | |||
PBA | November 30, 2006 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $500-$800 | $420 | |||
PBA | September 14, 2006 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $500-$800 | $720 | |||
PBA | February 23, 2006 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $500-$800 | $480 | |||
Bonhams | January 16, 2006 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $102 | |||
PBA | November 3, 2005 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $200-$300 | $390 | |||
PBA | November 3, 2005 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $100-$150 | $60 | |||
PBA | April 21, 2005 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $300-$500 | $180 | |||
PBA | March 24, 2005 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1854 | $400-$600 | $540 | |||
Bonhams | March 31, 2004 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $330 | |||
Bonhams | January 19, 2004 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $133 | |||
Bonhams | November 4, 2003 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $149 | |||
Swann | October 16, 2003 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | 1853 | $500-$750 | $460 | ||||
Swann | May 22, 2003 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | 1853 | $350-$500 | $575 | ||||
Bonhams | March 5, 2003 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $1021 | |||
Bonhams | March 5, 2003 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | - | $691 | |||
PBA | January 9, 2003 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $200-$300 | $330 | |||
PBA | May 23, 2002 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $250-$350 | $228 | |||
PBA | March 28, 2002 | Dickens, Charles. | Bleak House | London | Bradbury and Evans | 1853 | $300-$500 | $300 |