Artunderwraps

First Edition Prices, Values and Auction Results

Though Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories were most often realized as short stories after his early attempts to monetize his mystery novels went poorly, there are a few full works of prose that feature the famous detective. This particular work was first published, serialized, in The Strand Magazine before its compilation into a novel in 1902. The Hounds of Bakersvilles is unique, even among Sherlock stories, as it ranks as the best story in the Holmes cannon, as voted on by scholars in 1999. Further, the story was featured in the BBC's top 200 best loved novels in the UK at number 128. It follows Holmes' attempt to solve a murder inspired by tales of a supernatural beast. The first edition, illustrated by Sidney Paget, and features the original scarlet cloth cover in gilt and black and gilt lettering.

We collected a sample of 32 auction results of Doyle, Arthur Conan's The Hound of the Baskervilles from 2 different auction houses. The lowest overall price realized in our sample was $144 and the highest overall price realized was $3000. The overall average price was $950 and the median price realized for the book was $722. There were 5 auctions (31%) with a price realized below the low estimate, 5 auctions (31%) exceeding the high estimates, and 6 auctions (38%) within the range of the low and high estimates. Auctions of interest include: a PBA sale on July 31, 2014 of a 1902 - George Newnes edition for $3000 that described as "a nice copy in very good or better condition"; a PBA sale on April 16, 2009 of a 1902 - George Newnes edition for $2400 that first issue; a PBA sale on June 02, 2005 of a 1902 - George Newnes edition for $2400 that descibed as a nearly fine rebound copy;