The Rare Book & Fine Art Index
This monthly index aggregates verified auction realizations across rare books, original prints, vintage photography, autographs and fine art. Every figure is traced to a public sale record; no synthetic data, no asking prices, no broker estimates.
What is inside the report
Ten A4 pages of verified data, original charts and insider notes. Zero AI hallucination — every figure is traceable to a public sale record.
13 category statistics
Median, average, maximum and 2019–2024 yearly trend for every auction category with at least 1,000 verified lots.
Category mix
Donut chart of lot distribution by category. Instantly see where the market is moving.
Top 5 all-time records
The five highest realizations across categories, with price, year and category.
Insider notes
Three red-flags per category: common fakes, hidden restorations, provenance gaps. Sourced from the BookOracle corpus.
Transparent methodology
EUR-normalized hammer+premium, public sources, statistical rigour. No asking prices, no brokerage estimates.
Verification QR
Every PDF has a cover QR — scan it to verify the document authenticity online, anytime.
Category Mix
Share of total verified lots by category. Categories below 1,000 lots are excluded.
Preview from the PDF
Lot share by category (% of total qualified lots). The full PDF includes detailed charts for every one of the 13 qualified categories, with 2019–2024 yearly trend.
Top 5 Records (All-Time)
Highest verified realizations across all categories in the BookOracle corpus.
| Work | Category | Year | Price (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sherborne Missal | Manuscripts | 2001 | 38 600 000 |
| Codex Sassoon - The Earliest and Most Complete Hebrew Bible | Manuscripts | 2023 | 35 052 000 |
| THE ROTHSCHILD PRAYERBOOK, A BOOK OF HOURS, USE OF ROME, IN LATIN, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM | Manuscripts | 2014 | 16 290 000 |
| Study for Head of Isabel Rawsthorne and George Dyer | Original Drawings | 2025 | 14 733 800 |
| Patek Philippe Ref. 5002P-001 Sky Moon Tourbillon | Patek Philippe Watches | 2025 | 13 772 400 |
Frequently asked questions
Where does the data come from?
Exclusively from public auction archives of international houses (Christie's, Sotheby's, Phillips, Swann, PIASA, Bonhams and 200+ others). Every record is verified and includes hammer price + buyer premium in EUR.
How much does the report cost?
The PDF is completely free. We only ask for your email to send it and to notify you when next month's issue ships. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Can I use the data in my thesis or article?
Yes, with attribution to BookOracle. For commercial use (resale, mass redistribution, white-labeling) contact us for a license.
How often is a new report released?
Once a month, on the 1st at 06:00 UTC. Subscribers receive the PDF by email the same day.
All figures in this report are statistical aggregations of verified public auction realizations. Past sales do not guarantee future prices. BookOracle is not a licensed appraiser; this report is intended for informational and editorial use only. © BookOracle 2026.