Anyone ever seen a letter like this? What price tag would you put on it based on the current market situation?
Appreciate your feedback guys.
Appreciate your feedback guys.
Buk letter on ebay (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter DavidK
- Start date
mjp
Founding member
He did that from time to time in the 60s and up through the mid-70s. I think we see more of the "illustrated letters" addressed to the Webbs just because he wrote to them often and they saved everything. But he sent them to all kinds of people.
Price? Who knows. It's a pretty unremarkable letter without the bits of color stuck to it, and the bits of color aren't particularly interesting themselves. That being said, letters from the 60s don't come around all that often. I'd guess the seller has at least a grand on the reserve. I wouldn't sell it for less than that.
But I also wouldn't buy it for that. ;)
Price? Who knows. It's a pretty unremarkable letter without the bits of color stuck to it, and the bits of color aren't particularly interesting themselves. That being said, letters from the 60s don't come around all that often. I'd guess the seller has at least a grand on the reserve. I wouldn't sell it for less than that.
But I also wouldn't buy it for that. ;)
bospress.net
www.bospress.net
Interesting. He clearly would have had to had put the art on there before typing and then worked around it. First one like it I have seen.
Black Swan
Abord the Yorikke!
The art seems added on, as pasted over the typed page.
It is beautiful.
It is beautiful.
While the content of the letter isn't particularly important, it's still an incredibly important time in Buks life. Martin's first letter is not far off and Crucifix is being discussed. He's still six years away from being a full-time writer and the future was still very uncertain. I think the letter is fantastic.
Black Swan
Abord the Yorikke!
I didn't properly formulated what i meant to say. He typed around the art that he had glued on a regular white page.:wb:
Bukfan
"The law is wrong; I am right"
He sure touches on many things in that letter - Marina, Martinelli, Crucifix, etc. I think it's a great "little" letter and the artwork adds to its value. I wonder how much it'll sell for, if it sells, that is, because the reserve has'nt been reached yet.
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mjp
Founding member
When I say the letter is "unremarkable," I guess I'm thinking in context of a lot of his other 60s letters. He wrote hundreds of letters to the Webbs, so in the context of all of those, this one is not particularly special.
To me, the "art" is just abstract decoration and doesn't add to the value. It would be nice to own as an example of that kind of letter, but honestly, I don't think it's more valuable than a "regular" letter from the period. I suspect the seller (and potential buyer) would disagree with that though.
To me, the "art" is just abstract decoration and doesn't add to the value. It would be nice to own as an example of that kind of letter, but honestly, I don't think it's more valuable than a "regular" letter from the period. I suspect the seller (and potential buyer) would disagree with that though.
Bukfan
"The law is wrong; I am right"
True! It's in no way remarkable. It's just a nice "little" letter. As for the artwork, if it's the first time we've seen one of his letters with artwork glued on, then it does make the letter a tad more interesting for that reason alone, i think. Of course, the seller probably thinks he's sitting on a gold mine. I would'nt be surprised if the reserve is set so high it won't sell.
There are a couple of these as facsimiles in 'Screams' and Living on Luck', the latter of which contains exactly this letter in question.
Another way to write them before glueing the artwork on the paper would be to write in a fance way and THEN cut a piece of art to fit that.
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Final bid was $1332.96 and the reserve wasn't met. My guess is 2 grand was the number but who knows? Seems overpriced if it was 2.
I had expected the reserve to be at around $1k and thought my $1,300 bid would get the job done. $2k is definitely a bit too optimistic.
I expected the same and topped out at $1,055 (hoping you would stop at $1,050!).
As to the reserve, without any big hits in the letter (reference to major life or literary decisions, or "first mention of so-and-so") 2k would definitely seem high... I did think the design was kind of cool tho.
As to the reserve, without any big hits in the letter (reference to major life or literary decisions, or "first mention of so-and-so") 2k would definitely seem high... I did think the design was kind of cool tho.
Pogue Mahone
Officials say drugs may have played a part
I've bought stuff from that guy on the cheap. He even threw in some extras because he didn't want to bother to list them again. I don't know who he is exactly, but he was holding out on this one. Good for him. It is a special item. Buk was obviously in a dry spell and decided the best way to get out of it was to write a letter... Just like Heningway...
I don't know Pogue. Holding out for what? 1300+ seems pretty fair. Maybe I'm mistaken but we seem to be his target buyers and if not to us then to whom does he sell? Because if 2 grand is the number than the price to resell after that would be astronomical. But who knows, it could already be on its way to David.
If you misspell my name again you WILL get to know me.
Sorry about that. I worked with a woman named Ronni for 7 0r 8 years and I sent her about a thousand emails so when I typed your name it was just muscle memmory from typing Ronni so many times. I'll try really hard not to make that mistake again.
I am super jealous of DavidK that he can cough up 3 grand to buy something that nice. The real unemployment rate is 20% but that menas that 80% of people are still working. Jealous!
I am super jealous of DavidK that he can cough up 3 grand to buy something that nice. The real unemployment rate is 20% but that menas that 80% of people are still working. Jealous!
Danny, I paid $3k for the Flower Fist at PBA a couple of days back (Sorry Roni!). No way I'm going to pay the same for that letter, whether I can afford it or not. Unemployment is a bitch, I guess I'm lucky to be not only sitting some 10,000 miles away (give or take a few) but to be self-employed in a comparatively resistant field.
Pogue Mahone
Officials say drugs may have played a part
I just got laid off too. But at least it's July instead of January and there's shit to do. Still, I'll be selling some books soon. I've always felt like everthing I own is for sale -- except my dog.
0h, that was only a joke. I don't care at all.
That "sorry" thing was another joke. After DaveK got that bargain, I began to insult him here in public, just for jokes matter and he jumped in. Was a funny litte conversation (even though I still believe he's a big fan of Justin Bieber). So, now everytime he mentions that bargain, in fact that steal, this goddamn bastard, he apologizes to me.
So, Danny, don't take everything serious you hear around here.
OK. Cool. I'll make sure I take everthing with a grain of salt, whatever that means. Since this is a Bukowski website we should expect of bit of rough-housing. If you can't handle it go sign up for Oprah's website or some junk like that.
Hey DavidK you said you were 10,000 miles away. Is that for real? Are you on the Moon or up in the Space Station or is that some sort of literary reference I am unfamilar with?
Hey DavidK you said you were 10,000 miles away. Is that for real? Are you on the Moon or up in the Space Station or is that some sort of literary reference I am unfamilar with?
so you are farther than Zanzibar but closer than Melbourne ... Maldives? New Caledonia?
ha! that's one way to be "undisturbed" LOL .. buknet worldwide. Once in a while I have to sit back and wonder at the reach of the internet.
Is it monsoon season there, too? You're practically just a stones throw from Sujit up there in Pune.
Is it monsoon season there, too? You're practically just a stones throw from Sujit up there in Pune.
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=19667215108&searchurl=sortby=1&an=Charles+Bukowski
Another item that will sit....and sit....
Another item that will sit....and sit....
LickTheStar
Sad Flower in the Sand
Yup. It's like that $8500 copy of Ask the Dust that's been taunting me on Abe for the last decade or so. Some day... some day.
