What collectors are willing to pay for a rare edition says a lot not only about the condition of the book, but about an author’s status. Looks like Cather’s star is still on the rise. 

The rarest edition of Willa Cather’s masterpiece Death Comes for the Archbishop, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1927, number 40 of 50 specially-bound copies printed on Japan vellum and signed by Cather on the limitation page, brought a world record price for the title when it went to an advanced collection for a $16,250 final price realized.

“This is a beautiful copy of one of the rarest finds in the Cather canon,” said Gannon, “and this price was at least three times as much as any edition of this same book had ever brought at auction.” 

Quote taken from the article Inscribed copy of Hemingway’s first book brings $68,000+ in Heritage Auctions’ Rare Books Event