Will a modern philatelic Prussia title break the 500-euro barrier?

(wm-pcp) The work ‘Die preußischen Nummernstempel’ (The Prussian Number Postmarks) by Karlfried Krauß is considered a modern philatelic literary rarity. It was published in 2009 with 584 pages in a decoratively designed leather hardcover with embossed title and spine as well as a special slipcase. The original selling price was 139 euros. At the IPHLA literature auction of the Auktionshaus Heinrich Köhler, this book started at 70 euros, but already reached 160 euros. The only time it was cheaper was in 2018 at the Phil*Shop antiquarian bookshop, where it changed hands for €100.

Since then, prices have skyrocketed. In 2023, the same antiquarian bookshop sold the work for €250. At the 197th Dr. Reinhard Fischer auction on 14 June 2024, it was offered for €500 (and not sold) and now it is back at the same starting price at the 41st e@auction of the Felzmann company in mid-January under lot number 21396. Will it do better this time? After all, a final price of well over €500 – Felzmann Auction House charges a 26.2% premium plus postage and insurance! – is no small change, because the buyer ultimately has to pay a premium of €131 – even at the starting price. The book is not really rare, but it is in high demand, as could be read on picclick years ago. It said: ‘Sold on ebay according to picclick EUR 322.54 17 bids, EUR 7.00 shipping on 9 Dec. 2017.’ What do we learn from this? Demand drives the price!