Football Star Sells Children’s Books for $551,454

By Jason Boog 

potter23.jpgEarlier this week, Profiles in History auctioned off $551,454 in books collected by a football player–selling a first edition of “Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There” for $115,000.

The classic book had been dedicated and presented to the original Alice by Lewis Carroll himself, making it an extra special item. The books were drawn from the Pat McInally Collection of Children’s Literature, classic titles collected by a retired Cincinnati Bengals football star. In addition, Beatrix Potter‘s personal copy of “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” (pictured), sold for $92,000 at the same auction.

After the jump, we’ve included a list of other highlights from the collection. Like an Antiques Roadshow for bibliophiles, the list will send book lovers digging through their collections looking for hidden gems.


The Time Machine: An Invention, First Edition, presentation copy inscribed by the author: $25,875

The Nursery “Alice”, rare First Edition, presentation copy inscribed by Lewis Carroll’s sister:$17,250

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, First Edition: $13,800

The Fellowship of the Ring, First British Edition in dust jacket:$11,500

Winnie-the-Pooh, Now We Are Six, The House at Pooh Corner, The Christopher Robin Story Book, Set of First American Signed, Limited Editions in publisher’s boxes: $11,500

The Wind in the Willows, Fine First Edition: $11,500

Mother Goose in Prose, Baum’s first published book for children and the first book appearance of Dorothy of Oz: $9,200

The Story of Little Black Sambo: $9,200

When We Were Very Young, Winnie the Pooh, Now We Are Six, The House at Pooh Corner Publisher Deluxe Issues in original boxes: $9,200

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, with a fantastic tipped-in Autograph Letter about Narnia by C. S. Lewis: $9,200

Wind in the Willows, dialogue script with over 250 of Walt Disney’s handwritten annotations throughout: $9,200

The Wizard of Oz, presentation copy of the motion picture songs sheet music signed by Harold Arlen and inscribed to screenwriter Mannie Manheim: $8,050

The Wizard of Oz, original press book complete with herald: $6,900

Alice’s Adventures Under Ground, First Edition, presentation copy inscribed by Lewis Carroll to the mother of Edith Blakemore, one of his child-friends: $6,900

Peter and Wendy, First American Edition inscribed by J. M. Barrie with a handwritten letter of Barrie: $6,900

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, First Edition, one of only 200 soft cover copies printed: $5,750