The first major public auction of rare books for 2004 will be happening at Bethunes at Webbs on Thursday 15th April.

There’ll be something for everyone; a quick scan revealed these mouth-watering little beauties:

• The Journal of HMS Resolution 1772–1775 (in facsimile), by Captain James Cook, bound in red cloth and morocco, with a gilt sloop motif, gilt rule and fleurons, whatever they may be, (I imagine gorgeous fleur-de-lis thingys, someone correct me if that’s tosh) in a red cloth slip case. It’s a limited edition copy 126 of 500. Estimated price $1100;

• A fine early Land Deed on vellum, transferring from William Webster of Coromandel Harbour, Bay of Islands, to Vincent Wanostracht of Liverpool, England, a parcel of land on the Firth of Thames, New Zealand, which he bought from the Maoris a year earlier. 1840. Estimated price $500;

• Now We Are Six, by AA Milne, 1st edition, 1927, bound in red cloth, with decorations by Ernest H Shepard, along with a Winnie-The-Pooh first edition. Highly collectable, estimated price $150;

• Oscar Wilde’s The Soul of Man in first edition, 1907, with ‘white ornate gilt-stamped cloth’, and edges uncut (hmm), at a paltry estimate of $35;

and finally,

• Janet Frame’s The Pocket Mirror Poems, first NZ edition 1968, bound in green cloth, estimated price $70.

You may salivate near the books, but not on them, on Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th April from 9am–5.30pm at Webbs, 18 Manukau Road, Newmarket, Auckland, and yes, they do take credit cards.