A first edition of the book "The Hound of the Baskervilles," one of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, has just been auctioned for 214,000 pounds (about $261,204). The curious thing about this copy, which was sold by the Christie's auction house, is that it belonged to Charlie Watts, the drummer for The Rolling Stones, who died in 2021.
However, the book has much more than just the story. As reported by the Independent, it includes a note on the cover handwritten by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself, which reads: "I perambulated Dartmoor before I wrote this book." Charlie Watts, the British publication reveals, lived in Devonshire, which is located about 10 miles from where the book is set.
The price achieved by this edition of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" represents a new milestone for Doyle, obtaining the highest figure at auction for one of his books in the world. It surpassed a copy of Doyle's "The Sign of Four," which, in 2022, managed to sell for $201,600.
Agatha Christie's book auctioned for £60,480
The copy of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" belonging to the drummer of The Rolling Stones was not the only book that went up for auction Thursday. Another 25 Agatha Christie novels were also sold, including an "exceptionally rare" edition of the 1932 mystery "The Thirteen Problems," featuring detective Miss Marple, which sold for 60,480 pounds (roughly $73,781). Agatha Christie's previous record-breaking book was "The ABC Murders" which was auctioned in 2021 for 47,880 pounds ($58,481).
This first batch from Charlie Watts' private collection also included the books "Brideshead Revisited" by Evelyn Waugh, which sold for 60,480 pounds ($73,781); "The Assassination of Roger Ackroyd," by Agatha Christie, which went for 56,700 pounds ($69,254), and the "Sword of Honor" trilogy by Evelyn Waugh, which sold for 47,880 pounds ($58,481).
