Absentee bids let you place your maximum bid on an item before the live auction begins. During the live show, we’ll continue bidding on your behalf up to your max bid — just like leaving a bid with a traditional auctioneer.
When you place an absentee bid, you’ll choose a bid strategy. Your chosen strategy determines how the current bid will be set at the time your bid is placed. Your maximum bid always remains confidential.
The available strategies are:
🐢 Slow & Steady — starts your bid low and lets others chase you.
⚡💥 Power Bid — starts at about half your max to show intent without revealing your top number.
♥️♠️ All In ♦️♣️ — sets the current bid to your full bid amount right away.
The current bid shown on each lot reflects all confirmed absentee bids and updates automatically as new bids come in.
When the live auction starts, bidding will begin at the current bid. The auctioneer will continue bidding on behalf of absentee bidders up to their max bids.
Because absentee bids can arrive seconds apart, the current bid you see may not always include bids still being processed. Refresh the page for the most up-to-date information.
For our full absentee bid policy, please click here.
Bidding Quick Facts
How bidding works
All items have a minimum bid of $1.00.
When "No Bids" is displayed, it means no absentee bids have been placed on this item yet.
Once bids are placed, the current bid will be displayed instead.
For more information on the bidding process, please click here.
Bid Successfully Submitted!
Your absentee bid for Lot 103 - "The Life of George Washington" Antique Book by Jared Sparks, with Mount Vernon Frontispiece Engraving, Published by Ferdinand Andrews, Boston, Massachusetts, 1839 was successfully submitted—thank you for bidding with us!
The current bid displayed will not update immediately. You will receive a confirmation email shortly.
You may continue to place additional bids.
For our full absentee bid policy, please review the Auction Rules.
Confirm Bid
Lot 103 - "The Life of George Washington" Antique Book by Jared Sparks, with Mount Vernon Frontispiece Engraving, Published by Ferdinand Andrews, Boston, Massachusetts, 1839
Lot 103 - "The Life of George Washington" Antique Book by Jared Sparks, with Mount Vernon Frontispiece Engraving, Published by Ferdinand Andrews, Boston, Massachusetts, 1839
"The Life of George Washington." By Jared Sparks. Published by Ferdinand Andrews, Boston, Massachusetts, 1839. Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1839 by Jared Sparks, in the Clerk's office of the District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Stereotyped and printed at Cambridge by Folsom, Wells, and Thurston, Printers to the University. The title page includes a Latin epigraph and a vignette of draped laurel branches. The frontispiece is an engraved view of Mount Vernon, the residence of Washington. The title page is inscribed in ink "D. Joy No. 186" at the top.
Bound in brown cloth boards with blind-stamped decorative borders and a gilt-stamped monument or obelisk on the front cover with a laurel wreath. The cloth shows soiling, wear to the edges and corners, and fading to the gilt stamping. Interior pages show foxing and toning throughout.