Henry David Thoreau
86 copies for sale · $20–$50,000 · 25 first editions · 3 signed
Notable copies for sale
Writings (signed) — Bauman Rare Books$37,500
A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (first edition) — Burnside Rare Books$38,000
WALDEN, OR, LIFE IN THE WOODS; First Edition 1854 (first edition) — Rare Book Cellar$31,947
Walden; or, Life in the Woods (first edition) — Burnside Rare Books$20,000
A Week on the Concord and Merrimack (first edition) — James Cummins Bookseller$15,000
Excursions (first edition) — Burnside Rare Books$2,750
Five minutes before 3 p.m., Father died.. (signed) — Rulon-Miller Books$650
Letters to Various Persons (first edition) — B & B Rare Books$1,250
Early Spring in Massachusetts (first edition) — Lorne Bair Rare Books$300
A WEEK ON THE CONCORD AND MERRIMACK RIVERS; Easton Press (first edition) — Rare Book Cellar$273
ON PARTRIDGES: SELECTIONS FROM HIS JOURNAL1851 - 1860 (signed) — Johnnycake Books$95
A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (first edition) — Burnside Rare Books$10,000
What these are worth
A WEEK ON THE CONCORD AND MERRIMACK RIVERS6 copies from 4 sellers
The Maine Woods (first edition)3 copies from 3 sellers
Each page gathers every copy on the market, what similar copies have fetched, and the spread between them.
Works on the market
WALDEN7 copies · $30–$3,000
WALDEN OR LIFE IN THE WOODS6 copies · $50–$388
A WEEK ON THE CONCORD AND MERRIMACK RIVERS6 copies · $38–$175
CAPE COD; Easton Press3 copies · $273–$298
RESISTANCE TO CIVIL GOVERNMENT; Easton Press3 copies · $273
WALDEN AND CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE3 copies · $35–$50
A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers2 copies · $7,500–$10,000
EXCURSIONS2 copies · $650–$1,500
THE MAINE WOODS2 copies · $800–$1,000
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AND WALDEN; Palladium Press2 copies · $398–$423
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AND WALDEN2 copies · $298–$323
A WEEK ON THE CONCORD AND MERRIMACK RIVERS; Franklin Library2 copies · $113–$273
A PLEA FOR CAPTAIN JOHN BROWN2 copies · $32–$160
WALDEN / THE MAINE WOODS / A WEEK ON THE CONCORD AND MERRIMACK RIVERS; / Civil Disobedienc2 copies · $123–$148
IN WILDNESS IS THE PRESERVATION OF THE WORLD2 copies · $35–$83
Autograph Manuscript leaf from working draft of WALDEN, the end of chapter III, “OF READIN1 copy · $50,000
Autograph Manuscript Leaf From Walden1 copy · $39,000
A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers1 copy · $38,000
Writings1 copy · $37,500
WALDEN, OR, LIFE IN THE WOODS; First Edition 18541 copy · $31,947
Market context
34 copies of Henry David Thoreau's works have left the market recently; the median last-listed price was $52 (last listed prices at time of sale or removal, not confirmed sale prices).
Listings aggregated from rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide; refreshed continually. Prices are seller asking prices unless marked as auction results.