Sylvia Plath
44 copies for sale · $30–$150,000 · 6 first editions · 8 signed
Notable copies for sale
Typed Letter Signed, to Ted Hughes, With a Typed Poem (signed) — Jonkers Rare Books£65,000
Autograph Letter Signed, to Edith and William Hughes (signed) — Jonkers Rare Books£22,500
Signed Contract for And Summer Will Not Come Again (signed) — Type Punch Matrix$10,000
The Bell Jar (first edition) — Burnside Rare Books$9,800
Ariel (first edition) — Burnside Rare Books$7,800
The Colossus (first edition) — Burnside Rare Books$6,500
Ariel (first edition) — Burnside Rare Books$1,500
Three Women: A Monologue for Three Voices (first edition) — Johnnycake Books$700
Ariel (signed) — Burnside Rare Books$8,800
Typed Letter Signed, to Ted Hughes (signed) — Jonkers Rare Books£60,000
Typed Letter Signed, to Ted Hughes (signed) — Jonkers Rare Books£50,000
Typed Letter Signed, to Ted Hughes (signed) — Jonkers Rare Books£45,000
Works on the market
Typed Letter Signed, to Ted Hughes4 copies · £35,000–£60,000
Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath4 copies · $42–$848
Ariel3 copies · $350–$8,800
ARIEL2 copies · £43–£4,500
The Journals of Sylvia Plath, 1950-19622 copies · £160–£206
THE BED BOOK2 copies · $42–$137
Untitled Portrait Of A Woman1 copy · $150,000
Original Signed Painted Portrait of an Unidentified Young Woman1 copy · $135,000
Typed Letter Signed, to Ted Hughes, With a Typed Poem1 copy · £65,000
Unpublished Autograph Poem: THE SNOWFLAKE STAR1 copy · $45,000
Autograph Letter Signed, to Edith and William Hughes1 copy · £22,500
Light Blue, Dark Blue1 copy · £12,500
Signed Contract for And Summer Will Not Come Again1 copy · $10,000
The Bell Jar1 copy · $9,800
Ariel1 copy · $7,800
The Colossus1 copy · $6,500
Collection of 41 Magazine and Literary Magazine Appearances1 copy · $5,000
The Colossus and Other Poems1 copy · £5,000
THE COLOSSUS1 copy · $3,500
Market context
49 copies of Sylvia Plath's works have left the market recently; the median last-listed price was $69 (last listed prices at time of sale or removal, not confirmed sale prices).
Recent auction results (hammer prices, premiums not included):
Crystal Gazer, one of 400, Rainbow Press, 1971; and others by Sylvia Plath, v.s. (11) (forum, 2026-09-03)£460
Crystal Gazer and Other Poems, one of 400 copies, Rainbow Press, 1971; and 12 others by th (forum, 2026-07-02)£1,200
The Colossus, UNCORRECTED PROOF COPY OF THE AUTHOR'S FIRST VOLUME OF POETRY, Heinemann, 19 (bonhams, 2026-07-01)£3,200
Winter Trees, first American edition, Frieda Hughes's copy, New York, 1972. (forum, 2026-04-23)£320
Listings aggregated from rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide; refreshed continually. Prices are seller asking prices unless marked as auction results.