Auction Pricelists
These instructions describe how to download and link to auction pricelists. Bibliographic records are created for each catalog received and include a link to a PDF version of the pricelist, whether or not a pricelist exists. We have links to pricelists for sales held from December 2009-present. The attachment (link at bottom) is a copy of these instructions including Millennium Global Update screenshots.
I. Pricelisting for auction catalogs – creating and managing the files
A. Download files
- Download pricelists in PDF format to S:\Auction Catalogs\Price lists.
- Save the files as “[OCLC number of catalog].pdf”
- If necessary, use Adobe Acrobat to combine multi-PDF pricelists into one file. For example, combine 535123687-1.pdf and 535123687-2.pdf into 535123687.pdf. Delete the part files (in this example, -1 and -2) once combined.
B. Upload files to our Amazon Web Services S3 file storage account
- See this post for information: http://libmma.org/watsinfo/2011/09/16/amazon-web-services-account-for-watson/
- Log in to the S3 service at http://aws.amazon.com/console/ using the watsonlibrary@gmail.com account.
- If you are asked for a verification code when you try to log in to Amazon AWS, coordinate a time with us to attempt a login, as codes are valid for only 10 minutes. We will provide you with the code that is emailed to us.
- Select the “price-lists” bucket.
- Click ‘Upload’ and ‘Add files’ – browse to find the files in S:\Auction Catalogs\Price lists, select them all (CTRL+A), and click ‘open.’
- Click Next.
- VERY IMPORTANT – Expand "Manage public permissions" and check the four "Read" boxes under Objects and Object permissions:
- Click “Upload.” (No need to go through the Set properties and Review steps.)
- Once the file transfer is complete, spot check a few that you've uploaded to make sure they are accessible. When you're confident, delete the files from the S drive.
II. Periodically, clean up bib records via Global update
Each bib record for new auctions (Jan. 2010-current) should be created including an 856 link to a pricelist (whether or not that pricelist file yet exists). It may be necessary to update records occasionally to insert links that were omitted.
A. Gather a review file of bib records:
- Index – DATE OF SALE: 201001 to [two months from now, e.g. use 201112 if running the list in October 2011]
- Bib – MAT TYPE = s
- Bib – MARC TAG 856: All fields don’t have “price-lists.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com”
- When the list is done, dedupe it.
B. Edit the review file’s records using Global Update
- Copy variable length field – 001 to 956 42 – it’s VERY IMPORTANT to change the Field Group Tag to ‘y’
- Add to beginning of variable length field – 956 42: |uhttp://price-lists.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/
- Add to end of variable length field – 956 42: .pdf|zCheck for price list
- Change variable length field – convert 956 to 856.
- Process
C. Optional: URL checker
Process review file through Millennium’s URL checker, to see if some links work. Disregard 404 errors.
III. Auction house assignments
- Watson: Christie's through Aug. 2012, Sotheby's, Hotel Drouot (including Tajan), Phillips, everything else we receive
- Frick: Swann, Skinner, Doyle, Rago (within collection scope) Sept. 2012-current; Bonhams, Sept 2012-Mar. 2013; Dorotheum, Sept. 2012-Jan. 2013
- National Gallery of Art: Christie's, Sept. 2012-current
- Getty: Dorotheum, Bruun Rasmussen, Lempertz, Villa Grisebach, Jan. 2013-current
- Cleveland: Bonhams, Apr. 2013-current