[p. 519]
Appendix 7
Sales Figures for Some Publications of Plantin1.
Reynaert de Vos, in 8o
Illustrated popular novel in Dutch and French. Number of copies printed: 1600. First copy sold on 26th June 1566.
| 1566 | 1567 | 1568 | Total 1566-68 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | ||||
| Antwerp, bookshop | 29 | 25 | 46 | 100 |
| Antwerp, booksellers | 41 | 44 | 110 | 195 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total Antwerp | 70 | 69 | 156 | 295 |
| Present-day Belgium | ||||
| Booksellers | ||||
| Bruges | 4 | - | - | 4 |
| Brussels | 4 | 22 | 4 | 30 |
| Ghent | 9 | - | 4 | 13 |
| Liège | 5 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| Louvain | 30 | 62 | 2 | 94 |
| Malines | - | 4 | 12 | 16 |
| Tournai | 2 | - | - | 2 |
| Ypres | 1 | - | 6 | 7 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total Belgium | 55 | 90 | 30 | 175 |
| Present-day Northern France | ||||
| Booksellers | ||||
| Cambrai | 1 | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| Douai | 8 | 6 | - | 14 |
| Lille | - | - | 6 | 6 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total Northern France | 9 | 14 | 10 | 33 |
[p. 520]
| 1566 | 1567 | 1568 | Total 1566-68 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present-day Netherlands | ||||
| Booksellers | ||||
| Amsterdam | 18 | 2 | 1 | 21 |
| Bois-le-Duc | 1 | - | 13 | 14 |
| Breda | 4 | 24 | - | 28 |
| Delft | 8 | - | - | 8 |
| Haarlem | 3 | - | - | 3 |
| Maastricht | 5 | 3 | - | 8 |
| Utrecht | 2 | 4 | - | 6 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total Northern Netherlands | 41 | 33 | 14 | 88 |
| Private customers Southern and Northern Netherlands | 33 | 1 | 10 | 44 |
| Germany | ||||
| Cologne | - | - | 11 | 11 |
| Heidelberg | - | 6 | - | 6 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total Germany | - | 6 | 11 | 17 |
| Summary | ||||
| Antwerp | 70 | 69 | 156 | 295 |
| Present-day Belgium | 55 | 90 | 30 | 175 |
| Present-day Northern France | 9 | 14 | 10 | 33 |
| Present-day Netherlands | 41 | 33 | 14 | 88 |
| Private customers | 33 | 1 | 10 | 44 |
| Germany | - | 6 | 11 | 17 |
| _____ | ||||
| Grand total | 208 | 213 | 231 | 652 |
| Ratio between cost price and sales figures | |
| Cost price1. | |
| Composition and printing of text, and paper | 59 fl. 4 st. |
| Cost of illustration | 93 fl. 8 st. |
| _____ | |
| Total for 1,600 copies | 152 fl. 10 st. |
| i.e., cost price per copy | 1.9 st. |
| For some unknown reason Plantin disregarded the cost of illustration, hence his cost price was slightly under | ¾ st. |
[p. 521]
| Sales figures | |
| In 1566: 208 copies sold, bringing | 15 fl. 12 st. |
| In 1567: 213 copies sold, bringing | 15 fl. 19½ st. |
| In 1568: 231 copies sold, bringing | 17 fl. 4½ st. |
| _____ | |
| Total: 652 copies sold, bringing | 48 fl. 16 st. |
| Average price per copy sold | 1½ st. |
| Theoretical value of total run (1600 copies) | 120 fl. |
Valerius Flaccus, in 16mo
Classical author in Latin. Number of copies printed: 1000. First copy sold on 13th August 1566.
| 1566 | 1567 | 1568 | Total 1566-68 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | ||||
| Antwerp, bookshop | - | 3 | - | 3 |
| Antwerp, booksellers | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Present-day Belgium | ||||
| Booksellers | ||||
| Bruges | 1 | 1 | - | 2 |
| Liège | 2 | 2 | - | 4 |
| Louvain | 55 | 2 | - | 57 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total present-day Belgium | 58 | 9 | - | 67 |
| Present-day Northern France | ||||
| Booksellers | ||||
| Arras | 2 | - | - | 2 |
| Cambrai | 2 | - | - | 2 |
| Douai | - | 2 | - | 2 |
| Lille | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total Northern France | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Present-day Netherlands | ||||
| Booksellers | ||||
| Alkmaar | - | - | 2 | 2 |
| Haarlem | 3 | - | - | 3 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total Northern Netherlands | 3 | - | 2 | 5 |
| Private customers Netherlands | - | - | 2 | 2 |
[p. 522]
| 1566 | 1567 | 1568 | Total 1566-68 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | ||||
| Frankfurt (Fair) | 150 | - | 32 | 182 |
| Cologne (booksellers) | 4 | - | - | 4 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total Germany | 154 | - | 32 | 186 |
| France | ||||
| Paris (Plantinian bookshop) | - | 25 | - | 25 |
| Paris (booksellers) | 4 | - | 6 | 10 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total France | 4 | 25 | 6 | 35 |
| England | ||||
| London (booksellers) | 6 | 27 | - | 33 |
| Italy | ||||
| Rome (booksellers) | - | - | 2 | 2 |
| Venice (booksellers) | 2 | - | - | 2 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total Italy | 2 | - | 2 | 4 |
| Portugal | ||||
| Lisbon (booksellers) | - | 4 | - | 4 |
| Summary | ||||
| Antwerp & present-day Belgium | 58 | 9 | - | 67 |
| Present-day France | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Present-day Netherlands | 3 | - | 2 | 5 |
| Private customers Netherlands | - | - | 2 | 2 |
| Germany | 154 | - | 32 | 186 |
| France | 4 | 25 | 6 | 35 |
| England | 6 | 27 | - | 33 |
| Italy | 2 | - | 2 | 4 |
| Portugal | - | 4 | - | 4 |
| _____ | ||||
| Grand total | 231 | 67 | 45 | 343 |
[p. 523]
| Ratio between cost price and sales figures | |
| Cost price for 1000 copies1. | 49 fl. 2 st. |
| i.e., per copy (as calculated by Plantin) | 1 st. |
| Sales figures | |
| In 1566: 231 copies sold, bringing | 17 fl. 6½ st. |
| In 1567: 67 copies sold, bringing | 5 fl. 5 st. |
| In 1568: 45 copies sold, bringing | 3 fl. 7½ st. |
| _____ | |
| Total: 343 copies sold, bringing | 25 fl. 19 st. |
| Average price per copy sold | 1½ st. |
| Theoretical value of total run (1000 copies) | 75 fl. |
Vesalius-Valverda, Vivae imagines partium corporis humani, in folio.
Illustrated medical treatise in Latin. Number of copies printed: 600. First copy sold on 27th March 1566.
| 1566 | 1567 | 1568 | Total 1566-68 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | ||||
| Antwerp, bookshop | 9 | 5 | 8 | 22 |
| Antwerp, booksellers | 17 | 13 | 17 | 47 |
| Present-day Belgium | ||||
| Booksellers | ||||
| Bruges | 4 | - | - | 4 |
| Brussels | 2 | - | - | 2 |
| Ghent | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Liège | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Louvain | 11 | 7 | 1 | 19 |
| Malines | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Tournai | 4 | - | - | 4 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total present-day Belgium | 50 | 25 | 26 | 101 |
| Present-day Northern France | ||||
| Douai (bookseller) | - | 2 | - | 2 |
| Present-day Netherlands | ||||
| Booksellers | ||||
| Amsterdam | - | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Breda | 2 | - | - | 2 |
| Delft | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Haarlem | - | - | 3 | 3 |
| Utrecht | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total Northern Netherlands | 4 | 2 | 6 | 12 |
[p. 524]
| 1566 | 1567 | 1568 | Total 1566-68 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private customers Netherlands | 10 | - | 2 | 12 |
| Germany | ||||
| Augsburg (booksellers) | - | - | 2 | 2 |
| Cologne (booksellers) | 5 | - | - | 5 |
| Emmerich (booksellers) | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Frankfurt (Fair) | 20 | - | - | 20 |
| Heidelberg (booksellers) | - | 25 | - | 25 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total Germany | 26 | 25 | 2 | 53 |
| France | ||||
| Lyons | 13 | - | 6 | 19 |
| Paris (plantinian shop) | 25 | 57 | - | 82 |
| Paris (booksellers) | 26 | - | 2 | 28 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total France | 64 | 57 | 8 | 129 |
| England | ||||
| London | 16 | 10 | 4 | 30 |
| Italy | ||||
| Rome (booksellers) | - | - | 2 | 2 |
| Venice (booksellers) | 2 | - | - | 2 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total Italy | 2 | - | 2 | 4 |
| Iberian Peninsula | ||||
| (regular and occasional booksellers, private customers) | ||||
| Lisbon | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Madrid | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| Sevilla | - | - | 7 | 7 |
| _____ | ||||
| Total Iberian Peninsula | - | 1 | 8 | 9 |
[p. 525]
| Summary | ||||
| Antwerp & present-day Belgium | 50 | 25 | 26 | 101 |
| Northern France Present-day | - | 2 | - | 2 |
| Present-day Netherlands | 4 | 2 | 6 | 12 |
| Private customers Netherlands | 10 | - | 2 | 12 |
| Germany | 26 | 25 | 2 | 53 |
| France | 64 | 57 | 8 | 129 |
| England | 16 | 10 | 4 | 30 |
| Italy | 2 | - | 2 | 4 |
| Iberian Peninsula | - | 1 | 8 | 9 |
| _____ | ||||
| Grand total | 172 | 122 | 58 | 352 |
| Ratio between cost price and sales figures | |
| Cost price for 600 copies1. | 788 fl. 8 st. |
| i.e. per copy (as calculated by Plantin) | 1 fl. 6½ st. |
| Sales figures | |
| In 1566: 172 copies sold, bringing | 430 fl. |
| In 1567: 122 copies sold, bringing | 305 fl. |
| In 1568: 58 copies sold, bringing | 145 fl. |
| _____ | |
| Total: 352 copies sold, bringing | 880 fl. |
| Average price per copy sold | 2 fl. 10 st. |
| Theoretical value of total run (600 copies) | 1,500 fl. |
