The Golden Compasses


auteur: Leon Voet


bron: Leon Voet, The Golden Compasses. The History of the House of Plantin-Moretus. Vangendt & Co, Amsterdam / Routledge & Kegan Paul, London / Abner Schram, New York 1969-1972. (2 delen)  


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[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.