A copy of Jack London's The Call of the Wild featuring a rare variant binding realised $10,200 at PBA Galleries.

The book headlined an auction of materials relating to the author on June 25.

A rare variation of The Call of the Wild headlined the sale

It beat an estimate of $2,000 by 409.9%.

A cheque signed by London is pasted into the inside front cover.

A 1978 letter of provenance accompanies it from Jack London scholar Russ Kingman, who writes: "This is one of the rarest copies of 'The Call of the Wild.'

"This variant binding of the 1st Ed. 2nd Printing were only discovered about a year ago.

"To my knowledge there are only three copies. This copy, one in the Jack London Museum and one owned by the Jack London Ranch."

A first edition copy of the Cruise of the Snark, London's account of a sailing voyage in the South Pacific, made $3,600.

It was accompanied by a letter from London to poet and friend John Myers O'Hara, which was written on the boat. It reads in part: "When I get back to U.S., I want to put my list(?) and a few words into a 'Call of the Wild' and send it to you.

"We'll surely get together - I'll not promise in the East, but there's a ranch in California, in the Valley of the Moon, where I'd like to see you rest for a few months. Consider this a standing invitation."

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