England's Colchester Bookshop is offering for sale a copy of Decline and Fall inscribed to Osbert Sitwell. From the listing at AbeBooks.com:
An exceptional association and presentation copy from the very beginning of Evelyn Waugh's career as an author, dated within 12 days of publication of his first novel, (published 18 September 1928). Waugh was a regular visitor to the Sitwells, the last entry in his diaries before publication of Decline & Fall recording that he drank too much while dining with Osbert three days before drawing the dust jacket. Evelyn Waugh's signature is comparable to that used in his letters in 1928, and less florid than that found in most other presentation copies, which appear to have been inscribed some months or years after publication. This sets the current copy apart as extraordinarily rare; one of very few copies of his first novel that Waugh would have distributed to selected members of his social circle on publication, among whom Osbert Sitwell was arguably the most senior literary figure.
As of the date of this post, the asking price is US $20,126.99, plus $6.51 shipping.
