Going, Going, Gone: Jeremy M. Norman, a bookseller from Novato, Calif., auctioned off the largest private collection of computer-related historical literature. In his hands is an original magnetic tape for one of the most significant early commercial computers, the Univac.

Bidders at Christie's elegant auction house in New York City's Rockefeller Center are identified by paddles with three-digit numbers. Bidders who wish complete privacy can place their bids by phone.