How many pairs of bookcases come up each year?

Around fifty pairs come to market in a year on Sellingantiques, listed by 123 different dealers over the life of the archive. That spread tells you it's a category almost every general furniture dealer touches occasionally, rather than anyone's specialism.

What does a near pair mean in these listings?

It means two closely similar cases that weren't made as one set. Dealers here are unusually candid about it, using "near pair", "matched pair" and "very close pair" as separate descriptions. A few listings go further and simply say "2 Available", which is as plain as it gets.

Which timbers turn up most often?

Oak leads with 163 titles, mahogany follows at 130 and walnut at 51. Between them they account for the bulk of the category. Beyond the headline three, the archive carries satinwood, rosewood, yew, birds eye maple, burr maple, satin birch, teak, pitch pine and plain pine. The exotic ones cluster near the top of the range.

Are barrister bookcases common as pairs?

Yes. Stacking sectional pairs make up roughly a fifth of the category, and they're heavily oak. Globe Wernicke appears in 69 titles, often as "Globe Wernicke style" rather than as an attribution.

What period do most of these date from?

The dated field runs from 1790 to 1960, but the weight is early twentieth century. The 1920s is the fullest decade at 90 listings, the 1910s next at 80, and the 1900s at 56. Only 322 of 495 listings give a clean year. The rest carry style or reign labels instead: 69 say only "19th Century", 44 Edwardian, 28 Victorian and 11 Regency.

Do unusual forms ever appear in this category?

They do, though only once or twice each. Book troughs, extending novel rests, revolving book tables with a brass gallery, marble-topped open bookshelves and mirrored bookcases have all passed through. One pair carried bronze glazing bars. Continental and colonial origins are the rarest of all, with single appearances by Swedish, Scandinavian painted, Biedermeier, Anglo-Indian and Irish pairs against 22 French titles.