Fans weren't put off by the $700 (£438) price tag and rushed to get their hands on the coffee table photo book, released by bosses at German publishing company Taschen to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the start of Gisele's career.

The book features 300 shots of the Brazilian beauty in various states of undress, and the model signed all 1,000 copies.

Gisele, who recently topped Forbes magazine's highest-paid model list for the ninth consecutive year, with an estimated $44 million (£27.5 million) fortune, celebrated the release - and the immediate sellout - by posting a thank you note to fans online.

"(I'm feeling) gratitude for the love and affection I received from everyone today at the launch of my book, thank you for being present at this very special moment for me," she wrote in Portuguese alongside an Instagram.com photo of her posing with her hands clasped in prayer.

All proceeds from the book, titled Gisele, will go to charity.