Heritage's Latest Comic Auction Realizes $3.8 Million

January 23, 2006 Comics

Heritage's Latest Comic Auction Realizes $3.8 Million

Dallas, Texas: Heritage Auction Galleries held its most recent Comic and Original Comic Art Signature Auction January 19, 20, and 21, in Dallas, Texas. In all, 2,860 bidders competed for 3,022 lots, with 529 successful bidders pushing the overall total to $3,823,592, though the final total will likely be even higher, as after-auction sales are still ongoing.

"The Mile High copy of Flash Comics #1 was the marquee comic in our auction, and it didn't disappoint," said Ed Jaster, Vice-President for Heritage Auction Galleries, "not only did it set our company's record for the highest price paid for a comic book at $273,125, it topped the previous champion by $100,000! That new benchmark is a sign that the market for high-grade vintage comics is stronger than ever."

"Since we had a copy of each of the ten most valuable comics (according to Overstreet's ranking) in this auction, an achievement which we believe to be unprecedented, we knew there would be frenzied bidding for those ten books. But we also had two comics that aren't on that legendary list sell for over $50,000 - the Mile High copy of More Fun Comics #73 (first appearances of Aquaman and Green Arrow) went for $57,500, and the best known copy of Superman #2 sold for $54,625," Jaster noted.

"This auction also saw some of the most impressive results we've seen for comics from the Silver Age and later, underlining the strong demand for extremely high-grade copies of these books," Jaster added. "A NM 9.4 copy of The Flash #147 sold for $2,760, or 13 times the 9.2 Guide price. And the sole 9.8 copy of House of Secrets #103 sold for $632.50, or a whopping 22 times Guide!"

"As always, we also saw strong prices for original comic art," Jaster said. "with the Ub Iwerks Mickey Mouse strip, one of the earliest pieces of Mickey Mouse art known to exist, leading the pack at $74,750. Not far behind were the Wally Wood cover for Weird Science #21 ($46,000) and a beautiful Winsor McCay "Little Nemo" original with the first appearance of Flip ($40,250). And of course, our Mad auction featuring the Mad Magazine archives made this auction special, with Richard Williams' cover art for Mad #322 selling for $10,925, and in the Joke and Dagger department, the original art for the very first Spy vs. Spy strip sold for $11,500."

"These results would appear to be tough to top," said Jaster, "but we're going to do our best to do so in our next Signature auction on May 9-11, with plenty more Mad art and lots of other gems already on their way."

Additional auction highlights included:

• Captain America Comics #1 Kansas City pedigree CGC VF/NM 9.0 REALIZED: $96,686.25.
• Human Torch #2 (#1) CGC NM 9.4 REALIZED: $74,750.
• Action Comics #1 CGC Apparent VF- 7.5 REALIZED: $69,000.
• Detective Comics #27 CGC Apparent FN 6.0 REALIZED: $61,065.
• Batman #1 CGC VF- 7.5 REALIZED: $51,750.
• Alex Raymond - Flash Gordon Sunday Comic Strip Original Art REALIZED: $23,000.
• Walt Disney Studios - "Gulliver Mickey" Publicity Illustration REALIZED: $18,400.

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HeritageAuctions.com.

Heritage Auction Galleries specializes in rare, high-grade comic books, as well as vintage comic and animation art, illustration art, classic toys, movie posters and comics-related collectibles.

Prospective consignors and sellers of top-end comics material, toys, and original art are invited to call Ed Jaster at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 288 or Lon Allen at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 261 to discuss their rare comics and original illustration and comic art. Or visit www.HeritageAuctions.com and click on the "Sell Now" tab. Or simply email Ed Jaster at EdJ@HeritageAuctions.com or Lon Allen at LonA@HeritageAuctions.com.

Music and Hollywood memorabilia collectors should contact Doug Norwine at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 452 or email DougN@HeritageAuctions.com.

Movie poster consignors, please call Grey Smith at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 367 or email GreySm@HeritageAuctions.com.

To reserve your copy of a catalog for any upcoming Heritage auction, please contact Nicole Jewell, c/o Heritage Auction Galleries, 3500 Maple Avenue, 17th Floor, Dallas, TX 75219, or call 1-800-872-6467, ext. 272.