Group-lot of six Silver Age ‘Fantastic Four’ comic books published in 1966, ’67 and ‘68, est. $300-$500
SOUTHAMPTON, Pa. – On Friday, April 22nd, superheroes and comic-character favorites will converge on Stephenson’s auction gallery in suburban Philadelphia for an exciting 302-lot sale of collectibles, memorabilia, comic books and posters. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
This cover illustration for the Incredible Hulk #283 by Ed Hannigan (Marvel, May 1983) ticks all the boxes, but the fact that it was in color had no effect on its performance at auction. It attained $33,314 including the buyer’s premium in March 2022. Image courtesy of Hake’s Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
NEW YORK — People of all ages buy comic books to read for pleasure, and a subset of them enjoy collecting investment-grade examples. Still others chase the original hand-drawn illustrations that are reproduced en masse in the actual comic books. “This is another level of fan that very much revels in owning one-of-a-kind works of art,” said Alex Winter, president of Hake’s Auctions in York, Pennsylvania. “It is this unique nature that makes comic art highly sought after by that crowd.”
Magic: The Gathering Beta Black Lotus card, graded CGC 9 Mint, est. $40,000-$60,000
CRANSTON, R.I. – Anyone who doubts the soaring popularity of Magic: The Gathering (MTG) trading cards should look no further than Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers’ Winter Comic, TCG (Trading Card Games) & Toy auction slated for Saturday, February 26, starting at 10 am Eastern. The top five lots – all MTG cards – have a combined high estimate of $135,000. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
A set of circa-1980s hard copy prototypes of ThunderCats characters Lion-O and Snarf achieved $2,750 plus the buyer’s premium in February 2021 at Hake’s Auctions. Image courtesy of Hake’s Auctions and LiveAuctioneers
NEW YORK — If you grew up in the 1980s, you probably remember ThunderCats. The characters can evoke powerful feelings today, even among those who were only slightly familiar with the TV show and its wider franchise. The feeling is called nostalgia, and it’s probably the single biggest reason the collectibles market has been soaring as a whole during the last few years.
Tales of Suspense #39, featuring the first appearance of Iron Man, est. $50,000-$80,000
CRANSTON, R.I. – Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers will ring in 2022 with a 20-lot New Year’s Day Premier Comic Auction on Saturday, January 1. It’s a modest group of comics, but don’t let the size of the lineup fool you. These books are from a single-owner Midwest collection (Bruneau & Co. sold the bulk of them this past year); what remains are his last, final comics, to be sold without reserves. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
A ‘Top-Notch Comics’ #2, January 1940, from MLJ Magazines, featuring Jack Cole and Mort Meskin art, sold for $9,257 plus buyer’s premium at Hake’s Auctions in March 2017. Photo courtesy of Hake’s Auctions and LiveAuctioneers
NEW YORK — While comic book fans obviously know DC Comics and Marvel, there are legions of other comics universes worth collecting. Some were short-lived and only in production for a few years but have re-emerged over the past few years to attract a loyal following. Read more
