Market-watchers pounced on rare comic art & action figures at Hake’s $2.7M auction

One of six lots of Al Williamson (1931-2020) original, unpublished concept art that preceded the ‘Star Wars’ daily newspaper comic strip (which was ultimately written and drawn by Russ Manning and ran from 1979-1984). Of 12 proposal strips created by Williamson, the first six were gifted to George Lucas; the other six were given to Star Wars marketing genius Charles Lippincott, whose widow has consigned them to Hake’s. Sold for $46,730

YORK, Pa. – Original comic strip art continues to solidify its position alongside fine art in the collector marketplace, with the latest proof coming on day two of Hake’s July 26-27 auction of pop culture rarities. Amongst the highlights of the $2.7 million sale was a selection of six consecutive lots of original concept art created in the late 1970s for a proposed Star Wars daily newspaper comic strip. Drawn by legendary comic strip artist Al Williamson (1931-2020) as part of a series of twelve strips, the artworks never saw publication.

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James Bond toys offer a license to bid at Potter & Potter, June 16

James Bond Secret Agent 007 Shooting Attache Case, est. $2,500-$5,000

 

James Bond Secret Agent 007 Shooting Attache Case, est. $2,500-$5,000
James Bond Secret Agent 007 Shooting Attache Case, est. $2,500-$5,000

CHICAGO – Potter & Potter Auctions will hold a nearly 700-lot sale of entertainment-related ephemera and materials, Walt Disney World park-used items, mid-century playthings, erotica, and other eclectic merchandise on Saturday, June 16 starting at 10 am Central time. Many of the rock and roll related lots are from the collection of Bo Overlock, concert organizer and the former director of marketing and promotions for VH1. The sale also features a lifetime collection of vintage James Bond toys and collectables. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Original comic book art: next-level collecting

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.
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.
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.”

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Spider-Man original comic book artwork sells for record $3.3M

Original comic book artwork of page 25 from Marvel Comics’ Secret Wars No. 8, rendered by Mike Zeck in 1984. It commanded $3.3 million and a new world auction record. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions
Original comic book artwork of page 25 from Secret Wars No. 8, rendered by Mike Zeck in 1984, commanded $3.3 million and a new world auction record. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions
Original comic book artwork of page 25 from Marvel Comics’ Secret Wars No. 8, rendered by Mike Zeck in 1984. It commanded $3.3 million and a new world auction record. Courtesy Heritage Auctions

DALLAS – Spider-Man was already the star of the most expensive comic book ever sold at auction. As of January 13, the Web-Slinger is also credited with what is now the world’s most valuable page of original comic book artwork. Page 25 from 1984’s Secret Wars No. 8, which tells the origin story of the Web-Slinger’s now-iconic black costume, sold at Heritage Auctions for $3,360,000.

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Metal lunchboxes serve up a feast of retro icons

This unused Superman lunchbox with Thermos achieved $2,200 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2017 at Hake’s Auctions. Image courtesy of Hake’s Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
This unused Superman lunchbox with Thermos achieved $2,200 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2017 at Hake’s Auctions. Image courtesy of Hake’s Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — For many kids of the postwar generation, the best part of back-to-school shopping was not the clothes or the annual trip to Buster Brown to get a new pair of shoes, but choosing a lunchbox. Brown-bagging your PB&J sandwich became a thing of the past with the advent of bright and colorful metal lunchboxes decorated with child-friendly characters or favorite media stars. In school cafeterias from as early as the 1930s through the early 1980s, a parade of sturdy lunchboxes featured fictional and real-world stars such as Mickey Mouse, Batman, Strawberry Shortcake, Superman, the Beatles and Scooby Doo.

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Sept. 6 no-reserve auction packs a punch with vintage comic books

Superman #233, est. $5-$500

NEW YORK – You can get comics delivered to your iPad or phone, but there’s something special about rifling through boxes or racks of printed, physical comic books. That sense of specialness is enhanced when the comic books are vintage, and date from times you never knew or barely existed in. It gives the sense that the stories are bigger than you – that they were there before you were born, and will be there to delight your great-grandchildren.

On Monday, September 6, starting at 7 pm Eastern time, Jasper52 will hold an 147-lot sale titled No Reserve Rare Comics. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Character debuts add value to classic comic books

Copies of Golden Age comics in great condition, such as Detective Comics #27, which introduced Batman, easily sell for more than a million dollars. Still, this 5.0-grade example brought $1.125 million in June 2021 at Heritage Auctions.
Copies of Golden Age comics in great condition, such as Detective Comics #27, which introduced Batman, easily sell for more than a million dollars. Still, this 5.0-grade example brought $1.125 million in June 2021 at Heritage Auctions.
Copies of Golden Age comics in great condition easily sell for more than a million dollars. Still, this 5.0-grade example of Detective Comics #27, which introduced the iconic superhero Batman, brought $1.125 million in June 2021 at Heritage Auctions.

NEW YORK — If you are a serious comic book collector, your Holy Grail is the issue that features the first appearance of a character. People pay big bucks for issues where a beloved superhero or villain makes their debut. The gold standard has been issues such as Action Comics #1, which saw the debut of Superman; Detective Comics #27, which introduced Batman; and Amazing Fantasy #15, in which the comics-reading world met Spiderman. A host of less heavy-hitting characters are prompting collectors to pay robust prices for their debut issues, too. In June 2021, Heritage Auctions sold a copy of Marvel Spotlight #5, which contains the first appearance of Ghost Rider, for $264,000, making it the most expensive comic from the 1970s.

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Collectors aimed high for robots, Disney toys at Milestone auction

Bandai (Japan) friction-powered ‘Flying Spaceman’ on ‘Super Cycle’ with original caped, green rubber “Superman” figure. Cape shown in foreground. Accompanied by colorfully illustrated box lid. The top lot of the sale, it sold for $55,200 against an estimate of $15,000-$25,000.

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – Bidders from more than 20 countries worldwide brought their A-game to Milestone’s May 1 Spring Spectacular Toy Auction, which ran 13 hours due to sustained bidding, primarily via the Internet. Interest was especially strong for robots, early comic character toys and an extraordinary collection of 150+ vintage toy boats and electric outboard motors in their original boxes.

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Milestone’s May 1 auction loaded with rare robots, early comic character toys

Masudaya (Japan) 15-inch battery-operated Target Robot from the famous ‘Gang of Five.’ All original and complete with correct dart gun and one dart. Estimate $8,000-$12,000

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – They came from the future and landed on Earth in the 1950s and ’60s, but now toy robots of that classic production era seem more like prophets whose mission is being fulfilled more than half a century later in the labs of MIT and NASA. For many collectors, the connection to robots is rooted in a childhood memory – discovering that Santa had left them a walking, flashing, noisy android under the Christmas tree. Collectors will relive that indelible memory on May 1st at Milestone’s 766-lot Spring Spectacular Toy Auction, which features a specialty grouping of more than 100 coveted vintage robots and space toys.

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