Heritage Auctions smashes another sales record

By John Freeman on June 26, 2021

*Journey Into Mystery #83 (Marvel, 1962)*

Less than a week after its record-smashing $22.4 million Comics & Comic Art Signature auction, Heritage Auctions, the world’s largest comics auctioneer, set a new world record for the largest weekly comics auction ever held when its Sunday & Monday Comic Books Weekly Select Auction and its Wednesday Comic Art & Animation Select Auction amassed $904,285 in total sales.

The record for any weekly comics auction is $799,725, but that sale included video games and comic art, but the new total sets a new standard for events dedicated solely to comic books.

The Comic Books Auction reached $759,941 in sales, while the Comic Art & Animation Auction brought $144,344. Add in Tuesday’s $64,715 Video Games and Trading Card Games auction, and the department’s weekly sales climbed to an even $969,000, smashing the previous record of $799,725.

“We added a night to our weekly auctions because we simply had too many comic books to sell in one night without keeping live bidders awake too late!” Heritage Auctions Vice President Barry Sandoval said, “and I think this record total shows that there is plenty of quality, not just quantity. To give one example, we have sold 35 Hulk #181s so far in 2021, but still have many more to come.”

Forty bids poured in for Journey Into Mystery #83 (Marvel, 1962) CGC FN+ 6.5 Off-white to white pages until it finished at $26,400 to lead all lots in the auction. The No. 6 issue on Overstreet’s list of Top 50 Silver Age Comics, with its dramatic cover by Jack Kirby and art by Kirby and Steve Ditko includes the origin and first appearance of Thor. According to the June 2021 CGC census, it is one of just 66 copies graded in 6.5, with only 173 known to carry a higher grade.

Challenging for the auction’s top result was X-Men #1 (Marvel, 1963) CGC VG 4.0 White pages, which brought $24,000. The issue features the origin and first appearance of the X-Men (Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Iceman and Marvel Girl), as well as the first appearances of Professor X and Magneto. Jack Kirby created the cover and art for the issue, which is ranked No. 8 on Overstreet’s list of Top 50 Silver Age Comics. The offered copy, from the Oregon Coast Collection, is one of 397 graded 4.0, according to the June 2021 CGC census.

Other top comic books in the auction included, but were not limited to: a copy of The Incredible Hulk #181 (Marvel, 1974) CGC NM 9.4 White pages, sold for $19,200; The Incredible Hulk #1 (Marvel, 1962) CGC GD/VG 3.0 White pages ($18,600); Daredevil #1 (Marvel, 1964) CGC VF- 7.5 Cream to off-white pages ($14,400); The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (Marvel, 1963) CBCS VG 4.0 White pages ($13,800); Fantastic Four #5 Signature Series: Stan Lee (Marvel, 1962) CGC VG 4.0 Off-white to white pages ($12,600); Amazing Fantasy #15 (Marvel, 1962) CBCS Restored GD+ 2.5 (Moderate) White pages ($12,300); and The Incredible Hulk #181 (Marvel, 1974) CGC VF/NM 9.0 Off-white pages ($10,500).

*Brian Bolland -Wolverine Specialty Illustration Original Art*

Top comic art lots included, but were not limited to: Keith Giffen and Larry Mahlstedt Legion of Super-Heroes #292 Story page 14 original Art (DC, 1982) ($7,200); Dick Ayers and John Tartaglione Sgt. Fury #34 Story Page 7 Original Art (Marvel, 1966) ($7,200); John Pederson Jr. Galaxy Science Fiction Vol.15 #4 Cover Painting Original Art (Galaxy Publishing, 1958) ($4,560); Marshall Rogers DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel #5 “Demon with a Glass Hand” Story Pages 4 & 14 Original Art (DC, 1986) ($2,880); and a Brian Bolland -Wolverine Specialty Illustration Original Art (undated), sold for $2,340.

Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Geneva, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.

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John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.