Part II of the Peter Hansen Collection sale at Excalibur Auctions on Saturday achieved a ‘white glove’ sale, with every lot sold and a total of £152,000, exceeding the total of £100,000 for Part I by Anderson & Garland in March.

The standout result was British comic artist Simon Bisley’s original cover art for ABC Warriors Book 4: Genocide (1988), which realised an impressive £35,560 after fierce international bidding. The sale also saw strong prices for rare Camelot 3000 artwork by Brian Bolland, alongside vintage British comics and classic Dan Dare memorabilia.

The Peter Hansen Collection has now firmly established itself as one of the most significant British comic archives ever to come to market in the UK. The extensive archive was amassed by passionate private collector Peter Hansen, and represents a lifetime devoted to celebrating the creators, characters and cultural impact of British comic publishing.

As we previously reported, going under the hammer were hundreds of popular comic books, rare free gifts, original cover artwork, advertising ephemera, licensed toys, merchandise and fanzines.

The sale at Excalibur Auctions on Saturday 9th May 2026, was Part II of the collection and surpassed the results of Part I (£100,000 at Anderson & Garland auctioneers in March), realising a total of £152,000.

Tom Barker, Pop Culture, Movie and Music Specialist at Excalibur Auctions, said: “The auction generated huge international interest and competitive bidding throughout, with private collectors from around the world competing for rare comics, original artwork, toys and memorabilia from across the history of British comic publishing.”

The standout lot of the sale was the original comic book cover art for ABC Warriors Book 4 (1988) entitled Genocide, mounted on card, signed by artist Simon Bisley. Bisley is one of the most influential and visually distinctive comic artists of his generation, internationally recognised for his explosive painted style, dynamic anatomy, and cinematic storytelling.

Best known for his groundbreaking work on titles such as ABC Warriors, Lobo and Slaine, he has shaped the look of modern fantasy and action comics for more than three decades. It was no surprise therefore that there was fierce competition for the artwork, which finally won out to a UK collector for a staggering £35,560 (Lot 364).

There was also strong bidding for original artwork from the acclaimed Camelot 3000 series for DC Comics, a 12-issue science fiction/fantasy comic book limited series published between 1982 and 1985, written by Mike W. Barr. The series featured detailed artwork by the renowned British comic artist Brian Bolland, who helped pioneer the rise of British creators in the American comics industry.  

Set in the year 3000 A.D., the story unfolds on a futuristic, densely populated Earth under siege by an invading alien armada. In a moment of global crisis, a young boy named Tom Prentice uncovers the resting place of King Arthur and inadvertently awakens the legendary monarch, who returns to lead the defence of Britain and ultimately the world against the extraterrestrial threat.

The Camelot 3000 Volume 2 #7 page 1 (1983) in the sale was signed by Bolland and came complete with title and publishing overlays. It sold for £8,890 (Lot 41).

A page of original artwork from the final issue of the limited series of Camelot 3000 #12 (1985), also performed well. Drawn and signed by Bolland, inked by one of the most influential American inkers in superhero comics, Terry Austin, it sold for £3,810 (Lot 405).

Among the vintage comic highlights was The Beezer #1 (1956), complete with its coveted Whizz Bang free gift and four-page promotional flyer insert from The Dandy. This copy realised £1,837.50 (Lot 209).

Collectors also competed strongly for classic Dan Dare memorabilia. A boxed and complete Dan Dare Rocket Target game, licensed from the original Eagle comic and produced by British toy manufacturer Chad Valley in the 1950s, achieved £1,270 (Lot 96). Meanwhile, a Mettoy Dan Dare Ray Gun dating from circa 1953, featuring the friction spark action familiar to generations of children, sold for £698.50 (Lot 92). 

Commenting on the result, Barker said: “The sale created huge excitement among international bidders, with private collectors participating from around the world. Singapore was especially active throughout the auction, alongside extremely strong bidding from UK collectors. Achieving a white glove sale with every lot sold, while surpassing the results achieved in Part I, at over £150,000 demonstrates both the extraordinary quality of Peter Hansen’s collection and the continuing global appetite for rare British comics and original comic artwork.

“The comic book cover art for ABC Warriors Book 4 (1988)was undoubtedly one of the stars of the sale, with a bidding war ensuing, before it finally won out to a UK private collector.”

The Peter Hansen Collection has been widely regarded as one of the most important archives of British comics and original comic artwork ever assembled in private hands. He spent decades building the collection and frequently loaned material to institutions including the Cartoon Museum and the National Centre for Children’s Books.

Further Collection Auctions Ahead

Following the success of the first instalment at Anderson & Garland in March 2026 and this white glove result at Excalibur Auctions, two further auctions have been announced: The Peter Hansen Collection of Vintage Toys, including Dan Dare and Gerry Anderson – Part 3, run by Excalibur Auctions, taking place on Saturday 20th June 2026; and the The Peter Hansen Prestige Collection of British Comics & Artwork – Part 4, run by Anderson & Garland, taking place on Wednesday 8th July 2026, which will have a particular emphasis on British comics and original artwork. Neither catalogue is live, but if you register for an account directly withthe auction houses, you can sign up for reminders.

Head downthetubes for…

• A Comics Collection for the Nation: An Interview with Peter Hansen

• Peter Hansen Comic Collection heads to auction, an incredible British comics archive

• Six Figure Result for Newcastle Comic Auction as Peter Hansen Collection Makes Spectacular Debut

• More British comic art gems set to go under the hammer from the Peter Hansen collection

• About the Author
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John Freeman

John  is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of  comics such as 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.

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Tags: 2000AD, ABC Warriors, Anderson & Garland, Auction News, Camelot 3000, Dan Dare, downthetubes News, Excalibur Auctions, Peter Hansen Collection, Simon Bisley, The Beezer