Tuesday, July 2, 2024
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When compiling the data for an end-of-year story on auction totals,
Scoop started to think about something. It is entirely possible that what
we see and follow in the collectible field may have actually reached over a
billion dollars in sales during this past year.
Naturally we have to eliminate lots outside of our purview such as paintings by Van Gogh and Mark Rothko, both of which regularly fetch millions of dollars on their own, and concentrate on what Scoop readers generally find collectible. Eliminate all the big name art sales and we think that our collected hobbies may have actually seen a billion in sales this year.
The thing is that every single one of us, the collectors, the auctioneers, the writers, may have been working to hard to realize how strong our respective hobbies are.
The hardest part of this equation is figuring out exactly what we mean by "collectibles." This is what we came up with: if you could conceivably find the item at a yard sale without the news media going crazy over the find, it is a collectible. This should cover comics, dollhouses, trains, cast iron pieces, and toys of all kinds, movie memorabilia, marbles, animation art, a Tiffany lamp, comic art and much more. This very broad definition helps to eliminate a Van Gogh from an admittedly broad equation.
To find a total, we need to determine how the collectibles change hands. There are essentially two ways for a collector to find an item. These must be considered when marching towards a billion dollar total.
First, we thought of the auction houses. Heritage, MastroNet, Morphy's, Lelands, Hake's, EMoviePoster, It's Only Rock N Roll, Just Kids and others are the traditional method of finding an auction bargain for the collector. They all list sports, coins, toys, animation, Americana, political items, TV and Radio memorabilia and often much more. Each one of them is an established venue for the collector to find what they are looking for. In addition, almost all auction sites release final prices with buyer's premiums. Since these are part of the price paid, they are included in all figures.
The second part would have to be private sales. The most important significant part of that is to look at the World's Online Marketplace, eBay. There is so much activity on this international site that it is almost unbelievable. Ebay has opened up the collector's market to the entire planet. The problem for us is figuring out how much actually moves across eBay every day. That may be nearly impossible, but there are ways to estimate.
It is the same with trying to figure out exactly what changes hands at a collector's convention, both of these areas come under the heading of private sales. To get our year end total we need combine the auction houses with the private sales. We will come back to the eBay and private sales totals at the end.
A potential block to figuring out a year end total is that many of the auction houses do not release their year-end totals for the public. That is perfectly understandable and Scoop completely respects their decision to not reveal that total. Even without that exact information, many of the individual auction results this year still point to a possible billion dollar total. Here is what we have been able to come up with.
One company who is talking about their total is Heritage. According to their recent promotional material, they did over $450 Million in total auction sales during 2005. The company, who first made a name for themselves in comics and coins, has built on their initial success in those two areas to branch out into new areas of collecting. These new listings at Heritage often rival Sotheby's and Christies. The fact that they can branch out into other areas demonstrates how strong and stable their traditional areas of comics and coins are. That stability is what has allowed them to expand and build.
Consider this about that total figure: Heritage had 11 coins sell for over $1 Million each. That's just eleven coins. Over the past few years Heritage has worked hard at building a partnership with coin conventions across the country. This year that partnership saw several record breaking coin auctions. Again, they are building on their initial success to find new ways to bring items to the collector. Their first coin auction of the year, held in conjunction with the Florida United Numismatists in Fort Lauderdale, realized over $61 Million alone.
Always willing to take an auction risk, Heritage has helped the industry by virtue of their adventurousness. Their auction of Johnny Carson's desk from the Tonight Show was featured on the CBS Evening News the weekend the auction was to take place. During that October Music and Entertainment auction the desk realized $38,837. Working with Slater, Heritage also offered successful auctions with Political and Americana themes
While Heritage creates single-themed auctions, both MastroNet and Lelands approach the collectible market from a different direction. They both serve the expanding collectors market by combining Sports and Americana into single auctions. This combination allows a collector to discover new areas and possibly find a new hobby while at the same time holding their original interest with solid, traditional listings.
MastroNet's recent December auction alone totaled $13.5 Million. This was by no means the only success they had this year. Their first Classic Collectors auction back in February came within a hair of $2 Million. In April they saw a total for another auction of over $11 Million. They held several other major events throughout the year including one auction that saw a 1909-1911 Honus Wagner card realize $205,831.
Holding several main auctions a year, Lelands always brings out the best for collectors. This summer, Lelands Main Auction totaled over $4.5 Million. One of the key listings was a Joshua Gibson Trading Card from the Negro Leagues that brought $69, 264. In December, Lelands again topped $4.5 Million with another major listing of American and Sports. That auction saw the 1941 Heisman Trophy awarded to Bruce Smith sell for $391,240. These are just a few of their impressive results.
Lelands not only holds major auctions, they also hold smaller events, called Fredo Auctions, throughout the year. A memorable lot listed in a Fredo Auction was a check written by Babe Ruth that was made out to a liquor store. It sold for $4, 462.05. That single Fredo auction realized over $70,000 in sales. By holding several of of the smaller scale Fredo Auctions a year, Lelands provides the collector with a wider range of choice.
The totals for just those three Auctioneers alone brings the hobby well over halfway to our goal of a Billion Dollars. Their results are collectively impressive; however, every single auction house in the hobby contributes strongly to the goal of a billion dollars.
Morphy Auctions had their best year ever. Originally known for their expertise in mechanical banks, Morphy Auction House has grown to cover a wide range of collectibles from advertising to toys and more. That expertise in mechanical banks served them well this year as a J & E Stevens Girl Skipping Rope Mechanical Bank brought $32,000. Their fall auction broke $2 Million and the listings they posted inside their December Winter Event went over $1.2 Million.
Cast Iron Listings at Morphy attracted a lot attention. Sales from this area include a Hubley "Say it With Flower" Motorcycle which sold for $45,100; a Face Shoot Clown Gallery dated 1911 that reached $17,600 and a Halloween Doorstop which went to $38,500.
Toys were another strong listing for Morphy. A Hoge Popeye Rowboat with Original Box sold for $27,500; a Celluloid Mickey Mouse as Cowboy on Pluto Toy with box went for $10,400 and a Caille Brothers Mickey Finn Tug-o-war Strength Machine realized $46,500. Other sales included a Grapes Puffy Pairpoint Reverse on Glass Lamp that brought $28,600 and a Coca Cola Advertising Clock that sold for $11,000.
Pennsylvania's Hunt Auctions continually offer the sports collector highly prized lots in every auction. In their August Auction they sold a 1966 Pittsburgh Pirates jersey belonging to the late, great Roberto Clemente for $68,750. The previous month, July, they sold a 1958 Clemente Jersey for $71,500. This set a record price for a Clemente jersey. Each of their other auctions held similarly positive results. Each of their other auctions held similarly positive results.
In November, Hunt collaborated with the Louisville Slugger Museum in Kentucky for auction that was a sports collector's dream. During that event a photograph from the July 24, 1911 Addie Joss Day All-Star Benefit featuring a team that included Cobb, Speaker, Wood and others, brought $45,000.
They first made their mark in the auction business over thirty years ago by listing political buttons. Today, Hake's Americana stands at the top of the field with listings that cover a wide range of collectibles. They have grown to include listings for original art, toys, advertising collectibles, both movie and rock posters and more. Their first auction this year easily broke $800,000 and every successive auction they held closely followed that figure.
One of Hake's sales that drew the most attention this year was the $41,264 they received for an original Sunday Page of Peanuts art by Charles Schulz. In a later auction, a daily page by Schulz went for $18, 783. They also listed a Theatrical Superman Cartoon Poster with a linen backing that brought $11,500. Known for their listings in buttons, they sold a Flash Fastest Man Alive Comic Book Premium for $11,000 and a Kennedy is the Remedy Political Button for $8,651. Watch listings included a Popeye Pocket Watch form the early thirties that sold for $6,213 and an Ingersoll Mickey Mouse Wrist Watch from the 1933 Chicago Exposition that brought $6,160.
Hake's has also seen significant sales in their CGC graded Comic listings. This is a new area for Hakes. Each month they are listing over 200 books. Two of their most significant CGC sales include a CGC 6.5 copy of Batman #1 that sold for $30,000 and an All Winners Comics #1 CGC 9.2 that also brought $30,000.
Toy Rings were hot items in all Hake's auctions. Their Fall Event saw over 300 bidders competing for the rings listed. That auction occurred right as The Official Overstreet Comic Book Companion Ninth Edition hit the streets. Published by Random House, 30,000 copies shipped the first week. The book is now available at bookstores across America. This edition happened to include an update on Toy Ring Pricing! This is just one example of how every facet of the hobby supports another.
James D. Julia opened their first auction of 2005 with a half of a million dollar sale of Dolls. By the time the event was over on February 17, 2005, they had totaled $2.6 Million in sales. While they are an excellent source for toy and doll collectors, they also offer Americana and firearms. In October they set a world's record for a firearms auction total when the event totaled at nearly $9.3 Million. In November they held an advertising, toy and doll auction that reached $1.4 Million.
Geppi's Memorabilia Road Show held their first auction this year. The listings of sports, entertainment and historical memorabilia realized over $2.1 Million in the event. One of the highlights was a hand-written letter form General George Custer that realized $86,250. Other notable listings in this opening auction included the bustier worn by Madonna on the Blonde Ambition Tour which brought $28,000, from the world of boxing the Jem Mace Title Belt saw $57,500 and a 1950 World Series bat signed by Joe DiMaggio brought $81,900.
Other lots found in the final results of Geppi's Memorabilia Road Show's first auction include an Original Turnstile from Ebbets Field that drew $25,875; a confession letter from the Boxer Jack Johnson that brought $28,875; the rare signature of Heavyweight Champion Marvin Hart sold for $14,950 and a trio of original Babe Ruth Photographs went for $9,360.
Its Only Rock N Roll may be the most important Rock memorabilia auction site known. They regularly set records for their poster sales. The last auction they held in December topped a $1 Million Dollars. Those results were fueled by the listing of posters form the David Gest Collection and also posters from the Ray Overton Collection. That auction's results enhanced the totals of the other auctions they held throughout the year.
Smith House always runs detailed and exact auctions of toys that appeal to the discerning collector. In January of 2005, Smith House, who doesn't release auction totals, sold a 13" Horikawa robot for $12, 430. This was by no means the only big dollar sale of the auction. Nor was it their only success. They may be the greatest secret in the toy collecting hobby.
World renowned toy expert Noel Barrett held several auction this year. The second part of their auction of the Ward Kimball Toy Train Collection held in May realized over $2.2 Million. An October auction featuring the Kuper Collection of Circus Toys realized $1.1 million. A December auction featured an incredible collection of Doll Houses also broke well over a million dollars. In that final auction, a three-story Spanish Doll House dated to 1880-1900 brought $187,000.
Fans of animation art anxiously wait for the semi-annual SR Labs sale. Their first auction this year was held in June. One of the stand-out pieces was a compete cell, with background form the first Silly Symphony cartoon known as The Skeleton Dance. The cel brought $12,995. The same auction saw a key cell from Sleeping Beauty realize $17,250.
With their monthly on-line auctions of autographs and more, R&R Auctions always posts impressive results that can often total close to or over $100,000. One of their more notable listings was a letter form Jesse James looking to buy a farm that reached $105,300. Another letter, one from Walt Disney to composer Carl Stallings, brought $15,392.
Movie posters appeal to a wide range of collectors and are always great sellers. This year, as his customer base and business expanded, Bruce Hershenson renamed his company EMoviePoster.com. Even more collectors and fans flocked to the auctions. The company holds numerous auctions throughout the year, often listing over 1,000 posters and lobby cards in a single event. March saw the company sell a Day the Earth Stood Still One-Sheet for $13,228.
EMoviePoster's final two auctions of the year saw a combined total of over $500,000. The first auction featured a general listing of posters. Highlights included a rare, single sheet poster for the sequel to King Kong titled Son of Kong. It realized $61,100. Another one-sheet, this one for the Disney Silly Symphony cartoon Santa's Workshop sold for $16,800. That same auction also saw a 1938 insert for Snow White sell for $4,238. A second auction that ran concurrent with the first focused on movie posters that featured the State of Texas. That auction served a second purpose when Hershenson created a catalog for the auction that will allow Film Historians to survey the details of the collection.
Just Kids Nostalgia saw plenty of auction activity this year. In March they sold a CGC-certified 9.0 copy of Dell Four Color #62 for $6,401. This is just one sale from a listing that included some of the best examples of vintage Disney offered ever offered in one place. They also successfully listed a large collection of memorabilia from Mad Magazine. Their most important event may have been their Music Auction which spread out through late October and into November. They ended their year with massive sale of Rare and Unusual Postcards.
Collectors of magic and magic related memorabilia made the first auction of Random Treasures a complete success. One of the auction industry's newest houses, Random Treasures is focused on all things magic. Their first auction saw an original poster advertising Houdini's Milk Can Escape sell for $78,664. A pair of handcuffs used by Houdini went for $17,122 and a massive eight-sheet poster advertising the Magician Ramses sold for $22,224.
Profiles in History broke $2 Million with a single auction of Movie Memorabilia. That auction was anchored by the listing of a large number of Star Wars collectibles that were straight from the set of the first two movies made in the series. The official Light Saber used by Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars movie brought $200,600. Darth Vader's light saber from the second, The Empire Strikes Back, sold for $118,000. Their December auction of movie memoribilia saw the large-scale Proteus submarine filming minature from Fantastic Voyage realize $70,800. The Riddler costume worn by Jim Carey in Batman Forever sold for $64,900. That auction totaled over $1.8 Million.
Robert Edward Auctions held the biggest and most successful event in their thirty-five year history. A sports auction which closed at the end of April saw a Babe Ruth Rookie card bring $243,600. This wasn't even the biggest sale of the event, just the one that gathered the most publicity. The biggest sale in that auction was actually The Fashion Course Trophy Ball which brought $498,000.
The auction activity that Scoop saw this year was not limited to the continental United States either. In Britain, both Vault Auctions and Comic Book Postal Auctions (Compal) had incredibly productive years. Each site held several large auctions that listed books from Britain as well as America. In order to serve as many collectors as possible, each site deals in the British Pound as well as the American Dollar. Collectors all over Europe as well as America flocked to the listings for both of the auctioneers.
Vault sold several pages of very hard to find original art from the legendary series Watchmen. Each page went well over $3,000. Compal saw strong and significant sales with both original art and CGC graded books.
Other European Auctioneers include Sewden's Matuska Auctions. They cover toys from across Europe as well as America. After a solid year of activity, they are expanding their listings and auctions in 2006.
Russ Cochran, noted collector, publisher and one of the most respected auctioneers in the business, holds several auctions of original comic art every year. This year he achieved notable successes with his listings featuring original art by the creator of Peanuts, Charles Schulz. Cochran also saw strong sales with art from the publishing house of EC as well as original strip art by Alex Raymond, Chic Young, Hal Foster, Milton Caniff, George McManus and many other artistic legends.
Historian and author Jerry Weist held several auctions this year. Each one was deep in classic Golden and Silver Age books. He also offered a good quantity of original art in each event. Running a one man operation is taxing, but he sees sales such as an Action Comics #12 GCG 7.5 that brought $7,211. His December auction alone broke $185,000.
Traditional auction houses such as Bonhams, Christies and Sothebys all held auctions that could easily meet Scoop criteria for collectibles. A December auction of Animation Art at Bonhams went over $4 Million. An auction of Rock memorabilia at the same site reached $485,000. In November Christies oversaw the sale of an incredible collection of classic Toy Robots that garnered over $450,000 in sales. An auction of sports memorabilia listed at Sotheby's in December broke $3.5 Million. Each of these major houses is recognizing the value to be found in the collectibles that Scoop readers enjoy..
Take all the results we have listed above and factor in the monthly listings for farm toys at Aumann's Auctions; the number of interesting pieces of original art that Illustration House in NYC lists and sells; or the antique advertising lots that pass from one collector to another when Wm Morford runs one of their classic auctions. These three sites and many others expertly focus on a specific area that highlights the diversity of the collecting hobby.
After all these sales from Auction Houses, we still have to consider eBay listings and sales that happen at conventions. Theses private transactions are hard to keep track of. To get an idea of just the barest minimum of activity, here are some headlines from the past year of Scoop. This should help us get an image on how much actually moves through those channels:
1950s NBA Bread for Health Labels Soar To Over $11,000
Mego Star Trek Romulan Sells For Over $5,000!
AFA Graded G.I. Joe Duke Action Figure Sells For $2,392.93!
CGC Certified 9.4 Amazing Spider-Man #14 Brings Over $7,000!
AFA Graded G.I. Joe Duke Action Figure Sells For $2,392.93!
1968 Hot Wheels Prototype Coasts To $20,100!
Overstock.com Auctions "Matchless Ball" Worth $1.5 Million
Yellow Kid In McFadden's Flats Brings $10,500
Bob Kane Daily Hits $5,550
Second Archie Appearance Tops $3,000!
1933 Mickey Mouse Radio Sells For Over $3,600
Wonder Woman #1 Over $9,000
Miller Dark Knight Pages Sells For Over $3,000
Marvel Comics #1 Brings $161,000
Sales like this are just the very small tip of a very large iceberg. There is simply no way to accurately figure how much these small sales can total. One thing is for sure, there a lot of them, an awful lot of them.
Add these sales to the total in your head. Do you think that we are in a billion-dollar industry? Scoop thinks there is a good chance we are. One thing is for sure, this is a lot bigger than any of us realize.
What drives the hobby to these amazing results? It all comes down to a single individual, the collector. They are the most important part of the hobby. Without their knowledge, skill, heart and desire, none of this would exist.
In selecting the images that accompany this article, we wanted to emphasize the variety of hobby collecting. Scoop asks that you visit the many auction sites we have mentioned for a complete look at what each one can offer.
Naturally we have to eliminate lots outside of our purview such as paintings by Van Gogh and Mark Rothko, both of which regularly fetch millions of dollars on their own, and concentrate on what Scoop readers generally find collectible. Eliminate all the big name art sales and we think that our collected hobbies may have actually seen a billion in sales this year.
The thing is that every single one of us, the collectors, the auctioneers, the writers, may have been working to hard to realize how strong our respective hobbies are.
The hardest part of this equation is figuring out exactly what we mean by "collectibles." This is what we came up with: if you could conceivably find the item at a yard sale without the news media going crazy over the find, it is a collectible. This should cover comics, dollhouses, trains, cast iron pieces, and toys of all kinds, movie memorabilia, marbles, animation art, a Tiffany lamp, comic art and much more. This very broad definition helps to eliminate a Van Gogh from an admittedly broad equation.
To find a total, we need to determine how the collectibles change hands. There are essentially two ways for a collector to find an item. These must be considered when marching towards a billion dollar total.
First, we thought of the auction houses. Heritage, MastroNet, Morphy's, Lelands, Hake's, EMoviePoster, It's Only Rock N Roll, Just Kids and others are the traditional method of finding an auction bargain for the collector. They all list sports, coins, toys, animation, Americana, political items, TV and Radio memorabilia and often much more. Each one of them is an established venue for the collector to find what they are looking for. In addition, almost all auction sites release final prices with buyer's premiums. Since these are part of the price paid, they are included in all figures.
The second part would have to be private sales. The most important significant part of that is to look at the World's Online Marketplace, eBay. There is so much activity on this international site that it is almost unbelievable. Ebay has opened up the collector's market to the entire planet. The problem for us is figuring out how much actually moves across eBay every day. That may be nearly impossible, but there are ways to estimate.
It is the same with trying to figure out exactly what changes hands at a collector's convention, both of these areas come under the heading of private sales. To get our year end total we need combine the auction houses with the private sales. We will come back to the eBay and private sales totals at the end.
A potential block to figuring out a year end total is that many of the auction houses do not release their year-end totals for the public. That is perfectly understandable and Scoop completely respects their decision to not reveal that total. Even without that exact information, many of the individual auction results this year still point to a possible billion dollar total. Here is what we have been able to come up with.
One company who is talking about their total is Heritage. According to their recent promotional material, they did over $450 Million in total auction sales during 2005. The company, who first made a name for themselves in comics and coins, has built on their initial success in those two areas to branch out into new areas of collecting. These new listings at Heritage often rival Sotheby's and Christies. The fact that they can branch out into other areas demonstrates how strong and stable their traditional areas of comics and coins are. That stability is what has allowed them to expand and build.
Consider this about that total figure: Heritage had 11 coins sell for over $1 Million each. That's just eleven coins. Over the past few years Heritage has worked hard at building a partnership with coin conventions across the country. This year that partnership saw several record breaking coin auctions. Again, they are building on their initial success to find new ways to bring items to the collector. Their first coin auction of the year, held in conjunction with the Florida United Numismatists in Fort Lauderdale, realized over $61 Million alone.
Always willing to take an auction risk, Heritage has helped the industry by virtue of their adventurousness. Their auction of Johnny Carson's desk from the Tonight Show was featured on the CBS Evening News the weekend the auction was to take place. During that October Music and Entertainment auction the desk realized $38,837. Working with Slater, Heritage also offered successful auctions with Political and Americana themes
While Heritage creates single-themed auctions, both MastroNet and Lelands approach the collectible market from a different direction. They both serve the expanding collectors market by combining Sports and Americana into single auctions. This combination allows a collector to discover new areas and possibly find a new hobby while at the same time holding their original interest with solid, traditional listings.
MastroNet's recent December auction alone totaled $13.5 Million. This was by no means the only success they had this year. Their first Classic Collectors auction back in February came within a hair of $2 Million. In April they saw a total for another auction of over $11 Million. They held several other major events throughout the year including one auction that saw a 1909-1911 Honus Wagner card realize $205,831.
Holding several main auctions a year, Lelands always brings out the best for collectors. This summer, Lelands Main Auction totaled over $4.5 Million. One of the key listings was a Joshua Gibson Trading Card from the Negro Leagues that brought $69, 264. In December, Lelands again topped $4.5 Million with another major listing of American and Sports. That auction saw the 1941 Heisman Trophy awarded to Bruce Smith sell for $391,240. These are just a few of their impressive results.
Lelands not only holds major auctions, they also hold smaller events, called Fredo Auctions, throughout the year. A memorable lot listed in a Fredo Auction was a check written by Babe Ruth that was made out to a liquor store. It sold for $4, 462.05. That single Fredo auction realized over $70,000 in sales. By holding several of of the smaller scale Fredo Auctions a year, Lelands provides the collector with a wider range of choice.
The totals for just those three Auctioneers alone brings the hobby well over halfway to our goal of a Billion Dollars. Their results are collectively impressive; however, every single auction house in the hobby contributes strongly to the goal of a billion dollars.
Morphy Auctions had their best year ever. Originally known for their expertise in mechanical banks, Morphy Auction House has grown to cover a wide range of collectibles from advertising to toys and more. That expertise in mechanical banks served them well this year as a J & E Stevens Girl Skipping Rope Mechanical Bank brought $32,000. Their fall auction broke $2 Million and the listings they posted inside their December Winter Event went over $1.2 Million.
Cast Iron Listings at Morphy attracted a lot attention. Sales from this area include a Hubley "Say it With Flower" Motorcycle which sold for $45,100; a Face Shoot Clown Gallery dated 1911 that reached $17,600 and a Halloween Doorstop which went to $38,500.
Toys were another strong listing for Morphy. A Hoge Popeye Rowboat with Original Box sold for $27,500; a Celluloid Mickey Mouse as Cowboy on Pluto Toy with box went for $10,400 and a Caille Brothers Mickey Finn Tug-o-war Strength Machine realized $46,500. Other sales included a Grapes Puffy Pairpoint Reverse on Glass Lamp that brought $28,600 and a Coca Cola Advertising Clock that sold for $11,000.
Pennsylvania's Hunt Auctions continually offer the sports collector highly prized lots in every auction. In their August Auction they sold a 1966 Pittsburgh Pirates jersey belonging to the late, great Roberto Clemente for $68,750. The previous month, July, they sold a 1958 Clemente Jersey for $71,500. This set a record price for a Clemente jersey. Each of their other auctions held similarly positive results. Each of their other auctions held similarly positive results.
In November, Hunt collaborated with the Louisville Slugger Museum in Kentucky for auction that was a sports collector's dream. During that event a photograph from the July 24, 1911 Addie Joss Day All-Star Benefit featuring a team that included Cobb, Speaker, Wood and others, brought $45,000.
They first made their mark in the auction business over thirty years ago by listing political buttons. Today, Hake's Americana stands at the top of the field with listings that cover a wide range of collectibles. They have grown to include listings for original art, toys, advertising collectibles, both movie and rock posters and more. Their first auction this year easily broke $800,000 and every successive auction they held closely followed that figure.
One of Hake's sales that drew the most attention this year was the $41,264 they received for an original Sunday Page of Peanuts art by Charles Schulz. In a later auction, a daily page by Schulz went for $18, 783. They also listed a Theatrical Superman Cartoon Poster with a linen backing that brought $11,500. Known for their listings in buttons, they sold a Flash Fastest Man Alive Comic Book Premium for $11,000 and a Kennedy is the Remedy Political Button for $8,651. Watch listings included a Popeye Pocket Watch form the early thirties that sold for $6,213 and an Ingersoll Mickey Mouse Wrist Watch from the 1933 Chicago Exposition that brought $6,160.
Hake's has also seen significant sales in their CGC graded Comic listings. This is a new area for Hakes. Each month they are listing over 200 books. Two of their most significant CGC sales include a CGC 6.5 copy of Batman #1 that sold for $30,000 and an All Winners Comics #1 CGC 9.2 that also brought $30,000.
Toy Rings were hot items in all Hake's auctions. Their Fall Event saw over 300 bidders competing for the rings listed. That auction occurred right as The Official Overstreet Comic Book Companion Ninth Edition hit the streets. Published by Random House, 30,000 copies shipped the first week. The book is now available at bookstores across America. This edition happened to include an update on Toy Ring Pricing! This is just one example of how every facet of the hobby supports another.
James D. Julia opened their first auction of 2005 with a half of a million dollar sale of Dolls. By the time the event was over on February 17, 2005, they had totaled $2.6 Million in sales. While they are an excellent source for toy and doll collectors, they also offer Americana and firearms. In October they set a world's record for a firearms auction total when the event totaled at nearly $9.3 Million. In November they held an advertising, toy and doll auction that reached $1.4 Million.
Geppi's Memorabilia Road Show held their first auction this year. The listings of sports, entertainment and historical memorabilia realized over $2.1 Million in the event. One of the highlights was a hand-written letter form General George Custer that realized $86,250. Other notable listings in this opening auction included the bustier worn by Madonna on the Blonde Ambition Tour which brought $28,000, from the world of boxing the Jem Mace Title Belt saw $57,500 and a 1950 World Series bat signed by Joe DiMaggio brought $81,900.
Other lots found in the final results of Geppi's Memorabilia Road Show's first auction include an Original Turnstile from Ebbets Field that drew $25,875; a confession letter from the Boxer Jack Johnson that brought $28,875; the rare signature of Heavyweight Champion Marvin Hart sold for $14,950 and a trio of original Babe Ruth Photographs went for $9,360.
Its Only Rock N Roll may be the most important Rock memorabilia auction site known. They regularly set records for their poster sales. The last auction they held in December topped a $1 Million Dollars. Those results were fueled by the listing of posters form the David Gest Collection and also posters from the Ray Overton Collection. That auction's results enhanced the totals of the other auctions they held throughout the year.
Smith House always runs detailed and exact auctions of toys that appeal to the discerning collector. In January of 2005, Smith House, who doesn't release auction totals, sold a 13" Horikawa robot for $12, 430. This was by no means the only big dollar sale of the auction. Nor was it their only success. They may be the greatest secret in the toy collecting hobby.
World renowned toy expert Noel Barrett held several auction this year. The second part of their auction of the Ward Kimball Toy Train Collection held in May realized over $2.2 Million. An October auction featuring the Kuper Collection of Circus Toys realized $1.1 million. A December auction featured an incredible collection of Doll Houses also broke well over a million dollars. In that final auction, a three-story Spanish Doll House dated to 1880-1900 brought $187,000.
Fans of animation art anxiously wait for the semi-annual SR Labs sale. Their first auction this year was held in June. One of the stand-out pieces was a compete cell, with background form the first Silly Symphony cartoon known as The Skeleton Dance. The cel brought $12,995. The same auction saw a key cell from Sleeping Beauty realize $17,250.
With their monthly on-line auctions of autographs and more, R&R Auctions always posts impressive results that can often total close to or over $100,000. One of their more notable listings was a letter form Jesse James looking to buy a farm that reached $105,300. Another letter, one from Walt Disney to composer Carl Stallings, brought $15,392.
Movie posters appeal to a wide range of collectors and are always great sellers. This year, as his customer base and business expanded, Bruce Hershenson renamed his company EMoviePoster.com. Even more collectors and fans flocked to the auctions. The company holds numerous auctions throughout the year, often listing over 1,000 posters and lobby cards in a single event. March saw the company sell a Day the Earth Stood Still One-Sheet for $13,228.
EMoviePoster's final two auctions of the year saw a combined total of over $500,000. The first auction featured a general listing of posters. Highlights included a rare, single sheet poster for the sequel to King Kong titled Son of Kong. It realized $61,100. Another one-sheet, this one for the Disney Silly Symphony cartoon Santa's Workshop sold for $16,800. That same auction also saw a 1938 insert for Snow White sell for $4,238. A second auction that ran concurrent with the first focused on movie posters that featured the State of Texas. That auction served a second purpose when Hershenson created a catalog for the auction that will allow Film Historians to survey the details of the collection.
Just Kids Nostalgia saw plenty of auction activity this year. In March they sold a CGC-certified 9.0 copy of Dell Four Color #62 for $6,401. This is just one sale from a listing that included some of the best examples of vintage Disney offered ever offered in one place. They also successfully listed a large collection of memorabilia from Mad Magazine. Their most important event may have been their Music Auction which spread out through late October and into November. They ended their year with massive sale of Rare and Unusual Postcards.
Collectors of magic and magic related memorabilia made the first auction of Random Treasures a complete success. One of the auction industry's newest houses, Random Treasures is focused on all things magic. Their first auction saw an original poster advertising Houdini's Milk Can Escape sell for $78,664. A pair of handcuffs used by Houdini went for $17,122 and a massive eight-sheet poster advertising the Magician Ramses sold for $22,224.
Profiles in History broke $2 Million with a single auction of Movie Memorabilia. That auction was anchored by the listing of a large number of Star Wars collectibles that were straight from the set of the first two movies made in the series. The official Light Saber used by Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars movie brought $200,600. Darth Vader's light saber from the second, The Empire Strikes Back, sold for $118,000. Their December auction of movie memoribilia saw the large-scale Proteus submarine filming minature from Fantastic Voyage realize $70,800. The Riddler costume worn by Jim Carey in Batman Forever sold for $64,900. That auction totaled over $1.8 Million.
Robert Edward Auctions held the biggest and most successful event in their thirty-five year history. A sports auction which closed at the end of April saw a Babe Ruth Rookie card bring $243,600. This wasn't even the biggest sale of the event, just the one that gathered the most publicity. The biggest sale in that auction was actually The Fashion Course Trophy Ball which brought $498,000.
The auction activity that Scoop saw this year was not limited to the continental United States either. In Britain, both Vault Auctions and Comic Book Postal Auctions (Compal) had incredibly productive years. Each site held several large auctions that listed books from Britain as well as America. In order to serve as many collectors as possible, each site deals in the British Pound as well as the American Dollar. Collectors all over Europe as well as America flocked to the listings for both of the auctioneers.
Vault sold several pages of very hard to find original art from the legendary series Watchmen. Each page went well over $3,000. Compal saw strong and significant sales with both original art and CGC graded books.
Other European Auctioneers include Sewden's Matuska Auctions. They cover toys from across Europe as well as America. After a solid year of activity, they are expanding their listings and auctions in 2006.
Russ Cochran, noted collector, publisher and one of the most respected auctioneers in the business, holds several auctions of original comic art every year. This year he achieved notable successes with his listings featuring original art by the creator of Peanuts, Charles Schulz. Cochran also saw strong sales with art from the publishing house of EC as well as original strip art by Alex Raymond, Chic Young, Hal Foster, Milton Caniff, George McManus and many other artistic legends.
Historian and author Jerry Weist held several auctions this year. Each one was deep in classic Golden and Silver Age books. He also offered a good quantity of original art in each event. Running a one man operation is taxing, but he sees sales such as an Action Comics #12 GCG 7.5 that brought $7,211. His December auction alone broke $185,000.
Traditional auction houses such as Bonhams, Christies and Sothebys all held auctions that could easily meet Scoop criteria for collectibles. A December auction of Animation Art at Bonhams went over $4 Million. An auction of Rock memorabilia at the same site reached $485,000. In November Christies oversaw the sale of an incredible collection of classic Toy Robots that garnered over $450,000 in sales. An auction of sports memorabilia listed at Sotheby's in December broke $3.5 Million. Each of these major houses is recognizing the value to be found in the collectibles that Scoop readers enjoy..
Take all the results we have listed above and factor in the monthly listings for farm toys at Aumann's Auctions; the number of interesting pieces of original art that Illustration House in NYC lists and sells; or the antique advertising lots that pass from one collector to another when Wm Morford runs one of their classic auctions. These three sites and many others expertly focus on a specific area that highlights the diversity of the collecting hobby.
After all these sales from Auction Houses, we still have to consider eBay listings and sales that happen at conventions. Theses private transactions are hard to keep track of. To get an idea of just the barest minimum of activity, here are some headlines from the past year of Scoop. This should help us get an image on how much actually moves through those channels:
1950s NBA Bread for Health Labels Soar To Over $11,000
Mego Star Trek Romulan Sells For Over $5,000!
AFA Graded G.I. Joe Duke Action Figure Sells For $2,392.93!
CGC Certified 9.4 Amazing Spider-Man #14 Brings Over $7,000!
AFA Graded G.I. Joe Duke Action Figure Sells For $2,392.93!
1968 Hot Wheels Prototype Coasts To $20,100!
Overstock.com Auctions "Matchless Ball" Worth $1.5 Million
Yellow Kid In McFadden's Flats Brings $10,500
Bob Kane Daily Hits $5,550
Second Archie Appearance Tops $3,000!
1933 Mickey Mouse Radio Sells For Over $3,600
Wonder Woman #1 Over $9,000
Miller Dark Knight Pages Sells For Over $3,000
Marvel Comics #1 Brings $161,000
Sales like this are just the very small tip of a very large iceberg. There is simply no way to accurately figure how much these small sales can total. One thing is for sure, there a lot of them, an awful lot of them.
Add these sales to the total in your head. Do you think that we are in a billion-dollar industry? Scoop thinks there is a good chance we are. One thing is for sure, this is a lot bigger than any of us realize.
What drives the hobby to these amazing results? It all comes down to a single individual, the collector. They are the most important part of the hobby. Without their knowledge, skill, heart and desire, none of this would exist.
In selecting the images that accompany this article, we wanted to emphasize the variety of hobby collecting. Scoop asks that you visit the many auction sites we have mentioned for a complete look at what each one can offer.
