Bruneau came close to the record for a CGC-graded 9.8 issue of Marvel Comics’ Tales to Astonish #90, which an online bidder took to $18,125 and the sale’s top price ($10/15,000).
Review by Madelia Hickman Ring, Photos Courtesy Bruneau & Co Auctioneers
CRANSTON, R.I. – On September 17, Bruneau & Co Auctioneers sold 225 lots of toys from the Brooklyn, N.Y., collection of Andy Yanchus, project manager for Aurora Plastics (1965-1975) and staff colorist for Marvel Comics (1975-1992). That sale was 100 percent sold with a total of approximately $100,000. Bruneau followed it up on New Year’s Day, with 564 lots, nearly the entirety of Yanchus’ comic collection. Like the first sale, it saw all lots sell and achieved a total $401,778 against an aggregate low/high estimate of $167,380/272,220. The sale attracted nearly 11,000 registered bidders, across three online platforms, as well as more than a dozen bidders who made the trek to attend the sale in person.
“It took exactly ten hours to sell. Not only did we have a lot of new buyers, but it was the biggest in-house audience I’ve ever had for a comic book sale,” observed Travis Landry, Bruneau’s director of Pop Culture. “The [Yanchus] family is beyond happy. We still have a few things from Andy’s collection that we’ll sell in mid to late spring.”
Earning the sale’s top spot at $18,125 was a 9.8 CGC-graded copy of Marvel Comics’ Tales to Astonish #90, which sold to a buyer bidding on Invaluable. The issue is significant in that it is the issue that featured the first appearance of the Abomination and first Silver Age appearance of Byrrah; and one of only eight issues of the same grade and none of a higher grade. Landry said the result was just shy of the record price for the issue.
An issue which brought a new record price was the Marvel Comics Avengers #71, also in CGC-grade of 9.8, which featured the first appearance of the Invaders as well as depicted when Black Knight joined the Avengers. According to the CGC census, it the highest grade available, with just 32 known copies. A buyer bidding on Invaluable took it to $8,750.
Considered the most important comic from Yanchus’ time with Marvel was this 22-page color guide for Amazing Spider-Man #238 that included artwork by both John Romita Jr and John Romita Sr. Dating to 1983, the lot made $5,250 ($1/1,500).
A 9.6 CGC-graded issue of Marvel Comics Silver Surfer #3 that featured the first appearance of Mephisto and a Tales of the Watcher backup story sailed to $7,188; it is one of less than 50 comparable examples known.
A result Landry was personally very happy about was the $7,188 achieved for a CGC 9.8-rated copy of Gold Key Green Hornet #1. The result is particularly noteworthy in that the highest rated issue previously offered at auction was a 9.6; bottom line, there are no finer examples of this book known.
Cataloged as “a no-brainer for your comic portfolio” was a CGC-graded 9.8 copy of Marvel Comics’ Marvel Premiere #28, the issue from February 1976 that saw the first appearance of the Lion of Monsters and no higher-graded examples are known to exist. It earned $6,125, well ahead of expectations.
Though most of the winning bidders of the sale’s top lots were online, bidders in the room did not go home empty-handed. Such was the case for a 9.0-graded copy of Marvel Comics’ Marvel Spotlight #5, which presented the origin and first appearance of Ghost Rider and the first appearance of Roxanne Simpson. Despite online competition, a bidder in the room paid $6,000 for the August 1972 issue.
The vast majority of comics in Yanchus’ collection were superhero and science fiction but Westerns were on hand as well, notably nine lots that was led at $4,875 — and a new record for the finest condition known — for Gold Key Bonanza issue #1, from December 1962 ($300/500).
The complete original story color guide to Marvel Comics Amazing Spider-Man #238 from March 1983 was cataloged as arguably the most important comic from Yanchus’s time with Marvel and included all 22 stat paper pages of artwork by John Romita Jr and John Romita Sr, with hand-coloring by Yanchus, with color codes and notations throughout. Estimated at $1/1,500, the lot sold to an online bidder for $5,250.
Bruneau & Co Auctioneers will sell Art & Collectibles on January 19, Historic Arms & Militaria on February 22 and more Pop Culture & Toys on March 1.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For more information, 401-533-9980 or www.bidlive.bruneauandco.com.
