Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Pokémon, and Spider-Man took the headlines in this week's Auction & Collecting News Roundup.

SPIDER-STEVE LEVINE COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS

The Spider-Steve Collection of famed Spider-Man collector Steven Levine will be offering select items through Heritage Auctions beginning with the June 17-19 Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction.

In that sale there will be 22 pieces from Levine’s assemblage, most of them original pages of comic-book art from 1965 to 2009 by artists Steve Ditko, John Romita Sr., John Buscema, and Todd McFarlane.

Among the offerings is Page 18 from 1969’s Amazing Spider-Man No. 75, in which Spider-Man watches the vanishing of the villain called Silvermane, who seems to de-age until he fades into “nothingness.” Romita and inker Jim Mooney feature the hero in every single panel as he anguishes over the heart-rending end of the gangster born as Silvio Manfredi. 

Hot Auctions:

-1952'S HORRIFIC #1 UP FOR AUCTION - One of its most infamous covers among vintage horror comic book collectors was published on Horrific #1 in 1952. That book is soon to come to auction through Heritage Auctions.

This book is especially rare in anything above low grade. The CGC Census has 12 listings above CGC 6.0, with nothing higher than 8.0. This Horrific #1 CGC FN 6.0 has cream to off-white pages. It is up for auction at the 2021 June 17 – 19 Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction.

-CERTIFIED MODERN AGE SHOWCASE AUCTION – Heritage is launching their first-ever Certified Modern Age Showcase Auction which will focus solely on comic books from 1980 until the present. The consignment deadline to their July 29th Certified Modern Age Showcase Auction is June 15th.

-PROMISE COLLECTION - About 300 of the books from the Promise Collection will debut in Heritage's June 17-19 Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction, and sales from this extraordinary assemblage will continue through 2022.

Featuring more than 5,000 high-grade Golden Age comic books, these books hadn't seen the light of day since they were purchased in the 1940s. With a depth and scope that is almost unparalleled, nearly two-thirds of the books are predicted to stand as the finest-known copies for any particular comic represented in the collection. 

-RARE 1914 BABE RUTH MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL CARD TO BE SOLD AT $6 MILLION VALUATION - A 1914 Babe Ruth pre-rookie minor league baseball card valued at $6 million will soon be available for purchase in three-dollar increments.

Last week, this exact Babe Ruth card broke the record for the most expensive sports card transaction in history, according to Sports memorabilia investment platform Collectable. Now, its anonymous buyer is selling equity in his million-dollar card. Read More.

-PSYCHEDELIC ART EXCHANGE MEGA SALE - The Psychedelic Art Exchange is kicking off the 2021 summer season with a selection of vintage concert posters and related ephemera from the 1960s and beyond. As we patiently wait for the world of live music to return in full force, please allow the offerings within to provide a brief connection to that world. The mountainous selection of rare paper artifacts and assorted live music goodies within will transport you through time and space. Remember to check out our Concert Poster Price guide to read sales data on the posters before bidding.

-RETRO GAMES AND POKEMON GALORE - Heritage has a huge lot of video games and trading cards available, including unopened first-edition Gym Heroes Booster Pokémon Booster Packs and classic video game titles from the NES and Atari systems. There’s also a Final Fantasy IX for the PS1 that currently stands at $3,100 as well as Pokémon Red for Nintendo’s Game Boy that has a high bid of $2k. Check it out.

Auction Results:

-MEME NFT SELLS FOR RECORD $4 MILLION - In an example of modern times being almost unrecognizable compared to 20 years ago, the NFT of the Doge meme image was sold to "@pleasrdao," who won with a bid of 1,6969.9 of the cryptocurrency Ethereum, which approximates to about $4 million. The meme image was put up for sale by Kabosu's owner, Atsuko Sato, and certified by the meme database Know Your Meme prior to the auction.

Editor-in-chief Don Caldwell had this to say: "We're so happy to be a part of this milestone in internet history. If any meme deserved to be the new meme NFT record holder, it's Doge... one of the most iconic memes in internet history." Read more.

LEBRON AND MJ ROOKIE CARDS REACH INSANE NUMBERS - If you've had an eye on the headlines, you know that card collecting is reaching insane numbers this year. Recently, PWCC boasted an auction that resulted in major figures for both sports and Pokémon cards that should have collectors’ eyes bulging.

At the top of the list was a 9.5 2003 LeBron James rookie card from the Exquisite Collection Limited Logos series and autographed by the famed athlete. That card brought an astounding $480,000. 

Behind that LeBron rookie card was a gem-mint 1986 10 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card, which sold for $456,000.  Read more. 

Take a Look

SKOTTIE YOUNG CGC SIGNING - CGC will host an In-House Private Signing event with the talented comic book artist and writer Skottie Young. Young is best known for his work with Marvel Comics and his illustrated covers for Cable & Deadpool, Spider-Man, Deadpool and Iron Man.

In addition to his signature, Skottie is offering his legendary Remarques for purchase. Remarques will be limited to the first 150 submitters. All submissions must be received by CGC no later than Friday, August 6, 2021, to qualify for this private signing event.  Read more.

ART ADAMS CGC SIGNING - CGC is thrilled to announce an In-House Private Signing event with the revolutionary comic book illustrator and writer, Art Adams. The talented artist first broke into the American comic book industry with the 1985 Marvel Comics miniseries Longshot.

In addition to his signature, Adams is offering his iconic Wolverine Remarques for purchase. Remarques will be limited to the first 100 submitters. All submissions must be received by CGC no later than Friday, July 30, 2021.  Read more.