Star Wars collectibles and rare vintage comic books dominated the list of top lots at Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers’ Winter Comic Book & Toy auction extravaganza held December 14th, online and in the Cranston gallery at 63 Fourth Avenue. It was the last big sale of the year for Bruneau & Co., which will hit the ground running in 2020 with a January 4th auction.

The Winter Comic Book & Toy auction was a collaborative effort between Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers, Altered Reality Entertainment and Travis Landry, Bruneau & Co.’s Director of Pop Culture, who said, “The day was strong overall and great stuff sold well. Star Wars proved to be a highly coveted topic of the day with nearly everything exceeding expectations and estimates.”

Since its inception, Bruneau & Co. has partnered with Altered Reality Entertainment (the parent company of Rhode Island Comic Con) to organize toy, comic, and collectible auctions, bringing Pop Culture to a live auction setting. The December auction featured hundreds of rare graded comics, generous key book lots, many Marvel and D.C. comics, and, of course, Star Wars items.

Top achievers in the Star Wars category included a great example 1977 Kenner 12 back A Luke Skywalker figure, graded CAS 80 ($1,875); a 1977 Kenner 12 back A Darth Vader figure graded CAS 80+; and a 1978 Kenner Cantina Adventure multi-pack with Greedo and Blue Snaggletooth (dented toe variant) figures, graded CAS 75+ ($2,250). All three lots were housed in CAS cases.

Kevin Bruneau, the president of Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers, commented, “The comic sale was a great way to end the auction year for us at Bruneau & Co. Comics proved again to be a necessary staple in the auction market. It draws a guaranteed crowd for sure both online and in the gallery.”

Tops in the comic book category was a copy of Reform School Girl (1951) from Avon Realistic Comics, which sold for $3,438. The book, in a CGC case and graded CGC 3.0 with white pages, was featured in Frederic Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent. It had a classic photo lingerie cover that was probably racy for its time but looks amusing today.  

The copy of DC Comics’ Green Lantern #1, from July-August 1960, recounting the origin of Green Lantern, graded CGC 7.5 out of 10 for condition, gaveled for $2,375; while the copy of Marvel Comics’ Incredible Hulk #181, from November 1974, graded CGC 6.5, with white pages, featuring the first full appearance of Wolverine, also posted a final selling price of $2,375.

Other noteworthy lots included a copy of E.C. Comics Crime SuspenStories (issue 22, April-May 1954), featuring a classic decapitation cover and used in the U.S. Senate investigation on juvenile delinquency, graded CBCS 3.0 ($2,250); and a 2002 Pokémon Neo Destiny Unlimited Shining Charizard trading card graded PSA 10, a gem mint example in a PSA case ($1,125).

Online bidding was offered by LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, Bidsquare.com and bidLIVE.Bruneauandco.com, plus the mobile app “Bruneau & Co.” on iTunes or GooglePlay. Phone and absentee bids were also accepted. All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium.

Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers’ upcoming sale will be an Estate Fine Art & Antiques Auction on Saturday, January 4th, 2020, also online and live in the Bruneau & Co. gallery, starting at 11 am Eastern time. Previews will be held Thursday and Friday, January 2nd and 3rd, from 9 am until 5 pm and when doors open at 8 am on the date of auction the following day, Saturday, January 4th.

The sale will feature a fine selection of listed artist paintings, etchings and prints; a collection of Austrian and Bohemian art glass and figural lamps from a Long Island, New York collection; a select group of antique historical telephones from the Pioneers of America Museum in Pennsylvania; and a great single-owner collection of Japanese robes.

Also offered will be a nice selection of Asian arts; five rare 18th and 19th century Rhode Island and Massachusetts almanacs; a high-end Leica spotting scope; sterling silver chalices; and estate sterling lots, jewelry, sculpture and more. Of particular interest is a nice selection of contemporary Indian arts expected to attract strong internet and phone bidding.

Bruneau & Co. is currently accepting quality consignments for that and all future auctions, with commissions as low as zero percent. Now would be a good time to clean out your attic. To contact Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers about consigning a single piece or an entire collection, you may send an e-mail to info@bruneauandco.com. Or, you can phone them at (401) 533-9980.

To learn more about Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers and the Saturday, January 4th auction, please visit www.bruneauandco.com. Updates are posted frequently.