CRANSTON, RI.- Rare vintage comic books, Pokémon collectibles, toys and dolls will all share center stage in Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers’ next major auction, planned for Saturday, October 17th, at 10 am Eastern, online and live in the Cranston gallery. Limited in-house seating is by appointment only for active bidders.

“This auction is definitely filled with all forms of Pop Culture goodness,” said Travis Landry, a Bruneau & Co. auctioneer and the firm’s Director of Pop Culture. “The comic selection offers affordable copies of important key issues, including Amazing Spider-Man #1 and Journey Into Mystery #83. The Pokémon too is going to be a surprise. The complete set of all four Aquapolis packs in Gem 10 condition are going to drive people crazy. It’s going to be a real fun auction.”

Bruneau & Co. president Kevin Bruneau added, “The toy auction always brings fun to the gallery. This is the first time we include contemporary and designer dolls into the catalog and I’m sure they’ll attract interest. It’s not every day a collection that large pops up on the market for auction.” All categories combined – comics, Pokémon, toys and dolls – total over 575 lots.

Comic book collectors will be dazzled by the selection on offer. The copy of Marvel Comics Amazing Spider-Man #1 (March 1963) is graded CGC 1.0, with cream and off-white pages, and has an estimate of $1,500-$2,500. The book features the second appearance of Spider-Man, the first appearance of J. Jonah Jameson and Chameleon, and the first Fantastic Four crossover.

The copy of Marvel Comics Journey Into Mystery #83 (Aug. 1962), featuring the origin and first appearance of Thor, graded CGC 1.8, with off-white pages, carries an estimate of $2,000-$3,000.

A copy of Timely Comics Human Torch #32 (Sept. 1948), featuring a Sub-Mariner back-up story and appearances from Sun Girl and Namora, graded CGC 4.5, should hit $1,000-$1,500.




A copy of Marvel Comics Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988), featuring the origin and first full appearance of Venom, and the last time Spider-Man was depicted in a black costume, graded 9.8, with white pages, is expected to realize $1,800-$2,400. All comics are contained in cases.

The Pokémon collectibles represent a category that’s so young and unpredictable, none of the lots have set estimates. They show in the catalog, for appearance sake, as being $20-$10,000.

Pokémon lots expected to do well include a year 2000 Korean Pokémon 1st edition Charizard holographic trading card, graded PSA Mint 9; a group of three1999 Pokémon Base Unlimited holographic trading cards – Blastoise, Charizard and Venusaur – all graded well at BGS 9 Mint.

Other noteworthy Pokémon lots include a 1999 Wizards of the Coast Pokémon base set Charizard trading card foil pack, graded PSA 10 Gem Mint; and a 2003 Wizards of the Coast Pokémon Aquapolis Entei trading card foil pack, also with a tip-top grade of PSA 10 Gem Mint.

Pokémon has been such a huge phenomenon in the collecting universe, it’s hard to believe it’s only been around since 1995. The franchise was created by Satoshi Tajiri in Japan (where, it’s interesting to note, Pokémon is also known as Pocket Monsters) and is managed by the Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures (names familiar to all gamers).

Pokémon is centered on fictional creatures called “Pokémon”, which humans (known as Pokémon Trainers) catch and train to battle each other for sport. Works within the franchise are set in the Pokémon universe. The English slogan for the franchise is “Gotta Catch ‘Em All”. The Pokémon Red and Blue video games for the Nintendo Game Boy system came out in 1996.

Pokémon very quickly grew into a media mix franchise, adapted into various different media, and is now the highest-grossing media franchise of all time, with $90 billion in total revenue. It spawned a hit anime TV series with a hugely successful video game adaptation and, as any collector will tell you, is also into toys, trading cards, books, manga comics and other items.