Cartoon collectibles are hot! Heritage Auctions, one of the top sellers of high-end entertainment collectibles, sold for more than $98,000 an unrestored production cel and master background featuring Mickey Mouse and Goofy from Walt Disney’s 1935 short Mickey’s Service Station.
The July 1 Animation Art Signature auction, held in New York City, realized nearly $1.3 million.
Other hot items included a set of 1961 storyboards from The Bullwinkle Show. The lot included three trimmed storyboards by Roy Morita for the episode “Buried Treasure,” on Ward Inc. storyboard paper. Originally expected to sell for $750 plus, it ended up selling for $44,460.
Mickey Mouse items dominated the day, however. Two items from Fantasia also were in high demand, with a cel of Mickey as the sorcerer’s apprentice selling for more than $20,000 and a piece of storyboard art from the film selling for $4,780.
Meanwhile, a scarce production drawing by Ub Iwerks from the very first Mickey Mouse cartoon, Steamboat Willie, sold for $1,528. And a production cel from Donald Duck’s debut in 1934’s Wise Old Hen short sold for $8,365.
