Back to the Future

McTear’s are excited to present the inaugural Toys, Models & Pop Culture auction.  Packed full of model cars, railway, comics and much more, it is sure to be a blockbuster.

The first lot to focus on is one held dear by millions across the world, young and old, Harry Potter.  Lot 971, a rare and sought-after signed first edition Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire complete with ‘Harry’s Back!’ Golden Ticket from the signing, is sure to quicken the pulse of every aspiring witch and wizard.

The inexorable rise in prices of early and signed editions has been propelled by the unrivalled, and seemingly never-ending, popularity of the series, with ‘Potter-Heads’ now keen to invest in their childhood favourite.  First edition and printing Philosopher’s Stone titles, of which only one-hundred were produced (and fifty of those sent to libraries) regularly break the £20,000 mark; for those keen to own their own piece of Pottery history without spending such astronomical sums, such a signed edition as this with the valuable Ticket securing its provenance is an excellent piece with which to start or add to a collection.  With prices surely continuing to rise, the successful bidder may want to enquire with Gringotts as to available vaults with dragon security included…

 Comics of an older vintage also enjoy a strong following and we are pleased to offer several first issues of now iconic characters.  Lots 987A, 1065, 1066 and 1067 feature Silver Surfer, Iron-Man, Sub-Mariner and Captain Marvel premieres respectively, all of whom have been recently featured in the Marvel Universe film juggernaut.  The value of these fifty-year-old plus comics is intrinsically connected to the current output of Marvel Studios with the original comics of those characters deemed in vogue or re-awakened in the public consciousness through the cinema accordingly rising in price as collectors move from one superhero zeitgeist to the next in their quest to claim they own the coveted #1 issue.  This trend stands these offerings in good stead and keen competition is expected, especially from the United States, for these coveted first appearances.

Finally, indeed the final entry in the sale, Lot 1108 should provide a fitting coda to what has been a trip across worlds and through time.  This Space Conqueror Man of Tomorrow is now a highly desirable figure among collectors, arriving from 1960s Japan and embodying the ‘retro sci-fi’ design wave of this period.  While there are even rarer varieties in red and, particularly, green, this model stands out by retaining both the box and the antenna, so often lost over the years.  This piece, once a toy and now very much a collector’s item to be displayed and admired, is emblematic of how nostalgic appreciation gathers and scarcity grows, a key factor of the toys and models market at auction; as the decades since production have passed, holding this scarce surviving Man of Tomorrow takes us back to the shared wonder of childhood, very much ‘Back to the Future’.

View the collection >>

James Spiridion 

For a complimentary, no-obligation valuation, visit our Glasgow Galleries or contact a specialist on 0141 810 2880 or auction@mctears.co.uk.