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John Stinger To Hold Art Show In Bucks County Reception To Be Held On Aug 3 And 4 At Stover Mill Gallery In Erwinna, Pa. FRIDAY JULY 19, 2019 • VOL. 50, NO. 29
Collection Of 274 Comic Books Gross Over Six Figures At Bodnar’s
Artist John Stinger will hold an art show opening Saturday, Aug. 3, at Stover Mill Gallery, in Erwinna, Pa. Sponsored by a nonprofit civic group, the Tinicum Art Association, the solo art show of Stinger’s paintings will be his fourth such show and Here is John Stinger painting along the Delaware River in Lambertville, N.J.
Unreserved Sale Had No Internet Bidding On June 20, Bodnar’s Auction Sales in Edison, N.J., conducted what was among the largest single-owner comic book auctions in recent history. There were over just under 300 lots of quality comics sold, most were sold individually, all unreserved, and with no internet bidding. The owner had started collecting as a child, purchased Bodnar’s auctioneer Tom “Superman” Graves is in the far backthem from news- ground, along with staff members. The collector in the pink shirt stands close to his (far right) was the buyer of Amazing Fantasy #15. The man in the home, read them, center in the green shirt (and his wife to his right) were the sellers. and then stored them away in good condition. How so rare and valuable. Putting many of us wish they had that together a collection like this takes story? He was one of the lucky ones, time and resources today. However, which is what makes these comics finding a collection such as this assembled, of important issues, and being able to bring it to market without reserves is like finding a unicorn. This auction brought the buyers out, and the buzz was real. The emails and phone calls started pouring in weeks prior to the sale. Everyone wanted to know where it came from. On sale day, there was a packed house that was standing room only. There were over 400 registered bidders waiting with anticipation for the comic book portion of the sale to The Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962) sold for $36,800. begin. There were also hundreds of absentee bids as well as multiple phone lines for bidders. In an unusual move, there was no internet bidding for the auction. Joseph Bodnar, owner of Bodnar’s Auction Sales, decided to begin with the highlight of the day, a copy of Amazing Fantasy 15, the first appearance of SpiderMan. The bidding began fast and furious, with an inhouse bidder opening the bid at $20,000. Between the large crowd and the bidders on the phone, the bidding quickly jumped to over $30,000. No one was ready to give up easily. It finally This Amazing Spider-Man #1 (1963) sold for $8,337. Continued on page 2
This Bucks County meadow scene oil-on-canvas measures 16-by-20 inches.
titled “Bucks County Impressions.” It will feature 40 of his oil and acrylic paintings for sale. Stinger’s paintings have been collected by corporations and private collectors for over 50 years. The former New Hope resident and antiques/art gallery owner now lives in Stewartsville, N.J. Also a syndicated cartoonist, Stinger is the creator of the “Collecting Classics” cartoons appearing in major collector-related publications in the U.S. and U.K. His latest book, “The Lighter Side of Collecting,” is a collection of his cartoons and will be available at the art show.
AAN Current News
Antique Toy Auction With Noel Barrett At Pook & Pook Inc. on page 2
Continued on page 4
Schiffer Publishing Releases “Seasons Of Lancaster County: Home To The World’s Largest Amish Community”
Alderfer Auction Expands Its Appraisal Services In The Main Line on page 6
Micro Models Die-Casts From Down Under on page 12
“It’s A Small World” Brings Big Price In Heritage Auctions’ Record Animation Auction From barn raising to haymaking and buggies kicking up snow, photographer and lifetime resident Don Shenk has captured the uniqueness of Lancaster County, Pa., in more than 100 extraordinary photographs throughout all four seasons in the new book “Seasons of Lancaster County.” Lancaster County is home to the world’s largest population of Amish, a Pennsylvania German religious
sect that holds modernity at bay. Evocative photographs of work and play, spring’s preparations and fall’s harvests, reveal the character of a people who lead simple lives in tune with the changing seasons. In the midst of this idyllic countryside are Lancaster city, an artistic hub of nearly 60,000; Lititz, voted the coolest small town in the country; and many other charming towns. Continued on page 4
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In This Issue SHOPS, SHOWS & MARKETS . . . . . . . . . . starting on page 3 SHOPS DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . on page 5 EVENT & AUCTION CALENDAR . on page 7 AUCTION SALE BILLS . . . starting on page 7
FEATURED AUCTION: Morphy’s Auction - June 12 and 13 in Denver, Pennsylvania - Page 14
AUCTIONEER DIRECTORY . . . . . on page 8 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . on page 15