Heritage Sets $1.87 Billion Record in 2024 with Milestone Auctions

Heritage Auctions set numerous records in 2024, led by the most successful Sports auction ever held over the summer, a $61.9 million grand slam, followed just a few months later by the record-setting Entertainment event that strutted down the Yellow Brick Road to a $38.6 million finish.

Yet in 2024, no record loomed larger than the one set by the auction house itself: Last year, Heritage reached $1,867,023,603 in total sales, the highest ever for the 49-year-old company in the wake of three successive record-setting years.

That’s almost $1 billion more than Heritage recorded only four years ago, when sales totaled $873 million.

The year at Heritage was defined by numerous moments that seized the world’s attention, chief among them December’s sale of Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz, which realized a staggering $32,500,000 in December after an intense bidding war to become, by far, the most valuable piece of movie memorabilia ever sold at auction. Just four months earlier, after another thrilling back-and-forth between collectors that lasted more than six hours, the New York Yankees jersey Babe Ruth wore when he called his shot to deep center field in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series sold for $24,120,000 to become the world’s most valuable sports collectible.

The records started soaring in April when a copy of Superman’s debut in Action Comics No. 1 sold for $6 million to become the world’s most valuable comic book during the world’s highest-grossing Comics and Comic Art auction ever held.

From there, the sky became the limit. Up, up and away.

"Collectors continue to amaze us with their passion and curiosity, uncovering treasures that redefine what it means to preserve history and culture," says CEO and co-founder Steve Ivy. "While much of the auction world faces its well-documented challenges, Heritage continues to thrive, driven by record-breaking results, innovative categories, technological advancements and a growing global community of collectors. As we welcome new generations into the world of collecting, we’re inspired by the opportunities to uncover new stories and connect people with the objects they love."

The company that has long prided itself as "America’s Auction House" continued its national growth in 2024, expanding its office in West Palm Beach. But Heritage’s global record continued apace, too, with showrooms and offices opening in Tokyo and Munich. Heritage also expects to open an office in Canada in the coming year. For proof of Heritage’s global reach, look no further than Heritage Auctions–Europe Coöperatief, which sold the world’s most valuable Dutch coin for $1,130,376 in April.

Heritage, founded as a coins auction house in 1976 by Ivy and Jim Halperin, remains true to its heritage as its extraordinary 2024 was led by U.S. and World & Ancient Coins, and Currency, which surpassed a combined $380.7 million in sales. In fact, the year kicked off with the record $1.26 million sale of the finest known example of an 1855 Kellogg & Co. Fifty Dollar and two other seven-figure offerings that helped lead Heritage’s January 2024 FUN US Coins and Currency auctions past the $60 million mark.

Heritage’s success can be credited in large part to significant growth across most of its more than 50 categories, led by Comics and Comic Art, Sports and Hollywood/Entertainment – the latter of which surged from a $4 million afterthought just a decade ago into a $102 million juggernaut in 2024. Put it in lights: That’s more than 2.5 times higher than 2023’s total sales for the Entertainment category.

"Entertainment has seen the single largest growth in 2024," Ivy says, "and we only expect it to continue that breathtaking progress in the coming year."

Last year alone, Heritage accounted for three of the most successful Entertainment auctions ever held, led by December’s $38.6 million all-timer that included Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers and the Wicked Witch’s hat. Judy Garland’s slippers weren’t the only headline-maker in the sale, as the hat sold for $2.93 million to become the most valuable hat ever sold at auction.

Close behind was October’s completely sold-out Game of Thrones auction, which realized $21,115,718 thanks to more than 4,500 bidders worldwide – most of whom were first-time bidders at Heritage. That event, held in conjunction with HBO, stands victorious as the most successful auction of costumes, props and more from a single film or TV show.

In March, Heritage held the $15.68 million Treasures From Planet Hollywood auction, which will be forever mentioned when anyone debates whether Rose could have saved Jack from the North Atlantic Ocean’s frigid waters. The wood panel from Titanic was crowned king of the auction, realizing $718,750 to float to the top of the thrilling five-day event.

Comics & Comic Art, too, continue to grow by leaps and bounds: In 2014, the combined categories accounted for $31 million in total sales. In 2024, that number exploded to more than $205 million.

The $6 million sale of Superman’s debut took place in April as part of the world’s first Comic & Comic Art auction to surpass $28 million. Yet that accounts for just a fraction of the category’s success.

Heritage saw five comic books join the company’s Hall of Fame, beginning in January with a copy of The Amazing Spider-Man No. 1 that realized $1,380,000, making it the most valuable copy of that book ever sold at auction.

Another marvel from Marvel hit a record in September when one of the world’s two finest copies of Fantastic Four No. 1 realized $2.04 million.

The other books making the Hall: one of only two copies of Superman No. 1 graded Fine/Very Fine 7.0, which soared to a near-record $2.34 million, and the single highest-graded copy of 1942’s All Star Comics No. 8, featuring the debut of Wonder Woman, which realized $1.5 million.

History was made throughout 2024, as Heritage offered some of the world’s finest comics from some of the world’s most renowned collections, chief among them the Complete DC Collection from the late collector Christine Farrell. An initial round of offerings from her coveted (and once-mysterious assemblage) realized $5.26 million in October, with more to come over the coming months.

Comic Art saw countless records fall in 2024, each belonging to some of the industry’s most influential, acclaimed and best-known creators, beginning with Rob Liefeld’s page from New Mutants No. 98 that introduced future movie star Deadpool. The Merc with a Mouth’s big reveal sliced a giant hole in the record books in November when it sold for $960,000.

In June, Heritage began offering art and books from the coveted collection of vaunted fan, collector, historian and author Roger Hill, which included one of the most (in)famous horror comic-book covers of all time: Lee Elias’ original art for Black Cat Mystery No. 50, which sold for $840,000 to become one of the world’s most valuable comic book covers sold at auction.

Not far behind was John Buscema’s original artwork adorning the first issue of 1988’s Wolverine, which sold in September for $600,000, a new auction record for the legendary artist.

"Our Comics and Comic Art department passed $200 million for only the second time in our history while serving our bidders and consignors with steadfast honesty and commitment," says Halperin, who still oversees Heritage’s Comics category he started in 2001. "I’m so proud of this team, which remains unsurpassed in the auction world."

The Sports category recorded another championship season in 2024, scoring more than $200 million including private sales. The category continues to call its shots, led not just by the record-setting Ruth jersey but countless other historic highs involving sports cards and memorabilia.

Nine – nine – of the 20 entries in Heritage’s Sports Collectibles Hall of Fame hail from 2024, including the Brooklyn Dodgers jersey Jackie Robinson wore during the 1951 season, which realized $5.52 million in August to become the most valuable No. 42 in the world.

The same historic auction provided copious smash hits, including Mickey Mantle’s game-worn Yankees jersey photo-matched to Game 7 of the 1952 World Series, which sold for $3 million, and Hank Aaron’s game-worn, signed Milwaukee Braves jersey from 1954 that realized a record $2.1 million.

There was no shortage of prized uniforms in 2024, including Walter Johnson’s photo-matched, game-worn Washington Senators jersey from the 1920 season, which realized $2.01 million; and Sandy Koufax’s game-worn Brooklyn Dodgers jersey photo-matched to his rookie season of 1955, which sold for $1.8 million.

Last year also saw the sale of what Heritage hailed as "the greatest unopened find of the 21st century," a sealed case containing 16 boxes filled with 1979 O-Pee-Chee hockey cards – and who knows how many rookie Wayne Gretzkys. It sold in December for $2.52 million to become the most valuable sealed case of cards ever sold.

Heritage has long prided itself as the leading Illustration and American Art auction house, and 2024 proved why – while adding Modern and Contemporary Art to that roster, with December’s $3.65 million sale of Andy Warhol’s iconic 1973 Mao now the most valuable work in that category at Heritage.

Last year was especially significant for American Art: In November, Heritage began offering some of the most celebrated and iconic art created for the Boy Scouts of America from the collection of the BSA Settlement Trust, with proceeds benefitting Survivors of childhood sexual abuse while in Scouting. Three of those works, all by Norman Rockwell, now rank among the most valuable ever sold at Heritage, including 1964’s To Keep Myself Physically Strong, which realized $1.125 million. Heritage has raised $3.7 million for the Trust, with many more auctions planned throughout 2025 and beyond.

In that same auction, Maxfield Parrish’s 1919 Fisk Tire advertisement, There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, rolled to a $1.156 million finish – a golden result for the masterwork from the Golden Age of Illustration Art.

But 2024 might best be remembered for the record-setting $300,000 sale of Robert Peak’s original poster art for Apocalypse Now.

At Heritage, where history is made seemingly as often as it’s offered and preserved, everything about 2024 felt historic – from the record-breaking year in Animation Art (with sales of more than $16 million) to June’s $525,000 sale of a rocket-firing Boba Fett action figure to the numerous rare-book records set during the $5.65 million William A. Strutz Library, Part I, Rare Books Signature® Auction in June.

Last year, Heritage also created a Russian Decorative Art category, which resulted in a $5.69 million auction in May – and a second event at nearly double that total that realized $10 million just seven months later.

"With every discovery, every auction and every new connection, we’re reminded that the thrill of collecting is as timeless as the objects themselves," Ivy says. "We can’t wait to see what 2025 will bring."

About Heritage Auctions

Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Brussels and Hong Kong.

Heritage also enjoys the highest Online traffic and dollar volume of any auction house on earth (source: SimilarWeb and Hiscox Report). The Internet’s most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has more than 1,750,000 registered bidder-members and searchable free archives of more than 6,000,000 past auction records with prices realized, descriptions and enlargeable photos. Reproduction rights routinely granted to media for photo credit.