Three choice lots from upcoming Heritage auctions
Sports
The 1980 Topps Larry Bird, Julius Erving, and Magic Johnson Scoring Leader card stands as one of basketball collecting’s defining issues, bringing together three transformative Hall of Famers within Topps’ distinctive three-panel format. Its importance begins with the outer panels, which feature the recognized rookie cards of Bird and Johnson, while the center presents established Philadelphia 76ers superstar Julius “Dr. J” Erving. Few cards capture so much basketball history within a single intact piece.
1980 Topps Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Magic Johnson Scoring Leader, Rookie SGC Gem Mint 10 MBA Gold
Auction: October 23-25
International Comic Art
In the late 1980s, at the height of his association with Marvel and Epic Comics, Moebius produced a series of paintings and illustrations featuring Marvel characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Elektra, the Punisher, the Thing, and the Silver Surfer. Created contemporaneously with his landmark collaboration with Stan Lee on Silver Surfer: Parable, these images offered familiar characters filtered through Moebius’ unmistakably European science-fiction sensibility. This striking 1989 Iron Man composition belongs to that important body of work.
Jean Giraud (Moebius) Iron Man Illustration Original Art (1989)
Auction: October 24-25
Americana & Political
Edward A. Calahan developed the first practical stock ticker in 1867 for the Gold and Stock Telegraph Company. Then, in 1871, Thomas Edison entered the field and introduced his Universal Stock Printer. Edison’s principal innovation was a synchronization mechanism that allowed every ticker connected to the same transmission line to remain in unison and print identical market information. He also improved the typewheel-shifting mechanism and paper feed, reducing the electrical power required to operate the machines.
Thomas Edison Stock Ticker Tape Machine, Circa 1920s
Auction: November 11-12