$35,850 Mickey Mouse art proves cartoons are serious business

A 1932 poster featuring Disney's cartoon mouse was the big seller at Heritage Auctions' recent sale

A never-before-auctioned 1932 Mickey Mouse three sheet stock poster, scarcely four years removed from Mickey's creation by Walt Disney, brought $35,850 to lead Heritage Auctions' recent $1.5m sale in Dallas, US.

The 41 by 81 inch poster was designed during the two year period in which United Artists was distributing Mickey cartoons. It comfortably met its low end estimate thanks to concerted bidding from potential investors.

Grey Smith, director of Vintage Movie Posters at Heritage, commented: "We've seen prices realised on the top examples steadily rising over the last few months and holding strong the deeper you go into the catalogue."

The second spot on the auction podium went to a 1953 Paramount style B half sheet from The War of the Worlds, one of the most iconic of the genre, and certainly the most elusive. It achieved $31,070.

Mickey was created in 1928 and has been a cash mouse for Disney ever since

Close on its heels was a $29,875 1938 Universal three sheet from Frankenstein, depicting the great Boris Karloff as the famous monster.

"To date, this is just one of two known three sheets from any release of Frankenstein to ever surface, and well worth the price," said Smith.

• Click here to view our current memorabilia stock for sale
• Learn how you can get pleasure and profit by investing in rare movie memorabilia
• Read all the latest Memorabilia news

Join our readers in over 200 countries around the world - sign up for your free weekly Collectibles Newsletter today or download our free Collectors News app for your iPhone

Recent and related articles...

·  Hollywood icon Jane Russell dies aged 89 - but her legacy lives on in collectibles | 1 March 2011

Previous auction sales show that Russell, best known for her role in The Outlaw, won't be forgotten

·  Put money in thy purse: Shakespeare collectors hunt for bargains | 14 February 2011

Costumes worn by the UK's leading actors sold at the home of theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, on Saturday

·  Mickey Mouse scurries alongside Dracula and King Kong at Heritage's auction | 17 January 2011

Heritage Auctions' last sale brought $1.48m led by a classic poster from the Werewolf in London

·  'Werewolf in London' topples King Kong in $1.48m movie poster sale | 1 December 2010

Collectors went ape for a rare Kong poster, but a famous wolfman growled its way to the top spot...

·  'From Russia with Love' in London... James Bond's golden gun brings $437,000 | 26 November 2010

A movie memorabilia sale at Christie's, yesterday, saw James Bond '007''s gun smash its estimate

www.paulfrasercollectibles.com

Image: Heritage Auction Galleries