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The Ian Levine collection Sotheby's auction, ? Sale price
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Started by drdonaldblake1,

53 posts in this topic

drdonaldblake1

drdonaldblake1

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Hi all,

Anyone know what this sold for?

I'm not very good with the search function on here so humble apologies if this has been discussed previously.

I only found out literally just then Ian was selling his collection.....by reading some old stuff about the late Phil Levine.....who was talking about the rarest DC giveaway book ....the someone mentioned " cue Ian Levine".......then his name rang a bell......googled it and then saw the news about his collection going for auction 2020!

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Norrin_Radd

Norrin_Radd

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Also interested what it sold for.

Hadn't heard about this.  Here's what I found.

 

https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/dc-complete-the-ian-levine-collection

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/sothebys-auctions-ian-levines-collection-of-every-dc-comic-ever/

https://www.firstcomicsnews.com/sothebys-auction-dc-complete-the-ian-levine-collection/

https://downthetubes.net/40000-dc-comics-many-rare-offered-in-private-sale-of-the-ian-levine-collection-by-sothebys/

 

 

Ian himself is a bit non-pluses by this sale, telling us he sold his collection in 2008 to John Barton “for a tiny fraction of their value with the intention of being allowed to keep them in my house until I died.

“But when DC ended all their runs and reverted to restarting at number one for them all, I was so sickened that I gave him permission to sell them,” he revealed in a Facebook post. “They were all taken away around 2015 and every comic was examined and graded by Paul Sassiene, comic expert, for Sotherbys. I rather resent everybody assuming I’m the one who’s selling them, having given up the ownership twelve years ago. Sotheby’s have had them for five years now, so I’m bemused that the story has suddenly become public. Fifty years hard, devoted, dedicated work, and all I ever got back was a mere fraction of what I paid for them, yet they will always be known as The Ian Levine Collection”.

 

Edited by Norinn Radd
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drdonaldblake1

drdonaldblake1

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Interesting post from Levine.

I wonder if Sotheby's actually sold the collection?

If it wasn't CGC graded that would have made it a far more difficult sale imo. The cost to CGC that collection would have been ? Over one millon $?

Imo a really tough collection to sell in its entirety for what Levine may have felt it was worth, as he already alluded to selling it " for afraction of what it was worth" to John barton

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shadroch

shadroch

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On 8/15/2022 at 4:56 AM, drdonaldblake1 said:

Interesting post from Levine.

I wonder if Sotheby's actually sold the collection?

If it wasn't CGC graded that would have made it a far more difficult sale imo. The cost to CGC that collection would have been ? Over one millon $?

Imo a really tough collection to sell in its entirety for what Levine may have felt it was worth, as he already alluded to selling it " for afraction of what it was worth" to John barton

Most of the books I saw from that collection were not high grade examples so slabbing them would have cost millions and added little vale, imo.

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Aman619

Aman619

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On 8/15/2022 at 7:31 AM, Norinn Radd said:

Ian himself is a bit non-pluses by this sale, telling us he sold his collection in 2008 to John Barton “for a tiny fraction of their value with the intention of being allowed to keep them in my house until I died.

“But when DC ended all their runs and reverted to restarting at number one for them all, I was so sickened that I gave him permission to sell them,” he revealed in a Facebook post. “They were all taken away around 2015 and every comic was examined and graded by Paul Sassiene, comic expert, for Sotherbys. I rather resent everybody assuming I’m the one who’s selling them, having given up the ownership twelve years ago. Sotheby’s have had them for five years now, so I’m bemused that the story has suddenly become public. Fifty years hard, devoted, dedicated work, and all I ever got back was a mere fraction of what I paid for them, yet they will always be known as The Ian Levine Collection”.

 

"I rather resent everybody assuming I’m the one who’s selling them, having given up the ownership twelve years ago."

good ol' Ian.  So self important, and this statement makes no sense.  Nobody knew he sold his "famous" collection, and now he's upset so many people think he the one selling it now?  say wha?  And 2008 sounds right about when he finished using the Boards to acquire the last few books he was missing.

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drdonaldblake1

drdonaldblake1

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On 8/16/2022 at 7:37 AM, Aman619 said:

"I rather resent everybody assuming I’m the one who’s selling them, having given up the ownership twelve years ago."

good ol' Ian.  So self important, and this statement makes no sense.  Nobody knew he sold his "famous" collection, and now he's upset so many people think he the one selling it now?  say wha?  And 2008 sounds right about when he finished using the Boards to acquire the last few books he was missing.

Did he ever get that uber rare unicorn DC giveaway that Phil Levine offered for sale here? If he didn't then it's not a complete DC collection at that point in time

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G.A.tor

G.A.tor

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On 8/16/2022 at 6:41 AM, shadroch said:

Individually, I don't think his collection was outstanding, but the sheer volume  was crazy. To assemble such a collection is the work of legend. I doubt it will ever be matched again.  

There’s another, still in tact,  complete dc collection I believe ? Or am I mistaken ?

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shadroch

shadroch

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On 8/16/2022 at 4:31 AM, G.A.tor said:

There’s another, still in tact,  complete dc collection I believe ? Or am I mistaken ?

There is supposed to be a similar collection, assembled over the years. I know only what Ian said about it, and I doubt anyone will ever assemble another one.

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shadroch

shadroch

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On 8/16/2022 at 9:16 AM, Robot Man said:

Condition is irrelevant. Putting together a complete collection of DC comics is pretty unheard of. Next to impossible even if you started 50 years ago.

Condition is very relevant to the next buyer. Many of his books are pretty low grade and without their pedigree would be worth next to nothing. 

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Robot Man

Robot Man

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On 8/16/2022 at 9:23 AM, shadroch said:

Condition is very relevant to the next buyer. Many of his books are pretty low grade and without their pedigree would be worth next to nothing. 

Sure many would but if you are a serious GA collector, there are many books in there you might never get a chance at in any condition. My comments were directed at the feat of just getting them ALL. A very amazing feat.

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shadroch

shadroch

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What was insane was Mr Levines rush to complete it.  It was sad as he allowed himself to be ripped off by strangers all over the world who magically had the missing books but not the means of showing them. That didn't stop Ian from sending them the money .

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Robot Man

Robot Man

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On 8/17/2022 at 7:06 AM, shadroch said:

What was insane was Mr Levines rush to complete it.  It was sad as he allowed himself to be ripped off by strangers all over the world who magically had the missing books but not the means of showing them. That didn't stop Ian from sending them the money .

When you are trying to complete a collecting goal, sometimes your desire to do it, out weighs your common sense.

I completed my EC collection in Jan. I was short two books. One a tougher one and one that was a little easier to find. I know I way overpaid for those two. But I was done. But when I thought about it, I realized even though I over paid for those two, I way underpaid for so many others. All comes out in the wash. 

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