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Press Release - January 6, 2005
2005 Proves to be Best Year Ever for Heritage Galleries!
Dallas, Texas: Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers (HG&A) reported $477,802,341 in net sales for 2005, by far the best overall year in HG&A's history. This figure represents results from all of HG&A's departments, and includes $304,058,341 in auction sales and $173,744,000 in private treaty sales. Compared to 2004, which reported total sales (auction and private treaty) of $321,481,822, 2005 saw an overall increase of approximately 48.6%. Total auction sales in 2005 (excluding private treaty sales) were $304,058,341, a 66.3% increase over 2004's $182,790,132.
"This was an exceptional year, right from the very beginning," said Greg Rohan, President of HG&A. "We started the year with a record-breaking auction at the Florida United Numismatists convention - over $61 million, making it the biggest coin and currency auction ever held - and went on to break record after record as the year progressed. February saw Heritage set a new record for currency auctions - better than $12 million in an auction held in our Dallas, TX headquarters - and by December, Heritage had sold six of the top 11 coins of 2005, including all of the top four!"
"Our World Coin department turned in some exceptional results this year," said Rohan, "including a record price of $431,250 for a 1643 Charles I Gold Triple Unite, making it the second most expensive British coin ever sold."
"Currency was a hot area in 2005," said Rohan, "with Heritage claiming the record for the largest currency auction ever, the $12 million Dallas event held in February, and a new record set for small size US notes - a 1928 Federal Reserve note with a face value of $10,000 that brought $241,500 in the same auction. This contributed to a record year for this department, which demonstrated a 106% increase over 2004, bringing their total to $36,049,300."
"One of the most exciting events of 2005 was the addition of Dr. Edmund P. Pillsbury to the HG&A staff," said Rohan. "As Managing Director - Fine and Decorative Arts, Dr. Pillsbury is positioned to establish HG&A as a major player in this fascinating field. Already, HG&A is gaining a reputation as a serious voice in Fine Arts, especially after our November auction, in which Norman Rockwell's stunning painting, The Song of Bernadette, realized $478,000."
"HG&A also inaugurated their Texas Art department in 2005," said Rohan, " and the first auction we held this year was extremely successful, with strong prices realized for native Texas sons such as Porfirio Salinas, Ben Carlton Mead, and Julian Onderdonk. This is a vibrant and exciting area, and I'm anxious to see where 2006 takes us."
"Overall," Rohan said, "our Fine Arts department demonstrated a significant increase over last year. In 2004, Fine Arts posted overall results of $1,135,934. This year that number increased by over 450%, to $6,271,131."
"Heritage Comics had a great year in 2005," said Rohan, "with a new record set for the sale of a single page of original comic art - $195,500 paid for the Batman #11 original cover from 1942. Movie Poster results were equally impressive, as evidenced by the fact that Heritage now holds the world-record for the largest Vintage Movie Poster auction ever held, at $1.56 million for our November auction. Reporting a respectable 2004 total of $2,122,505, those results more than doubled in 2005, with total earnings from Movie Poster sales at $4,348,659."
"2005 was also a strong year for our Sports department," said Rohan. "May saw the sale of a 1954 game worn Mickey Mantle jersey for $119,500, while in November, a 1911 Addie Joss Day panoramic photo sold for $89,625, a record for an unsigned sports photo. With a 146% increase in earnings over 2004 - $4,636,463 in 2005 as opposed to $1,877,886 in 2004 - our Sports department is poised to dominate the field in the coming years."
"Of all the HG&A Departments," Rohan said, "none garnered more publicity than our Music & Entertainment division. In April, the eyes of the world were on Heritage, as Johnny Carson's Tonight Show microphone hit the auction block and sold for a staggering $50,787 to a private collector. The October auction was equally exciting, as Johnny's Tonight Show desk was offered, realizing $38,837."
"It was very exciting to watch the growth of our Political Memorabilia & Americana department in 2005," said Rohan. "A significant letter hand-written by the important Romantic poet John Keats sold for $126,500 in April, and subsequent auctions offered rare and personal items from such intriguing historical figures as Howard Hughes and Amelia Earhart. In 2004, this department was responsible for $364,666 in total sale. In 2005, that number rocketed to $3,047,267! Without a doubt, this was the year that rocketed HG&A to the top of the Political Memorabilia & Americana field."
All figures include HG&A's Buyers Premium. These auction figures only include those items that actually met reserve and do not include consignor buy-backs.
Breakdown by company is as follows:
| Venue | Auction Type | 2005 Total Sales | 2004 Total Sales |
| Americana | Signature | $3,047,267 | $364,666 |
| Art | Internet | $18,070 | $0 |
| Art | Signature | $6,253,061 | $1,135,934 |
| Comics | Gallery | $0 | $9,822 |
| Comics | Internet | $2,576,047 | $1,862,390 |
| Comics | Online | $22,003 | $24,159 |
| Comics | Signature | $13,784,694 | $10,665,249 |
| Currency | Gallery | $13,478 | $3,606 |
| Currency | Internet | $2,282,763 | $2,680,289 |
| Currency | Signature | $33,753,059 | $14,758,303 |
| Galleries | Gallery | $612 | $0 |
| Galleries | Internet | $22,539 | $3,233 |
| Galleries | Online | $1,124 | $0 |
| Galleries | Signature | $3,322,888 | $2,676,164 |
| Posters | Signature | $3,322,888 | $2,676,164 |
| Posters | Internet | $273,496 | $27,276 |
| Posters | Signature | $4,075,163 | $2,095,229 |
| Sports | Internet | $675,665 | $166,169 |
| Sports | Signature | $3,960,798 | $1,711,717 |
| US Coins | Continuous Internet | $6,968,425 | $1,249,033 |
| US Coins | Gallery | $3,478,080 | $3,524,729 |
| US Coins | Internet | $8,216,655 | $14,615,055 |
| US Coins | Online | $9,691,209 | $5,931,418 |
| US Coins | Signature | $196,451,147 | $113,666,303 |
| World | Continuous Internet | $1,905 | $92 |
| World | Gallery | $372,692 | $314,838 |
| World | Internet | $34,047 | $8,358 |
| World | Online | $489 | $87 |
| World | Signature | $4,760,965 | $5,296,013 |
| Auction | Total | $304,058,341 | $182,790,132 |
| Private Treaty Sales | $173,744,000 | $135,000,000 | |
| GRAND TOTAL | $477,802,341 | $317,790,132 |
**Includes Decorative Art, as well as Music, Entertainment and Celebrity Memorabilia
Highlights of 2005 included:
January 14, 2005
Heritage Coin Auction Strikes Gold!
January 17, 2005
Heritage World Coin Auction an Overwhelming Success!
January 19, 2005
Heritage Sets World Record with $61 Million in Auction Sales!
January 22, 2005
Heritage Currency Signature Auction Surpasses Expectations!
February 2, 2005
Heritage to Offer Outstanding Triple Struck 1891 Proof Half Eagle at Auction!
February 21, 2005
Heritage Celebrates the Art of the Vintage Poster in March!
February 28, 2005
Heritage Reports Best Long Beach Sale Ever!
March 20, 2005
Heritage Galleries Conducts First Million-Dollar Movie Poster Auction!
March 27, 2005
Dorothy Talbert Collection Shatters Art Glass Records!
April 14, 2005
Keats Letter Sells for $126,500!
April 19, 2005
Heritage-Slater Americana Auction Posts Outstanding Results!
April 28, 2005
Heritage Entertainment Auction A Smash Success!
May 3, 2005
Mark Borckardt Awarded Special Achievement Honors From Early American Coppers Society!
May 7, 2005
Heritage MyCollectionTM Value Passes $2 Billion!
May 9, 2005
Heritage Central States Auction Realizes Nearly $23 Million!
May 19, 2005
Fine Art Produces Fine Results at Heritage
June 6, 2005
Heritage Long Beach Auctions Realize Over $13 Million!
June 8, 2005
Heritage World Coin Auctions a Smash Success!
July 5, 2005
Heritage's NYC Auctions Top $5 Million
July 18, 2005
Heritage Vintage Movie Poster Auction Posts Star-Studded Results!
July 25, 2005
Fine Arts Scholar Dr. Edmund P. Pillsbury Joins Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers Of Dallas
August 2, 2005
Heritage's San Francisco ANA Signature Auctions Exceed $19 Million
August 15, 2005
Heritage Comics Latest Auction Sets New World's Records!
September 16, 2005
Heritage Donates $33,500 to Katrina Relief Effort!
September 19, 2005
Heritage Decorative Arts Auction a Stunning Success!
September 22, 2005
Heritage Acquires Good Rockin' Tonight!
September 26, 2005
Heritage's Long Beach Auctions Exceed $22 Million
September 27, 2005
$6.7 Million Realized in Heritage's Long Beach Currency Auction
September 29, 2005
$80 Nickel Sells for $264,500 in Heritage Auction!
October 7, 2005
Heritage Galleries Holds Its First Texas Art Signature Auction in Dallas
October 10, 2005
Heritage Entertainment Auction Exceeds Expectations!
October 18, 2005
Heritage's Latest Comics Auction Realizes Over $2.4 Million!
October 28, 2005
Heritage Relocates Palm Beach Auction to Dallas!
November 1, 2005
Heritage Sports Collectibles' October Signature Auction Realizes Over $1.8 Million and Breaks Records on the Way!
November 8, 2005
Heritage Holds Second Highest-Grossing Coin Auction Ever!
November 14, 2005
When is a Del Monte Banana Sticker Worth $20,000?
November 15, 2005
Heritage Vintage Movie Poster Auction Posts Record Results!
November 21, 2005
Outstanding Results Reported in Heritage Fine Arts Auction!
December 16, 2005
Heritage Dallas December Auction Approaches $10 Million
December 19, 2005
Heritage-Slater Americana Auction Posts Impressive Results!
December 19, 2005
Eleven $1 million+ Coins Sold at Auction in 2005!
For more information about any of Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HeritageGalleries.com.
To reserve your copy of a catalog for any upcoming Heritage auction, please contact Nicole Jewell, c/o Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers, 3500 Maple Avenue, 17th Floor, Dallas, TX 75219, or call 1-800-872-6467, ext. 272.