Diamond Galleries’ Scoop has an extensive roundup of collectible auctions that happened in 2005, and poses the question on whether collecting (in a broad sense) broke a billion dollars in sale this past year:

Collecting: Billion-Dollar Industry?

Industry News, Scoop
Friday, December 30, 2005

“When compiling the data for an end-of-year story on auction totals, Scoop started to think about something. It is entirely possible that what we see and follow in the collectible field may have actually reached over a billion dollars in sales during this past year.”

They go on to name some of their top headlines:

“- 1950s NBA Bread for Health Labels Soar To Over $11,000
– Mego Star Trek Romulan Sells For Over $5,000!
– AFA Graded G.I. Joe Duke Action Figure Sells For $2,392.93!
– CGC Certified 9.4 Amazing Spider-Man #14 Brings Over $7,000!
– AFA Graded G.I. Joe Duke Action Figure Sells For $2,392.93!
– 1968 Hot Wheels Prototype Coasts To $20,100!
– Overstock.com Auctions “Matchless Ball” Worth $1.5 Million
– Yellow Kid In McFadden’s Flats Brings $10,500
– Bob Kane Daily Hits $5,550
– Second Archie Appearance Tops $3,000!
– 1933 Mickey Mouse Radio Sells For Over $3,600
– Wonder Woman #1 Over $9,000
– Miller Dark Knight Pages Sells For Over $3,000
– Marvel Comics #1 Brings $161,000″

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