Christie's Announces Second Anime and Manga Auction

Christie's will stage its second auction devoted to anime and manga next month. The announcement follows a debut sale in March that brought in $1.4 million, more than four times its low pre-sale estimate.

Takaaki Murakami, Christie's head of Japanese and Korean art, says the first sale made a significant impact. "Christie's showed that the New York auction market has been waiting to see popular, contemporary Japanese artforms stand alongside more traditional works," he stated. The house is now preparing a follow-up event.

Sale Details and Highlights

The upcoming auction, titled 'Anime Starts Here,' will be on view in New York from October 8 to 12. An online sale will then run from October 9 to 22. This edition will feature roughly 130 lots with a collective estimate ranging from $344,350 to $523,200.

The sale will double down on iconic series, offering original drawings, production cels, and collectible figures. Key items include works from Osamu Tezuka, known as the 'Father of Manga,' and original celluloids from titles like Pokémon, Akira, and Dragon Ball Z.

Context of the Growing Market

The auction arrives as collectibles and memorabilia have become increasingly important for auction houses, particularly during a period of stagnant fine art sales. It also coincides with the 20th edition of New York Comic Con, North America's largest fan convention, held at the Javits Center from October 8 to 10.

Anime's popularity in the U.S. Has surged. According to Tokyo-based analytics firm GEM Partners, viewership doubled between 2020 and 2025, with 22% of U.S. Respondents now watching anime regularly. Streaming services and pandemic-era viewing habits have driven this growth.

Buyer Demographics and Cultural Reach

The first Christie's anime sale attracted a younger clientele than typical auctions. The house reports that 35% of winning bidders were Millennials or Gen Z. Much of the genre's growth in the U.S. Is driven by younger viewers discovering series through social media platforms like TikTok.

While a newer phenomenon in the U.S., anime has deep roots in Latin America, where series like Dragon Ball have been cultural staples for decades. The 2018 finale of Dragon Ball Super drew tens of thousands of fans to outdoor screenings across Mexico.

The auction will overlap with the opening of 'The Art of Manga' at the Brooklyn Museum on October 3. This exhibition, the first major survey of manga as an art form in the Americas, debuted last year at San Francisco's de Young Museum. Murakami says the new sale aims to shows "the beauty, power and creativity of Japanese subcultures."