Long time the market was only francophone

Tintin and his collectors, it is a global love story. But the epicentre of the phenomenon is located in France. In this case, it is the Artcurial company which holds two records. March 29, 2008, to 764.218 euros, expert Eric Leroy hosted the award of China ink and gouache of a Board of "Tintin in America" coverage of 1932. A year later, was awarded to 102.935 euros under the same hammer "Mysterious l'Etoile", an album published in 1943 and known only in three copies. Specificity was to be printed alternately in black and white and colour. On May 29, in Paris, studying Belgian Piasa and Moulinsart SA, the company which manages products derived from the work of Hergé, with the exception of the albums, are jointly organizing an auction. About 200 lots estimated 1 million euros...

One can imagine that the label Moulinsart attracts collectors. But more than in the castle of Captain Haddock, Moulinsart SA corresponds to the commercial branch of the Hergé Studios, run by the widow of Hergé and her current husband, Nick Rodwell. To enter the details, Moulinsart SA pays the expert and the sale catalogue and in sharing the benefits with Piasa. A mounting for the least unpublished.

Scarcity of parts

Marcel Wilmet, head of communication of the Belgian firm, justify this approach. "Last year, in may, we attended a Tintin festival in Namur." We we joined a local sales room to organize auctions. We became aware of the fact that this kind of approach allows to exhume works believed to be missing. In addition, we are thus making our presence on the market. We want to organize reliable sales. This does not mean that those are not. And we're not jealous. Simply, we now see many problems on the Internet. For example, of false dedications sold 750 euros. Sometimes we meet five albums to one in a State of perfect preservation for sale of 20,000 euros. We do not sell and buy anything. We manage archives. This operation is not organized to make money.

The independent expert of the sale is the Belgian Thibaut Van Houte. According to him, now the market is acquiring and growing. "Long time the market was only francophone." Today, it extends to Europe. Only five years ago, a pencil of Hergé Board negotiated for about 30,000 euros. Today, it rating more than double. The major problem is the scarcity of parts. There are less than 200 plates of Hergé in private hands. More generally, 85 of his work belongs to the Hergé Studios, which is to separate. The rest is to individuals.

Lot sale Lighthouse is a dual board drawn in ink of China published in "Le Petit Vingtième" from April 27, 1939. Some scenes of the "Sceptre of Ottokar" estimated 250,000 euros. What is called a "sketch", a set of scenes outlined preparatory pencil for "Sunflower affair" is estimated 90,000 euros. In the field of the albums, the star of the sale is a copy of the "Adventures of Tintin, reporter of the"Petit Vingtième"Congo" of 1931. It is one of the 25 known copies in private collections, with a buffer "Tintin and Milou". At this level of price - 18.000 EUR estimate-, every detail into account, and any spot is reported in the description of the catalog.

Currently, the most popular album to the readership is "The Secret of the Unicorn". An original edition of 1943 these Adventures is proposed with an estimate of 2,000 euros. "The State of conservation made all the difference." Original albums in colour (from 1942 to 1976) are traded between 300 to 20,000 euros on average. Those black and white (from 1930 to 1942) between 500 and 50,000 euros. "Finally the sale will also contain dedications of Hergé on paper, accompanied by a dual-head of the dog and the master estimated between 800 and 1,500 euros.

The expert of Artcurial seems surprised this new sales. "If it is question of authenticity, it's fifteen years that I clean up the market." And then is it really the role of a foundation to organize auction sales I ask myself the question. Still, is it that I am flattered that it seeks to make competition. That said, Piasa joining Moulinsart enjoys an advantage: they do not pay the reproduction rights. While classically, for reproduction in the catalogue of images of Hergé, we sum required to pay 200 euros for each image on average.

Eric Leroy already announced that it will organize on 23 October the sale of what he called "the most beautiful collection devoted to the artifacts on Tintin" dating from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. The most original: a scarf printed release showing thumbnails small reporter taking the Belgian flag. The national hero is at the centre of the covetous.