Christie’s Validates Anime as Investment Class in Inaugural New York Sale
New York, Saturday, 28 February 2026.
Christie’s inaugural New York anime auction positions manga alongside Hokusai, signaling subculture’s evolution into a serious asset class following a recent $16.5 million Pokémon card sale.
Bridging High Art and Pop Culture
In a decisive move to capitalize on the surging valuation of Japanese pop culture, Christie’s announced on February 26, 2026, the launch of its first New York auction dedicated to anime and manga [3]. Titled “Anime Starts Here: Japanese Subculture Reimagines Tradition,” the online sale is scheduled to run from March 18 through March 31, 2026, as a central component of the auction house’s Asian Art Week [1][3]. The event represents a curatorial strategy that situates modern animation cels and manga drawings within the same artistic canon as traditional masterpieces, explicitly exploring the visual dialogue between Japan’s classical heritage and contemporary subculture [2]. This initiative follows closely on the heels of a market-defining event earlier this month, where a Pikachu Illustrator card fetched a record-breaking $16.5 million, confirming the immense financial weight of the so-called “nostalgia economy” [3].
Market Fundamentals and Growth Projections
The decision to elevate anime to a serious asset class is underpinned by robust market data indicating a massive expansion in the sector’s global economic footprint. In 2025, the global anime market was valued at approximately $37.7 billion, with projections suggesting it will exceed $77 billion by 2033, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 9.2 percent [3]. Even more striking is the trajectory of the manga market, which stood at roughly $10.2 billion in 2025 and is forecast to quadruple to more than $43.8 billion by 2033, driven by a CAGR of approximately 20.5 percent [3]. Takaaki Murakami, head of Christie’s Japanese and Korean art department, notes that the collector base for these items has matured, consisting largely of individuals who grew up with the medium and are now approaching it with serious investment intent [1][3].
Curatorial Strategy: From Hokusai to Miyazaki
The auction’s catalog, featuring over 40 lots, is designed to highlight the artistic lineage connecting historical woodblock prints with modern animation [1]. Collectors will find Katsushika Hokusai’s iconic “Under the Wave off Kanagawa,” estimated between $40,000 and $60,000, presented alongside production cels from Hayao Miyazaki’s 1984 classic Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, which carry estimates of $3,500 to $4,500 [3]. Other highlights include a rare 1953 original drawing by Osamu Tezuka for Princess Knight, estimated at $12,000 to $22,000, and a vintage 1989 theatrical poster for Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro, estimated at $2,500 to $3,500 [3]. By juxtaposing these works, Christie’s aims to demonstrate that subculture is not a departure from tradition but rather a “dynamic evolution” of Japanese storytelling and craftsmanship [2].
Accessible Entry Points for New Collectors
While the headline-grabbing Pokémon card sale suggests a market capable of eight-figure sums, Christie’s inaugural sale appears strategically priced to court a broader demographic of new collectors. Most lots in the sale are estimated below $10,000, with many starting under $3,000, creating an accessible entry point compared to the multi-million dollar valuations often seen in the traditional fine art market [1]. This pricing strategy aligns with a broader institutional recognition of the medium; major museums, including the British Museum and the Van Gogh Museum, have recently hosted collaborations or exhibitions dedicated to manga and anime, helping to cultivate the market influence and curatorial dialogue necessary for long-term value retention [1]. The sale will be accompanied by an exhibition at Rockefeller Center from March 20 to March 25, 2026, further cementing the genre’s physical presence in the heart of the New York art world [4].