Entertainment memorabilia auction house Propstore has announced a historic two-day Animation Art Live Auction scheduled for 8 and 9 July 2026. Operating from its UK headquarters, the sale is projected to bring in over £1 million, solidifying its status as the largest dedicated auction of animation art ever staged in the UK and Europe.
The extensive event features nearly 700 lots, drawing together rare, original hand-painted production cels, storyboards, backgrounds, and conceptual designs. The timing coincides with several major milestones in global animation history, including the 75th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland, Naruto, the 40th anniversary of Dragon Ball, and the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise. Bidding is set to begin online and via telephone at 3:00 PM BST each day.
The auction’s initial day will focus exclusively on Western properties, led by an original pan production cel setup from The Simpsons season 11 episode, “Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder” (1999). Featuring characters Homer, Lenny, and Carl on a Key Master hand-painted background, the lot carries a pre-sale estimate of £25,000 to £50,000. Golden-age Western pieces also feature prominently, including an original 1940 Fantasia gouache concept painting of Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, estimated at £9,000 to £18,000.
The second day turns entirely to Japanese animation, highlighting the global scale of the anime collecting market. Collectors will find a rare Dragon Ball Z production cel of Super Saiyan 3 Goku with its matching animation drawing, estimated at £7,500 to £15,000. Studio Ghibli is represented by a Key Master setup from Hayao Miyazaki’s Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), depicting Kiki visiting her friend Ursula, which carries an estimate of £6,000 to £12,000.
Russell Singler, Animation Art Expert at Propstore, said in a statement:
Few art forms have the power to transport us back to a specific moment quite like animation. Rushing home for The Simpsons, discovering the worlds of Studio Ghibli, watching Goku go Super Saiyan in Dragon Ball Z, these are the films and series that shaped our childhoods and stayed with us long after the credits rolled. The artworks in this Propstore sale are the originals that made those moments possible, a rare chance for collectors to own a piece of the animation they love. In more than thirty years surrounded by this art form, this is among the finest selections I have seen come to market, and it has been an absolute joy to bring it together.”
The event highlights the substantial commercial value now placed on pieces of hand-drawn animation history. As digital workflows have completely replaced traditional physical production art in modern studios, vintage cels and production drawings have effectively become a finite historic resource, commanding ever-higher valuations on the international secondary market. Interested participants can view the complete digital catalogue and register for bidding directly on the company’s online platform.
