Marvel ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ #1 (March 1963), CGC 9.6 NM+, white pages, one of only five CGC 9.6 copies in existence and one of only three in its grade to have been offered for public sale in the past 10 years. Provenance: John B. Goodrich collection. Estimate: $350,000+. Image courtesy of Hake’s Auctions
YORK, Pa. – Hake’s July 25-26 auction of pop culture memorabilia serves as an exciting virtual showcase of “firsts” – first appearances of comic book superheroes, rare first issues, and first iterations of classic action figures. The 1,930-lot sale encompasses dozens of categories of America’s most sought-after collectibles, from political and sports to Star Wars and Transformers. View the fully illustrated catalog on LiveAuctioneers.
Unopened 1952 Topps baseball brick of eight factory-sealed 5-cent wax packs, with each pack containing five cards. Extraordinarily rare and most likely from Topps’ first series. Authenticated by Steve Hart, owner of Baseball Card Exchange. Sold above high estimate for $873,300 to a private collector
DENVER, Pa.- Star Wars fans and diehard sports buffs called the shots at Morphy Auctions’ February 1-3, 2023 auction, which attracted head-spinning prices and closed the books at nearly $3.1 million. The sale featured both a phenomenal single-owner collection of early Star Wars action figures and a vintage sports card selection that included one of the most sought-after treasures of the “unopened” realm: an intact 1952 Topps baseball wax-pack “brick” that sold for a staggering $873,300. Absentee and Internet live bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.
Star Wars 12C Luke Skywalker DT with double-telescoping lightsaber, mint on card. Estimate $10,000-$20,000
DENVER, Pa. – Just when Star Wars collectors thought they had seen it all, along came The Morphy Find. That’s the name that has been given to a recently unveiled trove of rare, high-condition Star Wars toys that sat undisturbed in original Kenner shipping cartons, largely forgotten, since the 1970s/’80s.
Screen-matched stormtrooper helmet made for and used in the original ‘Star Wars’ movie, est. $480,000-$720,000. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions
DALLAS – A long time ago in a theater probably not too far from your house, Star Wars was released on May 25, 1977, long before the original space opera was rechristened Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. To celebrate that 45th anniversary, Heritage Auctions will offer in its July 22-23 Hollywood & Entertainment Signature® Auction two of the rarest and most coveted items featured in the film that spawned a never-ending franchise: a screen-matched stormtrooper helmet and a screen-used hero E-11 blaster shared by stormtroopers, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
Boba Fett L-slot rocket-firing prototype action figure, predecessor to the Boba Fett figure in Kenner’s popular 1979 Star Wars toy line, 3.75in tall, AFA-graded 80+ NM (archival case). Encapsulated with notarized CIB COA. Sold for a world-record price of $236,000 against an estimate of $100,000-$200,000
YORK, Pa. – The enduring, multigenerational appeal of Star Wars action figures and related collectibles was never more obvious than on June 2nd, when Hake’s first-ever Special Event Auction featuring memorabilia from the legendary franchise closed the books at $903,000. The online auction, whose final bid was received at 11:14 p.m., achieved a 100% sell-through rate and set multiple new world records in so doing. In Hake’s last two auctions, 500 lots of Star Warsmaterial have sold for a combined $2.1 million.
Boba Fett L-slot rocket-firing prototype action figure, predecessor to the Boba Fett figure in Kenner’s popular 1979 Star Wars toy line, 3.75in tall, AFA-graded 80+ NM (archival case). Encapsulated with notarized CIB COA. Estimate $100,000-$200,000
YORK, Pa. – In the investment-obsessed world of fine art, scarcely a week goes by without some new auction record being set, either for a particular artist or art genre. Hake’s Auctions, the groundbreaking Pennsylvania company that has specialized in pop culture memorabilia since 1967, also rewrites the record books with regularity, but not with Picassos or Van Goghs. It has become known as “The House of Star Wars” because of its consistent ability to achieve world-record prices for prototypes and other rarities from the fabled sci-fi film franchise. With collector demand at an all-time high, Hake’s has responded to the call by adding something new to its roster: an online auction dedicated exclusively to Star Wars memorabilia. The debut “Special Event” has opened for bidding and will run through June 2nd.
‘Star Trek’ Type-2 phaser “hero” prop, created for the television show, estimated at $1,000-$1,000,000
DALLAS – This auction is set to stun.
Fifty-two years after NBC canceled Star Trek, one of its most sought-after – and rarest – pieces of prop-culture comes to auction for the first time: a detailed, ready-for-its-close-up Type-2 phaser. The pistol making its auction debut at Heritage Auctions during the July 16-18 Entertainment and Music Memorabilia event is isn’t one of the foam vacuum-formed plastic props handed out to redshirts, but one of only two original-series “hero” phasers known to have survived the show’s three-season run. This is something right out of Captain Kirk’s arsenal, down to the last detachable detail.