MVPs in multiple pop culture categories drove in $2.57M total at Hake’s 

James M. Cox and Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1920 jugate button, 1-inch diameter, believed to have been a salesman’s sample. One of only six of its type known to exist, this button was the crown jewel of the legendary John Hilhouse collection. Sold for $100,300 against an estimate of $35,000-$50,000

YORK, Pa. – Hake’s served up a pop culture feast at their March 21-22 Premier Auction, with one exciting rarity after another eliciting pre-sale comments like, “I’ve never seen one of those in the marketplace before” or “I never even knew that piece existed.” Closing at $2,570,000 inclusive of buyer’s premium, the two-day event was led by heavy hitters from the baseball, political memorabilia, Star Wars, comic art and vintage toy categories. Many items powered past their high estimates, and some set new world auction records along the way.

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Hake’s to auction fresh pop culture collections, prototypes, other rarities, Mar. 21-22

Marvel ‘Fantastic Four’ #1 comic book, Nov. 1961, CGC 5.0 VG/Fine. Features origin and first appearance of the Fantastic Four. Stan Lee story/Jack Kirby cover and art. Estimate $20,000-$35,000; and Marvel ‘The X-Men’ #1 comic book, Sept. 1963, CGC 7.0 Fine/VF. Origin and first appearance of The X-Men and Magneto. Stan Lee story/Jack Kirby cover and art. Estimate $20,000-$35,000

YORK, Pa. – Hake’s Auctions, America’s foremost source of rare and expertly authenticated pop-culture and historical memorabilia, will launch into the 2023 auction season with a March 21-22 offering of more than 1,900 choice lots from 200+ collector categories. From Star Wars to sports, vintage toys to rock ‘n’ roll, there’s plenty to discover in the online catalog.

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Teddy Roosevelt’s silver watch, Sitting Bull portrait lead Blackwell’s March 18 auction

Caroline Weldon (Swiss/American, 1844-1921), oil-on-canvas portrait of Lakota Sioux leader Sitting Bull (1831-1890), painted from life in 1890. Artist-signed and dated LR, identified at LL corner as ‘Sitting Bull.’ Size: 27 x 22in (sight), 35½ x 30½ in (framed). Provenance: Railroad engineer William Lafayette Darling, thence by descent to consignor. Estimate $40,000-$80,000
Theodore Roosevelt’s American Waltham pocket watch in a coin-silver case. Gifted to him in 1898 by his sister Corinne Roosevelt Robinson and engraved inside cover: ‘THEODORE ROOSEVELT’ and ‘From D.R. and C.R.R.’ Watch is referenced in detail in a thank-you letter published in Corinne Roosevelt Robinson’s 1924 book ‘My Brother Theodore Roosevelt.’ Estimate $100,000-$200,000

CLEARWATER, Fla. – America’s rich cultural history is laced with heroes and scalawags, blue-blooded entrepreneurs and immigrant achievers who rose from the humblest beginnings. All who contributed to the colorful tapestry of our 246-year-old nation – whether saintly or scurrilous – are part of our nation’s story, which serves as the backdrop for Blackwell Auctions’ March 18 event titled “The American Sale.” Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Star Wars prototype action figure sells for world-record price

1979 Star Wars Boba Fett rocket-firing prototype action figure, J-slot, version 2, bears copyright stamps, AFA-graded 50 VG. Archivally encapsulated with Collectible Investment Brokerage (CIB) COA. Extremely rare and sought after. Sold for above-estimate price of $204,435, inclusive of buyer’s premium.

YORK, Pa. – Last night Hake’s in York, Pennsylvania, set a new world auction record with the sale of a Kenner Star Wars Boba Fett rocket-firing prototype action figure. The Version 2 J-slot prototype, made in in 1979, attracted 27 bids before closing at $204,435. It was won by an online bidder in California.

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Hake’s Nov. 2-3 auction led by Capt. America shield screen-used by Chris Evans

Captain America shield screen-used by Chris Evans in ‘Avengers: Endgame.’ Image courtesy of Hake’s Auctions

YORK, Pa. – After two consecutive auctions that broke existing house records, Hake’s is back with a blockbuster November 2-3 Premier Auction that could push the pop culture giant’s 2021 gross beyond the $10 million mark. Between the red-hot state of the vintage collectibles market and an influx of new, investment-minded collectors coming into the hobby, new records are likely to be set not only by the November auction as a whole, but also in a number of pop-culture subcategories, said Hake’s president Alex Winter.

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Geppi Gems comic, pop culture exhibit opens at Library of Congress

Geppi Gems, an exhibit drawn from the pop culture collection of Steve Geppi, is now on view at the Library of Congress.
Geppi Gems, an exhibit drawn from the pop culture collection of Steve Geppi, is now on view at the Library of Congress.
Geppi Gems, an exhibit drawn from the pop culture collection of Steve Geppi, is now on view at the Library of Congress.

WASHINGTON – Pop culture does more than just entertain us, it impacts our lives, and reflects what is happening in the world. These topics and more intricacies of pop culture and entertainment are featured in the Geppi Gems Exhibit at the Library of Congress.

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HGTV’s Cash in the Attic to feature Willow Auction House in 6 episodes

The team at Willow Auction House. Image provided by Willow.

LINCOLN PARK, N.J. – After 11 years, HGTV has given the go-ahead for six new episodes of its popular series Cash in the Attic. Retooled to highlight collectible items relevant to today’s audiences, the latest iteration of the series stars Courtney Tezeno, a passionate collector, and her team of expert appraisers, including Elyse Luray, Jean David Michel and Marvin Jules, who sort through homes looking for classic toys, vintage comics, original video games and other valuable pop culture treasures. The items are then sold at Willow Auction House in Lincoln Park, New Jersey, with proceeds enabling homeowners to fund life-changing dreams, such as a down payment on a new house or a once-in-a-lifetime vacation.

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Hake’s $3.6M pop culture auction shatters house record; highest gross in 54 years

Peanuts July 3, 1955 Sunday page original art by Charles Schulz. Features Charlie Brown, Lucy and Snoopy. Fine condition overall. Sold within estimate for $80,476

YORK, Pa. – If records are made to be broken, then Hake’s has clearly mastered the art of an encore performance. Their June 29-30 auction, which grossed a robust $3.6 million, rewrote the company’s history books as it became their second consecutive auction to break an existing house record. Along the way, a number of new individual record prices were set, as well.

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