Earning a new world auction record, and top lot status, was this 1978 Star Wars Early Bird Special store display package by Kenner Toys with Early Bird Certificate, AFA 70 EX+ (Excellent +), which realized a record-breaking $112,100.
Review by Kiersten Busch
YORK, PENN. — Spanning July 29-30, Hake’s Auctions closed out the month with more than 1,500 lots of various pop culture items — from Star Wars to Transformers to baseball memorabilia — which earned $2.5 million with 96 percent of lots sold.
“The auction was a huge success,” shared president Alex Winter. “The $2.5 million total exceeded my expectations. We always offer a diverse selection of Americana and pop culture collectibles in each of our premier auctions but rarely are all the key categories as stacked as they were this time. Action figures, sports, political, comic books and original art all had key pieces do extremely well and propelled this auction to an overall impressive result.”
Both days of the sale were led by a 1978 Star Wars Early Bird Special store display certificate package by Kenner Toys, which set a new world auction record for any store display associated with an action figure line at $112,100. According to catalog notes, the fresh-to-auction display “was designed to hold stiff illustrated cardboard envelopes, each containing a sealed kit available for a limited time to mail-order the first set of four action figures (Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and R2-D2).”
This Star Wars Early Bird mail-away kit by Kenner Toys, 1978, AFA 90 NM+/Mint, was the highest graded example Hake’s had ever offered, and earned a new world auction record for $45,430 ($20/35,0000).
The Star Wars franchise earned another world auction record in the sale, this one for a Kenner Early Bird mail-away kit, which surpassed its $20/35,000 estimate at $45,430. The Action Figure Authority (AFA) graded and encapsulated case contained its original white mailer box and the set of four action figures — R2-D2, Chewbacca, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker with a Double-Telescoping Light Saber.
While they did not come from the Star Wars universe, two additional vintage action figure sets attracted considerable bidder attention, according to Winter. The first was a Transformers (1987) Series 4 Headmaster Decepticon Base Scorponok playset, which, according to the box’s advertisement, “transforms from giant scorpion to robot to defense base and back!” The fan-favorite Decepticon figure was factory sealed and could be identified as a first release due to a text error on the back of the box. It landed near the high end of its $10/20,000 estimate, totaling $18,971.
The second set, which sold for $17,523, was a Masters Of The Universe (1983) Battle for Eternia Series 2 gift set, which earned the highest AFA grade of the three examples currently graded: 60 Y-EX (excellent condition, but with some yellowing). Made by Mattel and considered “one of the rarest and most coveted vintage Masters Of The Universe boxed pieces,” the first release set contained Skeletor and Man-E-Faces figures, as well as a Panthor mount; art by William Garland was featured on the box header.
Signed on the front by George Herman “Babe” Ruth and on the reverse by Paul Gregory and Elias Funk, this 1929 Babe Ruth R316 Kashin Publications card hit a home run for $47,259.
Baseball memorabilia was also popular with bidders, as a 1929 R316 Kashin Publications Babe Ruth signed card hit a home run for $47,259. Featuring Ruth in his Yankees uniform in a full-figure batting pose, the most interesting aspect of the card, however, was that it had been signed on its blank reverse by two additional Major League Baseball players, Paul Gregory and Elias Funk. According to catalog notes, “In doing research, we discovered that all three only appeared in two games together, both in 1932 — July 18 and August 30,” meaning that the card was most likely signed at one of those two games.
A much different baseball item that scored big was an unopened 1970 Topps Baseball Series 4 wax box, which included 24 wax packs of baseball trading cards, and the chewing gum advertised on the front. As it was “distributed right around mid-season,” Series 4 “was not always offered until the earlier cards had been sold, thus accounting for the scarcity level as the year wore on.” The most recent sale of a Baseball Card Exchange authenticated example, like the one in this sale, was in July 2019, which sold for $28,809. This example sold for much higher, earning $40,238.
Bid to a hearty $68,964, this copyright set of Sea Raiders Chewing Gum pirate trading cards by World Wide Gum Company, Boston, 1933, came with 24 cards graded by the CGC and were consigned from the John Grossman collection ($10/20,000).
Surprisingly enough, the Topps baseball cards were not the only trading cards packaged and sold with chewing gum that captured bidders’ hearts. A 1933 Sea Raiders Chewing Gum trading card pack blew past its $10/20,000 estimate to make $68,964. Manufactured by the World Wide Gum Company in Boston, the pack contained a “Series of 240 Sea Raiders,” including pirates such as Black Beard, Captain Kidd and Jean Lafitte. What made this set special, according to catalog notes, was “the fact that this is a full copyright file set as submitted to the US Patent Office before the cards were sold in stores.”
Original comic book art also excelled, with a Wonder Woman #1 published Summer 1942 lassoing $29,205, while a pen and ink original cover for Detective Comics #522 (1983) featuring Batman fighting Snowman flew to $20,190.
Hake’s next premier auction will go online on October 28. There will also be specialty auctions for 1980s GI Joe and Magic: The Gathering cards in the fall, with dates to be announced. Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 717-434-1600 or www.hakes.com.
