Cool and Collected

Collecting pop culture toys, comics, and collectibles collections

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My Top 10 favorite items in the Hake’s auction

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The latest Hake’s catalog arrived recently, and as usual, it is overflowing with incredible pop culture collectibles. I usually take a few hours to pore over every page, leaving a rainbow of post-it notes sticking out from the pages, tagging items that I want to research and add to my watch list. I have winnowed the rainbow down to the top ten items that I am excited to watch (and maybe bid on). I’ve intentionally left off the Bill Gates-level items like Detective Comics #27 and the Rocket-firing Boba Fett, because I know those are going to fetch crazy money. So, here are my top ten items in Hake’s auction #223…

batman phoenix candy and toy box

“BATMAN CANDY & TOY” BOX SET

I’ve been trying to assemble a full set of these 1966 Phoenix Candy & Toy Co. Batman boxes for almost ten years. In that time, I have managed to acquire two. I could knock out the entire set with one good bid, but where would the fun be in that?

macman spiderman flexi-ring

“AMAZING MARVEL SUPER HEROES” MACMAN SAMPLE LABEL AND SPIDER-MAN FLEXI-RING

Vintage Marvel items from the 60’s always get the collecting engine revving, but when you see a gumball machine toy with an auction estimate of $1,000.00-2,000.00, you have to stop and gawk a little bit don’t you?

gi joe dreadnok ripper action figure

“G.I. JOE – A REAL AMERICAN HERO” DREADNOK RIPPER

Sure there’s a carded Snake Eyes figure in this auction, but when I was a kid, Zartan and the Dreadnoks were my favorite motley crew. The punk-styled trio with chainsaw guns were sure to be featured in any of my playtime battles, and seeing this Ripper figure brought back a flood of nostalgia for me.

mego general ursus

MEGO PLANET OF THE APES GENERAL URSUS FIGURE

The purple clad general looks mighty fine in the box, doesn’t he? Usually, you’ll find the Planet of the Apes figures on a card, but the boxed versions are really hard to find, and this one is a beauty!

mattel colonial viper battlestar galactica

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA – SPECIAL OFFER COLONIAL VIPER

Battlestar Galactica’s colonial viper is one of the greatest spaceship designs in pop culture history. This example from the esteemed Russell Brandon collection looks like it was just grabbed off the top shelf of a toy store in 1978.

kenner alien

KENNER “ALIEN” 18 INCH AFA U90 

It’s easy to get excited about an original Kenner Alien, but look at the grade this one received from AFA! This is probably the most pristine example of Kenner’s Alien that you will ever see, and the bidding is sure to exceed the $1,000.00-2,000.00 estimate.

flash gordon big little book cards

“FLASH GORDON” BIG LITTLE BOOK STRIP CARDS

One of the great things about Hake’s catalogs is discovering items that you never knew existed. I have never heard of these Big Little Book cards before, but this Flash Gordon uncut strip of cards is going to sell for over $4,000.00, more than doubling the estimate!

secret wars shelf talker

SECRET WARS ACTION FIGURE SHELF TALKER

Shelf talkers are not all that common, and it’s always fun to see that items like this that survived to live a second life in a collector’s capable hands. This Secret Wars Wars display would be such a great addition to a vintage Marvel comic book or toy collection.

1940 superman gum cards

SUPERMAN CARD LOT OF 21

These set of 1940 Superman cards is firmly entrenched on the list of things to collect before I die. If I get this lot, I’ll only have to track down another 51 cards!

ideal batman play set

IDEAL “OFFICIAL BATMAN PLAY SET” BOXED SET

The Ideal Batman play set is the holiest of holy grails for any Batman collector. It’s a mythical beast that is constantly hunted, but rarely seen. It’s pretty incredible how valuable a little plastic and cardboard can be.

All of these items are currently up for bid at Hake’s, along with thousands of more incredible pop culture collectibles. View the whole catalog online.

A few super hero finds at this weekend’s DC Big Flea

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The DC Big Flea held before Christmas always seems to be the busiest show of the year, and this time around was no exception. When you can’t find a parking space, you know the aisles are going to be crowded with antique hunters. I saw a woman pushing a double stroller, and did a double take when I realized she was pushing around two very spoiled pups rather than children. I’m a sucker for eccentrics, so I’ll give her a pass.

The Big Flea isn’t really a mecca for toy collectors, but there were definitely some interesting items for sale this weekend. One vendor even had a boxed Kenner Alien for sale — the $400 price tag was too steep for the condition it was in, but just seeing it at this show was encouraging.

And then there was this wood and composition Superman figure just sitting on a table. That $1,650 price tag is legit — this 1940 figure is all original and unrestored, and looked to be in excellent condition. This has been described by some as being the first super hero action figure ever produced. A similar figure with its original box sold at Hake’s a couple of years ago for over $5,000.00! One of these figures will make its way into my collection someday — but not today.

I took a few photos of this toy booth because it shows that there are some real treasures to be found, but this is the vendor who prices his items two to three times what they typically sell for, so I have grown to view his booth as a museum where the toys are wonderful to see, but not for sale.

There are so many tempting toys!

Of course, I couldn’t leave the show empty-handed! Here are the items that came home with me…

The large Joker figure is available at Walmart, but it was too eye-catching to pass up and the price was right. I might take a saw and cut off the body, and do something creative with the awesome sculpted head. The Empire Strikes Back candy box was my favorite find. I don’t usually go for Star Wars items, but I’m a sucker for store displays. I bought a stack of Beatles cards solely to use as trade bait, and there were a dozen Batman trading cards in the pile, so that worked out well. And I also picked up an old DC super hero record case, an item that I’ve wanted for while, so that was a good find for me.

The last item I got was this vintage Spider and the Fly beanie with a bunch of Cracker Jack toys attached. My AJ Renzi Spider-Man bank need a little flair, now I need to find something for the Hulk!

This Dr. Zaius bank just got a little more rare

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We’ve all done it — the shameful act that can elicit shrieks of terror and uncontrollable sobbing. Yes, I’m talking about that moment when tragedy strikes and we accidentally destroy a prized possession in our collection. It might be an item falling off a shelf and smashing to bits on the ground far below, or clumsy fingers losing an important, but tiny piece in the shag carpet. It’s an unavoidable truth — if you collect long enough, you will eventually lose or break something.

Planet of the Apes Dr. Zauis AJ Renzi bank

Last night, I was moving things around in the cave and reached for this plastic Planet of the Apes Dr. Zaius bank that was sitting on the floor. I grabbed the top of the bank and my thumb went right through the plastic with almost no resistance. Huge chunks of plastic broke off with the slightest touch. This bank had not been sitting in sunlight or anything, but for whatever reason, the plastic had become brittle — now, it’s like the world’s thinnest chocolate Easter bunny — if I jut tap it, more pieces fall off.

Planet of the Apes Dr. Zauis AJ Renzi bank

This bank is just one of seven AJ Renzi blow-mold banks that I have lined up in a row in the same location. All of the other ones seem fine, but I’m not convinced they won’t decide to crumble away one day. Luckily, this isn’t a high value item, but they’re not too easy to find. Man, I hate to see vintage toys busted up and destined for the trash heap. Every time one of these gets taken out, the more valuable they get, right? I better find a replacement quick!

What are some of your horror stories? Has your cat knocked a prized statue or figure off your shelf? Add your story in the comments below so we can all commiserate together.

Bosch is one of us!

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Have you seen this? Titus Welliver, an actor who has appeared in tons of TV shows and movies, including Amazon’s Bosch series (which is excellent), is one of us — he collects pop culture toys and figures, especially those produced by Sideshow Toys.

Welliver is “a collector, then an actor, in that order.” The man in black is my new hero.

Upgrade acquired!

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I’ve never been a mint-condition collector, not because I don’t like toys that are in pristine condition and in their original packaging, but because those items tend to be astronomically more expensive and difficult to find. Plus, in collecting vintage toys, knowing that the items were played with at some point and have a history to them, is appealing to me, but sometimes you find items that are in dire need of an upgrade.

durham superman squirtgun

I have had this Superman squirt gun in my cabinet for years, and it has been harboring a deep dark secret — half of its head has melted and shrunk. It looks like Lex Luthor curb stomped him on a chunk of Kryptonite. This thing must have been stored in a hot attic or garage at some point, and the plastic melted and rehardened in this deformed state. There’s really no way to fix it and it’s bothered me for ages, but I knew that one day I would find a replacement.

durham superman squirtgun

Well, here it is! A shiny “new” replacement with non-crushed skull and less worn paint. It’s certainly not minty fresh but it’s close enough for me.

durham superman squirtgun

Broken or worn out toys can often be used for parts or just serve as a placeholder on your shelf until a better example comes along. For me, upgrading items is one of the joys of collecting. I never shy away from a ratty old vintage toy if I need it for my collection, especially if it’s a rare item. When you see it, buy it, because you may not see another one for many years.

Many collectors will tell you to buy only the best quality, and if that’s your approach, then go for it! But for me, I don’t have that kind of patience or bankroll. The thrill of the hunt makes me want to keep looking for better examples, but I certainly don’t mind finding toys that saw some action, and have their own stories to tell.