I collect a lot of things. No, it’s true, I have more toys and comics than any grown man should, but the longer that I collect, the more willing I am to cut down the fluff and focus on the really good items. This is the natural progression of being a collector — there is just too much stuff out there, and a good collection is one that has been curated to entail only the best of the best. As I look at my shelves, I wonder what I might let go and more importantly, what might take its place. I would be happy, no thrilled, to sell 20 items in order to get one true gem.
My collecting focus is on pop culture icons. I collect characters who have been rebooted multiple times through several generations — characters like the Lone Ranger, Batman, Superman, Spider-man, the Hulk, G.I. Joe, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, King Kong — you get the idea. I try not to collect items based on a person, such as Peewee Herman, Mr. T, or Hopalong Cassidy, because when they’re dead, their collectible shelf life will typically soon follow. I want the characters who keep coming back to life. When a character can be reimagined and reinvented in multiple ways by multiple people, that’s exciting to me.
Our friends at Hake’s Americana & Collectibles are truly experts at finding the best of the best, and their current auction is filled with items that I would hope to find in my collection someday. Here are some of the items that would fit perfectly within my “iconic” collection. (Click the images to go to the auction for more info.)
“THE POP-UP FLASH GORDON – TOURNAMENT OF DEATH” BOOK.
SUPERMAN EXTREMELY RARE DC PROMOTIONAL FIGURAL ASHTRAY.
“THE LONE RANGER 3 POWERED BINOCULAR” BOXED.
“FLASH GORDON’S TRIP TO MARS” LINEN-MOUNTED MOVIE SERIAL POSTER.
“BATMAN” BOXED MEGO ACTION FIGURE.
—
All of the above items are currently available in Hake’s auction #210 going on now!
Some really wonderful items and i just love that pop-up book.
Yeah, looking at that page and some of the others in that book, it’s amazing to me what was “appropriate” for a kid’s book back then. Lots of skimpy clothes and demonic imagery!
The Flash Gordon poster looks more like a silent movie poster than a serial!
It does! It almost looks like a hand-colored black and white photo. I think that this poster was sun-faded, which might give it that look.
Some great choices, Brian! I too would like to own a boxed Mego Bats! I’m big on AFA so I’d like a nice high grade example 😉
Yeah, I’m not a big Mego fan, but I would definitely like to have a few boxed ones. I got a carded Hulk last year from Hake’s, and that quickly became one of my favorite items.
Hakes is so great. I got their latest catalogue and I was glued to it for days. So much great stuff. I have to do a post this weekend about their latest auction. I still look at the great Shadow ring I have from them after the last contest you held. You know you are getting the best stuff, museum quality collectibles. It’s nice to have those rare pieces that you can find at a great price at the moment you can afford them. You are right. We can’t have everything but we can have what we like.. I have many comics and toys myself and I love it all…even my bad choices. I am sure I could sell off a fifth of what I have an not miss it but then I would miss it?