Hake’s is tempting me again

Some say that to achieve happiness, you should rid yourself of temptation, so I should probably just throw out the Hake’s catalog whenever it arrives in mailbox. But I could never do that, because it’s filled with such amazing stuff! Every time Hake’s announces a new auction, I find myself looking around for things to sell so that I might be able to bid on one of the treasures they have listed. Their newest auction catalog was unveiled this week, and as usual, I want it all. Unfortunately, I’d have to sell everything I own, including the house, to pay for the items on my “wish list,” and I doubt my wife would appreciate that much.

Well, a guy can dream, right? Here are some of the lots that I’ll be tracking…

This Wild Bill poster is incredible, and would even look great in my living room, where I don’t get to display my collection in at the moment. I’m sure my wife would agree, right?

As my collection becomes more refined, original art is something that interests me more than just about anything else. This original painting used in the production of the 1966 TOPPS Batman cards checks off all the boxes for me.

This Superman poster is huge and day-glo — two of my favorite attributes. I remember seeing ads for this appearance in comic books when I was a kid. There can’t be very many of these posters out there, especially not in this condition.

Here’s another super poster — a door-sized Spiderman poster from the old Marvelmania days. I’ve been stalking vintage Marvel posters for a while, and this one is definitely at the top of my list.

These Japanese Batman records are crazy cool. Japanese marketing is always fun to see, and it’s hard to beat when it includes Batman.

My King Kong collecting has slowed down, but I would definitely put the metal down to get this die cut King Kong movie herald. I’ve seen few of these at auction before, and they always go for skyrise-high prices.

You could open your own art gallery with the original monster paintings that are up for bid. These images appeared on the card art for REMCO’s action figures in the 80’s. I hate to see the set broken up and wish that Hake’s had auctioned them all together, but hopefully some well-financed monster lover will get a good deal on the set.

Now here’s something you don’t see everyday — or ever! The James Bond Secret Agent action puppet on its original card has got to be the holiest of grails for any 007 collector.

If I could pick just one item from the entire catalog, it would be this giant poster for the classic Revenge of the Creature. This is a six-sheet which means it would take up an entire wall — it is massive! The damsel in distress in the grip of the classic creature is stunning. Dear Santa…

So, those are a few of my favorite things in the current Hake’s auction. Thank God I don’t collect Star Wars toys, because the amount of rare and valuable items they have up for bid is staggering. Is there no end to the well of Star Wars rarities that they keep selling? Go check out the entire catalog and let me know what you would want to add to your collection.