If you know anything about me, you know that I like old Batman stuff –toys, pinbacks, clocks, radios, you name it! If it has that beautiful black and yellow bat logo on it, I want to add it to my collection.
Hake’s has outdone themself this time. There are hundreds of pop culture collectibles up for bid in their upcoming auction that are sure to put some stress marks on my wallet. I’ll be showing you a bunch of those items in future posts, but here are some of my favorite vintage Batman items…
(Click the auction titles to see more detailed photos over on Hake’s web site.)
BATMAN/DC COMICS CELLOPHANE WINDOW SIGN
5×11.5″. c.1960s. Thin cellophane window sign with unused adhesive strips marked “Goodstix Exclusively By Goodren Prod. Corp. Englewood, NJ.” Sign has “Batman With Robin The Boy Wonder” logo, along with images of both. Text at bottom reads “Appear In Every Issue of Detective, Batman And World’s Finest Comics”. Great looking display piece and fragile in nature but this example is unused and Exc.
BATMAN ARGUS ACTION VIEWER
10×12″ blister card. ©1966 NPP, Inc. Card has a crease from top to bottom that breaks color, a .25x.5″ litho pull and edge/corner wear. Front has Batman image and reverse lists other features in series. VG. Contains plastic 8mm film viewer with film. Great 1960s item using the TV show popularity to recycle the 1940s Columbia Serials featuring Batman to a new audience. Contents mint. Scarce.
“BATMAN HELMET & CAPE” BOXED IDEAL SET
©1966 NPP Inc. Nicely illustrated box w/large Batman images-contains 11.25″ tall molded plastic helmet, replicating Batman’s famous mask/cowl. Batsymbol below chin. Scattered minor paint rubs to raised portions of black area of mask from box storage o/w NM. Complete w/vinyl cape, instruction sheet and unused strip of self-adhesive pads to be placed inside mask. Cape is folded as issued w/large batsymbol on back. Lt. color rubs to this design. NM. .25″ puncture to instruction sheet w/two small moisture spots in upper left corner. Set is by Ideal, producer of the nicest Batman merchandise of the 1960s. Helmet was also sold loose in bag by itself. This is the more desirable boxed version. Box shows lt. wear and has scattered inking to front. Edge wear. Fine. Classic Batman item.
BOXED “BATMAN GILBERT ACTION WATCH”
Plastic case complete with cardboard insert holds uniquely-designed watch ©1966 NPP Inc. Watch has bat-shaped 1.5×2.75″ hard plastic case, complete with fabric band. Dial has bat wing hands. Metallic blue accents on raised areas of watch case remain completely intact. These are most often rubbed off. Old store stock, Mint and running. Insert is NM. Plastic case has some light surface wear, VF.
“BATMAN AND ROBIN MARBLE MAZE”
12x12x2” deep sealed box contains 11” dia. plastic maze tray game with two metal balls. Hassenfeld Bros. Inc. ©1966 NPP Inc. Open-faced window box has separate die-cut band which features great graphics of Batman and Robin leaping into the fray. Illustrated insert of the maze toy features great action shots of Batman and Robin fighting villains Joker, Riddler as well as scene of Batplane and Batmobile. All original with instructions, packaged for full viewing. Factory sealed but with pair of 1″ splits just below center but these are only noticeable when viewed closely. Remains tightly sealed as issued. Also has trace of price sticker residue stain at top right. Box remains Exc/NM with Mint contents. Very rare as sealed.
“BATMAN” JAPANESE TIN LITHO POP GUN AND HOLSTER
8” long holster attached to 28” long vinyl-covered canvas belt by Aoshin Shoten. c. 1966. Exclusive to the Japanese market. Holster has “Batman” name and image of Batman and Robin running. Belt has “Batman” comic book title logo and loops for 6 plastic bullets (not included). Aoshin Shoten produced different 1 and 2 gun/holster sets that were sold in display bags with header cards (as shown in “Bat-Manga” book by Pantheon Books). Belt/holster has some dust soiling and oxidation to metal button snaps on the holster reverse side. Fine. Tin litho gun has image of Batman and logo on both sides of grips. Moderate paint wear/aging. Tiny traces if oxidation on barrel top and side that rests against holster. VG. Extremely scarce piece. We sold just a holster in Auction 201 for $977. From the Saul Ferris Collection.
BATMAN AND FLIPPER JAPANESE GAME
1.5x10x13″. By Koide Shinkosha. c. 1966. Exclusive to the Japanese market. Unique combination of Batman and Flipper. Has three separate playing boards. One has Batman TV theme graphics. One has Japanimation style Batman and Robin figures, with two different style renderings of Robin. The third board has graphics from the Flipper TV show. Board reverses are generic game boards. Fine. Playing pieces are also generic and have three of four “kid” markers (one re-glued)and 32 cones in four colors/two sizes and a spinner. VF. Instructions inside lid are all in Japanese. Box lid has amazing images of TV style Batman and Robin w/Batmobile and Flipper with Bud. Box has a one corner split and moisture staining/soiling on Flipper side. VG. Very unusual combination of characters. Scarce.
“BATMAN” CARDED MEGO ACTION FIGURE
Original blister card contains 8″ tall posable figure in one piece polyester outfit with nylon shorts. ©NPP 1973. Item #1301. 1st issue Mego card. Blister is firmly attached on all sides. Card back has nice artwork of the Batman based on a Carmine Infantino design. Faint pencil writing at Batman logo appears to say Adam West. Lt. shelf wear on back of card with a 2″ scratch across middle. Color slightly faded. VF. Comes w/custom acrylic case. Under figure is a mini Mego catalog. Nice painted cowl figure designed w/cape, utility belt, gloves and boots. His right boot has cracked the whole way around his foot from age, but displays fine. Otherwise figure is NM. From the Benjamin Holcomb collection and comes with a signed COA.
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The auction is going on now, so head over to Hake’s and place your bids! Bidding starts to close on 6/21/2011, and as always, if you get something cool, I want to know about it!
Batman & Flipper would’ve been the worst issue of The Brave and the Bold EVER!
Oh I don’t know. I think I could get behind that idea. 😉
Oh, that bat clock! So many delicious vintage bat goodies here!
Hi, I am from Peru and when I was a child I haved the BATMAN plastic watch, in my birthday in the year of 1967, the same as the picture. I haved many things from Batman, because it’s my hero, even now. A few years ago I losed (was the only object that I conserve), it was in perfect conditions. My brother still have his original 1966 GI JOE watch. Is there a way to have one BATMAN watch?