Hake’s Auctions – Auction #237
Online NOW – Closes March 21-22
P.O. Box 12001 York, PA 17402
www.hakes.com
hakes@hakes.com
866-404-9800

YORK, PENN. — Hake’s will launch into the 2023 auction season with a March 21-22 offering of more than 1,900 choice lots from more than 200 collector categories. From Star Wars to sports, vintage toys to rock ‘n’ roll, there’s plenty to discover in the print or online catalog.

Hake’s will offer a 1-inch version of the 1920 Cox/Roosevelt jugate button in its opening session on March 21. A rarity, the button is believed to have been a salesman’s sample, one of only six of its type known to exist. It was the crown jewel of the John Hilhouse collection ($35/50,000).

A rarity of the modern era is the pair of “No. 1” license plates from Ronald Reagan’s 1981 presidential inauguration. Made as special gifts for the president to bestow on members of his inner circle, an estimated 10 or fewer sets were produced — a total of 20 plates. After the inaugural, the plates consigned to Hake’s were given to a White House employee. Only seven individual plates of this type are known to exist, with this duo representing the sixth and seventh. They are part of a framed presentation that includes a color photo of Ronald and Nancy Reagan waving from a limo bearing identical No. 1 plates ($5/20,000).

Images of two of the all-time greats of baseball will be stepping up to the plate with hopes of knocking it out of the park. A circa 1920 Type I original photograph of Babe Ruth from his first New York Yankees season is credited to Paul Thompson, one of the premier baseball photographers of the early Twentieth Century. PSA/DNA authenticated and encapsulated, the 6½-by-8½-inch photo is expected to reach $20/35,000.

A 1917 Honus Wagner Doherty Silk Sox (Paterson, N.J.) advertising card produced for Honus Wagner Day, August 26, 1917, depicts the local hero in the final year of his playing career. Only two of these 4-by-7-inch pictorial cards are known to exist, making them rarer than even the exalted T206 Honus Wagner baseball card ($5/10,000).

For Star Wars collectors a Toltoys (Australia) Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 1980 Jawa vinyl-cape action figure on an Empire 41 Back-E card will be offered. The cape on the Toltoys Jawa — which had a very short production run exclusively in Australia — is of a darker hue than the one seen on the US version. Graded AFA 50 VG and one of only five AFA-graded examples, the Aussie figure is accompanied by CIB LOA ($35/50,000O).

A collection of Hasbro Transformer toys includes a 1984 Series 1 Optimus Prime in its original window box, AFA 85NM+ with a Trademark logo ($10/20,000). Additionally, there’s a 1985 Devastator gift set that contains six individual Constructicon robots that can be merged to form one Devastator robot. AFA graded 85 NM+, the set could reach $10/20,000.

Combining classic monsters and hot rod car culture, a factory-sealed and boxed “Wolf Man’s Wagon” Model Kit No. 458-98 presents in a high grade with provenance from the Greg Roccaro collection ($2/5,000).

Two key Silver Age comic books that are on every serious collector’s wish list will make an auction appearance at Hake’s. Marvel Fantastic Four #1 from November 1961, CGC-graded 5.0 VG/Fine, features the origin and first appearance of The Fantastic Four; while Marvel’s The X-Men #1 comic from September 1963 is CGC-graded 7.0 Fine/VF. It contains the origin and first appearance of The X-Men and Magneto. In the case of both comic books, the storyline is by Stan Lee with cover and page art by Jack Kirby (each $20/35,000).

Bob Oksner’s original cover art for DC’s Action Comics #467, published in January 1977, is an action-packed depiction of a raging Superman destroying a city. A hand-lettered pencil caption appears to emit from an antenna atop a skyscraper and says “Stop It Superman! You’re Wrecking The World!” ($5/10,000).

An ultimate crossover collectible of interest to toy, bank and Disney collectors, a circa 1930-36 Saalheimer & Strauss (Germany) Mickey Mouse tin mechanical bank exhibits one of four design variations in the Mickey series. When the character’s ear is pulled, his eyes move and his tongue ejects to accept a coin ($10/20,000).

Perhaps no other rock music poster recalls the 1960s quite as vividly as the one Gunther Kieser designed for the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s 1969 shows in Germany. Showing Hendrix with an array of psychedelic tubes plugged into his head, it bears the credit line “Design: Kieser Portratfoto: Silverstein Farbfoto: Novo Studio,” which, importantly, distinguishes it from merchandising posters printed for use during the band’s 1969 US tour. The poster was discovered inside an LP by a GI who spent time in Germany during the period of the poster’s production ($5/10,000).

For more information, 866-404-9800 (toll-free), 717-434-1600 or www.hakes.com.