YORK, PENN. — Hake’s November 2-3 Premier auction, which totaled $3.3 million, saw records set in a number of pop-culture subcategories, and excitement ran high for the auction’s signature piece: the screen-used “hero-prop” shield Chris Evans wielded exclusively in his starring role as Captain America in Avengers: Endgame. Between 30 and 40 shields were produced for long shots and action sequences in Endgame, but the example offered by Hake’s, which was created by Marvel Studios senior prop master Russell Bobbitt, was used by Chris Evans during all-important close-up shots. “It shows the most detail and was handled with great care on set so it could be used in multiple scenes. In contrast, many prop shields lasted for maybe one or two scenes before sustaining damage from stunt work,” noted Alex Winter, Hake’s president. The shield outlasted the onslaught of 17 bids, finishing at $259,540, including buyer’s premium. That is an auction house record for any Marvel movie prop. The winning bidder was Wil (Wilmot) Creasy, a commercial analyst from western Australia.
Said Winter, “This was one of those rare times when we did not assign a pre-auction estimate. We knew the collectors would have the final say and wanted to cast no expectation. But we also knew the potential for something special was there. And that is what happened, a new auction house record for any Marvel movie prop. And well deserved, this was one of the most amazing items Hake’s has offered in its 45-year history, and that is saying something considering the millions of items we have handled. From the moment we had the shield in-hand, we promoted it everywhere, culminating in its in-person appearance at the Baltimore Comic Con, where it was the star of the show. From the day it went online, the bids started coming in, but it was the final day that saw it jump some $150,000 before closing at the record price. The term ‘museum quality’ is sometimes overused, but in this case, it is well deserved.”
Watch for a full review of the sale in an upcoming issue.
