The first lot to cross the block, and the highest-earning at $105,182, was this Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi 12 back-A Kenner Star Wars action figure, AFA near-mint plus, complete with its initial “Double Telescoping” light saber design.
Review by Kiersten Busch
YORK, PENN. — On January 22, bidding closed for Hake’s Auctions’ Jeff Jacob Part 1 Auction, which saw 435 lots of action figures and other vintage collectibles from the Star Wars collector’s assortment cross the block. The lots included selections from television shows and movies from the late 1970s and 1980s, including Star Wars, G.I. Joe, Indiana Jones, Masters of The Universe, Thundercats, Transformers and others. With all lots sold, the auction totaled $1.45 million. Owner Alex Winter excitedly shared that Hake’s is now “the first auction house to have an action figure-specific auction break the million-dollar mark.”
“When we landed the Jeff Jacob collection, we knew we not only had something special but something that could turn out to be legendary,” continued Winter. “That was solidified with the very first offerings from his collection. We had hopes of cracking $1 million, which we not only hit, but went well beyond. There was such anticipation for this auction that we actually went live a week earlier than planned. From the get-go, the bidders showed up and bid early and often. But nothing prepared us for the closing night, which was nothing short of epic. Once the final bids were placed and the dust settled, we saw numerous world record prices across all toy lines, but especially with Star Wars, which is the main focus of his collection.”
Leading the sale was the first lot offered, what the auction catalog referred to as “the most important Star Wars production piece to ever hit the auction block”: a 1978 Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi 12 back-A Kenner Star Wars action figure with its initial “Double-Telescoping” (“DT”) lightsaber design, which was discontinued after its first wave. Unopened and in its box, the figure was graded by the Action Figure Authority (AFA) as near mint plus (85 NM+). Hake’s previously sold an AFA 80 12 back-A “DT” Obi-Wan for $76,700 in November 2017, but this was the first time an AFA 85 example was brought to auction. It did not disappoint, slicing down a world-record $105,182 finish.
At $38,940, this Star Wars Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) 12 back-A action figure earned a world record for any R2-D2 figure and was graded near-mint plus by the AFA ($5/10,000).
World records continued to roll in for Star Wars figures, with an Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) 12 back-A figure, graded near-mint plus (85 NM+), rolling to $38,940, a world record for any R2-D2 figure sold at auction. A Boba Fett figure from Kenner’s The Empire Strikes Back series, graded the same as R2-D2 by the AFA, also shot to $27,258, a world record for this exact figure.
The second lot to cross the block also finished within the top five prices of the sale and earned a world record. A Star Wars Early Bird Mail-Away kit by Kenner, which included “DT” Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and R2-D2 figures, earned $32,450, a world record for any kit ever sold. The AFA graded this example near-mint plus (85 NM+); only three examples are known to have been graded higher.
Star Wars, however, was not the only franchise that Jacob collected from, nor was it the only one to perform well in the auction. The third-highest price of the day went to a Transformers Series 1 (1984) Megatron figure by Hasbro, which smashed its $10/20,000 estimate to earn $41,301, a world record for its grade. Earning an AFA grade of near mint (80 NM), the leader of the evil Decepticons was “among the most desirable Series 1 Transformers toys;” only two examples have earned an AFA grade as high as 80.
Action figures from G.I. Joe also caught bidders’ eyes, with a 1982 Cobra Missile Command Headquarters Series 1 playset by Hasbro flying to $14,673 against a $5/10,000 estimate, earning a world record for its AFA grade. The playset came with an inner box and three Hasbro Straight Arm action figures on red blister cards. Opened but new, it received an excellent plus/near mint grading from the AFA (75+ Q-EX+/NM) and is, according to the most current AFA Population Report, the highest and only graded example of this toy.
This Sears exclusive G.I. Joe Cobra Missile Command Headquarters Series 1 playset by Hasbro was the highest and only graded example of its kind, earning a world record for its opened-but-new excellent plus/near mint condition at $14,673 ($5/10,000).
Thundercats collectibles were led by a Lion-O and Snarf Series 2 action figure. The toy included Battle-Matic Action, a Sword of Omens and a “Secret Power Ring” which caused the figure’s eyes to light up. Its rarity came from the color of its hair: orange, instead of the more commonly found red-haired variety. Graded near mint (80 NM) by the AFA, the rare figure roared to $9,423, a world record for this specific figure.
Additional records included a Kenner Star Wars Special Action Figure Set of three which earned a world record of $18,691 for its AFA grade of near-mint plus (85 NM+), and a Star Wars: The Power of the Force (1984) Jedi Knight prototype coin (90 NM+/Mint), which achieved an overall world record at $13,954.
Winter shared that the majority of bidders in the auction were men, aged 20-60, from around the world, and that the buyers of the top lots were mostly private collectors from various countries worldwide.
“This is just the beginning as we still have thousands of items to offer [from the Jacob collection],” said Winter. What’s next for Hake’s? The firm’s premier auction in March will include Star Wars and other action figures, but not from the Jacob collection. The next Jacob-specific auction will be held in May.
Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For additional information, 717-434-1600 or www.hakes.com.
