For years, Hake’s has been a leader in collectibles outside of comics and has seen realized prices on vintage and antique trading cards, toys, and antique political items. This month, Hake’s has several unique and interesting finds in their March auction, with sessions ending July 30th and 31st.
Universal Monsters Creature from the Black Lagoon Prototype Figure
This is certainly an exciting lot! This three-piece set features a prototype, a fully painted figure, and a brand-new in-box Creature from the Black Lagoon figure. This Creature is a part of the Universal Studio's Monster line, which was released by Hasbro in 1998. These 12" toys are easy to find, but finding one still sealed - alongside a prototype - is rare. I have one of these Creatures in my own collection, and it's one of the nicer toys I have on display. The tube it comes in is somewhat fragile, but that adds to it.
The toy with box tends to sell for under $100 on other auction sites, but this is a unique find so I could see it breaking the $350 mark. This is the 70th year for The Creature from the Black Lagoon, so there are more eyes on him due to the anniversary. This piece is perfect for many collectors, and anyone who wins this is truly lucky!
Captain Marvel World War II Insignia Patch
Here is something you genuinely do not see every day. This Captain Marvel patch was released during the Golden Age of comics - right in the heart of World War II - and features the Fawcett character ready to throw a bomb. This image pulls from Captain Marvel Adventures #27. Hakes notes that this is the second patch of this kind they have offered in over 50 years. I can not stress enough how rare and unique this piece is. While there are other examples of comic book merchandise at this time, patches are harder to come by.
This patch looks to be in excellent shape, and I could see this ending over $800 for a motivated buyer. This patch deserves to be on display in any collection, or locked away so light can't hit it.
Superman Promotional Figure 1942
This auction is full of rare and hard-to-find items, and this 5.5" tall Superman statue is one of them! This wood figure was designed by Superman artist Wayne Boring, who brought the hero to life in stunning detail. This promotional item was likely sent to retailers and other comic distributors. Many collectors note this as being a Syroco figure, which created many wooden mini-figures of popular cartoon and comic characters. Original Syroco's are valuable, with some - such as this Superman - being harder to find than others.
Hakes does note that this figure has been repaired at both ankles, which you can see in the photos. Despite that, this is a grail piece for any collector.
Superman #1 CGC .5
When it comes to rare and hard-to-find comics and collectibles, one could argue that Superman #1 deserves to be mentioned when in an auction. While it's not as rare as Action Comics #1, this is still a hard comic to come by. The iconic yellow cover with Superman flying over Metropolis is iconic and has been replicated hundreds of times since publication. Superman brought in a new age of comics, and a year after his debut he got a title of his own. While Batman would eventually overtake Superman in popularity (especially in their own publication house!) Superman remains one of the most well-known comic book characters of all time.
This is one of the comic book grails in this hobby. Despite the low blue label CGC grade, this is still a desirable book and will fetch impressive money. This is the item to watch in this auction.
