Marvels at Hake’s

ACaptain America prop, a shield used by Chris Evans in the Marvel Studios 2019 blockbuster film Avengers: Endgame, sold for an astonishing US$259,540 at the Hake’s auction on November 3. The staremblazoned shield opened at US$20,000 and attracted 17 bids before being knocked down to its new owner.

Easily the most expensive lot of the sale, the shield contributed mightily to the overall figure of US$3.3m achieved by the event. Original comic art was led by the pen-and-ink Mickey Mouse daily comic strip panel art created by Floyd Gottfredson and Earl Duvall for publication on February 20, 1931. A five-panel strip from the “Mickey Mouse vs. Kat Nipp” storyline sold within estimate for US$45,430.

Star Wars also came to the fore: action figures and other toys showed up for a tempting selection offered on the second day. The category’s top lot honours were shared by two entries, each of which sold for US$42,834. One was the Star Wars Millennium Falcon spaceship from Kenner’s 1979 Star Wars range: AFA graded at 80+, it was housed in an encapsulated box while the other was one of just a few known carded examples of a 3.75 inchtall action figure of Luke Skywalker with a double-telescoping light sabre contained within an unpunched 12 back-A blister card from Kenner’s 1978 series.

Finally, pulp fiction also had its moment in the limelight. A CGCgraded 6.0 Fine copy of the November 1961 Silver Age classic Fantastic Four No 1 was significant both for its debut of Marvel’s first superhero team and the first appearance of Mole Man: this sold for a staggering US$37,269. Elsewhere, the EC Comics’ Tales of Terror’s 1953 Annual No3 was in astonishing condition and realised US$27,258. ■

A very expensive pairing from the Kenner stable went to new homes via Hake’s.

A round price of almost US$260,000 was required to take home the famous film prop.

This comic sold for ten cents originally – a nice return for somebody, in my book!