Hake’s takes US$2.57m
Wallets were certainly emptied at the last Hake’s auction.
Whilst many items would not necessarily have had a following over here (such as the 1 inch version of the elusive 1920 Cox/ Roosevelt jugate button, one of only six of its type known to exist, which was pushed to an eye-watering US$100,300), there was some familiar fare.
For familiar, read Star Wars. The (Australian) 1980 TOLTOYS Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Jawa action figure on an Empire 41 Back-E card, wore a vinyl cape in a rare hue. One of only five AFA-graded examples, the figure from Down Under made its auction debut at Hake’s and closed just shy of its high estimate, at US$49,324. Two fully painted firstmight shot prototype action figures from Kenner’s Star Wars: Ewoks (1985) Series 2, namely Chief Chirpa and Paploo, also found favour with bidders. Each was packaged with a mismatched B-Wing Pilot aluminium Collectors Coin that Kenner intentionally included to show how the final product look. The Series 2 never saw production, despite being shown in the 1986 Kenner Toy Fair catalogue, making these prototypes extremely rare and desirable. Each sold for US$18,821.
Hasbro Transformers also stole some of the limelight. A 1984 Series 1 Optimus Prime in its original window box was taken to US$34,462 while a 1985 Series 2 Devastator gift set followed confidently to achieve a record-breaking US$25,370. Also worthy of note, a 1986 Masters of the Universe Eternia Series 5 playset, with towers, vehicles, a monorail and a bevy of other accessories, settled at US$13,369 against expectations of US$2,000-5,000. ■