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ing others, members received the Supermen of America patch, today dealings may be unproven, their effects can definitely be seen.
one of the most highly prized Superman collectibles. This successful With the first 1945 kit, it’s clear that All-American had pulled back
club continued into the 1960s. from their close relationship with DC. The use of the All-American
return addresses on the certificate, mailer, and letter, and the
The Club Kits All-American logo on the comics themselves are readily apparent.
Over the years the kits themselves have been documented and Later that year, following Japan’s surrender on August 14, another
re-documented, researched, photocopied, theorized upon, and written version of the kit was produced. Among other considerable changes, the
about. They’ve been the subjects of many “defin- certificate’s text about winning the war was
itive” articles and much discussion amongst replaced by the phrase “win the peace” and DC’s
comic book fans and other collectors. Each of the 480 Lexington Avenue address reappeared for
kits had differences, some distinct, some subtle. the remainder of the kits. In 1946 Gaines sold
While it’s relatively easy to theorize about the rea- All-American to Donnefeld, and what had been
sons behind the changes in each of the editions, one company in the public perception became
one thing is certain: There were five of them. one in reality.
While it’s been common to report otherwise, Advertised in late 1947, the last docu-mented
there were at least five distinct JJSA kits. The rendering of the JJSA club kit was issued in 1948
original 1942 kit was issued for just two months and remained in use until the club was discon-
before the membership badge fell victim to tinued in 1951. For this version, the certificate’s
wartime metal shortages. It was replaced by a text was completely rewritten to eliminate
cloth patch featuring the JSA shield emblem. The references to war and included admonishments
original certificate was also modified. The phrase to follow the Golden Rule and to “never be
“White or Negro” was added to the pledge after guilty of prejudice or discrimination against a fel-
“employer or worker” and before “native or low human being because of race, creed or
foreign-born.” It might not seem so huge today, color!” It also included fewer items than the
but that was cutting edge stuff in pre-Jackie previous editions, discarding the war-related
Robinson America. The letter was also changed pamphlets and exchanged the cloth patch for the
to correspond with the membership items. Both return of a silver badge.
versions distinctly mention Axis propaganda, and
both were produced with DC’s 480 Lexington In The Marketplace
Avenue return address. Over the years, the JJSA Club Kits have been
The third variation of the JJSA kit was solid, steady perfor-mers in the $400-$1,000
produced in 1945. On May 7, Germany had surrendered, but the Allies range, according to Hake’s Auctions. Even several loose pieces of a kit
remained at war with Japan. In addition to the substitution of “enemy” can bring $300 or more.
for “Axis” in the wording, the certificate, letter, and mailer from this kit It’s always wise to see that the description of the items matches the
are easily distinguishable because they used All-American’s 225 edition year noted on an offering. Whether the incorporation of the
Lafayette Street return address. JSA’s history into The CW’s Stargirl show has any lasting effect or not,
There have been numerous theories postulated about the ins and it does represent a chance to educate newer collectors about some
outs of the relationship between DC and All-American, ranging from wonderful comic character history.
the wild to the entirely plausible (including Gaines’ ownership of vital
paper contracts during the wartime rationing years making him an
J.C. Vaughn is Vice-President of Publishing for Gemstone Publishing
attractive partner to any publisher). While vagaries of the business

Hake’s February 24-25 Auction Offers 2,266 Lots of Greatness
YORK, PA – Last September, Hake’s Auctions set A powerful 300-lot selection of sports memorabilia is
world record prices for pop-culture memorabilia and highlighted by an extremely rare Babe Ruth Boston Red
broke their own house records for sell-through rate, Sox “Royal Rooters” 1915 Champions button embla-
the number of registered bidders, and the number of zoned with the same photo of Ruth, his 21 teammates,
bids placed. Lightning could strike twice on February team owners, and trainer that appear on a 1915 real-photo
24-25 when the Pennsylvania auction house hosts a postcard that achieved a six-figure auction price. With
2,266-lot sale covering everything from historical and provenance from the Paul Muchinsky collection, it will
political memorabelia to sports and comics. open at $5,000.
A magnificent Civil War treasure is featured: a hand- Also, the auction includes several ultra-desirable Negro
painted 1860 Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin League collectibles from “The Black Ball Collection.”
“Wide Awake” parade banner with the mesmerizing Within the select grouping is the only known example of
image of a large human eye. The “Wide Awakes” were 36 a postcard depicting the 1911 NY Lincoln Giants—one of
young men from Hartford, CT, who formed a political the most significant of all black baseball teams—during
action group. On March 5, 1860, after hearing Lincoln’s their inaugural season. The historic photo of the uni-
address in their hometown, the youthful activists formed a formed lineup includes Hall of Famers John Henry “Pop”
marching party to escort the future president to his accom- Lloyd, Louis Santop, and player/manager Sol White in his
modation for the night. Lincoln was so impressed, he only “card” appearance. Estimate: $20,000-$35,000.
started encouraging young people everywhere to follow More than 1,000 comic books will be auctioned,
the Wide Awakes’ example. Banners created and used by including at least 300 that are CGC-certified.
the Wide Awakes are almost non-existent. A top highlight Hake’s Feb. 24-25, 2021 auction is now open for
amongst the 500 political lots in the auction, this ultra- bidding. For additional information, call 866-404-
rare pre-Civil War textile will open with a $10,000 bid 9800 or 717-434-1600. Email hakes@hakes.com.
www.hakes.com

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