Page 45 - May-JOA-22

Million Dollar Comics & Boba Fett: The Pop Culture Force is Strong
he phrase “built-in obsolescence” is one that most people in 2022 items and other vintage pop culture artifacts, Hake’s Auctions over the
are familiar with. For those of us who write about the collectibles past few years has earned the same sort of reputation for action figures,
Tmarket, the phrase has taken on new meaning in terms of particularly iconic Star Wars items.
documenting record-setting prices. No sooner do we Heritage’s March 15-16, 2022 auction, their first premier auction of
note the newly-set benchmarks – in our the year, saw this trend continue as the event closed with a total of $3.2
case, the number of comics that have sold million. As usual, historical material was offered in Part I, and pop culture
for $1 million or more – then the news is items were spotlighted in Part II.
As expected, the auction’s top spot went to the Boba Fett rocket-firing
out of date.
And yes, it’s happened once again. prototype (J-slot, Version 2) AFA 50 that flew to $204,435 and set a new
Seeing a comic sell for over $1 million was world record. The Boba Fett prototype was originally displayed at the
a rare occurrence just a few years ago, but it’s New York Toy Fair in 1979, but never went into mass production due
now almost to the point of being a benchmark to concerns surrounding the toy’s rocket-firing capabilities.
for the top auctions. The most recent addi- This has left a small number in the collecting community and is
tions came in the first session of Heritage wanted by the most serious collectors.
Auctions’ Comics & Comic Art Signature Not far behind the Boba Fett prototype was the Cox and Roosevelt
Auction, which ran April 7-10, 2022. 1-1/4” jugate button, likened to Action Comics
The San Francisco pedigree CGC-certified #1 and the Honus Wagner T206 in their
9.4 copy of Captain America Comics #1 sold for respective collecting categories. It sold for
$3,120,000. The key aspects of this book (the $185,850.
origin and first appearance of Captain America, All varieties of the Cox and Roosevelt
and debuts of Bucky and Red Skull) combined jugates are on political button collectors’
with the impressive high grade and its noted wish lists, but this size is even scarcer in the
pedigree to achieve the record-setting price. This CGC-certified 9.4 market than the smaller 7/8” and 5/8” vari-
In that same Thursday session, a CGC 9.4 copy of Captain America eties. In fact, this variety is one of only three
copy of 1962’s Fantastic Four #1, which fea- Comics #1 became only known and has not been sold at auction
tures the first appearances of Mr. Fantastic, the second issue from since 1981. This sale set a new world record
Invisible Girl, Human Torch, and The Timely Comics, the pre- for a pinback. It eclipsed the Babe Ruth
Marvel version of
Thing, as well as the first time they teamed up Marvel) to top $1 mil- “1915 American League Champions” Boston
as the Fantastic Four, closed at $1.5 million. lion when it sold for Red Sox rare button record of $70,092 that
The comic that kicked off the Marvel era now $3,120,000 at Heritage. Hake’s set in July 2021.
shares the distinction of having broken the Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions. There were numerous other Star Wars
$1 million threshold. action figures’ high marks in the auction.
These comics are the fourth and fifth to sell for seven figures in The Empire Strikes Back – Three Pack Sears
2022. This is just the third time that one auction garnered two comic sales exclusive AFA 75 was the second-highest Star
over $1 million. Wars sale, which more than doubled its pre-
Given that background on the opening session, it’s probably not too This CGC 9.4 copy of 1962’s auction estimate of $20,000 when it closed at
surprising that the four-day Comics & Comic Auction was something of Fantastic Four #1, which fea- $42,834. This Canadian Kenner set was made
tures the first appearance of
a blockbuster, ending with a massive total of $27,674,844. Nearly 6,000 Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Girl, in ’81 and includes a Stormtrooper (Hoth
bidders participated, all 1,766 lots sold, and the total was split almost Human Torch, and The Battle Gear/Snowtrooper), AT-AT Driver, and
evenly between comics and original art. Thing, sold for $1.5 million Cloud Car Pilot. It is one of two combinations
Among the other notable comics, a CGC 9.4 copy of Journey Into at Heritage that were sold by Sears.
Mystery #83, the first appearance of Marvel’s version of Thor, hammered Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions. The Jawa 12-back-A (vinyl cape) AFA 75
(so to speak) for $432,000. That was more than twice the book’s previous toppled its $20,000 estimate to realize $36,285.
top sale, which was set seven years ago. The 2-1/4” tall figure comes with the initial vinyl cape before it was
On the original art side, Jack Kirby’s splash page from Tales of Suspense repackaged with a cloth one. This example is on an unpunched card.
#59, Captain America’s first solo Silver Age story, realized $630,000, the Continuing the trend of breaking estimates, the Boba Fett 21-back-B
highest price paid at auction for a Kirby original page. AFA 85 action figure sold for $29,983, beating the $20,000 estimate. This
The original art highlights also included a Jim Lee and Scott Williams’ 3-3/4” figure, made for Kenner’s 1979 toy line, is on a punched card.
Uncanny X-Men #271 page dominated by Wolverine ($360,000), Richard Some of the other Star Wars high sellers were the Luke Skywalker
Corben’s original art for the Heavy Metal movie poster ($288,000), (blonde hair) 12-back-B AFA 85 that doubled its estimate to sell for
Harvey Kurtzman’s cover for MAD #9 ($264,000), Frank Miller’s cover $21,830, the Early Bird Certificate Package
for Book Three of The Dark Knight Returns ($264,000), and Jon AFA 85+ went for $20,905, and the Droids –
Bogdanove and Dennis Janke’s The Death of Superman trade paperback Boba Fett AFA 80 nabbed $20,768.
original cover ($204,000).
J.C. Vaughn is Vice-President of Publishing
and Amanda Sheriff is Editor – Digital for
Boba Fett, Star Wars Dominate at Hake’s Gemstone Publishing.
Without giving up their decades-long, well-earned crown for political
May 2022 43