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The Most Widely Read Collector's Newspaper In The East Published Weekly By Joel Sater Publications www.antiquesandauctionnews.net
VOL. 46, NO. 16 FRIDAY APRIL 17, 2015
Booming Interest In Pop Culture Results In Sixth Million-Dollar Auction For Hake’s Americana And Collectibles Circa 1935 Mickey And Minnie Store Displays Smash Estimates, Selling For $29,222
H
ake’s Americana and Collectibles, the company that brought pop culture auctions to the mainstream 48 years ago, reached another historic milestone on March 19, its sixth million-dollar-plus sale. Hake’s two-session absentee and online Auction #214, held on March 17 and 19, chalked up a $1,024,337 total, with a strong 81 percent sell-through rate (by lot). All prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer’s premium. “With this auction we also set a record for the number of bidders who participated, which is a testament to the strength of the collectibles industry,” said Alex Winter, president of Hake’s Americana. “The zealous bidding we see in each and every one of our auctions is always a gratifying reminder of the position we’re privileged to occupy within the pop-culture hobby. Not only is Hake’s widely acknowledged as America’s first collectibles auction house, it also serves the
cel from the 1934 animated short “Two-Gun Mickey,” presented a focused depiction of Mickey in Western attire, on one knee with a gun in each hand. The artwork had remained in the same collection since the 1950s and was completely fresh to the market. Estimated at $5,000$20,000, it commanded a final price of $13,800. One of the most enduring of all cowb o y characters, the Lone
This 1934 “Two-Gun A highlight was this Mickey and Minnie Mouse mechanical Old King Cole Mickey” black and store display pair, circa 1935, ex. Doug and Pat Wengel collection, which sold white production cel sold for $13,800. for $29,222.
largest international clientele by virtue of the hundreds of categories it offers, from Action Figures to Yellow Kid,” said Winter. The top lot in the sale was a pair of mechanical, painted-composition store displays depicting Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Made around 1935 by Old King Cole Inc., the pie-eyed pair boasted
A historical “ashcan” prototype pulp with the first appearance in print of the Lone Ranger, published April This Marx Batman factory proto- 1937, one of two known examples, type bagatelle game sold for sold for $8,419. $11,828.
remarkable condition and came Ranger appeared on the cover of a with provenance from the prototype “ashcan” pulp magapeerless Doug and Pat zine printed in August Wengel collection. 1936. In this early Estimated at iteration, The Lone $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 Ranger wears a $20,000, the red bandanna to duo attracted disguise his 12 bids face, rather before selling than the later for $29,222. and more Wherever familiar black there are eye mask. mice, cats One of only two such The 1948 “ashcan” Thomas E. Dewey protoportrait campaign types pubbutton, believed to be lished to estabone of fewer than five known, sold lish copyright, the for $4,810. very rare magazine often follow, and that was the case was even more desirin Hake’s auction. The hand-drawn able because it had and artist-signed original artwork been graded by CGC, for George Herriman’s Nov. 3, which does not ordinarily 1935, Krazy Kat Sunday comic grade “pulps.” With an strip was an 11-panel beauty that opening bid of $5,000, it featured the endearing feline with eventually sold for $8,419. many other popular characters. It Every auction has at least one sold near the top of its estimate surprising price realized, and this range for $17,014. time around, the honors went to a Another coveted piece of comic Marx Batman factory prototype art, a black and white production bagatelle game with working
mechanism and six marbles. Richly graphic with images of the Caped Crusader, Robin and eight different criminals, including the Penguin in a prison uniform, the colorful toy that never reached the production stage was bid to $11,828, more than four times its high estimate. Leading the 500-lot political section, a military discharge document signed on June 8, 1783, by General George Washington, with the counter signature of his aide-de-camp John Trumbull Jr., achieved the midpoint of its estimate at $7,558. Following closely behind at $7,400 was a Ulysses Grant/Henry Wilson jugate stickpin with oval ferrotype portraits of the 1872 Republican presidential and vice presidential running mates. Additional auction highlights included a 1941 Sensation Comics promotional postcard depicting Wonder Woman and Wildcat, $6,900 and a 1934 Tom Mix pocketwatch A 1934 Tom Mix pocketwatch, inscribed on reverse “Always Find Time For A Good Deed,” sold for $6,569.
with a beautiful, full-color image of Mix on his rearing horse, Tony, selling for $6,569. “Wow! After 48 years, the quality of the items we offer, our bidders’ enthusiastic responses, and the world-record prices we set in so many collecting areas continue to reach higher and higher levels. It’s a wonderful time to be a collector, as so many special items that went into collections in the late 1960s through early 1980s are now coming to auction. There’s a new generation of collectors ready to preserve these great historical and pop-culture artifacts,” said Hake’s founder Ted Hake, c o m menting on the million-dollar sale. A 1872 For further Ulysses information, call Grant/ toll-free 866-404Henry 9800 or 717-434Wilson 1600 or visit jugate stickA George Washington hand-signed www.hakes.com. pin with oval This 1941 Sensation Comics promo Revolutionary War military disImages cour- ferrotype porpostcard with Wonder Woman and charge document dated June 8, 1783, tesy of Hake’s. traits sold for
The single panel showing a brick-throwing scene from original, signed George Herriman art for Krazy Kat Sunday comic page for Nov. 3, 1935, sold for $17,014. Wildcat sold for $6,900.
sold for $7,558.
$7,400.