YORK, Pa. – After two consecutive auctions that broke existing house records, Hake’s is back with a blockbuster November 2-3 Premier Auction that could push the pop culture giant’s 2021 gross beyond the $10 million mark. Between the red-hot state of the vintage collectibles market and an influx of new, investment-minded collectors coming into the hobby, new records are likely to be set not only by the November auction as a whole, but also in a number of pop-culture subcategories, said Hake’s president Alex Winter.

“Our June auction went beyond all expectations, with a Pokémon Shadowless Holographic uncut proof sheet selling for an unheard-of world auction-record price of $234,171 and a Babe Ruth button that set a new world auction record at $70,092. Of all of the auctions we’ve hosted in our 54-year history, that one was probably the most credible leading indicator of what lay ahead for the collectibles market. We think the June sale paved the way for an even greater result to come with our November event,” Winter said.

Excitement is running high over the November auction’s signature piece: the screen-used “hero-prop” shield Chris Evans used exclusively in his starring role as Captain America in Avengers: Endgame. Between 30 and 40 shields were produced for long shots and action sequences in Endgame, but the example offered by Hake's, which was created by Marvel Studios senior prop master Russell Bobbitt, was used by Chris Evans during all-important close-up shots.

“It shows the most detail and was handled with great care on-set so it could be used in multiple scenes. In contrast, many prop shields lasted for maybe one or two scenes before sustaining damage from stunt work,” Winter noted. Previously, the shield was gifted to a Los Angeles nonprofit by Marvel Studios’ Executive Vice President Victoria Alonso for a fundraising raffle, and at that time, Chris Evans tweeted, “This is the shield.” In near-pristine condition, the shield will now be available to the collector community at large. Due to its unique nature, it has an open estimate.

Nearly 400 CGC-certified comic books will be auctioned, including at least one copy of nearly every key Marvel Silver and Bronze Age issue. A prized X-Men #1 from September 1963, with the origin and first appearance of the X-Men, is CGC-graded 6.5 Fine+ and estimated at $35,000-$50,000; while a copy of Marvel’s August 1962 Amazing Fantasy #15, featuring the first appearance of Spider-Man, has the ultimate bonus: Stan Lee’s clear, bold signature in black felt-tip pen on the front cover’s “sweet spot.” It is estimated at $20,000-$35,000. An unbeatable choice for EC Comics fans is the only CGC 9.6 NM+ Tales of Terror Annual #3 in existence. Published in 1953, it includes the best of EC Comics’ stories from 1952 through the date of annual’s publication. Estimate: $20,000-$35,000

The comic and illustration art section boasts more than 200 one-of-a-kind pieces by influential artists. Of the five published paintings by fantasy artist Boris Vallejo, four are covers. Vallejo’s alluring female cyborg cover art for the April 1984 issue of Heavy Metal magazine is artist-signed and dated, and has a $20,000-$35,000 estimate. Two large and impressive original oil-on-canvas specialty artworks depicting Vampirella in classic attire were painted by Enrique “Enric” Torres-Prat, who provided cover art for many Vampirella issues from the late 1960s to modern day. Each is estimated at $5,000-$10,000.

Charles Schulz’s original Peanuts strip art continues to attract new collectors, as validated by a Peanuts Sunday strip that Hake’s sold for $80,000 in June. The November sale includes Schulz’s original four-panel pen-and-ink daily strip from June 19, 1964. Double-signed and inscribed by the artist, it bears a United Features Syndicate stamp and is estimated at $20,000-$35,000. Disney fans will also be well accommodated with the last three pieces of Mickey Mouse daily strip art by Floyd Gottfredson and Earl Duvall to come directly to Hake’s from the Duvall estate. The art for the Mickey Mouse strip that ran on Feb 20, 1931 is estimated at $35,000-$50,000.

With the ongoing frenzy surrounding Pokémon, a strong result is expected for an uncut 1999 Pokémon Unlimited Base Set holographic proof sheet. This early production with 100 cards featuring artwork by artists Keiji Kinebuchi, Ken Sugimori and Mitsuhiro Anita could land in the $50,000-$75,000 range. Also notable is a 1999 Pokémon Base Set Charizard 4/102 first-edition holographic card in CGC 9 Mint condition. Estimate: $20,000-$35,000

The Star Wars universe is a collector realm well known to Hake’s, which holds numerous world auction records for action figures. A top highlight of the November selection of prototypes, test shots, first shots, foreign variants, key productions and more is a Star Wars 12 Back-A blister card from Kenner’s popular 1978 Star Wars toy line. Unpunched with a 3.75in-tall action figure of Luke Skywalker with a double-telescoping lightsaber, it is AFA-graded 80 NM (archival case) and is one of few carded examples known. Estimate: $35,000-$50,000

The 500+ lots covering a long timeline of political memorabilia include two especially important items, the first being an 1864 “clasped hands” cotton portrait bandanna with the image of bearded candidate Abraham Lincoln. The image is based on a J.C. Buttre engraving of a Mathew Brady photo. This rare Lincoln textile in VF condition is estimated at $10,000-$20,000.

Because it is such a uniquely important historical document, an open estimate has been placed on the second stellar highlight of the political section: Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” draft with pencil corrections. Comprising 14 pages in all, the document was drafted on April 16, 1963 during Dr King’s incarceration at the Birmingham City Jail after he led a demonstration to protest discriminatory practices by local merchants. With provenance from a private Chicago-area collection, its opening bid is $10,000.

From the legendary Black Ball Pedigree Collection comes the only known cabinet photo of the 1894 Findlay (Ohio) baseball team, whose lineup included African American ballplayers Bud Fowler and Grant ”Home Run” Johnson. Estimate $20,000-$35,000. From the modern era of baseball, Hake’s will offer a 1953 Topps Mickey Mantle (HOF) autographed card #82, PSA/DNA-certified with a near-perfect (9 out of 10) Mantle signature in blue felt-tip pen. The card dates to the legendary Yankee slugger’s third season and is only the second Mantle card Topps issued. Accompanied by a Hake’s COA, this coveted card is expected to make $5,000-$10,000.

Rare and dazzling, a Led Zeppelin and Vanilla Fudge poster promoting a 1969 Salt Lake City concert is executed in vibrant colors and plate-signed with the promoters’ company name “Frank & Stein” at lower right. A classic of the “psychedelic” era, it is one of four such posters known to Hake’s and the first ever to be offered at auction. Estimate $5,000-$10,000

Hake’s Nov. 2-3, 2021 auction is now open for bidding. For a free printed catalog or additional information on any item in the sale, call 866-404-9800 (toll-free) or 717-434-1600. Email hakes@hakes.com. View the full catalog online and sign up to bid at https://hakes.com/.