How much would you pay for a toy? Sure, some statues sell for upwards of a grand, but how high would you go for a toy that’s encased in plastic, never to be played with again? Well, we took a look at the top items in Hake’s Auction #237, and you’d be amazed at how much some of these toys went for. All are grail pieces, and all are probably going to look amazing in someone’s house. Prepare to be jealous!
1. TOLTOYS STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980) – JAWA 41 BACK-E. AFA 50 VG (AUSTRALIAN RELEASE, VINYL CAPE, EXTREME RARITY)
Sure, you can get a carded Jawa anywhere, even a rare vinyl-cape Jawa, but this one is the rarest of the rare. An Australian release by TOLTOYS, it uses a darker vinyl only released in Australia, and is carded on an Empire Strikes Back card instead of a Star Wars blister card. Very few of these Vinyl Cape Jawas were released by TOLTOYS and only for a very brief time period. This is the first time one was offered by any auction house, and it’s one of only five examples graded by AFA, which is why it set the auction house record for any Jawa figure. SOLD FOR: $49,324.00
2. TRANSFORMERS (1984) SERIES 1 OPTIMUS PRIME. AFA 85 NM+ (TRADEMARK LOGO)
This particular Optimus Prime has a Trademark symbol on the Transformers logo, which is much rarer than the Registered logo. Perhaps that’s why this one set the auction house record for any Transformers toy. SOLD FOR: $34,461.90
3. TRANSFORMERS (1985) SERIES 2 CONSTRUCTICON GIFTSET – DEVASTATOR. AFA 85 NM+
Not every kid had to build their Devastator one piece at a time, picking up a Constructicon every other week at the local TRU – some kids got the gift set and built the first Decepticon Combiner in one fell swoop. Someone treated themselves. SOLD FOR: $25,370.00
4. STAR WARS (1977) – LOOSE ACTION FIGURE/HK BEN (OBI-WAN) KENOBI (DOUBLE-TELESCOPING SABER) AFA 80+ NM
Everyone knows telescoping lightsabers are the bee’s knees, but did you know that a double-telescoping Ben Kenobi is super-rare? Carded ones can go for a mint, but this loose one did pretty darn okay. SOLD FOR: $24,660.70
5. STAR WARS (1978) – R2-D2 FIRST SHOT ACTION FIGURE WITH SILK-SCREENED DECAL & LEGS VARIETY AFA 80 NM
It’s not often that you find a prototype for one of the first 12 Star Wars figures, especially one that is from before the Early Bird set. This R2 proto features hand-cut decals and once belonged to a Kenner employee. SOLD FOR: $22,066.00
6. STAR WARS (1978) – TUSKEN RAIDER 20 BACK MOCK-UP PROOF CARD (ON 12 BACK-A PROOF CARD). AFA 80 Q-NM
There are a lot of things going on with this card, a 12-back card used to mock up a 20-back card, with a lot of modifications, but the biggest thing is that it calls the Tusken Raider a “Tusken Raider” rather than “Sand People,” which is what they were called in production. A one-of-a-kind item. SOLD FOR: $19,572.53
7. STAR WARS ACTION FIGURES 1978 BELL HANGER ADVERTISING STORE DISPLAY SIGN AFA 90 NM+/MINT WITH ORIGINAL SHIPPING CARTON & HARDWARE
If you want to turn your home into a living museum of old-school Star Wars toys, you’re gonna need one of these. SOLD FOR: $19,470.00
8. STAR WARS: EWOKS (1985) – SERIES 2 PAPLOO FIRST SHOT PROTOTYPE SALES SAMPLE FOR UNPRODUCED FIGURE. AFA 70 Y-EX+
Did you know they never made a second series of Ewoks action figures? Did you know that Paploo was among the unmade characters? Did you know you can still own one? This unproduced first shot prototype of Paps comes on a Series 1 Cardback with a B-Wing Pilot collector’s coin. SOLD FOR: $18,821.00
9. MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (1986) – ETERNIA SERIES 5 PLAYSET. AFA 70 EX+
Three towers! Three battery-operated vehicles! Almost 40 years of wanting! The ultimate He-Man collectible may be sealed in its box for eternity, but you would still have bragging rights over your childhood friends. SOLD FOR: $13,369.40
10. G.I. JOE (1985) – U.S.S. FLAGG, SERIES 4 VEHICLE, AFA 60 EX
If you’re going to spring for a graded G.I. Joe vehicle, you might as well go for the biggest and best, right? The G.I. Joe team’s aircraft carrier was the grail item for any child of the 1980s, and remains so for any adult of the 2020s. SOLD FOR: $11,104.40
https://www.hakes.com/Auction/ItemDetail/268974/GI-JOE-1985-USS-FLAGG-SERIES-4-VEHICLE-AFA-60-EX
Got any of these grail items, or something like them? Sell them through Hake’s Auctions! Visit hakes.com!