There’s no denying we live in a golden age of toys, when nearly every property you can think of has a toy line. But you know when the last golden age was? The 1980s! (Okay, and late 1970s.) New toy lines were everywhere, innovation was at its peak, and many of the lines that were begun in that era are still going strong today. Feeling nostalgic? A bunch of those toy lines are up for auction now at Hakes.com — read on for some of the highlights!
Star Wars Early Bird Mail-Away Kit with Figures 1978
It’s the world’s first action figure pre-order! The kit to pre-purchase four Star Wars action figures in 1977 – and the figures you got in 1978 – are reunited here in this ungraded set. Not only do you get R2, Chewy and Leia, you also get a Luke that has a double-bladed lightsaber! Ungraded, you have the option to preserve them or play with them.
Star Wars Revenge of the Jedi Mock-Up Card Back
When testing out looks for the cardbacks for the new range of Star Wars action figures in 1983, artists hand-crafted new logos on old cardbacks for review. This one, using the old “Revenge of the Jedi” title, shows a very bombastic logo, and is unquestionably one of a kind. Encased but not graded by the AFA.
Masters of the Universe Eternia Playset 1986 (Graded)
If you’re going to own a vintage Eternia playset, you might as well go all-in and get a graded one, one that’s in great condition and is guaranteed to stay that way forever and ever. This is the highest grade one of these massive boxes has ever received and is definitely worth getting someone to pack and ship it for you. You’re shipping a kingdom, for Pete’s sake!
Transformers Soundwave 1984 (Graded)
“Soundwave superior, Constructicons inferior!” We may not 100% agree with Soundwave on that one, but there’s no denying that he was one of the coolest Decepticons. The bot had little bots that lived inside of him! This one came with Buzzsaw, the gold “condor cassette,” and is graded AFA 80. Choice!
Tribes Pre-Production Art and Figure Collection
I was this many years old when I found out that Hasbro had a He-Man-esque toy line waiting in the wings when the whole barbarian toy market crashed. It got cancelled, but a recent office-cleaning unearthed a treasure trove of Tribes art and prototypes! Own a piece of literal toy history with original artwork, design sheets, painted prototypes and more.
https://www.hakes.com/Auction/CollectionDetail/484/Hasbro-Tribes-Prototype-Collection
Super Powers Hawkman Blank Back Proof Card 1984
With McFarlane Toys bring back DC Super Powers toys in a big way, now may be the time to pull the trigger on a rare piece of Super Powers merchandise – a proof card (with scribbled art notes) printed on high-quality Cromalin paper. With great character art on the front and a blank back, the only downside is that it’s for Hawkman. Hah, just kidding, we love Hawkman.
Batman Puppet Theatre by Ideal 1966
What better way to relive the action and adventure of the 1960s Batman TV series than through the magic of puppetry? Three 10-inch hand puppets (including the Sears-exclusive Joker) are included in this cardboard home theatre set from 1966. Incredibly rare, as far as superhero puppets go.
GI Joe: A Real American Hero Firefly 1984 (Graded)
What is it about the masked GI Joes? Snake Eyes? Cool. Storm Shadow? Cool. Beachead? Very cool. Firefly? With the mask and the camouflage and the backpack full of saboteur weapons? Super cool. Anyway, this one is gonna go for a lot of money.
https://www.hakes.com/Auction/ItemDetail/284133/GI-JOE-1984-FIREFLY-SERIES-332-BACK-AFA-85-NM
Lord of the Rings Animated Figures 1978
Looking to complete your collection of figures based on the Ralph Bakshi animated film based on JRR Tolkien’s literary classic? Look no further, because the whole line is up for auction right now. They may not be super-realistic, but you can’t deny the Bakshi!
https://www.hakes.com/Auction/CategoryItemList/371/Lord-of-the-Rings?dgv-rowsPerPage=200
Ghostbusters Ecto-1 Vehicle 1986
Whether your Ghostbusters line of choice is Kenner, Hasbro, Mattel or DST, you gotta have an Ecto-1. And since not every line MADE an Ecto-1, you gotta go with the one who brung ya – the 1986 Kenner original. This one is enshrined in a graded case, but hey, look at the pretty art on the box!
