YORK, PA.- As the United States revels in its 250th birthday year, Hake’s is gearing up for a big celebration of its own. The pop culture powerhouse is holding their March Premier Auction, one that will feature wonderful examples of historical political memorabilia and rare Americana. The fully-illustrated catalog has published on Hake’s website and bidding is now open. All lots will close on March 24-25.



Headlining the political category is a Cox & Roosevelt 1920 Democratic campaign jugate button, the most beautiful of all Cox/FDR varieties and the most coveted campaign button to be found. The 1-7/8-inch diameter button features a waving American Flag at the bottom center and a perched eagle at the top. Collectors have a special fondness for jugates, buttons featuring Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates. Hake’s is proud to have sold the most at auction. This one should sell for $25,000-$35,000.



FDR makes another appearance with a “Re-Elect Roosevelt” 1936 campaign poster, a phenomenal example of Depression-era art that evokes the masterful WPA murals of that period. The poster is 24 inches by 34 inches and signed in print at lower left by artist “W Sanger.” The striking graphics include six figures, each holding a union picket line poster. The bottom reads, “Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America,” a detail that may indicate the auction example is one-of-a-kind. Estimate: $10,000-$20,000.



Anna Pottery pigs are a big hit with collectors, and the one being offered by Hake’s also carries a political theme. It features incised and highly-detailed political content – cartoons and text – pertaining to Horace Greeley, the newspaper publisher who was soundly defeated by US Grant in the 1872 presidential election. The 8¼-inch-long chocolate-brown slip glaze folk art whiskey bottle, one of only three known that bear Greeley cartoons, is from the renowned Rex and Patti Stark Collection and should realize $10,000-$20,000.



Is there anything more embedded into the American experience than baseball? Up for bid is a four-panel Peanuts cartoon strip with pen-and-ink original art signed by Charles Schulz (1922-2000). Published April 21, 1958, the strip has a national pastime theme, with Charlie Brown in the outfield, preparing to catch a fly ball while Lucy taunts him nearby. It ends with Charlie saying, “Good Grief!” The two appear in all four panels, making this item a true home run. The estimate is $20,000-$35,000.

Keeping with classic illustration art, original first “3 View” sketches of the villainous character Bullseye, created by artist John Romita, Sr (1930-2023), are being sold together as one lot, with an estimate of $20,000-$35,000. The pencil sketches are on three separate sheets of vellum, measuring 3¼ inches by 7¼ inches and 5¾ inches by 8¼ inches, all attached to an art board. Romita has signed each piece of vellum and added handwritten notes in felt tip pen at the bottom of the sheets.

A coveted copy of Captain America Comics #1 (Timely Comics, March 1941), with a CGC Qualified Grade of 4.0, is expected to change hands for $35,000-$50,000. It’s a key Golden Age comic, featuring the origin and first appearance of Captain America, his young ally Bucky and their nemesis, The Red Skull. The classic World War II cover by Jack Kirby shows Captain America punching Adolf Hitler. Other artists include Joe Simon and Al Liederman, with stories written by Simon, Kirby and Ed Herron.

A desirable Silver Age comic, Amazing Fantasy #15 (Marvel Comics, August 1962) is graded CGC 3.5 VG and introduces The Amazing Spider-Man, plus Aunt May and Uncle Ben, with a story by Stan Lee, a Jack Kirby cover and additional art by Steve Ditko (estimate: $20,000-$30,000). Amazing Spider-Man #1 (March 1963), graded CGC 4.5 VG+, features the second appearance of Spider-Man and the first appearances of J Jonah Jameson and The Chameleon. Estimate: $10,000-$20,000



Fans of GI Joe, atten-hut! Lot 917 is an item never before sold at auction: a rare Cobra Set MSV consisting of a modified Stinger (Cobra Night Attack 4-WD) and a matching black Cobra version of the MMS (Mobile Missile System), offered as a Sears Exclusive and only made available for purchase in Canada. Manufactured in 1983 by Hasbro, the set is contained in a factory-sealed box with bilingual label and is graded AFA 80 NM. It’s being offered by the original owner, whose mother kept it packed away for decades. The estimate is $20,000-$35,000.



It wouldn’t be a Hake’s auction without Star Wars collectibles, and this sale has some tantalizing items. They include a Hungarian bootleg Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1987) blue card containing a nicely-painted Boba Fett action figure, packaged with a Chewbacca Bowcaster weapon as issued. The lot carries an ultra-high grade of AFA 85 and is expected to bring $20,000-$30,000. Only three examples in total have been graded by AFA per its Population Report, and this is the single highest-graded example.



A blister card containing a 2¼-inch-tall Star Wars Jawa action figure of the initial “Vinyl Cape” variety, made by Kenner in 1978, is graded AFA 95 Mint, the highest grade Hake’s ever offered for the toy. It should reach $40,000-$60,000. There are only three known examples in an AFA 95 grade, according to the AFA Population Report, with none higher. Hake’s sold an AFA 90 Vinyl Cape Jawa in its July 2024 auction for $44,261. The AFA 95 up for bid is on an unpunched card with no discoloration to the cape.



Acrylic original art by Ken Barr (1933-2016) showcases the vibrantly-colored and detailed illustration used for trading card #167 in Topps’ Star Wars Galaxy Series 2, released in spring 1994, has a pre-sale estimate of $15,000-$25,000. The illustration is large and impressive – 24¾ inches by 35 inches, minus the attached mat. A great group portrait, it includes R2-D2, Chewbacca, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, C-3PO and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The top half is dominated by a large image of Darth Vader.

A likely-unique Canadian poster promoting a June 16, 1960 concert at the Palace Pier in Toronto depicts The Man in Black – Johnny Cash – smiling and wearing a Western string bow tie, is expected to make $6,000-$10,000. The 14-inch by 22-inch window card on thin cardboard also includes The Tennessee Two, Carl Butler, Gordon Terry, Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys; and Johnny Western. Among the most impressive early Cash posters known, this is the only recorded example of its type.

Hake’s March 24-25 March Premier Auction is now open for bidding. For a free printed catalog or additional information on any item in the sale, call +1 866-404-9800 (toll-free) or +1 717-434-1600; or email hakes@hakes.com. View the fully illustrated catalog online and sign up to bid at https://hakes.com/.