Star Wars figures, sports cards and antique toys landed in the top 10 at Morphy’s fun-filledFeb. 14-16 auction

Lot of 5 exotic Spanish Star Wars figures brought the force, going 22 times high estimate; Lionel Mickey Mouse Circus Train set originally priced at $2 glides to $10,765

DENVER, Pa. – Toys and banks of a century ago joined contemporary pop-culture classics at the top of prices realized, February 14-16 at Morphy Auctions. The Pennsylvania company’s 1,425-lot Toys & Collectibles sale incorporated virtually every category sought after by today’s toy enthusiasts, from pressed-steel automotive, European tin windups and cast-iron mechanical banks to postwar Japanese robots and Star Wars collectibles. To no one’s surprise, Stars Wars figures and vintage sports cards attracted knowledgeable bidders who pushed prices into the five-figure range.

The top lot of the sale was a group of five scarce Spanish carded Star Wars figures from Kenner’s Empire Strikes Back series. “The more unusual, the better collectors like them,” said Tommy Sage Jr., Head of Morphy’s Toy Division. “That includes any Star Wars figures that are of foreign manufacture.” The lot consisted of the characters Chewbacca, Darth Vader, Denjar, and two favorites identified by their Spanish names: “Luke Caminacielos” (Luke Skywalker) and “Erredos-de-Dos” (R2-D2). All of the figures were in VG condition and sealed in plastic on their original cards. The group lot was bid to $13,530, more than 22 times its high estimate of $600.

Of the individual figures offered, the one attracting the most interest was a 1979 Kenner Star Wars Boba Fett 21 Back-C action figure in mint condition, encapsulated in a new-style case. The silent and mysterious Mandalorian bounty hunter Boba Fett is one of the most captivating of all characters in the vast Star Wars universe. AFA graded 80, the figure offered by Morphy’s sold for a strong $7,995.

Another outer space dweller, a very rare Alps battery-operated Missile Robot strode across the auction block in outstanding – possibly unused – condition. The 15-inch missile-shooting robot presented in perfect order with its original dish antenna and original pictorial box with factory cardboard inserts. Against a $3,000-$6,000 estimate, the immaculate mid-century ’bot commanded a winning bid of $11,685. 

A bona fide antique that is very seldom seen in the marketplace was the tin mechanical bank known as “Man in the Garden.” Produced by Gerbruder Bing (Germany), it depicts a charming scene of a gentleman in his garden, wearing a proper apron and hat and carrying a watering can as he tends to his flowers. Estimated at $4,000-$7,000, it was bid to $10,800.

An unusual and nicely-detailed mechanical bank known as “Called Out” gets its name from its theme of sentries on duty with rifles in hand. It was actually assembled from very rare bronze patterns from the legendary Cromwell, Connecticut, mechanical bank manufacturer J & E Stevens. In near-mint condition, it sold for $9,600.

The toy train category was led by a pre-WWII O-gauge Mickey Mouse Circus Train set with accessories, including all 12 of the original tickets, a windup key, and a brochure showing the set for sale with its mindboggling original price of $2. In excellent condition, this extremely desirable train and comic character crossover toy with a staggering array of small pieces had even managed to retain its original pictorial box marked Walt Disney Enterprises 1935. Against an estimate of $4,000-$8,000, it chugged its way to an even loftier $10,765.

The sports memorabilia category was highlighted by an ultra-rare and unopened 1976/’77 Topps “Hockey Trading Cards” rack pack box with its original shipping label. “Collectors rarely have the opportunity to acquire factory-sealed boxes of this type,” Tommy Sage noted prior to its sale. BBCE-authenticated and in beautiful condition, the lot handily exceeded its $3,000-$6,000 estimate to close at $7,995. Baseball fans, on the other hand, targeted a nice 1954 Topps baseball cello pack that was PSA graded 7 NM. It knocked its $1,000-$2,000 estimate way out of the park with a winning bid of $8,610.

To discuss consigning toys, banks, sports memorabilia or vintage collectibles to a future auction at Morphy’s, please call 877-968-8880 or email [email protected]. Visit Morphy’s online at www.morphyauctions.com. All enquiries are kept strictly confidential.