Hake's latest auction, fully titled 'Auction #232: The History of Collectibles: Past, Present, & Future,' lives up to its name. With 2,381 items available for bidding including TMNT cover art, an uncut sheet of Pokemon Shadowless cards, and an actual rocket-firing Boba Fett, collectors' should definitely be taking notice. Be sure to look through the auction yourself to see all it has to offer.

The world is a collectors playground right now, with records being set almost daily within the collectibles community.  Not only are prices rising, but the quality of the items hitting the block has also bumped up several rungs. This is great for sellers, but it's even better for buyers who want to add their own personal grail items to their collections. We're seeing items thought to be nearly lost to history hitting the auction block, giving us plenty of items to watch.

Here are three items we're looking forward to following:

TMNT #5 Cover Original Final Cover Art

The original cover art for TMNT #5 features mixed media original final color art on paper and measures 10-5/8x14.25. It was presented as the wraparound cover of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5, published by Mirage Studios in Oct. 1985.  This work was created by TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman and features all four Turtles, along with Professor Honeycutt and Fugitoid.

Kevin Eastman explained how this unique piece came to be. He said, "I wasn't sure of the best way to color this piece - the 'first' full-color cover. I did, in fact, copy it and color the photocopy, which WAS used to scan for the printing of the 'First' full-color TMNT cover ever printed. It was also the first issue that was printed in traditional 'Comic Size'. This, in effect, actually is an original - the original - a full-color painting (even on top of a photocopy). This one was specifically used for that cover. It wasn't done after the fact - it was the original scanned and used for that issue's cover." Take a peek for yourself.

Gobbledygook #1

There's another item that makes this auction worth eyeing if you consider yourself to be a Turtle fan. In addition to offering a TMNT #1 in a 9.6 (with a current high bid of $7,000), you have the opportunity to bid on the very rare. This auction offers TWO Gobbledygook #1s. One Gobbledygook #1 is in an insanely rare 9.0. In fact, there are only three of these books (in this grade) in the CGC census. The other is an 8.5, which is nothing to sneeze at.

Gobbledygook #1 does not feature any of the Turtles inside or on its front cover, though it is the first appearance of Fugitoid and a few other characters. However, the back cover features a full-page advertisement for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1. A segment of fans considers this to be the Turtles' true first appearance, though Mirage officially recognizes the Turtles' first appearance to be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1. Check them out here!

In December of 2020 an 8.5 sold for $26,400 and in March of 2020 a 7.0 went for $12,000. Both sales took place through Heritage Auctions. Sales data was procured using the GoCollect Comic Book Price Guide.

Pokémon 1999 Base Set Shadowless Holographic Uncut Sheet

Offered here is an uncut 23.5x39-3/8" proof sheet of 99 Shadowless Holographic cards. This is the earliest uncut Pokémon proof sheet ever to come to auction, entered by an employee who received it as a gift in 1999 while working for Hasbro. Earlier this year, an uncut proof sheet of Unlimited sold for $116,000. The sheet offered here is the earlier and rarer Shadowless set, though, so it is expected to close at a higher price.

This set features artwork from artists Ken Sugimori and Mitsuhiro Arita, as well as others.

So what makes Shadowless cards so special? Shortly after the Base Set's 1st edition run, it was decided that the design of Pokémon cards would be changed, adding a "shadow" to the cards. Base Set 1 had a much smaller run than later editions of cards, making them a rarity. These early prints are generally brighter in color and use a thinner font. They also have the year 1999 appear twice in the copyright notice. An lastly, they lack the shadow around the pictures.

Not only is this the earliest uncut Pokémon proof sheet ever sold at auction, but it also shows the most desirable and rarest cards from the set. You can see all 15 holographic cards, including seven Charizard cards. This is the first time this piece has come to auction, and the guesses as to the final sale price vary. Currently, the high bid is $10,000, but it's estimated that the sheet may pull in $100,000-$200,000 before the auction closes. What do you think is a fair price?

Star Wars Boba Fett Rocket-Firing Prototype AFA 85 NM+

Only around 100 of these prototype figures were created, and only about 25 are accounted for today. One of the hottest Star Wars collectibles of all time, the story behind the creation of the figure is enough to qualify this as a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity for bidders.

The action figure was offered in 1979 as part of a mail-in rebate program. The Kenner Toy Company designed the Fett figure with a key feature. It had a tiny, spring-loaded plastic missile that launched from Boba Fett’s backpack at the touch of a button.

Concern that children could choke on the tiny projectile ended production on this version of the toy, as a child had passed away the year before after choking on a projectile fired from a Battlestar Galactica toy. Only a non-firing Boba Fett was made available to the public.

The unpainted prototypes were mostly destroyed, though a fraction ended up going home with Kenner employees and getting passed around over the years. The toy is a "white whale" for many Star Wars enthusiasts, and it rarely comes up at auction.  A Boba Fett complete with rocket-firing backpack sold for a record-breaking $185,850 in 2019. Do you think this could set a new record? Current bid: $44,000. Take a look.

Looking for Something Else?

Silver and Bronze Age hunters should take note of Fantastic Four #1 (3.0). With a current high bid of $5,500 and an FMV of $15,500, it's hard not to expect this one to shoot up over the next couple of weeks.  You'll also find X-Men #1 in a 5.0 (high bid currently $7,700, FMV $24,000) and Amazing Spider-Man #129 in a 9.6 (high bid currently $6,655, FMV $8,750.)

Toy fan? Take a look at the selection of GI Joe figures, including prototypes. There are other figures as well, including a James Bond 007 Sears' exclusive action figure in-box.

There is also a wide selection of graded sports cards to check out if that's more your style. You can also find Elvis Presley memorabilia, Beatles autographs, Hanna-Barbera collectibles, and a TON more. I wasn't kidding when I said this auction had a little bit of everything in it.

Take a look at ALL the entries in Hake's Auction #232 and see everything for yourself!

Will you be bidding on anything in Hake's Auction #232? Tell us about it in the comments!