Mickey Mouse, Peanuts, Little Orphan Annie, Silly Symphonies, Betty Boop, and Superman racked up some robust sales as Disneyana and other vintage character collectibles continued their sustained solid performances in the Geppi’s Entertainment Publishing & Auctions’ event which closed Thursday, September 4, 2008 at the company’s Hake’s Americana & Collectibles unit. This followed a strong session for the Tuesday-closing portion of the auction as well.

The auction included featured pieces from the Michael J. Stern Disneyana Collection, the Tomart Archives, The Deak Stagemyer Collection, the Ed Potter Button Collection, the James Gallow Spider-Man Collection, the Craig Warren Batman Collection, and the Andy Levison Puppet Collection, as well as Joel Cohen Disney Books and numerous other items.

The original art for a Mickey Mouse daily strip by Ub Iwerks, signed by Walt Disney, was the auction’s top item. It sold for $54,625 (all prices include the 15% buyer’s premium). The four-panel strip from January 29, 1930 features Iwerks art inked by Win Smith, and it was the first of many Disneyana items to attract strong interest in this auction.

An extremely rare wind-up toy featuring Minnie Mouse pushing Baby Felix in a baby carriage sold for $17,250. Made in 1929-1930, this 3 X 7 X 7.75" tall tin litho toy with built-in key is one of the earliest Disney wind-ups. It shows the Castle logo with the letters "RS" for Rogelio Sanchis of Isla Toys, Spain, and it is a great depiction of Minnie smiling and showing teeth while wearing a polka dot dress and apron. Felix sits at the front of the pram in dapper attire of polka dot shirt and striped pants.

Also near the top of the results were the “Officer Duck" Donald Duck cartoon original art, which sold for $4,312.50. Batman – The Joker’s Practical Jokes!, a Prell Shampoo premium comic realized $4,142.73 and a piece of Popeye original daily strip art featuring the Goons sold for $3,450. The Aurora "Gigantic Frankenstein" model garnered $3,270.02 while a rare Superman with Nancy and Sluggo newspaper promotional button closed at $3,162.50.

As it has for several years now, Disneyana continued to display selling power. Additional top items in this category included a Mickey’s Rival production drawing sequence that brought $3,162.50, Mickey Mouse Ingersoll deluxe wristwatch, girl’s model with charms and box realized $3,055.95, a rare Walt Disney Studio Christmas card from 1931 printed for use by Walt’s Confidential Secretary closed at $2,875, a "Donald Duck On Trapeze" wind-up with its rare box ended with $2,846.25, and a "Mickey Mouse And Silly Symphonies" film Exhibitor’s Catalogue realized $2,612.22. There were many other choice Disneyana items featuring Donald, Mickey, Snow White, Horace Horsecollar, and others.

The Man of Steel had a strong showing as well, including a rare Superman/Skippy Peanut Butter label that brought $2,778.14, a rare Superman fully painted promotional figure garnered $2,587.50, a Superman March Of Dimes – Infantile Paralysis card ended with $1,982.89, a Superman wood and composition jointed doll by Ideal made $1,113.20, and the rare, high number Superman Gum cards sold for $1,067.48.

Other long lived characters showing in the top items included Hopalong Cassidy, Koko the Klown, Alley Oop, Woody Woodpecker, Seahag, The Lone Ranger, Boy Commandoes, Buck Rogers, Alice the Goon, Howdy Doody, and Roy Rogers, among others.

The top item from the Tuesday closing session was the first ink blotter pad with a Daisy air rifle cello cover Hake’s had seen in its more than 40 years in the business. This piece from 1909 features a button-like fastener and was given away in Atlantic City. The piece sold for $5,750.

The other top pieces in that session included a superbly designed and colored William Jennings Bryan 1900 campaign poster went for $5,556.26, a “Hoo But Hoover" rare Poppy Flower button realized $2,542.65, A Teddy Roosevelt embossed tin large portrait pin closed at $2,530, and a highly sought but rarely offered, Colt Firearms button from The Potter Collection sold for $2,340.25.

A complete list of prices realized and after auction sales items is available at www.hakes.com.