Hake’s Premier Auction #244 is now open for bidding, featuring 1,562 lots of pop culture and historical collectibles. The auction covers the gamut of categories with important campaign material, significant items from baseball history, key comic books, and many high value toys. Star Wars memorabilia continues to be a standout section in the auction with many rare and key pieces.

Hake’s is offering a trio of important items connected to the Star Wars Early Bird program. Kenner received massive interest in Star Wars toys and the company had a short amount of time to design, test, produce, and package the figures. Because they weren’t able to build stock before the holiday season of 1977, they sold an “Early Bird Certificate Package.” It included a display stand and certificate that the purchaser could use to redeem for the first round of Star Wars figures once they were available.

A rare Star Wars Special Early Bird Certificate Package store display AFA 70 is in Hake’s auction. The thin cardboard header/bin store display was made to hold the Early Bird Certificates that Star Wars fans could purchase to guarantee that they’d receive the first round of toys once they were available. The display header features actual size photos of the action figures, including the Luke Skywalker figure with the double-telescoping lightsaber. An example of one of the certificates is included with the display and is situated as it would have appeared in stores. It is one of the most sought-after Star Wars display pieces and it is the first time this display has ever been offered at auction.

The next lot is a high grade example of the Early Bird Certificate Package AFA 90. The stiff illustrated cardboard envelope contains the sealed kit that was only available for a limited time and is marked “Not to be sold after December 31, 1977.” The envelope came with a cardboard stand, stickers, and a coupon to be redeemed via mail for the Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and R2-D2 figures. There are only nine examples graded AFA 90, according to the current AFA Population Report with just two higher. This is the highest graded example that Hake’s has offered.

This lot is followed by the Early Bird Mail-Away Kit AFA 90, featuring the double-telescoping Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and R2-D2. It comes with the original white mailer box without the mailing address label, vacuform plastic tray with sealed baggie set of the figures, a baggie with additional plastic pegs for posing figures, mini-catalog advertising the action figure line, and mail-away offer for the Early Bird Premium Collector Stand. There are only two examples graded AFA 90, per the current population report with none higher. This is the highest graded example that Hake’s has offered.

The display lots continue with a very rare “Get a Free Boba Fett” long display header AFA 80+. The double-sided 12” x 36” long cardboard header display has the Star Wars logo at the top center with classic images of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. The left side shows photos of the original 12 Star Wars figures and the right shows the eight new figures with a large image advertising the Boba Fett figure offer. Only four examples have been graded by AFA and this is the first time one has been offered at auction.

Outside of the toy section, Hake’s is offering a copy of the Star Wars VHS CGC 9.4 that was released by CBS/Fox Video in 1983. This is a sealed drawer box copy with V-overlap and white CBS/Fox Video watermark. It is one of less than five sealed copies known to exist.

The auction is packed with Star Wars toys like the Jawa 12-back-A AFA 80 vinyl cape variety, Boba Fett 21-back-A AFA 85, Return of the Jedi Jabba the Hutt action playset AFA 85, loose Hong Kong Darth Vader double-telescoping figure AFA 75, Boba Fett 12” Series AFA 75+, Empire Strikes Back Rebel Armored Snowspeeder vehicle AFA 75 (pink box), and many more.

Hake’s Auction #244 is open for bids at hakes.com; the auction closes on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 29-30, 2025.