LAPORTE, Ind. — High dollar vintage toys were recently being offered for sale by Auctions by Moldenhauer, LLC. With the three day sale, more than 1,500 lots ranging from board games to monster and Batman items were well represented.

The most fascinating piece at this auction was a store advertising display from 1966. This sign still sported vivid color and the Batmobile was two-dimensional on an orange background. Showing the action of Batman and Robin swinging into the famous wheels from the top, it was an eye-catching piece that let everyone know they could get their official Batmobile scale model hobby kit. All they had to do was “see the back of Burry’s packages for details.” This sign was made out of a formed plastic and did show a few minor cracks, but was in fabulous condition considering its age. With this one being one of only 10 known to exist, the opening bid was an impressive $700. It kept going up rapidly between the in-house and online bidders; it took an impressive $1,400 to become the new owner of this unique piece of toy memorabilia. The on-scene bidders sent murmurs of appreciation and clapped when it was pronounced sold.

The Phantom of the Opera has always been popular. Hasbro jumped on the money wagon by producing a board game with this name. Put out in 1963, the one offered at this sale was complete. Selling in the original box which was in pretty good shape, this used game just kept going up in price. The internet was jumping with bids as was the auction site. It took $1,300 to become the new owner of this game.

Still selling from the year 1966, a Superman wallet took center stage. This piece was one of only 10 known to exist. Made by National Periodical Publications, this wallet was a bright yellow in color. The thing that made it rare was the fact that it was still sealed in the original packaging. What little boy would receive this for a gift and never bother to take it out of the package? No one will ever know. It could have been a store item that got pushed back and never sold. The story behind it still being packaged was a mystery, but the fact that it was drove the price up. The bidding started fairly low, but kept rising all the way to $700 before it was declared sold.

Odd Ogg was a very rare toy put out in 1962 by Ideal. This one was sealed in the original box and one of a very few known to be still sealed. This toy had one slightly damaged corner on the box but was in great condition. This very comical looking frog would play ball with the kids. This unique toy took the high bid of $550.

A Batman Executive Set was also in high demand. Auctioneer Moldenhauer was bidding on this piece for himself in front of the crowd. “I can remember having this same set on my desk when I was a kid. I was very excited to see it,” Moldenhauer laughed. This desk set from 1977 was in the original box. It appeared it had never been taken out. It consisted of a Robin calendar, a Batman pencil sharpener and the always present Joker, who was guarding the stapler. If you pushed down on the TNT the Joker had, the stapler worked. This was a very nice set and the box was in amazing condition. The final bid on this beauty was a nice $400.

Illya Kuryakin was the well-known star of The Man from UNCLE. A sealed action figure of him dated 1965 drummed up some interest. This figure was still in the original box which showed some shelf-wear, but was in pretty good shape. In this condition, Kuryakin brought a high bid of $200. His counterpart, Napoleon Solo, was also sold. Solo had been opened, but was still in great shape. The original box was included along with some accessories. The final bid price on Solo was $120.

An assortment of four small Beatles dolls in played-with condition were very popular. This set of four rubber dolls from 1964 brought a sale price of $200.

Dated 1966, an official Green Hornet and Kato masks made by Arlington still sealed in the original packaging commanded $170 to tuck these treasures away. A 1966 Corgi Green Hornet Black Beauty crime fighting car was sold. It came with a working missile launcher and flying radar scanner with instructions. “This one works because we played with it,” Auctioneer Moldenhauer laughed. The final bid price on this tiny car was $225.

Selling for $325, a box of TV Tinykins was in great shape. Containing a variety of tiny characters from the era’s television shows, Marx put out this box of 34 pieces in 1962. The figures were all mint as they had never been removed from the package. These were a great collection of memories for the lucky winning bidder.

Some model kits also seemed to be in high demand. A 1964 plastic Aurora Dracula Dragster model kit had been opened, but was complete except for one elusive candle. The final bid price on this model was $225. A 1963 Hawk Weirdos model kit with the Drag Hag sold for $80.

A roto jet gun from the show Lost in Space was offered up. This played with toy was from 1966 also and sold for $250. A dome metal lunch box with thermos from the same show was also offered up. With some paint loss and imperfections, this lunch box brought a high bid of $169.

Monsters were at this auction in many different forms. A group of four monster Soakies, consisting of Wolfman, Creature, Mummy, and Frankenstein were in high demand. This group was all empty, but would have made a great display on a shelf in the bathroom. Soakies were made to entertain kids while they bathed in the soap bubbles that came inside. They represented almost every category for children from their Disney friends to these monster ones offered at this sale. The demand for these is higher now than ever and this grouping of four brought a final bid price of $250.

Herman, Lily, and Grandpa Munster also showed up with green faces. This set of three monsters were made by Kayro in 1964. They brought a high bid of $275 in their played with condition.

This toy auction conducted by Auctions by Moldenhauer was like stepping back in time to the 1960s. Every child’s Christmas list item was offered up for sale in this large mix of vintage toys. And it was all fun. The large red button hangs conspicuously on the white wall declaring, “Let the fun begin.”

Moldenhauer advertises regularly in The Auction Exchange & Collectors News. He can also be followed on Auction Zip ID #5239. He can be reached at (219) 229-0411. “Making auctions fun again,” is the moto for this company. Contact Auctions by Moldenhauer for all your auction needs.