DAVENPORT, WASH.- A once-in-a-lifetime find of 1968-1970 Hot Wheels original store displays from a Ben Franklin store in the Midwest will headline a Hot Wheels, Comic Books, Rock ‘n’ Roll Memorabilia & Guitars auction on Thursday, December 4th, by Grant Zahajko Auctions, online and live in the gallery at 510 Morgan Street in Davenport, at 9am Pacific.

Also up for bid will be other Hot Wheels Redline cars in about as good a condition as one will find, when not MIB (mint in the box); a lifelong comic book collection; an estate comic book collection; vintage travel posters; an original Skeleton and Roses drawing by Stanley Mouse; vintage rock ‘n’ roll posters; vintage guitars; and more. In total, 320 lots will come up for bid.



The top three lots are all Hot Wheels original store displays, led by a vintage 1968 store display with all the original cars, arranged in a car showroom setting. The cars, all in NM-MT or MINT condition, include the Watermelon Mustang, the brown Camaro with white interior, the gold T-Bird with no black roof, the custom Firebird, the custom Camaro and the custom Corvette. The display is in a Mio Store display case, 9 ¾ inches by 25 ¼ inches. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000.

Another store display, from 1969, has a Daytona 500 Raceway theme. The cars include a Lola GT 70 in dark green enamel, a McLaren MGA in gold, a classic 1931 Ford Woody in pink, a Ford Mk IV, a classic 1936 Ford coupe in aqua, a classic 1932 Vicky and a 1957 T-Bird. All are in NM-MT or MINT condition, and the display case is in great shape. Estimate: $5,000-$10,000.

The third store display, housed in the original box, is from 1970, with the cars all appearing to be in NM-MT or MINT condition. They are untouched since being put into the display by Hot Wheels. The display (minus box) measures 8 ¼ inches by 28 inches. Estimate: $5,000-$10,000.

“It's incredible to realize these store displays survived an unknown amount of time in a Ben Franklin store, on display, in the Midwest for an unspecified time and then were stored away 55 years only to be discovered by the family that owned the store,” said Grant Zahjko, the president and owner of Grant Zahajko Auctions. “These could easily have been broken apart with the Hot Wheels cut from their tie-downs within the display and sold or given away. What an incredible find, again showing us why collectors are always excited for the hunt and excited for the finds.”



Individual Redline Hot Wheels cars, all in NM-MT or MINT condition, include a 1968 Custom Dodge Charger (estimate: $200-$300); a 1967 Custom Barracuda, Hong Kong (estimate: $175-$250); a 1967 custom Volkswagen, Antifreeze (estimate: $100-$200); and a 1969 rose red Mod Quad and a 1967 orange custom Cougar, Hong Kong, being sold as one lot (estimate: $150-$250). Also up for bid is a group of 24 vintage Hot Wheels tin buttons (estimate: $100-$200).

Stanley George Miller (American, b. 1940), better known as Stanley Mouse, is an artist notable for his 1960s psychedelic rock concert poster designs and album covers for the Grateful Dead, Journey and other rock bands. There are two Stanley Mouse artworks in the auction.

The first is an original hand signed drawing featuring the artist’s iconic Skeleton and Roses image, drawn with colored pencil and hand signed in pencil lower right. The unframed drawing, with a sheet size of 18 ¼ inches by 13 inches, is in VG-EX/EX condition. The consignor purchased it directly from Stanley Mouse in the 1980's. Estimate: $2,500-$3,500.

The second is hand-signed print on linen poster art for the Grateful Dead, also with Skeleton and Roses imagery, nicely housed inside a 16 inch by 16 inch frame. Estimate: $600-$800.

Vintage comic books will be offered in abundance, and will feature the following examples:



• Incredible Hulk #181 (1974), graded CGC 6.5, featuring the first full appearance of Wolverine, and an appearance by Wendigo. Cover by John Romita. Estimate: $1,600-$2,000.

• Giant Size X-Men #1, graded CGC 6.5, featuring the first appearance of the New X-Men, Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus and Thunderbird, plus the second full appearance of Wolverine. Cover by Gil Kane and Dave Cockrum. Estimate: $1,200-$1,400.

• Amazing Spider-Man #129 (1974), graded CGC 8.5, featuring the first appearance of the Punisher and the Jackal. Cover by Gil Kane and John Romita. Estimate: $1,000-$1,400.

• Fantastic Four #48 (1966), graded CGC 6.0, featuring the first appearance of Silver Surfer and Galactus, plus appearances by Inhumans and Watcher. Story by Stan Lee and cover and art by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott. Estimate: $750-$900.



There are also two complete Peanuts comic books, both hand-signed on the cover by the legendary illustrator and Peanuts creator Charles Schulz. One is Peanuts #4 (1964), graded 4.0 CGC. The other is Peanuts #11 (1962), graded 3.5 CGC. Both are estimated at $400-$600.

Rock ‘n’ roll posters will be just as plentiful. They will be led by an original paper concert poster advertising Janis Joplin at the microphone, performing at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose, Calif., in July 1970. Also appearing was Fritz, the Bay-Area group that featured a very young Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Estimate: $1,000-$1,500.

Other rock posters will be for Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janis Joplin, 1968, Santa Rosa Veterans Hall, 21 ¾ inches by 14 inches (estimate: $400-$600); the Yardbirds and the Sir Douglas Quintet, 1967, Santa Rosa, 22 ½ inches by 14 inches (estimate: $400-$600); a 1980 Mountain Aire concert poster, in Angels Camp, Calif., featuring The Doobie Brothers, Toto, Ambrosia and Huey Lewis & The News, 36 inches by 29 ½ inches (estimate: $250-$350); and The Animals, 1967, Santa Rosa, 22 inches by 14 inches (estimate: $200-$300).



Musical instruments will feature a Martin D-18 guitar, 1972, serial #314032, in VG condition, with a hard case (estimate: $800-$1,200); a Martin DC-16RGTE acoustic guitar, in EX/EX+ condition, with the original Martin hard case (estimate: $700-$1,000); a like-new Deering Goodtime banjo (estimate: $200-$300); and a Fender Stratocaster “Wayne’s World” solid body electric guitar, in VG condition, with case, played but not abused (estimate: $200-$300).



Vintage travel posters will include a large Imperial Airways advertising poster on thin paper, fully mounted, 24 ¾ inches by 39 ¾ inches (estimate: $500-$800); an original 1930s Peru travel poster by Springett, unframed, in G-VG/VG condition, 40 inches by 28 ¼ inches (estimate: $400-$600); a Canadian Pacific Railway Lines easel-back advertising sign, in excellent condition, 19 ¾ inches by 14 ½ inches (estimate: $400-$600); and an original Eastern Airlines 1939 poster (“This Year Fly to the Fair!”), unframed and linen-backed, 24 ¾ inches by 15 ¾ inches (estimate: $300-$400).



There are two limited-edition animation cels signed by the renowned American animator Chuck Jones (1912-2002), both showing the cartoon characters Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner. One, titled Acme Harpoon Gun, is number 119 of 750 and is 13 inches by 15 ¾ inches (sight, minus frame). The other is titled Turnabout is Fair Play and is number 137 of 750, measuring 16 inches by 13 inches (sight, minus frame). Both estimated: $300-$500.

A preview will be held live at the Davenport gallery on Tuesday, December 2nd, from 1pm to 5pm Pacific time, or online via appointment on Zoom. To schedule an appointment, call 509-725-5600; or, you can send an email to info@gzauctions.com.

Internet bidding is available on the popular platforms LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, Auctionzip.com, Connect.Invaluable.com (Grant Zahajko’s branded version of Invaluable) and https://bid.gzauctions.com (Zahajko’s platform). Telephone and absentee bids will be accepted. Register here for absentee bidding: https://www.gzauctions.com/other.html#tab_Absentee

Grant Zahajko Auctions is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To inquire about consigning a single item, an estate or a collection, you may call them at 509-725-5600; or, you can send an email to grant@gzauctions.com. To learn more about Grant Zahajko Auctions and the Hot Wheels, Comic Books, Rock ‘n’ Roll Memorabilia & Guitars auction on Thursday, December 4th, at 9am Pacific time, visit https://bid.gzauctions.com. Updates are posted often.