The Jeff Jacob Collection of Star Wars , G . I . Joe & More Vintage Toys Lands at Hake ’ s Auctions
By Amanda Sheriff
Collectors find their passion in many different ways . For some it ’ s about items with rich history or cultural significance , some want the rarest and most valuable items , others appreciate what is attractive . Then there are collectors motivated by nostalgia . One of the strongest driving forces in collecting , nostalgia is a conduit collectors use to reconnect with their history , and a form of escapism to simpler times .
Toy collecting is an avenue of nostalgia collecting that brings back memories and can produce lucrative prices in sales or auctions . For years , Star Wars has been the pinnacle of toy and action figure collecting , gaining international attention and interest as select pieces routinely sell for five and six figures . Now , similar toys from the late 1970s and into the ‘ 80s that are also related to movies or television shows are seeing a major boost in the secondary market . The increasing value of these toys has displayed consistent momentum , particularly examples in their original packaging , those in high grade , and rare pieces .
Jeff Jacob has had incredible success in composing a collection of the most significant and valuable action figures and toys from that era . His collection contains over 3,000 action figures , playsets , vehicles , and other pieces from Star Wars , G . I . Joe , Transformers , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , Masters of the Universe , and other production lines . The collection boasts complete and near complete runs , the rarest pieces , multiple variations of many releases , and some of the most valuable toys in the hobby .
Not only is the breadth of his collection comprehensive , Jacob pursued the best examples available . He determinedly and patiently hunted for toys in the best condition possible , cultivating a collection that features mostly high grade pieces with some recognized as the highest graded examples . His lifetime assemblage of action figures and related toys is indisputably one of the best in the world . Now , Jacob is ready to sell his collection through Hake ’ s Auctions .
Jacob ’ s love of Star Wars , G . I . Joe , and more traces back to his childhood in the 1980s when action figures filled his toy box . His passion for collecting reignited in 1994 when he and a coworker were driving home from a construction site , and they started talking about toys they collected when they were kids . On a whim , they decided to stop by a comic book store and the new Star Wars action figures caught Jacob ’ s attention . About a week later , they went to a KB Toys store and seeing the Star Wars toys again initiated a new bite from the collecting bug . At first , he was a completionist regarding the newer Star Wars toys , collecting one of every ship and toy that came out .