The “Holy Grail” of Batman toys, a 1966 Ideal Batman utility belt in its original box, sold for $12,000 at Morphy’s Auctions on Wednesday.
The item was created as part of the mass production of Batman toys released to meet demand caused by the Adam West TV Show
The Ideal Batman utility belt is considered among the most desirable vintage Batman toys in history and is incredibly rare to find.
Tommy Sage Jr., Morphy’s head of toys and trains, said that in over two decades running rare toy auctions at Morphy’s (one of the leaders in the category), he had never sold one.
The key that makes this piece so valuable is that it’s complete in its original box, a difficult feat considering the amount of small pieces contained within the box capable of piercing the plastic.
“The box is really thin and vulnerable to being torn,” Sage explained. “There's plastic on the front of it and all kinds of intricate little parts. So it's unbelievably cool to see one still intact.”
Not to mention, like most sealed toys, much of its scarcity comes from the simple fact children naturally opened the box to play with the toy.
“I've never had one until now,” Sage said. “And I've sold as many toys as anyone in the country.” The record price paid for the toy (as well as any vintage Batman toy overall) is $16,940 during a 2021 auction at Van Eaton Galleries.
Prices for the handful believed to exist in its original box have long been steep, with Heritage selling a copy for more than $4,100 in 2003. Despite demand from hobbyists, the piece is a rarity to see at public auction. Since 2003, there have likely been less than five at auction, including a $8,477.13 sale in 2013 at Hake’s.
Sage credits much of the popularity to Batman’s cultural resonance.
“All that stuff is really hot right now,” Sage said, going on to explain that despite being an avid Batman collector himself, the rarity and price have prevented even die-hard fans from obtaining one.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.